"I never really had the option not to be." He's had to remain prepared to hurt. Even here, where it feels like a transition at this point. No sense of permanence. No place to go after that he knows of.

But he takes the device and holds next to his ear and listens. It sounds familiar enough that he whistles to it, remembering the tune, getting it mostly right before handing the device back.

"Heard it in a port bar before but don't remember which world made it."

Or at least he heard something similar. Some of these songs seem to exist in a lot of worlds.