Two related short stories about an in-progress species. "The Hunters and the Hunted" introduce the Draupnir and problems they are facing in a fictional city on earth. "Don't Risk the Mind-Wipe" is from the opposite perspective (the Hunters from the first short) and questions how dangerous these Draupnir are and whether they should be help captive.

Irqulnirn, the farthest planet from the star in the N'Zembe system, is sustained by one species, quarzyls, for life. However, when Irqulnirn's other inhabitants turn against them out of jealously, the apocalypse is inadvertently caused by the same creatures who made life possible in the first place. (This is science fantasy, not science fiction, just to clarify, as it was not actually a choice.)