Under the Never Sky

Intimacy can be the difference between life and death, both literally and figuratively. When Aria witnesses the desperate, inhuman creatures that the Dispersed become after being exiled from their tribes, she “want[s] to understand how a person could become that way. How could they survive alone and terrified?” (140). Without a support system where emotional and physical intimacy can be shared, one can lose their will to live or, worse, forget how.

During Aria’s first foray into the real, Aria feels “a sense of loneliness cre[ep] over her despite being in the crowded little chamber” (5) at the entrance of Ag 6. Aria attributes it to deactivating her Smarteye and wonders how the “Savages” manage to live this way Outside. This is soon followed up by surprise when Paisley grabs her hand in Ag 6. The sudden physical touch reminds Aria “that she hadn’t touched anyone in months” (5). Aria views the handholding as constricting and uncomfortably moist. In the Realms, handholding is softer and without warmth; Aria is comfortable with that sensation because it’s all she’s ever known, but her reaction to Paisley’s intimacy hints at the issues Pod-life poses to mental health and social conditioning.