To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

When Gregorovich’s organic human body was destroyed in an accident, he chose to become a ship’s mind, which is essentially a human mind that has been integrated into a ship. The Wallfish picked him up on an abandoned mining planet, where his ship had crashed five years previously. His years of isolation have made him eccentric and acerbic, and his speech is peppered with literary references. He is a large mind for a small ship like the Wallfish but feels a great loyalty to Falconi and the crew. 

Although his manner often belies it, Gregorovich is understanding and compassionate. Over time, he becomes almost a mentor to Kira, as he sees her predicament with the xeno more clearly and understands it more fully than anyone else on the Wallfish. His relationship with his ship is in many ways like her relationship with the xeno—they are constrained by the limits of their relationships, and yet more free, given the increased capabilities and understanding that comes with being connected to something very unlike themselves. He also acts as an example of the benefits and pitfalls of deep Connectedness and Cooperation. However, his loyalty to and love for the crew is a constant throughout the novel. In fact, it is fear of losing them that causes him to refuse Falconi’s orders. At the end of the novel, his loyalty and love still hold true as Kira offers to build him whatever body he wishes, but he chooses instead to stay with the Wallfish.

Falconi is the captain of the Wallfish, the ship that finds Kira’s shuttle drifting through space. Kira describes him as “shorter than her, with sharp blue eyes in startling contrast to his deep spacer’s tan. A day’s worth of black stubble covered his chin and cheeks, but his hair was neat and combed” (149). On first meeting him, she notices that his arms are scarred and, as he could have had the scars removed, she wonders why he kept them. Much later in the novel, when he tells her the story of how he got them, he tells her, “I keep them to remind me of what I can survive'' (486). Falconi is tough, a survivor, yet throughout the novel, he shows his caring, nurturing side with his collection of pets and his bonsai tree. 

Falconi is decisive, loyal, intelligent, and compassionate. As captain, he is the father figure of the Wallfish, and his loyalties lie with his crew, whose safety and well-being he consistently prioritizes in his decision-making. When Kira first meets Falconi, he seems tough and, when she finds out that he is charging his passengers, morally suspect. However, as Kira comes to know him better, she sees that most of his decisions are made to protect and provide for his Wallfish family. She develops respect for him, and there is an attraction between them that eventually leads to a sexual encounter. Any hope of a relationship between them is lost, however, when Kira fully bonds with the xeno. In spite of that, Falconi remains loyal, showing he cares by taking the time to report to her on the safety of her family as she travels.

Questants Veera and Jorrus are members of a group known as the Entropists and are passengers on the Wallfish when Kira comes aboard. The Entropists are humans but have a unique look: “skin was laced with silver wires about the temples and hairline. They both wore the customary gradient robes with a stylized logo of a rising phoenix blazoned on the middle of the back as well as along the cuffs and hemlines” (170). The Entropists are “famous for their scientific research, both applied and theoretical [...] Their tech was consistently five to ten years ahead of everyone else” (170). When Kira sees them in the hold, she decides to ask for their insight into the xeno. From that point on, the Entropists travel with the Wallfish, where their advanced knowledge is helpful. Not only are they more technologically advanced, but the Entropists are also stateless, which means they are not under the power of a government, such as The League, so they offer a valuable perspective without a political agenda.

Kira recognizes that these two Entropists are a hive mind, sharing thoughts, speech, and even coordinated movement. They offer Kira another example of Connectedness and Cooperation. There is trust and vulnerability involved, as evidenced by their pain when one is injured. When Veera is electrocuted, both she and Jorrus feel it, and when she loses consciousness, so does Jorrus. When Veera wakes up in pain, Jorrus is again a part of that, “curled into a fetal ball” (585). This is the same vulnerability and trust Kira must offer the xeno. The Entropists show her, in a different way, the benefits and the dangers of such a relationship.