"That was what I thought. But the person I asked-" Ned is careful not to give any names. It's not that he distrusts Galen, but it isn't Ned's information to give out, "-said it doesn't have to be hereditary. That's part of how evolution works, right? Out of nowhere there's a random glitch in the DNA of one kangaroo, and if that glitch is helpful, it gets passed down until there are only kangaroos with that mutation. Maybe... the gene for having abilities like ours is like that." Ned's not exactly a science whizz, but he thinks he understands the Darwinian basics well enough to explain the idea, as he understands it, to Galen.

"It may also explain why it only started after you got sent back," Ned says, the pieces seeming to all fit into place. "The guy said that mutations don't really work until they get triggered by something. Like, a traumatic event, specifically." He'd also said puberty was an option, but Galen's old enough that Ned doubts that was at play. "Maybe getting sent back from here and not being able to remember it was the kick-start it needed." Ned sure as hell considers that trauma enough.