Kira laughed ruefully. “Not unless you happen to know the meaning of life.” The moment the words left her mouth, Kira knew they were a mistake, that the Entropists would take her seriously.

And they did. Jorrus said, “The meaning of life—”

“—differs from person to person,” said Veera. “For us it is simple. It is the pursuit of understanding, that we—”

“—may find a way to contravene the heat death of the universe. For you—”

“—we cannot say.”

“I was afraid of that,” Kira said. Then, because she couldn’t help herself: “You take as fact a lot of things others would dispute. The heat death of the universe, for example.”

Together they spoke: “If we are wrong, we are wrong, but our quest is a worthy one. Even if our belief is misplaced—”

“—our success would benefit all,” said Jorrus.

Kira inclined her head. “Fair enough. I didn’t mean to offend.”

Mollified, the two tugged on the cuffs of their robes. Jorrus said, “Perhaps we can help you, Prisoner. Meaning comes from purpose—”

“—and purpose comes in many forms.” Veera steepled her fingers. Surprisingly, Jorrus did not. She said, “Have you ever considered the fact that everything we are originates from the remnants of stars that once exploded?”

Jorrus said, “Vita ex pulvis.”

“We are made from the dust of dead stars.”

“I’m aware of the fact,” said Kira. “It’s a lovely thought, but I don’t see the relevance.”

Jorrus said, “The relevance—”

“—is in the logical extension of that idea.” Veera paused for a moment. “We are aware. We are conscious. And we are made from the same stuff as the heavens.”

“Don’t you see, Prisoner?” said Jorrus. “We are the mind of the universe itself. We and the Jellies and all self-aware beings. We are the universe watching itself, watching and learning.”

“And someday,” said Veera, “we, and by extension the universe, will learn to expand beyond this realm and save ourselves from otherwise inevitable extinction.”

Kira said, “By escaping the heat death of this space.”

Jorrus nodded. “Even so. But the point is not that. The point is that this act of observation and learning is a process we all share—”

“—whether or not we realize it. As such, it gives purpose to everything we do, no matter—”

“—how insignificant it may seem, and from that purpose, meaning. For the universe itself, given consciousness through your own mind—”

“—is aware of your every hurt and care.” Veera smiled. “Take comfort, then, that whatever you choose in life has importance beyond yourself. Importance, even, on a cosmic scale.”

“That seems a little self-aggrandizing,” Kira said.

“Perhaps,” Jorrus replied. “But—”

“—it may also be true,” said Veera.

Kira looked down at her hands. Her problems hadn’t changed, but somehow they felt more manageable now. The idea that she was part of the universe’s consciousness was comforting, albeit in a rather abstract way. No matter what she did moving forward—and no matter what happened to her, even if that meant getting stuck in UMC quarantine again—she would still be part of a cause far larger than herself. And that was a truth no one could ever take from her.