"Who ever manages to get off planet here, though?" he asks, shaking his head. "It may be miserable, but it's a case of the devil you know or the devil you don't. And studying plague clouds would be difficult without the clouds, too."

He doesn't imagine he'll ever get off this planet. That's life. And that's okay, because he has never planned to. His family could never afford it. He's happy staying where he is.

"Luckily, I have some mentors in the program. They'll talk me through options. I have another year before I have to decide, too."