Lem paced nervously behind the movie theater, Chuck’s voice echoing in his head. Stay out of sight, Lem. Don’t get caught. But Chuck had been caught, and now Lem felt utterly helpless.

Nearby, two uniformed aliens chatted by a vending machine. Lem froze when he heard them whisper.

“...the other human?” one said.

“Yeah, near the outskirts. Probably trying to meet up with the first one,” the other replied. Lem’s heart skipped a beat. Another human? Without thinking, he slipped away, heading for the outskirts of town

Lem crept through the junkyard, the air thick with the smell of rust and oil. His antennae twitched with every creak of metal around him, his heart hammering in his chest. What would this other human be like? Would they be like Chuck—bold, loud, and full of strange Earth quirks—or… something else?

“Eckle?” Lem called out in a harsh whisper, pushing past a stack of old car parts. His nerves were a tangled mess, but he couldn’t stop now.

“Lem! Over here!” Eckle’s voice was sharp with excitement, and Lem followed it, weaving through the maze of scrap metal until he came to a sudden halt.

There, crouched beside Eckle, was the human.

Lem froze. His first thought was that this person didn’t look like Chuck at all. Their frame was smaller, more compact, and the way they hunched against the metal backdrop made them seem like they were trying to disappear. Their face was sharper in some ways, softer in others, their wide eyes fixed on him with a mix of wariness and defiance.

Lem’s mind raced, trying to reconcile what he was seeing. Humans can look like this too? He couldn’t stop himself from staring, his antennae bending slightly as if trying to catch something intangible about them. They weren’t anything like Chuck’s bold, confident energy. This human felt… vulnerable, but determined.

For a moment, Lem couldn’t speak. A strange feeling stirred in his chest—equal parts awe and guilt. Awe because they were so different, so fascinating. Guilt because they looked scared, and he was part of the reason why.