I live, therefore I script.

An autistic diplomat has their first solo mission on a non-human space station.

Holly Heisey is an author, illustrator, and designer with a love of spaceships and a tendency to quote Monty Python. They’ve had stories in Intergalactic Medicine Show, Escape Pod, Clockwork Phoenix 5, and Transcendent: The Year’s Best Transgender Speculative Fiction volumes one and two, as well as translated into German and Estonian. Holly lives in Arizona with Sammy, their Boston/Beagle mix who is the cutest thing ever, and Larry, their pet cactus, who doesn’t bite.

[] FAQ (may contain spoilers)

Q: How do you know what scripting feels like?
A: I’m on the autistic spectrum; this story is basically a simulation of my brain.

Q: Does every autistic person script like this?
A: This is my experience, and I’ve found it very similar to a lot of others’. But everyone is different and will script and/or relate to the world in their own ways.

Q: How do you know what it’s like to be a diplomat to aliens?
A: Neurotypical humans can be an odd, wonderful, fascinating, and often baffling bunch. I have a lot of experience. 🙂