The Craton arrived thirty-six hours after my initial contact with them. Commander Yaepanaya was relieved that the situation was under control, but expressed strong concern about the deaths that nearly occurred. I have a feeling that next time we leave the Craton, she will insist on being among my team.

Chief Science Officer Cenz seems to be recovering well, thanks to Lieutenant Pirra's bravery and Ambassador Kell's intervention. He will take some time to recover fully, but all of his number seem to have survived, aside from those killed in the initial shot that pierced his water suit.

Our Chief of Engineering, Cutter, and his crew of nearly a thousand Beetle-Slugs are now pouring over this station. The number of improvements he says he can make to its safety and efficiency are uncountable, even with just the resources in the colony itself. A great number of small improvements can have a vast positive effect when added together.

There has been some hostility from the populace, but it has begun quickly to fade as we have begun providing medical clinics to the sick and food for the hungry. Our long-term results will hopefully cement this positive feeling in the minds of the colonists of New Vitriol.

Governor Tede has resigned his position. Under our observation, a provisional government made up of section chiefs and business owners has come together to fill the void. We will watch them carefully to make sure their class interests do not come to dominate and harm the rest of the population. Within a few years we should be able to help them move into a higher form of economy.

Over seven hundred people have expressed an interest in leaving the colony, though we have already begun to receive reports from the Colonial Assistance Council that they have over twenty thousand of their helpers ready to come and get the place back on its feet. When trouble appears, look for the helpers, they say.

Without Hoc Rem, any organized resistance to our presence has failed to materialize. It seems that many of his guards were mercenaries he hired, and without prospect of being paid for the effort, they had no desire to resist.

The man himself has disappeared, as Nec Tede predicted. We can find no witnesses that even admit to seeing him on that last day, and as the former governor said, there are many places he could have left from. A signal was sent from the station that day that we believe might have been him communicating with his unknown patrons - but the trail is cold. With just an environment suit and a small craft he could have already met with a larger vessel and escaped the system.

Now all that remains is to do our best for the cloned human beings that the former Governor had been growing. Only forty percent will likely survive, and with great health problems. We will do our best for them.

And besides them, we have a new member of our crew to acclimate. I predict this may be a difficult adjustment for Apollonia Nor.

*******

"Madam, I would like to offer you my apologies," Kell said.

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The old woman glared at him. Her lips were curled into a sneer.

"I don't want them," she spat.

"Very well." Kell turned to walk away.

"Wait, Kell." Urle looked to the woman. "Madam, I know you are not happy to see us, but I hope that soon you'll feel differently. My friend here, despite his mannerisms, is truly sorry, but he is from a very isolated society that has very different norms than ours. I assure you that he means what he says - his people do not lie."

The old woman's face might have changed slightly, but she finally nodded. "If it'll get you to stop darkening my doorstep, then fine."

Kell had been watching Urle curiously as he spoke, but he again now looked to the old woman.

"What I said to you before was hurtful and shocking to you. That was not my intention, and I apologize for that. My people often do not consider other beings, and it is something I would like to change."

The woman stared at him for a long moment. "You said my fluffs were fake, too. You should apologize for that."

Kell's eyebrow arched and he smiled slightly. For once, Urle thought, it was not a disturbing smile, but a slightly wry one.

"To be fair about that, madam, you were trying to trick my friend here. But I do not think you even need to pretend that they are living - they are, on their own merits, quite appealing."

Kell reached into the open top of the box and picked up one of the fluffs, a green one. It writhed until he put it on his hand where it calmed. He began to stroke it and it let out a soft coo.

"They behave much like a real animal would to a human," Kell said.

Urle almost snorted a breath half out of amusement and horror.

"Like a human?" the old woman asked.

"Strange culture," Urle said to her, hoping to kill the subject. "But I agree with the Ambassador. I could tell they weren't alive but that also means that my daughters don't have to watch them grow old and die. As important a lesson as that is, I think we could all stand to have a little less such pain in life, don't you think?"

Something seemed to crack in the old woman's face. Her suspicious, angry expression evaporated, and she suddenly was just a woman - aged, tired. But hopeful.

"Yes," she agreed.

Kell put his trade card down onto the old woman's reader. It pinged, and he turned to leave with his green fluff.

Urle bought two, then set down a white card in front of the woman before gesturing to the large medical tent that the staff of the Craton had set up.

"If you go over there with this card, Dr. Y will have a look at you. He is one of the top experts in the galaxy on treating human medical conditions, and I trust him more than any other doctor I have ever known. I am certain that he can help you."

The old woman said nothing, and Urle moved away, pushing hard to catch up with Kell, who was still holding his fluff.

"You didn't have to buy one," he noted. "But it was kind of you."

"It is a novelty," Kell replied. "It is only an object, but it creates a facsimile of being happy when I touch it."

"Actually, it's true. She did a really good job making and programming these with what she had to work with."

Kell did not reply as he and Urle went back into the ship.