“Um, doesn’t Sheyela Smith need to be, like, paid? You know, part of this market economy they’re so proud of? We have some sort of deal worked out with them?”

“Supervisor Aguila said she’d dicker something until we could figure out a suitable method of compensation.” Michaela gave him a shrug. “It’s so weird. So different. Haphazard and chaotic. Back home everything was ordered. Even on Ashanti we knew where we fit, how it all worked.”

Shin stuffed his hands into his back pockets. “Scary, huh? This whole world. I don’t get it. After everything we’ve been through. All the hell we lived on Ashanti: knowing the Unreconciled were eating each other down in Deck Three; the starvation; the years of being locked in that little space. We should be prepared for anything. You know that everyone’s on the edge of panic, don’t you? That it’s sinking in that we’re here. All alone.”

She nodded, staring out at the waves. “It’s never been just us, Lee.”

“Not on Ashanti, that’s for sure. We were surrounded by crew. And back on Earth? The whole of Solar System was just a short shuttle’s ride away.” A pause. “You been sleeping? Well, I mean?”

Did she dare tell him?

Taking a breath, she said, “It’s a new environment. Takes getting used to. Different sounds, different smells. Hell, even the beds are different. Brand new . . . never slept in. Everything’s clean and fresh. Like this air. It doesn’t stink of ship and human. And then there was that briefing Aguila and that Perez woman gave us back at Port Authority. Watch out for this monster, watch for that monster. Be careful of the wildlife. Donovan will try to kill you. Give it a while for our people to adjust.”

He grunted, then said, “The kids are having nightmares. Lot of them wish they were back on the ship.” A beat. “And it’s not just the kids.”

“Back on the ship? We prayed for ten years, desperate to get the hell out of Ashanti.” She didn’t dare tell Shin that she, too, dreamed of being locked back in the limited confines of Ashanti’s Crew Deck. And she did have nightmares. A recurring theme was of water cascading into her cramped quarters, rising, and there was no way out. Which was absurd; there wasn’t that much water aboard Ashanti.

“It’s this.” Michaela waved an arm out at the endless waves marching their way. “The vast immensity of it. Nothing but water. In all directions. Endless water, endless sky, with no roof, no safe walls. And here we are, with just the Pod. Our little universe. Shouldn’t be any different than being locked in Ashanti, right? Or being out in the middle of the south Indian Ocean back on Earth.”