Momma places two fingers over her heart in salute, and I grimace and look away. Titan displays of patriotism are almost as strange to me as Gaia’s obsession with dead aliens. Of all the planets in the system—even proud Gaia—Titan is the only one where I’ve seen people exchange actions and words declaring their loyalty on a daily basis. The Titans must be aware that their planet is objectively horrible, but they’re eager to proclaim their love for it, as if they can make it tolerable through sheer force of will. I guess it’s hard to convince people to die for something they hate.

Momma exchanges a few words with the soldiers—I hear something about “Gaia” and “General Altair,” whose name I recognize from Corvus’s transmission—and shows them her visa. One soldier waves away the others and leads us over to a rocky outcropping. He crouches next to it and shoves snow aside until a metal handle becomes visible. When he yanks it open, it reveals a dark tunnel descending into the earth.

Drom goes down first, ignoring the man’s offered hand despite being hindered by her wounded leg. Pol helps Momma through next and follows. I push a shivering Lyre ahead of me to accept the soldier’s help, making me the last one through.

As the hatch closes above us, I yank my scarf down and take a deep breath of stale air. It’s still cold in here, but not the kind that’ll turn your extremities black in a few hours of exposure.

A light source sputters to life ahead. It’s just enough for me to see how close the tunnel walls are and get a glimpse of the sloping path ahead, with my family descending into darkness. The path is narrow, but after a few minutes, we reach a flat platform large enough for us to stand side by side. Pol has a pale red light stick clenched between his teeth, his arms full of cargo crates. The others cluster around him, their faces blurry in the dim lighting.

The elevator is a rusty, low-tech thing, and we’re all forced to crowd onto the five-by-five square walled in by metal railings. A number of these machines are scattered throughout the city to allow traffic in and out. I’m sure there are more efficient and safe ways to enter and exit the city, but those are saved for more important people. For off-worlders like us, this old machine has to suffice.