A number, [ he self-corrects, then, with the slightest quirk of his lips- ]

I would lean towards the latter. Why else should there be so many from the very same universe, the timeline, same city, even? The odds of that happening randomly are astronomically low.

[ but there is a spark in his eyes, now — she is proving to provide much more intelligent conversation than he had dared to hope for. ]

Much like your Earth, from what I have gathered... environmentally, that is. However, there are other races than humans, which seems less common.