“He told me that he would never sell me,” I confess to her.

“Well then, there you go. There’s no need for tears over this,” the older female says. “Those other Water people, they are safe too. It’s uncomfortable, but so is life in the galaxy.”

“He also gave me extra food credits. I feel terrible using them when my people were sold.”

“The commander acknowledges this hurt you. That’s high praise for him to give you those credits. Even though it doesn’t change your sadness. He can’t change his decision about them either. Life is difficult. Either decision would have hurt someone.”

“Will you take these credits? I don’t want them.”

“No, but I’ll sit with you and share something. I think, if I were one of those Water people sold today, I’d want you to have it. Not because you’re celebrating, but because you dared to ask the Commander about it.” The older female puts an arm around me as we walk to the servants’ canteen. As we enter, most of the other servants give me compassionate looks. They may all be Silvers, but as servants, their lives are just a couple steps above volunteers who can be bought and sold just like me.

“I asked because it hurts,” I reply.

“And he acknowledged that. He didn’t have to; a less moral male would have punished you. Instead, he gave you these credits. Do you see?”

I do see, but it doesn’t make me feel any less guilty. I buy the older female a dessert of her choice, and I get myself the strawberry one. It has become my favorite, and I hope those other humans are spoiled just as much as I am here. As we are eating, other servants come over and offer their sympathies to me. All their words have the same theme, ‘Life is tough for those born into low positions, but you are not alone.’

Some of the other servants join us, and I’m introduced to servants I’ve passed many times in the corridors but never had a chance to speak to. One female I recognize from my first day on the ship, about the same age as I am. She tries to cheer me up by asking me if I know how to play a game called ‘Jam.’ I don’t know but tell her that I like games and would like to learn. She promises to teach me in a few days.

Later, while lying in bed, I still feel frustrated and sad that so many humans were sold to the Imperials. However, I can’t deny that all the Silvers seem to think that this wasn’t such a bad thing. Either they’re all in on a lie to make me feel better, which is very unlikely, or it’s true. After tossing and turning, I realize I will have to believe the latter because, as much as it troubles me, I couldn’t have done much to change their fate.

Unlike the Commander, I have no pajamas. So, I sleep in my underwear and a kind of sports bra, which was the only bra allotted to me. I pull the sheets up over my head, trying to fall asleep, but the image of the Commander is in my mind’s eye. Him telling me he’d never sell me, and it stirs something inside of me that I thought was dead forever when I became a volunteer.