Prologue
Saturn’s moon Titan is the nearest celestial body
that is hospitable to human life.
January 23, 2470:
The first settler lands there,
Citizen #1 of the Cusk Corporation Colony.
The two remaining countries of Earth,
Dimokratía and Fédération,
unite to celebrate
. . . until six weeks later,
when Minerva Cusk’s outpost goes unexpectedly dark.
The world assumes
its great hope has died.
Two years later,
reports come in that Minerva’s distress beacon has
manually triggered.
A rescue mission is launched.
This is the story of what happens next.
Part One
Am I alive?
Are you?
My mother won’t answer my knocks.
Her feet cast shadows in the sliver of light beneath her door.
My sister’s voice, from down the hall. “Ambrose, come in here with me.”
Minerva’s bed is warm, and in it I’m held. I hadn’t known I needed that so much.
Once my sniffles have stopped, she whispers, “As long as I’m alive, someone loves you.”
Her voice rings out over a pink-sand beach:Get up, Ambrose. You’re racing me to the point.
Now Minerva’s drowning. Her strong arms chop ocean but bring her nowhere.
I try to yell, but my dry throat gapes.
Minerva has never needed help, not in her whole life.
