Michael slides his palms up and down the alien glass, watching how it responds to him with awe, incredulous and utterly entranced by the look of it, breathing out as he stands, holding a hand out to him so Alex can get to his feet.

"It's not gonna break or shatter," he promises, "so don't worry about abusing it, or smacking it into things."

He lets go, even if it's nearly impossible to do. "Go on, give it a shot, tell me how it feels."