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I understand the stars, or Outside, or the why and wherefore of it all. His very existence is a mystery to me. But his inaccessibility also fills me with melancholy. It’s sad I shouldn’t even exist for this amazing creature, when he means everything to me. I don’t have the right to want to grasp his mystery, yet it happens.
    Yes, Corp, there must be something wrong with me.
    His hand leaves my cheek—I die of relief and regret at the same time—and settles gently on my chest. “What happened, Phae? Why am I awake?”
    I die again. He’ll get angry for sure.
    “I’m sorry. Corp kept talking about this emergency protocol, but I didn’t know what it was.”
    He tilts his head slightly to look at me from under all that hair, narrowing his eyes. “Corp?”
    “He who created Ship. He asked me if I wanted to start the emergency protocol and I said yes. But I never imagined the emergency protocol was your awakening.”
    He frowns and starts to open his mouth—his painfully beautiful mouth—but something behind my shoulder attracts his gaze. Prince’s eyes open wide in amazement and dread.
    I know what he’s seeing.
    A crescent of Alien Ship rises from the slice in the ceiling. It grows to fill the glass, flows, covering us, flows on and on, and finally begins to disappear on the other side.
    “Phae?”
    His tone is scared, trembling.
    I can’t lie to him. I’m his servant, after all. “Alien Ship. They found us. I tried to ask for help from Earth, but Corp continued to say the channel wasn’t available, or something like that.”
    Prince’s eyes grow huge. “Aliens?”
    I nod. “Aliens.”
    He pales. All the color disappears from his lips. “Please, tell me it’s a joke. No one has ever found evidence of alien life.”
    “Well, then we have found evidence. Alien life exists, I assure you. They are on board.”
    His face turns gray. He starts to tremble again, so I tighten my arms around him, massaging his back. I don’t know if this can calm him down. Certainly it upsets me. “Look, Prince, we have no reason to believe they want you, right?”
    “Me?” He jolts in shock.
    “I’m reassured, really. At first I thought they were looking for you, but if you don’t know aliens, it’s likely they don’t know you either. With their instruments they have probably perceived not us, but the energy source of your sarcophagus.” It must be so, because otherwise the aliens would be here, but I am careful not to say this. I caress his arm. “I saved you just in time, Prince. They found your sarcophagus empty. I think they entered only out of curiosity, but Ship has been completely cleared out. They won’t find anything. Maybe a little rations in the storerooms, and uniforms, but I don’t think uniforms can interest them. They won’t even be able to wear them….”
    “Did you see them?” Prince almost shouts.
    “Listen,” I say, rubbing his arms. “They’ll explore Ship and find it empty, and then they’ll leave. What we need to do is stay hidden here until that thing stops orbiting around us. Does this seem reasonable?”
    “Pretty much,” he admits. He tilts his head again to look at me, narrowing his eyes. I find that attitude charming. “In any case, we can’t do anything else.”
    True.
    “When they are gone, we’ll try to contact Earth again,” I say. I thought to reassure him by mentioning Earth, but his eyes become distant and sad. Yet Blasius was convinced Earth is a nice place.
    “Hold me, I’m cold.”
    I do what he wants—I’m his servant—even if it hurts. I hug him. He rests his cheek on my bare shoulder. This kills me a little.
    I don’t like what he said. Someone shut him in the sarcophagus against his will. I can’t imagine anything more terrible. I think if someone tried to hurt Prince, I’d fight him to the death or die in the attempt.
    “Yes, this is perfect,” he moans against my shoulder.
    I realize I started to stroke his hair. I blush, even though he