Jim's efforts are appreciated. Alex can always tell when someone's trying to help, and it's nice to see someone he doesn't know try so hard to make this okay. If he didn't think it might be awkward, he'd give Jim a hug. But adults get weird about hugs, sometimes, so instead he listens with rapt attention. He'd never thought before that space might have downsides to it.

"I've never had replicated food. Is it really different from normal food? Also, coffee is kind of gross. I like it when my mom makes it, but she puts stuff in it to fix the taste." As opposed to his dad's black coffee, which is truly horrific. How anyone can stomach it, he doesn't know. Maybe it's something he'll get when he gets older. "I sleep better when there's a background noise. The engines on a spaceship probably wouldn't bother me."

Oh, cool, Captain Kirk thinks he's interesting! Best day ever. He perks up, too, at the thought of his cool Uncle Leo, who is both mildly crazy and deeply awesome. "He's an archaeologist. So's his wife, my Aunt Timmiaq. They met at work and she's from there, so they decided to live there. It's really beautiful. You can see the Northern Lights, and the houses are all painted bright colors so they stand out in the snow. The sky looks really big, too, without any trees. I don't know if it's as cool as space, but I like it."