Wonderful people throughout the author’s life provided unique and irreplaceable lessons and inspirations:
Juniper
Russell
Esther
Smith
Vicky Ball
Dottie Frisbie
Linda
Dezzutti Martha
Higgins
Jennifer Carolyn Gates
Susanne Koller
Rachael
Bleich Charleen
Cox
Paula Wells
Meredith Herzog
Sarah
Satterthwaite
Patricia
Sharp
Ashley
Riddle Peter
James
Antonya Pickard
Valuable readers gave the author feedback after digging through early drafts of the book:
Ardith Libby
Cecelia Harper
Karen Oster
Excellent critiquers commented on thousands of passages, then provided reactions during in-depth interviews:
Sidney Oster, 11
Catherine “Cat” Harper, 13
Sarah Bray, 13
Dylan Oster, 13
Alex
Chalcraft Rachael
Hedges
Careful publishing assistants, proofreaders, and technical helpers brought the final manuscript as close to perfection as possible: Katelynn
Persons
Cecelia
Harper
Contents
1 Star Station Approach ....................................................... 1
2 Docking
Tunnel ............................................................... 15
3 Quarantine.......................................................................22
4 Healers.............................................................................28
5 Different
Paths.................................................................33
6 Sata’s
Tour .......................................................................36
7 Going
Fishing...................................................................44
8 Mission Assignment Room.............................................. 51
9 Heat.................................................................................. 57
10 The Surgeon.....................................................................63
11 Conference ....................................................................... 67
12 First Mission....................................................................70
13 Decision ........................................................................... 77
14 Stocking the Manessa Kwi.............................................. 80
15 Evening on Satamia Star Station.....................................83
16 The Link...........................................................................96
17 Sharing........................................................................... 103
18 Memsala.........................................................................108
19 Dreams............................................................................ 111
20 The Scrub Brush .............................................................115
21 Juggling Lessons.............................................................121
22 On Her Own Two Feet................................................... 129
23 Meeting .......................................................................... 136
24 Dance Troop .................................................................. 140
25 Observation Tunnel ....................................................... 144
26 The Guard ...................................................................... 149
27 Refugees......................................................................... 152
28 In Trouble ...................................................................... 158
29 Briefing .......................................................................... 165
30 The Great Transformation .............................................171
31 Newcomers .....................................................................177
32 Getting Comfortable in New Shoes ................................181
33 Temptations................................................................... 185
34 Grubs and Bones............................................................ 189
35 Failure............................................................................ 193
36 Shunned........................................................................ 200
37 Escape ............................................................................204
38 The Mission .................................................................. 208
39 Success ........................................................................... 212
40 The Hard Part ................................................................ 215
41 Debriefing ......................................................................220
42 The Search .....................................................................229
43 Re-settlement ................................................................ 237
44 Unfinished Business ......................................................245
Neti’s Temptation................................................................256
“It is not the purpose of the universe to get things done as quickly and efficiently as possible. That’s a mortal preoccupation, especially strong in monkey mammals, but we all feel it to one degree or another . . .”
— Silmula Sorafax, in charge of the Great Transformation
