Back on earth, Selvi was an avid rock collector. She stayed away from most not-cat communities, for fear of interacting with them. So her rocks became her friends. She painted them with stolen supplies and dressed them with leaves, devoting hours upon hours to each one. They developed personalities, forming a small village hidden on city rooftops, marked by hidden cues that the unaware would easily overlook.

A few other not-cats came across her rock treasure troves, occasionally contributing rocks of their own in return for taking one for themselves. Selvi didn't mind. In fact, she cherished the rocks made by others more than the ones she made herself. They were carefully taken - always replaced with another of her own, as she liked that little game - back to her small home in a nearby alleyway.

Because of how little she interacted with, or even saw, other not-cats, it took her a while to discover the gate. And even then, it was just because she stopped receiving rocks. Eventually, her curiosity got the better of her. Selvi found an old leather satchel, filling it with her most favourites, the ones she couldn't live without. She left the rest of her rocks behind to stand in silence, arranging them to wave her goodbye. They'd wave hello as well, in case another came across them.

Wandering through the streets notably empty of other not-cats, Selvi found scattered markers presumably left behind by the others to help those left find their way. A piece of string here, a rock cairn there. She followed them cautiously, staying near shelter as best as she could.

Eventually, she found it. It was wonderous. A glowing rectangle, white and inexplicable. But it made her a little bit nervous. Why was this here? Could it be trusted?

She looked around to see if any others were there. A few other not-cats were sitting nearby, all various degrees away from the gate. Selvi walked over to them, and they just looked at her. None of them spoke, but then she looked over at the gate, and they noticed what she was thinking.

The rest of the not-cats looked at her expectantly. She had never taken charge of anything before, but something was telling her to do this.

So she turned towards the gate, taking a deep breath and collecting herself.

With a final glance at the others, she stepped into it.

They followed. Her new friends.