“Fine, thank you,” Park said automatically. She could barely raise her eyes. Later she would realize it was Fulbreech addressing her, though she hadn’t known him then—he was Keller’s patient, and there had been over one hundred recruits in the Antarctica biodome compared to the thirteen who would make it out. She registered a friendly smile, the glimpse of a strong chin. He’d said something in warm tones, but the words were as muffled as if she had stuffed her head with cotton. Park nodded vacantly and marched on without answering.

Commander Wick approached her in the mess tent. Park was gulping coffee so quickly it didn’t even have time to scald her tongue; when the commander sidled up, she choked. In those days Park had still felt shy with him. Wick was a veteran of a dozen colony missions; he had the hallowed glow of a folk hero. She wiped her mouth and said, “Commander. Good morning.”

“Park,” he said. “I need you to do something for me.”

Park waited without saying anything; she didn’t want to appear too eager, too subordinate. It also felt like people needed her a lot, lately. She was beginning to feel worn down with it, fever-warm, like wood after vigorous sanding. Wick continued, “Natalya’s heading out to find an ice aquifer this morning. I’d like you to go with her.”

Park stared at him; she didn’t even try to mask her surprise. As the expedition’s surveyor, Natalya would be in charge of locating landmarks like reservoirs, valleys, and caves on Eos. In Antarctica, of course, they already knew where things were—but for the sake of simulation, they had the recruits go out blind, relying on only what they would have on Eos to find what they needed. Park had heard that there was pressure on Natalya to find a large source of water nearby: they had enough to drink in the biodome, with the water reclaimers, but people wanted baths. They were tired of hastily sponging themselves clean, of always being smelly—especially when it came to showing off, or courting each other. Work performance and personal confidence both suffered. So they needed more water, and now Wick was sending Natalya out to find an aquifer. Along with Park.

“I’m not trained for that,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to help.”

“It’s not that I need you to survey the land,” Wick said. “But Natalya seems . . . on edge this morning. She needs some company when she goes out on the ice. I figure you’d be good at keeping her head on straight while she’s out there.”

It’s not my job, Park wanted to say again, but she looked into Wick’s deep gray eyes and felt her scalp tighten. “All right,” she said.