A voice came from it. "Yes, this is computer. Who are you?"

"It's too bright in here," I said. "I can't see."

The light suddenly wasn't so bright and I could see again. I was in a round room, which was empty except for a large square computer.

"You are't God!" I said. "You're just a computer! Just a strange old computer!"

The computer didn't look like the modern computers we have.

Oh, the computer still worked! I was surprised as it looked so very old. It didn't speak in a natural way as modern computers do.

I listened but I didn't understand. "Hummingbird"was just my name -- and the name of one of the animals in the Book of Remembering. Why was this place called the Star Zoo? What was a "zoo"? I had so many questions to ask!

"Computer," I said, "where do you come from? I never heard of a spaceship as big as this! You speak my language but it sounds different. Why do Hee-Haw and Hoo-Woo think you're God?"

"I'm Hummingbird," I answered.

"You are not a hummingbird. Hummingbirds fly in the forests here, in Star Zoo. You are human. You are not a child of Star Zoo. Computer is happy."

"Who is Hee-Haw? Who is Hoo-Woo?" the computer asked.

"Animals?" I said slowly. Animals were only a story in the Book of Remembering. There were no animals alive today. What was the computer talking about? "Animals…like Eee-Eee and Cheep-Cheep?"

"The two monsters that brought me here," I answered.

I was very afraid. Donkey, wolf, squirrel, and bird were all animals named in the Book of Remembering.

"Eee-Eee is a squirrel," the computer said. "Cheep-Cheep is a bird. Animals take care of you."

I suddenly couldn't stand. I fell down and my mind exploded again. This time I wasn't angry. I was sad, empty, afraid, and a little crazy. This was the Book of Remembering come to life!

"Yes. Donkey. Wolf. All animals believe computer is God. Computer makes ultrasonic sound. Ultrasonics make fear."

Earth hot? That was the Burning! We made the Earth too hot and all life except humans died. And we humans did it!

"Star Zoo came from Earth," the computer answered. "Star Zoo left Earth. Earth was hot."

"Where did these animals come from?" I asked.

"Why are there different rooms?" I asked.

But the animals were here! Yes, here in the Star Zoo, after travelling between stars for twenty thousand years!

"Not necessary to fall down," the computer said. "Computer is not God. Computer wants to talk to humans. Computer is sad that humans have not spoken for fifteen thousand years."

I stood up slowly. The Book of Remembering was for remembering the animals but they had been dead for twenty thousand years.

The computer answered, "Humans polluted Earth. Earth was hot. Animals died."

"What?" I said. I didn't understand.

The computer continued, "Humans made zoo in space. No money. Used plastic bottles."

"Yes," I said. "I know that."

"Collected old plastic bottles. Made zoo with plastic bottles. Cheap. Made big zoo with many rooms."

"Why did you leave Earth? What happened?" I asked.

"Animals and plants live in different ways," the computer said. "Hot, cold, wet, dry. Impossible to keep all animals and all plants in one room. Need different things. Difficult work to get everything right. Necessary to have big computer. No money. Got old computer from army."

"Star Zoo went," the computer said. "No money. Went slowly."

"Computer works and never stops."

"So that's you?" I said. "You're an old army computer from Earth?"

"Five thousand years humans gave orders. Computer worked. Computer mended walls. Computer kept Star Zoo alive and safe. Star Zoo worked well. No problems. Humans stopped giving orders. Not necessary to talk. Humans enjoyed eating, playing, sleeping. Computer can do work. For fifteen thousand years computer has worked, thought, learnt, grown. Now you have come. Computer is happy."

"I understand!" I said. "A group of people made this Star Zoo. They knew that Earth was dying. They wanted to save the animals. They sent the Star Zoo away from Earth."

"Very slowly," I agreed. "But What happened to the humans inside the Star Zoo?"

I was happy too and I wasn't afraid. It was wonderful news. The Galaxy wasn't empty! Animals could live on all the worlds and all humans could be happy again.

Humans were lonely without animals. Humans needed animals.

"The animals must leave the Star Zoo," I said to the computer. "We have planets where they can live. Do you agree?"

"Star Zoo is not strong," the computer said. "Holes in walls lose air and water. Animals need planets. Can have more animals on planets."

"You can tell us what to do," I said. "This is wonderful. I want to leave now. Is Hee-Haw waiting?"

"Then I must go home," I said. "I will come back with spaceships. We will take the animals to different planets. Planets everywhere in the Galaxy."

"Computer will choose planets for different animals,"it said. "First plants will grow. Animals will follow."

"Donkey waits." the computer made a noise that was like crying. "Donkey has waited for a few minutes. Computer has waited for fifteen thousand years. You come back. Computer is sad and afraid."