The next morning, a thick early morning summer fog bank blanketed the coast. It was sunny as usual above the fog at Priya’s house.

“Dad, are you ready for your pancakes?” Priya said as she added several more to her large stack on the platter.

“Sure, I’ll take six.”

“Mom?”

“Three please.”

Sanj?”

“I’ll have eight.”

“You guys are hungry this morning.”

Priya put two pancakes on her plate and poured a little real maple syrup on top.

“Is that all you’re having?” Quinn said.

“Yeah, I’m not hungry.”

“I know why,” Sanjay said. “You’re nervous because of your date today.”

“No.”

“Yes, it is. Look at your smile,” Sanjay said.

“This is your first date, isn’t it?” Quinn said. “You’ve never mentioned going out before.”

“Yeah. It’s weird because I’m 30 years old, but I haven’t wanted to date. I feel out of sync with where I should be at this point in my life. I still feel 16.”

“That makes sense,” Nisha said. “If you’re going to live to be 300, you’re actually starting to date a little early. 300 is over three times the average lifespan. Old species people start dating around 16. So, you should start dating when you’re maybe 40 or 50, if the ratios stay about the same, but you were modified when you were 16. Things are out of sync.”

“I think the new species kids will have their early growth spread out two or three times longer,” Priya said. “The oldest kids are 10. They look to be 5 or 6, so that’s faster growth than the rate suggested for a 300-year lifespan. We’ll see what happens.”

“Don’t get any ideas though,” Nisha said. “I want to be a grandmother before I turn 100.”

Priya poked at her pancakes.

“Don’t worry Mom.”

“So where are you going today?” Quinn said.

“To Drake’s beach and later to dinner.”

“I love that beach,” Quinn said. “Don’t forget to go far to the right side to see the sea lion colony. Don’t get too close though. They’ll chase you down. There’s a nice wind sheltered spot near the sea lions next to the cliffs. Go there.”

“Those sea lions get stinky,” Sanjay said. “Speaking of getting too close, when is Warren coming over?”

“Now I’m not going to tell you.”

“You can tell me,” Nisha said.

“Fine. He’s coming over at 11. Don’t make a big deal about it. Okay? He’s shy.”

“I noticed that,” Nisha said. “He gets anxious around you.”

“That’s what Sophie says.”

“It’s true,” Quinn said. “We noticed it yesterday and other times. He seems brave in public or when people try to kill him or lock him up, but he’s anxious around you. I was telling your mom I felt that way around her at first.”

“Really?” Priya said.

“Oh yeah. He was shaking,” Nisha said.

Priya raised an eyebrow at Quinn.

“What can I say?” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Priya smiled.

“Okay, I gotta get ready.”

Warren knocked on the door at exactly 11:00.

Quinn watched him on the 3D virtual monitor hovering over the kitchen table. He got up to answer the door.

“Yep, he’s anxious,” he said.

“Dad, get away from the door.”

Priya ran around Quinn and opened it.

“Hi Warren. Let’s go before the paparazzi get in our faces.”

“Hi everyone,” Warren said.

“Come on Warren. We’re going to be late.”

“For what?”

“Come on.”

“All right, all right. I’m coming.”

Nisha and Quinn waved as they drove away. He turned off autopilot. They both turned off their devices to avoid distractions.

“Why didn’t you let me say hi to everyone?”

“They were bugging me. So, I wanted to go.”

“What were they bugging you about?”

“They said you were anxious around me, and other stuff.”

“Oh.”

“Are you?”

“Um.”

“You are. Aren’t you?”

“Maybe a little.”

“Why? Warren, we’ve known each other for over 10 years. We’ve seen each other or at least talked nearly every day. We’ve been in the same detention cell together. We survived together. We almost died together. You weren’t anxious then.”

“Yeah, but this is different.”

“No. It’s still the same me.”

“The situation is different. We’re on a date. It’s my first date. Before we were either joking around with our friends, building companies, or trying to stay alive.”

“Okay. Don’t think of it as a date. We’re just going to the beach like any other day.”

“I’ll try.”

Priya grabbed his shoulder.

“Do, or do not.”

“Okay. It’s just another day. I’m just talking to any random person. It’s nobody that I— Um.”

“That you what?”

“Nothing. When’s the last time you been to Drake’s Beach?”

Priya looked out her window to the sky and shook her head.

“Sophie’s right. Okay, you can change the subject.”

“What is she right about?”

“It doesn’t matter. Anyway, it’s been years since I’ve been to Drakes Beach. It takes so long to get out there even though it’s not far away.”

“It’s my favorite beach. It’s so isolated. If you walk for 30 minutes, there’s nobody for miles.”

They drove through the city and over the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin County. Soon they were driving up Mt Tamalpais.

“It looks too cold and foggy to go to the beach,” she said.

“We’ll see. Wait until we go up and around this bend.”

He rolled down the windows.

“Whoa, it’s totally clear,” she said. “I forgot it does this. I can feel it getting warmer.”

“It does this every time. Look down.”

“I can’t. It’s a thousand feet straight down. It makes me nervous when you’re driving manually. Can you switch over to autopilot?”

“It’s OK. It’s only 700 feet down.”

“Very funny Warren.”

“I’ll drive slow. I don’t trust it on these curvy roads. I promise I’ll be careful.”

He drove for another few seconds.

“Okay, I’ll switch it on.”

She patted him on the shoulder.

“Thanks. Sorry I’m such a baby.”

They slowly drove to the east peak summit, pulling over to let faster cars go by. They hiked the summit loop.

“It’s amazing how warm it is up here and how cold it is down there,” she said. “The fog is flowing like a liquid.”

“It’s often like this up here. It’s one of my favorite places to be. Especially in the dry season when it’s like this.”

“Yeah. It doesn’t seem real. It’s like we’re on another planet. We don’t need to go to another one.”

“I’m glad we don’t have to leave Earth like the Omanji.” he said.

“Me too.”

They ate lunch and enjoyed the panoramic view. Then they traveled down the spectacular winding roads of Mt. Tam to Stinson Beach, and through the coastal grasslands and redwoods all the way out to Drake’s Beach.

“Finally, we’re here,” she said. “Let’s go to the right. Dad says there’s a sea lion colony out there.”

“Yeah. It’s gotten bigger over the past few years even though sea levels have risen. See where the cliff collapsed?”

They walked for a while, saying nothing while the fog cleared up.

“Do you think there are beaches like this on Oma?” she said.

“I doubt it. It’s too windy and the ocean is too deep. The waves are huge. They wash away any sand that forms. Oma doesn’t sound like a good planet to live on.”

“Yeah. At least for humans. The gravity is too strong. It’s too hot. They have that red sun. Everything is too extreme. At least for humans.”

They continued walking in silence for a while.

“Can you imagine if everybody on Earth had to leave this planet and move 20 light years away?” he said.

“I would be sad to leave. This is our home planet. It’s where we belong. Sometimes I’d like to go into space. Well, I did. We did, but I mean on my own power.”

“We’d have to do a lot of packing before leaving.”

“Yeah.”

They smiled, took off their water shoes and kept walking on the soft flat sand.

“Warren?

“Yes?”

“Do you want to hold my hand?”

He smiled.

“Sure.”

They walked another 10 minutes without saying anything.

“I like this,” Warren said.

She raised an eyebrow.

“I hope so. Do you feel anxious?”

“A little. I’m not used to this.”

“It’s okay. Me neither. You’re different around only me and away from the others.”

“Really? How?” Warren said.

“You’re quiet. And very polite. You don’t show this side of you around other people.”

“That’s my public persona.”

“Yeah. You always are talking and joking around. You don’t have to do that all the time. You can be quiet around me. Like you’re doing now.”

“People like it when I talk a lot. I think I entertain them. I’ve always been this way. Even before the Omanji came.”

“I’ve noticed my personality is the same too. I just learn more quickly. Are those the sea lions, out where the beach curves?”

“Yes. We have about another mile to go.”

They walked the entire mile in silence. Nobody else was within visible range.

“Whoa, they are stinky.” she said.

“Yeah. Check that out. I don’t think that beach master likes us here. Let’s go behind the cliff to get out of the wind and away from that big guy.”

They set out a blanket and ate lunch. Sea lions squabbled over prime territory. They talked and watched a pod of whales breach offshore, out of season. Eventually they fell asleep. The cliffs slowly cast their shadows over them.

“How long were we asleep?” she said.

“Two hours. I guess we needed it. How much sleep do you need each night?”

“About six hours.”

“Me too. I need less sleep than I did before we were abducted.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed that,” she said. “It’s after five already. I guess we should start walking back. It takes way over an hour. I’m getting hungry.”

They packed up and began walking.

“You seemed pensive. Do you feel that way around me now?” she said.

“A little, but not as much.”

“Why?”

“I’m not used to being in one-on-one situations like this. I like you though. I always have.”

“How much?” she said. “A little or a lot?”

“A lot.”

“Liking me makes you feel anxious? It was that way when we first met. Wasn’t it?”

“How did you know? I hoped you didn’t notice.”

She smiled and stepped around a sand dollar. Then she picked up a perfect walking stick and playfully shook it at him.

“I’m very observant. Don’t you try to get anything by me!”

“I won’t. I know better than that.”

“Good! Now hold my hand. That will make you less anxious.”

They continued walking for a while, avoiding piles of driftwood.

“It’s working,” Warren said.

“You’re not as anxious?”

“A little, but not like before.”

She shook her head and smiled. Eventually they made it back to the car. The rising tide cut them off, so they had to wait for outgoing flow so they could run across the lower spots. Priya was hungry so they went straight to his favorite Mexican place in Sausalito.

“This is the best view,” he said.

“Yeah. Plus, the sea lions swimming around here aren’t stinky. So, why do I make you nervous?”

“You’re not going to forget, are you?”

“No. I have a super memory. I don’t forget anything.”

“Now I’m really anxious.”

She smiled.

“Get over it. Now, why? You don’t get anxious around other women.”

“You’re different.”

“You’re verbose about every topic, but not this one. Why?”

“I’m having a tough time explaining. I want to explain it though.”

“I guess the Omanji didn’t upgrade your emotional neural network.”

Warren looked down at his veggie enchilada.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel bad,” she said. “You really are different one on one. If we were with our friends, you would have zinged me back.”

“I’m just feeling quiet right now. I have these feelings.”

“That you’ve been bottling up for 10 years?”

“But I wasn’t ready,” he said. “You always said you weren’t ready. This is confusing.”

“We’re supposed to be super geniuses, as Amy would say. We’ll figure it out. The Omanji modified us at a critical time in our emotional development.”

“Yeah. Time feels condensed and stretched out simultaneously. We’re fast in some ways and slow in other ways. It’s like being dizzy all the time.”

“Maybe you don’t know how you feel about me,” she said.

“Oh, I do.”

“How?”

“Now I feel anxious again,” he said.

“It’s okay, you can tell me.”

“Well, I’ve always loved you. There, I said it.”

“They were right.” she said.

“Who?”

“Sophie and Raven. This all makes sense now. They noticed you were anxious when you first talked to me after our first class. Remember?”

“How can I forget?”

She smiled and looked at a sea lion’s head as it popped up.

“How cute,” she said. “Um, you and the sea lion. I feel the same way. Always have. I hid it because I wasn’t ready. You were anxious because you had feelings for me, even then?”

“Yeah,” he said, playing with his rice. “I wasn’t ready, but I didn’t want to lose you either. So, I stayed around you. I guess that sounds dysfunctional.”

“We’re all dysfunctional Warren. How can we not be, after what we’ve been through? I’m a little more ready for this now. We can take our time. We have 300 years.”

“If they don’t kill us first.”

“True, but momentum is on our side. There are now 200 million new species kids. Their families are on our side. Congress is split on what to do about us. They need us.”

“But they want to kill us too,” he said. “Now that’s dysfunctional.”

“They don’t want to go extinct. All species are ephemeral. Even our new species. Something will take our place someday.”

“Yeah, but what?”

“Hopefully not a singleton!” she said.

“Are these ‘the good old days?’”

“I don’t know, but I do know today is a very good day.” she said.

He looked down at his empty plate.

“You’re shy. That’s so cute. I’ve never seen this side of you.”

He smiled.

“I have many sides. I can handle a super genius like you.”

“Oh, can you? We’ll see.”

They shared a piece of chocolate cake as the sun set behind them. The city towers caught the last light as the cool fog rolled in under the bridge deck. They walked along the path near the bay much of the way to the bridge and back in the Moonlight. They arrived at Priya’s house just before midnight.

“Thanks for the best day ever.” she said. “I better get into the house before everything turns into a pumpkin.”

“He grabbed her hands, reached over, and kissed her.”

“You’re so bold! This is another side of you I haven’t seen.”

“Sorry, neither have I.”

“It’s okay. We’ll figure it out,” she said.

They laughed. She got out of the car and leaned in.

“Yeah, the best day ever. See you tomorrow at the meeting.”

“Definitely.” he said. “Can we do this again?”

“Definitely,” she said.

She closed the car door, waved, and walked into the house, trying to contain her smile.

“Oh. Dad, I didn’t think you’d be up so late.

“I’m hungry, so I’m just getting some granola.”

“The granola is over there, not next to the window.”

“Well, I heard a car.”

“A car? You’re worried about me, aren’t you?”

“I’ve always been worried. Remember your first bio-camp?”

“Oh yeah. I was 9. We made a vaccine that year.”

“You fell out of a tree onto a rock.”

“Yeah, that was embarrassing.”

“We had to meet you at the hospital. I was so worried. My heart was beating out of my chest.”

“That was just to get your heart in shape for the Omanji.”

Quinn rubbed his forehead.

“Nothing could get me ready for them taking you from me. I don’t know how I survived that.”

“And you weren’t even the one being abducted. You were more worried about me, than me.”

“Probably.”

Nisha walked in from the guest room.

“I thought I heard talking. What’s happening?”

“Oh, we’re just reminiscing,” Quinn said.

“How did it go?” Nisha said.

“We had a wonderful time. He’s shyer and more thoughtful when he’s not with everyone else.”

“Was he anxious?” Nisha said.

Priya nodded vigorously.

“Oh yeah. I didn’t realize how much. It’s funny how people change under different circumstances.”

Nisha glanced over at Quinn.

“That’s the truth.” she said.

“I wasn’t that bad,” Quinn said. “Um, anyway, it sounds like a new species date is like an old species date.”

“I guess,” Priya said. “It’s my first, so I have nothing to compare it with. We talked about everything, even though was anxious. Sometimes I was too, a little. He said he loved me and always has.”

“Really?” Nisha said. “But he’s shy in one-on-one situations. How did you get that out of him?”

“With a crowbar.”

“Poor guy,” Quinn said “He doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into.”

Priya smiled.

“Dad! Okay that’s it, I’m going to sleep. Good night.”

“Good night Pree,” they said.