Iwakura sees you watching her, and she smiles shyly. She's not a shy woman, although her high voice and soft accent could maybe fool the kind of person who cares about those things. It's just that here, aboard the Temeraire, she has to face something she's never known -

Humanity. This is the first time in her life that she's even dreamt of people beyond the Sanctuary.

"Sam," she says, as she's not in the cockpit and not in your chain of command. "It's so good to see you. How are you? How are Taylor and Corey?"

"They're well, thank you." You want to ask her more about what you saw...the unknown ship in the Sanctuary's nebula. But somehow you feel this is a sacred thing that must be left unspoken. "And you? Does the Temeraire live up to expectations?"

"I'm so disappointed! I expected birds. And a fountain!"

"The birds are all on duty, Katashi."

She stands too close to you. You think it's because of the Sanctuary, a frozen ship with no room at all. It must be instinct. "Ha ha," she says. "Gods, I can't believe this. I still can't." Before she closes her eyes for a moment you can see that she's afraid. "It's too much like a miracle."

Imagine that. Imagine losing your humanity. Surrendering it so that you could survive.

Imagine it returning. But it might only be a dream. 