"There's rubble," Tycho said softly. "Rocks, chunks of the planet's core that have formed a sort of mini asteroid field. You can kind of see where the planet was, but no ... all the plants, the animals, the cities, the mountains, the oceans, the 2 billion lives ... all gone." His mouth tightened his eyes filled with a sadness 13 years hadn't dulled, only allowed him to put a lid on.

"Your brother?" Tycho's eyebrows rose in confusion, but he didn't ask. She could tell him if she wanted to. "I had two sisters, along with a brother..." He seemed to not realize he'd spoken aloud.