Orcher sighs, his eyes sullen. “She means well,” he says, though I’m not sure he’s entirely convinced himself. “Scored the highest marks in her Recruit class and went on to excel in every military exercise Commander Mannard and Sergeant Risten threw at her. She’s…impulsive when it comes to training new pilots, is all.”

I bob my head but don’t respond. I can’t pull my eyes off Glacia. Even from up here, I can see how tense she is. Her arms move stiffly, and she’s too quiet. We haven’t seen each other since we boarded the Ember. Two whole days without her. I’m not allowed in Station Control while she’s training, and Captain Fallsten would probably tell me off if I hung out at the stairs near the gate. So I have to watch from up here, listening. Ellin told me her shift ends at six in the morning, a whole hour before I even wake up.

One level below me and Orcher, Victoria is examining documents on a monitor. Every time Captain Fallsten shouts, she shakes her head. Eventually she shuts off the monitor, yawns, and looks up at us.

“Night, boys,” she calls up. Orcher and I wave.

I look away from Station Control and stare past Orcher. The dome of the observatory rises a hundred yards away. Beyond it, dots. I love the stars, but now they’re all the same. And there’s no sunrise, either, no glow peeking over a horizon, or glinting off a city. I still enjoy the Milky Way, though. The thick cloudy line runs parallel to our path, beyond the Blazar. Unlike the stars around us, the galaxy’s center hasn’t changed.

I lay on my back. On my side. On my back. On my stomach. Nothing works. My heart thuds in my chest, heating my face so that I start to sweat. The longer I stay awake, the more anxious I become. I need to exhaust myself tomorrow. A long run at the gym, maybe.

I flip onto my back again. My eyes find the time: 1:38 in the morning. I set my arms at my sides and lay still. Keep my mind as quiet as possible. Close my eyes and try to pull the darkness into my head. As I focus, I become aware of the station’s hum. I absorb the sound. Let it wash my thoughts away. Focus. A black circle expands behind my eyelids, then contracts. The darkness teases me.

And my body twitches.

When I wake up, the clock reads 6:58. Not nearly enough sleep. The shower invigorates me, but how long will the burst of energy last?