Trust and Betrayal in Beneath by Ariel Sullivan
Thematic Claim
In Beneath, trust is presented as a fragile, hard-won resource that can be shattered by betrayal at any moment, yet it remains the only foundation upon which survival and hope can be built. Betrayal is never simple: it can arise from ambition, fear, love, or a twisted sense of loyalty. The novel argues that true trust requires vulnerability and that the risk of being betrayed is the price of genuine connection.
Tracing Trust and Betrayal Across the Plot
Sasha’s Distrust: The Starting Point
From the first chapter, Sasha Cadell embodies deep distrust of humanity, especially the Force. After surviving the war and the assault in Haven, she tells Tristian that she hates humans and refuses his offer to join his unit. Her distrust is rooted in trauma. Only after Unit Seven defends her during the attack by Murray does she begin to reconsider—she notes that they “cared about one another” and that she “had to at least try” to trust them (chapter 12: Chapter 10). This turning point marks the beginning of Sasha’s slow, painful journey toward reliance on others.
Kaleo and Rumi: The Double Agent’s Betrayal
Kaleo’s role as a double agent is a central betrayal that also redefines what loyalty means. Historically, Kaleo was part of Tristian’s original Angels unit, but he drew a knife on them during Burdon’s coup. Levi tells Sasha that Kaleo “pulled a knife while we slept” and that the attack was an ambush (chapter 31: Chapter 29). Yet later, in Chapter 36–37, Kaleo reveals that he was actually trying to kill Balakin and had information about Burdon’s corruption. He claims, “I didn’t turn against you” (chapter 37: Chapter 35). His betrayal is revealed as a complex act: he was working to undermine Burdon from within, but his secrecy cost him the trust of his former friends.
Rumi Sato’s secret two-year relationship with Kaleo adds another layer. When it is exposed, Patrick, her closest partner, feels utterly destroyed: “I will never fucking forgive you for this” (chapter 37: Chapter 35). Rumi’s betrayal is that of withheld truth—she lied by omission, even while protecting her unit in other ways. Her loyalty to Kaleo and to the underground resistance (the Moles) conflicts with her loyalty to Unit Seven.
Burdon’s Coup and the Snake Within
Lyssa Burdon’s betrayal is the most overt and destructive. She staged a coup against the previous Force commander and against Tristian’s Angels, using the skin virus as cover. Levi explains that Burdon “stayed behind with Conti” and that after the mission, she emerged as the new Force commander while Tristian was nearly killed (chapter 31: Chapter 29). Burdon later forces Tristian to become her second-in-command and strips Unit Seven of their status (chapter 39: Chapter 37). Her betrayal is driven by ambition and grief over her twin’s death, but it is ruthless and strategic.
The “snake” symbol becomes literal when Sasha discovers that Henderson—unknowingly—is the spy who fed information to Burdon. The epigraph from Orwell’s 1984 (“Who controls the past controls the future”) underscores Burdon’s manipulation of information. Sasha remembers her dying patient Kumar’s words: “Find the snake” (chapter 39: Chapter 37). The snake represents not only a single traitor but the insidious nature of betrayal that can infiltrate even the closest unit.
The Ultimate Act of Self-Betrayal: Sasha’s Chart Switch
Sasha’s decision to switch her health chart with Levi’s is an act of self-sacrifice that initially looks like betrayal of her own well-being. She tells the unit, “I switched our charts and bands when I visited you in the Ward. I took your place” (chapter 39: Chapter 37). This action jeopardizes her place in the Force and her future. It is a betrayal of her own survival instincts, but it also demonstrates the trust she has built with her unit—a trust strong enough to risk everything for them.
Character and Symbol Connections
- Sasha Cadell: Embodying the struggle between distrust and trust, Sasha evolves from hating humanity to fighting for her unit. Her call sign “Death’s Angel” reflects her role as a witness to death, yet she learns to protect the living.
- Tristian Hayes: A leader who trusts too easily, according to Levi. His loyalty to Burdon blinds him, and his later trust in his unit is tested repeatedly. He carries the weight of every betrayal.
- Kaleo Ikaika: A double agent whose betrayal is a mask for deeper loyalty. His relationship with Rumi complicates the line between traitor and ally.
- Rumi Sato: Her secrecy is a betrayal of trust, but her actions serve a larger, hidden plan. She represents the conflict between personal loyalty and group solidarity.
- Burdon: The ultimate betrayer, who uses power and manipulation to control the narrative. She embodies the theme that those who control the past control the future.
- The Snake: A symbol of hidden betrayal. It appears in Kumar’s dying message and in the spy within Unit Seven. The snake is both a specific person (Henderson) and a metaphor for the ease with which trust can be poisoned.
- The Key: Given to Sasha by Rumi, the key to Mission Hope represents the fragile hope that trust—even when broken—can be rebuilt.
Complexity and Contradiction
The novel refuses to present betrayal as purely evil. Kaleo’s betrayal of the Angels was motivated by a desire to stop Burdon. Rumi’s lies to her unit come from a commitment to a larger resistance network. Even Burdon’s cruelty is partly explained by the loss of her twin. The characters must grapple with the fact that people who betray them can also be people they once loved. As Tristian says after Kaleo’s confession, “I don’t want to hear from you, Sato. Not now” (chapter 37: Chapter 35)—his pain is raw, but the story doesn’t condemn Rumi or Kaleo outright.
Trust, then, is not about certainty; it is about choosing to rely on others despite the risk. Sasha’s final decision to protect her unit, even after being betrayed by the system, illustrates that trust can coexist with betrayal. The epilogue shows Phoenix (Sasha) working in Expansion, having rejected her father’s survival-only mantra: “she now lives for others” (Epilogue). That is the ultimate testament to trust.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Sasha’s view of trust change over the course of the novel?
Answer: Initially, Sasha distrusts everyone, especially the Force, due to her traumatic past. After Unit Seven defends her during the attack by Murray, she begins to open up. She confesses that she “had to at least try” to trust them (chapter 12: Chapter 10). By the end, she sacrifices her own health score to keep Levi in the unit, showing that she has come to trust her comrades completely.
2. Why is Rumi’s betrayal especially painful for Patrick?
Answer: Patrick saved Rumi’s life after the war and made a vow on his sister’s memory to stay by her side. He tells her, “You’re my fucking family, my best friend, my partner” (chapter 37: Chapter 35). Her secret relationship with Kaleo breaks that bond, and he feels that the person he trusted most has been lying for years.
3. What does the symbol of the “snake” represent in the novel?
Answer: The snake represents hidden betrayal. Kumar’s dying words “Find the snake” point to a spy within Unit Seven. The snake also symbolizes the insidious nature of distrust—just as a snake can strike without warning, betrayal can come from the closest allies. Sasha eventually identifies Henderson as the snake because he inadvertently reveals knowledge of Dr. Kumar’s death (chapter 39: Chapter 37).
4. Is Kaleo a traitor or a hero? Explain the complexity.
Answer: Kaleo appears to be a traitor when he draws a knife on the Angels, but he later reveals that he was trying to kill Balakin and expose Burdon’s plot. He says, “I pulled a knife on the Angels, but I didn’t turn against you” (chapter 37: Chapter 35). His actions are a form of undercover resistance. However, his secrecy destroyed trust and caused deep wounds. The novel leaves it ambiguous—he is both a traitor to the unit’s trust and a hero to a larger cause.
5. How does the epigraph from Orwell’s 1984 relate to the theme of betrayal?
Answer: The epigraph says, “Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past” (Epigraph). This directly applies to Burdon’s manipulation of history—she rewrites the Angels’ fall as a hero’s story, controls information, and uses lies to maintain power. Betrayal becomes a tool for controlling narrative and memory. Sasha’s struggle to uncover the truth is a fight against this control.