Arlow Tsai is a great guy (really). Around the time space aliens became known to the human race, Arlow was informed about something strange. Copies of him were appearing around the multiverse. When he found out that he was in line for huge inherit...
Ami was a Wroug girl with some problems, at age 67 she was a young adult.
She had very particular places to go to during day and very particular ways to get home. Her schedule (set by Ami) was odd and irregular, but she would manage.
She stayed in this town because of the Wroug accommodation of alien visitors. This Wroug population had a greater level of live-and-let-live (though she had not travelled around to prove it for herself).
For about four months, 4000 female Lans had been settling in. They had granted some permission to work at local business units.
Periodically, you would see male Lans or Lan couples (and occasional larger mixed groups of Lans) during weekends. The Lan appeared to have some system of exchange to arrange for a temporary swap of visas.
There were several elLans working at her business unit. It is not like they were aloof, but rather they were prompt, ordered, and task focused.
Quite very quick in background research; which simply put was "Has this research problem already been solved by other researchers in the galaxy? Is the technique applicable to this part of the galaxy, this planet?"
The Lan had duplicated swap plane equipment within hours of discovering the books that detailed the theory.
After months of testing on himself, the researcher felt it was reasonable to let others take on the application engineering. This satisfied the galactic convention of technology adoption, and the Wroug could let Lans access to their equipment (according to Wroug guidelines and laws).
The Lan took this event to announce that they would introduce Wroug to the concept of Lan citizenship.
They would set introductory information and applications up on Wroug data access sites. Citizenship was a subset of Lan "belonging"; it was a commitment to support the health and happiness of all Lan citizens. The obligation was to obey laws (which were few and quite easily described) and also meet "requirements" as needed. The benefit was access to exchange goods and services and travel nearly anywhere in Lan Space. A citizen would receive a unique ID of about 300 characters. The key to everything a Lan does.
All Lans were expected to pass the citizenship tests. Taking the test at age 200.
Ami was eager to get all the information she could. When the site was available, she read everything.
There was one test for citizenship that made her pause. Intimacy Responsivness. They had a test for that. A required test.
Ami felt light headed. Her cube was near an infrequently used hall that led to a privacy area. She went there, sat down to practice controlled-breathing. In an hour, she felt she could return to her work.
Near the end of the workday, she asked an elLan coworker about the test. Her answers held a glowing esteem for citizenship and really did confirm that this was no miscommunication. They were scoring your openness to intimacy (many intimacies), in the act (with the evaluators).
The elLan bent close to Ami's ear and said (in a stoic, soft voice): "I hear we will permit the Wroug to make application. Tonight."
Ami watched her leave, and then Ami went to the privacy room. She breathed slowly in that room until calm and went back to her one-room apartment (when the timing to walk there looked optimal).
Back in the apartment, Ami ate a little. It was far more cluttered, with trash, dust and unwashed eating things, than she liked.
The optimal day to take trash was off a day or two. She decided to work on her application. There was an initial limit, so she wanted to apply early. She made special notes in the application that she might not be able to do some things but was earnest (she would try). To herself, she had to try. It could not go on like this. She became dizzy.
Seated in the chair, she fell asleep. When she awoke, the time for applications already started. She was really worried. She quickly confirmed the details and submitted her application. She hoped to make it in and not have been too late (too many Wrougs having applied before her).
Two Wroug had entered under the (prearranged) special citizen/belonging class of ambassador. They required no tests for ambassadors (just continued good relations).
Ami was applicant number one. Not that she would have any way of knowing it.
Dizzy again, she pushed off of her chair and dropped down to the sleeping mat on the floor. It was close to the chair for that reason.
As she lay down, going unconscious, she said "Oh please, oh please, please...."
Ami was woken in the morning by a knock on her door. Quite very unusual that someone would knock on Ami's door. She called through the door, "Yes?"
An elLan had arrived to perform an initial review of the application with Ami. Ami hoped her suspicions were correct that the Lan can keep eye contact with her.
The elLan was very experienced. She was about 1500 years old. Ami let her in and sat facing the elLan at the table.
She knew Ami was 67 years old, just a toddler really. Their gazes met. So earnest was this youngster.
It lasted about a minute, but the elLan saw some floating dust and went to consider the room. Dirty, cluttered, and a bit smelly.
She thinks to herself, "Oh no, no. Young ones want everything done for them. This is not for me. This is hardly a candidate for citizenship. This is just the first applicant of many today."
When eye contact broke, Ami shivered and noticed that the eye contact did not resume.
As the elLan asked about the notes fields, Ami was clearly not presenting the kind of open, pleased expression that is customary of applicants.
The elLan stood up, saying, "You should look for another."
She marked the application as rejected and left.
Ami saw the door close. She heard the lock click. She fell back on the sleeping mat, saying "Of Course, of course, of co....." .
Ami was mentally overwhelmed and passed out. Eventually, her brain went into rest cycles. Ami needed rest cycles and slept for the whole day. A full night's sleep followed by a full days sleep. Ami had not been this bad off in a long time.
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