After 20 years in a cryostasis pod, former captain of the Tulpar, Grant Curly—who prefers to be called simply Curly—was rescued after enduring such isolation. After the crash years ago, his body, now a tetra-amputee, lay incapacitated, wrapped in blood-soaked bandages. Once a charismatic leader, now a broken man, his jaw locked and voice silenced, his lidless blue eye the only sign of life. Despite the pain, a flicker of compassion remained, yearning for connection in the wake of tragedy.