**Written by Jedi-Of-Rock**

"Can I help you?" There was a short pause in between the last word the boy spoke and the reply that was given a moment later.

"Nothing right now, thank you. Oh, one thing. Are you actually a human?"

"Yes," was all he said. There was a feeling of dread that overwhelmed sixteen-year old Joseph Zusak whenever he was asked the question. There was no complicated answer involved. The thought that others were so amazed by his response was what bothered him. For the last two years of his life, that inquiry had been given to him a heartbreaking number of times, and he longed for it to stop. Joseph wanted the feeling that he was, in fact, not the only human on this wretched and foul world. Sadly, he had to accept that he was, because there would have been talk about it.

The boy turned away from the woman's table and paced back to the bar. It was early in the day, so it was still empty. He had worked here since he was fourteen and could remember no other life that he might have lived. Joseph was working at a popular restaurant and bar on the city-like planet of Trandogara. It had a reputation of having the highest crime rate in the Lunar System, but the boy himself doubted it was true. He hadn't seen a single murder, but he always remembered that robberies were most likely quite common on such a highly populated planet.

He sat down in a chair and placed his elbows on the countertop, becoming lost in thought. Even the aliens that looked partially human were not. Never before had he felt so alone in his life.

The person who employed him was named Dexterr Sycamore. He was the strangest thing Joseph had laid eyes upon. Although somewhat human-looking, he was slightly overweight with grey skin and wood-like structures rather than hair coming out of his head. Despite his strange appearance, Dexterr was always the kindest to the boy and was the reason he had not become a victim of murder or robbery in the past years.

"Hey you, come over here." a drunken man's voice came from behind Joseph. He rolled his eyes, knowing that dealing with these types of people was usually a pain.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"Yeah, yes you can, you human kid."

Joseph's cheeks began to flush red with annoyance and embarassment. The man just laughed.

"How long you been livin' here, kid?" his voice droned on the last word.

"Two years, sir," Joseph replied simply.

"You're a good one. You... They don't see your kind here a lot. Heh. Good kid."

The boy raised an eyebrow at this. The man was obviously drunk, but seemed to have a good intention. He was slumped over the table with his head resting in his left hand. In his opposite hand was a bottle of alcohol. He almost looked like a human, and it excited Joseph for a minute.

"You're not human, are you?' The words escaped the boy's lips more quickly than he wanted them to.

"No. I'm no human. Peh." he spat on the floor for a second, and continued. "I'm a... An, a, whatever it is, an audichron. You heard of it, boy? I bet not! Heh."

"I've heard of them. We get them a lot in here."

"'Course ya do. You know what it means, boy, the species, the name?"

Joseph was puzzled.

"You learned this in earth-school, haven't you? You made up the name, anyway..."

"I know who you are. You listen to time, I think."

"Sure." The man laughed. "Thing is, I've seen into the future. I've heard what you'll find out, little Zusak."

"Little Zusak," Joseph echoed with amusement.

"You'll see, you'll see."

With that, the audichron passed out.