”I’ve often wondered what caused the disaster that came to our world… but no one knows, or has any idea what happened.” Kes explained.

”Were your people technologically advanced back then?” Anara asked. ”I’ve heard of worlds where such advancements have caused planet-wide disasters – whole races of people can go extinct that way.”

Kes shook her head. ”As far as I know, our people had no technology at all in the time before. The stories say that we lived among the trees, in harmony with the natural world. Though, it is true that those stories have been passed down through the years so many times… Like with the reservoir’s origins, we really have no way of knowing what’s true and what’s not.”

”…I suppose then, assuming your people had no technology, the only way it could have happened would have been that another race caused it, or that it was some sort of naturally occurring phenomenon. The Caretaker himself might even have been the cause.” Anara told her.

”The Caretaker? But… why?” Kes asked. ”Surely, if he were cruel enough to do such a thing, why would he then have stayed so long to help us?”

Anara shrugged. ”Who can say? Maybe he has something to gain in it somehow? Or, maybe he fought an enemy here, and this was the result? Or maybe he was simply careless and regrets it? Whatever the truth of it is, I can tell you that I’ve never heard of a planet that was green and verdant as yours was suddenly turning into a desert before, nor have I heard of anyone else encountering a being like your Caretaker. I admit, I’m not especially well-traveled or knowledgeable, but it seems a suspicious coincidence that two unheard of events should happen one after the other, without there being a connection.”

Kes was silent a few moments as she thought about that. ”I suppose you could be right.” She smiled a little modestly. ”I doubt either of us will ever be able to ask him though, no matter how much I might like the opportunity to, so I guess it doesn’t really matter.”

”No, I suppose it really doesn’t.” Anara agreed, quietly sober as she said it. ”So, back to my question?” She asked, plainly trying to rally the lighter mood they’d had between them before now. ”What is it like, where you’re from? What was your life like?”