Chapter 34: Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways
⚠️ 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
One cycle after the explosion, Asuka retreats to the hub to escape the crew. She's dodging Ruth's urgent questions about what to do next, Lala's accusatory looks, and Ying Yue's pressure to extract more of the story from Lala, who continues to deny everything.
Asuka reviews the evidence against Lala: fingerprints on the radio receiver (possibly explained by chance handling in the Bot Shop), her red-handled drill found inside the cleaner bot (Lala now admits she might have taken it out herself rather than lending it), and her lack of an alibi during the explosion—she'd gone for a jog and was alone in a passageway when the blast occurred. The crew is assuming the attack was part of Lala's vendetta against McMahon.
Asuka tries to point out to Ying Yue that Mission Control suspected an SME sleeper agent, but Ying Yue counters that Lala could be one—she was among the few crew members who were politically active back home.
Climbing to the hub, Asuka complains to Alpha about the situation. She admits she'd wanted to be a hero, and Alpha reminds her about her rescheduled therapy appointment in nineteen minutes. Asuka decides to skip it, despite Alpha's reminder that therapy is mandatory for all crew.
In the hub, Asuka finds Gabriela looking exhausted—unchanged clothes, food stuck to her shirt. Gabriela invites Asuka into a virtual submarine simulation via a blue orb. They drift through a simulated ocean, and Gabriela offers Asuka a baby bottle of flavored water, joking about zero-g drinking.
Their conversation turns to Lala, then to the choices they made leaving Earth. Gabriela asks whether their children will understand those choices. She reveals that the Philippines officially entered the war today, on the American side, and she's terrified for her sister. Asuka tries to comfort her.
Suddenly, Asuka hears a thump from an overhead cabinet marked