As Cayde got ready for school, they noticed Nova, their AI friend, looking worried. The small, floating orb's usually blue glow had turned a bit orange.

  "Nova, is everything okay?" Cayde asked.

  Nova's surface rippled. "I've been looking at the latest news from Earth, Cayde. I'm... worried about what I learned."

  Cayde's curiosity grew. "What did you learn, Nova?"

  "Earth is having big problems," Nova explained. "It's getting warmer every year, which is making it hard to grow food in some places and causing trouble for people living near oceans. The Amazon Rainforest, which is really important, is losing lots of trees. And in many areas, there's not enough clean water, which is causing fights between people."

  Cayde's hearts sank. "That sounds really bad. Are the humans doing anything to help?"

  "They're trying," Nova said, its glow softening. "But it's not easy to fix. Earth's leaders and scientists are working hard, but it's taking a long time to make things better."

  At school, Cayde's Earth Current Events class was quieter than usual. Professor Zenn's skin rippled with concern as they addressed the class.

  "Today, we're going to talk about some of the challenges Earth is facing," Professor Zenn began. "Many of you may have heard bits and pieces from the news or your family discussions. Let's look at what's happening and try to understand it better."

  The class watched holographic images of Earth. They saw dry fields where crops couldn't grow, rising ocean levels near cities, and forests with many missing trees. Cayde recognized some of the problems Nova had mentioned earlier.

  "Why is all this happening?" Aluna asked, their skin flickering with worry.

  Professor Zenn's patterns shifted to a thoughtful blue. "Earth's climate is changing faster than usual, which is causing many of these problems. Humans are trying to fix things, but it's not easy. There are many different opinions on what to do, and sometimes that makes it hard to take action."

  The professor then showed images of humans working together - planting trees, building solar panels, and cleaning up oceans. "But humans are resilient. Many are working hard to solve these problems."

  As the school day ended, Cayde felt a mix of emotions. They were worried about Earth but also hopeful after seeing humans trying to help. They rushed home, eager to talk to Mik. Cayde wanted to know how their friend was dealing with all of this.

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  Logging onto the Earth internet, Cayde was relieved to see Mik online.

  CelestialObserver: Hey Mik, how are you doing?

  There was a long pause before Mik replied.

  StarGazer101: Not great, honestly. Can I tell you something?

  CelestialObserver: Of course. What's wrong?

  StarGazer101: My parents are thinking about splitting up.

  Cayde's hearts sank. They knew Mik's family had been worried, but this was unexpected.

  CelestialObserver: I'm so sorry. Why are they thinking about that?

  StarGazer101: It's not because they don't love each other. They found out that if they're not together on paper, we might get better help for Alex's medical care. It's really complicated grown-up stuff about money and healthcare.

  Cayde stared at the screen, confused and sad. They had learned about Earth's tricky healthcare system, but this seemed so unfair.

  CelestialObserver: That sounds really hard. A family shouldn't have to do that to get help.

  StarGazer101: I know. But we're running out of ideas. Alex needs that operation soon.

  As Cayde tried to comfort Mik, their comm device chimed. It was time for their call with Dr. Kael, their Earth-based parent.

  "I have to go," Cayde typed quickly. "But I'm here if you need to talk more, okay?"

  Switching to the video call, Cayde saw Dr. Kael's face appear. Despite the human male disguise, Cayde could recognize the familiar patterns in their eyes.

  "Cayde! How are you, offspring?" Dr. Kael asked warmly.

  "I'm... confused, Dad," Cayde replied, testing out the Earth term they'd learned. Their skin rippled with troubled colors. "How do humans live like this? With all these crises?"

  Dr. Kael's expression grew serious, his human features creasing with concern. "It's complicated, Cayde. Humans are remarkably resilient, but they're facing unprecedented challenges."

  "But why can't they fix it?" Cayde pressed. "Today I learned that some families are even considering breaking up just to get healthcare for their children. How can that be allowed?"

  Dr. Kael's eyebrows rose in surprise. "That's... quite specific information. Where did you learn that?"

  Cayde's skin flushed with nervous patterns. "Oh, um, in my Earth Current Events class. We're studying human social systems."

  Dr. Kael nodded slowly. "I see. Well, yes, some humans do go to extreme measures in desperate situations. It's part of why our work here is so important."

  As the call ended, Cayde felt more conflicted than ever. They had always been fascinated by Earth, but now they were beginning to understand the true depth of human suffering. And somewhere out there was Mik, facing the possible breakup of their family.

  Cayde's resolve strengthened. There had to be a way to help. As they thought about what Dr. Lyra had taught them about quantum harmonization, an idea began to form. It was risky, but if it could help Mik and countless others like them, wasn't it worth it?

  With determination, Cayde began to plan. They didn't know how yet, but they were going to find a way to make a difference.