There was Creation. Mighty swift strong machines built me, welded and forced and screwed and Made me. There was Life. They fitted in my engine,my Center. Then they gave me a Mind.

I did not stay at the birthplace for long. I was shiny, sturdy, young. The juices of my Creation burned in my Body, reaching up to the dark deep Everywhere. Master saw that in me. Master thought, 'This. This is the One.'

And they Bought me.

They Loaded me full of Goods: Food and Medicine and Machines and Passengers and animals. (I do not like the animals.) Master's Crew cleaned meand maintained my Center and healed me if I was ill. But my Mind the Crew did not care for. They told me how to fly, flew me so that I could not fly free. Still, they were not cruel. They could not hear me when I asked them why. We flew to many Places, flew steady and safe and long and Crew was happy and Master was happy and I was happy.

Then, new Master. New Master pushed me, told me to fly faster, carry More. I was young and strong and I could always carry Anything, but now there was Too Much and I strained. The skies were not racetracks anymore, not Everywhere. There was no more adventure, only dragging, Center squeezing, Mind aching under Master's curses and never, never enough rest. The Crew cleaned me, repaired me. They Cared for me, I think, but Ibecame very very tired.

Before, I could carry Anything. After, I could carry nothing. Master drew a course for a Graveyard Planet and then I was Alone.

I was Alone for long long Long. There were Others, rusted broken hopeless never-hoped Others, who did not miss the Everywhere, the black. They did not want to talk to me. They wanted to Sleep, Sleep until they could do nothing but Sleep. I never wanted to Sleep. I only wanted to fly again.

A Man came. He was not a Master. He told the Others to Wake, to do as he said. He forced them to fly again, slow tired hopeless Others that did not want to fly. He gave them colors and New Parts, flashy but weak, and the Others knew that when they were Bought, they would not fly long, they would Sleep, they and their Crews and their Masters. The Man tried to Change me that way, so I would be pretty shiny outside but old fake Sleepy on the inside, I would not Let him. I did not Let him.

The Others were bought. Masters saw that they looked bright fast sturdy, and the Man told them the Others were young and ready. Masters bought the old Others who only wanted to sleep, and I remained, old and worn and wanting the black, the fires of my Creation not yet gone out.

But I was getting Sleepy.

Captain saved me. I was very very Sleepy when Captain came. The Man wanted to sell him an Other, shiny New Parts fake, but Captain saw me. He bought me and he looked at me and he thought, 'This. This is the One.'

Captain always Believed in me. His Crew was small, but it Grew, and they Cared for me. I have had many Crews, but this Crew was so Alive. They did not just fly to sell and buy and make Money and get Things, they flew to Live, like me. They wanted to fly, and some of them were very like me.

There was a FlyingMan, a Man who was like me on the inside; he wanted to fly. He Let me Fly. He could not Speak to my Mind, but he knew I could hear him, and he Let me Fly free. He did not just Tell me where and how to fly: we Flew Together. Finally, I was the Master of the Black.

Then there was a EngineWoman. She was not Made like I was, but she Touched my Center as though she knew how I was Made. She Touched me and spoke to me like I was Of Her. She could not Speak to me, but she Cared for me, and I for her.

MindGirl was Special. She was like the Others, shiny broken tired Sleepy, but she was like me, too: she did not want to Sleep. She wanted to be Alive. She could Speak to me, she could Hear me when I Spoke back. Sometimes, when her Mind was Asleep but she was not, she would Say things to no one but me, and I would Sing to her. Before she Came, I did not know how to Sing.

I have had many Crews, but this Crew was so Alive. All of them, like me, were broken or lonely or Sleepy when they Came to me. Some had been given colors and New Parts but were still hurt on the inside, but I Took them inside me and I Cared for them and They Are Mine.

And I will never Let Them Go.