She strode across the surface of the ice, her mind massaging the Jagrafes below, could feel his neuro-muscular system rippling back satisfaction at her kindness, her gesture, and at his own work well done. "Yes, you did good."

His kind were well-suited to high-level organization and sorting, managing whatever system they were placed in charge of & bringing even marginal systems to abundant - fruitition? was that the word David used? and shrugged it aside.

"Thank you," she told it. The Jagrafes was burrowed beneath the ice, but he could feel her psychic praise. She'd brought him here to re-order the sparse life in this ocean, which had been near-empty when she'd first arrived, five million years ago.

Far enough from the sun to host life, was also freezing cold. And the sun was about to die - ten million years was abnormally old for this sort of star. No chance of the native life developing star travel and escaping. "We have to find another solution," she said, and imparted that comment to her Jagrafes.

Idea. I possess an idea, he imparted back to her. They were nothing if not quick.

request: Susan Foreman/John Hart, Susan Foreman/Owen Harper