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Evie was crying as she folded hed at my question “Silly! That was Eldest, of course!”

•••

I close my eyes and think of the way my teeth cracked the paper-thin crust on the top of the crea, the way the cake filled my mouth as I chewed

I glance at my bed, at the threadbare old blanket I had as a child that Eldest kept for e of ainst my face, and think about all Eldest was, and all he wasn’t All this ship has been, and all it will never be

For a et that today is the day I leave the ship, shut my eyes, and breathe in the scent of a thousand dreams

Before heading to the Shipper Level, I re-activate the wi-com system for the rest of the ship Within sconds, Shelby coms me

“We’re prepped and ready to begin planet-landing, sir,” she says in my ear

I so home ”

56

AMY

I WAKE UP EARLY AFTER I DRESS, I THINK ABOUT SENDING Elder a co up to the Keeper Level to see him I want to see Elder But—he has a ship to land

To land On the new planet I release a shaky breath, full of relief and joy Nothing else matters Not Orion’s stupid clues or Bartie’s ridiculous revolution—we have the planet

I head straight to the cryo level It feels strange to do this now, even though I’ve done it every day for the last three months I did it then because I believed I’d never see ain Noithmy parents’ frozen bodies, it feels false

Maybe it’s because I kno close we are to waking theood

I have so er than I was before About Harley and Luthor and Elder I want to spill out every ht