Chapter 18, “When We Were Vultures”: Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The chapter opens with Xan and Calliope seated away from the other survivors on the station. Calliope admits the army sent her to retrieve Xan, though she is in no hurry to attack him. They strike a deal: Xan will explain why the army wants him if she answers his questions about the shuttle.

Calliope recounts the shuttle flight in detail. She describes the passenger layout, including the old Black woman and her granddaughter, the doctor, the nervous big man (Phineas), and the blonde woman with a charm bracelet. She remembers the young man Sam, who sat alone in the back reading a battered physical book and paced the aisle nervously. Xan reveals that Sam was the only passenger outside first class who died, despite having wounds similar to everyone else's.

The conversation shifts to their shared past. Xan recalls their army days as mortuary support, a role derisively nicknamed the Vultures by PFC Buck Jones. Calliope had tried to reclaim the name, arguing that vultures are communal creatures that look after their own and do the jobs no one else will do. Their training officer, Jackson, warned them the work would be thankless and dirty.

Xan remembers the harassment from Buck at Fort Sam Houston, which escalated into physical violence. One night, Buck attacked Xan, breaking his nose and splitting his eye open. Calliope saved him by throwing a wine bottle at Buck's head, then fabricated a story about a mysterious Bad Guy to cover the incident.

The next day, while helping supply ordnance, Calliope suggested a prank: placing spent batteries in a patrol radio. Xan went along with it, despite knowing it was wrong. Two days later, Buck's patrol was attacked by mercenaries. Their distress call failed because of the dead batteries, and the entire team died. Xan and Calliope logged the bodies, knowing they were responsible. They agreed to tell no one and to claim it was an honest mistake.

Back in the present, Calliope reveals she carries a bag of blue powder called God's Breath, given to her by her uncle Drop, a small-time dealer who claims the government hired him to distribute it. Xan identifies it as a weapon, the local equivalent of C4, dangerous even to the station itself. He warns her to put it away.

Calliope mentions she has three missions and asks Xan if the dead patrol had it coming. Xan insists they did not, even though Buck was a bully. He acknowledges that the others on the patrol were not involved. Calliope reveals she is not planning to kill him yet, and the chapter ends with Xan feeling vulnerable and exposed, noting the many connections between the people on the station.

Key Events

Calliope admits the army sent her to retrieve Xan, but she is willing to talk first.
Calliope describes the shuttle passengers, including the nervous young man Sam, who was the only non-first-class casualty.
Xan and Calliope exchange information about the shuttle and the army's interest in Xan.
Xan recalls their army days as mortuary support, nicknamed the Vultures.
Calliope reveals she saved Xan from Buck's attack by throwing a wine bottle.
Xan and Calliope placed spent batteries in a patrol radio as a prank, leading to the deaths of Buck's entire team.
Calliope shows Xan a bag of blue powder called God's Breath, which he identifies as a weapon.
Calliope reveals she has three missions and asks if the dead patrol had it coming; Xan says they did not.

Character Development

Xan is defined by guilt and the weight of his past. He carries the secret of the patrol deaths and has spent years trying to distance himself from it. His insistence that the dead did not have it coming shows a moral clarity that contrasts with Calliope's more pragmatic view. He is also vulnerable, admitting he was not happy to see Calliope and that he has mixed feelings about her.

Calliope is chaotic, impulsive, and loyal in her own way. She saved Xan's life and kept his secret, but she also proposed the prank that led to the deaths. She is pragmatic about the deaths, suggesting they might have died anyway, but she is also haunted by the memory. Her decision to bring God's Breath to the station shows her recklessness and her willingness to take risks.

The chapter deepens the relationship between Xan and Calliope. They are bound by a shared secret and a shared guilt, but they also have genuine affection for each other. Xan's decision to call her by her nickname, H2, is a small but significant gesture of reconciliation.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Vulture Symbolism: The vulture is a central motif. Calliope reclaims the insult, arguing that vultures are communal, look after their own, and do necessary work that others avoid. This reflects the role of mortuary support and the bond between Xan and Calliope.

Guilt and Shared Secrets: The chapter is built on the weight of the past. Xan and Calliope share a secret that has shaped their lives. Their guilt is a constant presence, and their conversation is an attempt to confront it.

Consequences of Reckless Actions: The prank with the batteries is a clear example of how a small, thoughtless action can have devastating consequences. Xan and Calliope's decision to go along with the prank leads to the deaths of an entire patrol.

Trust and Deception: The chapter is full of lies and half-truths. Calliope fabricates a story about a Bad Guy, Xan and Calliope lie about the batteries, and Calliope is evasive about her missions. Trust is fragile, and both characters are testing each other.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is crucial for understanding Xan's character and his motivations. It reveals the source of his guilt and his desire to escape his past. It also introduces God's Breath, a weapon that will likely play a significant role in the story. The chapter deepens the mystery of the shuttle attack by highlighting Sam as the only non-first-class casualty, suggesting there is more to his death than meets the eye. Finally, it establishes the complex relationship between Xan and Calliope, setting up potential conflict and cooperation in the chapters to come.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Xan insist that the dead patrol did not have it coming, even though Buck was a bully?

Xan believes that even if Buck deserved punishment, the other members of the patrol were not involved in the harassment. He sees the deaths as a disproportionate consequence of a broken nose and a prank. His guilt is compounded by the fact that he went along with the prank willingly, and he cannot justify the loss of life.

2. What is the significance of the vulture motif in this chapter?

The vulture motif is used to reclaim a derogatory label. Calliope argues that vultures are communal, look after their own, and do necessary work that others avoid. This reflects the role of mortuary support and the bond between Xan and Calliope. It also foreshadows Calliope's role as a scavenger, someone who cleans up after others and operates in the margins.

3. Why does Calliope bring God's Breath to the station, and what does this reveal about her character?

Calliope brought the drug because her uncle told her to take supplies from his trailer, and she took a little of everything. She did not know what it was or how dangerous it was. This reveals her recklessness and her tendency to act on impulse without considering the consequences. It also shows her loyalty to her uncle, even though she does not fully trust him.