Part III Ch. 2-7

Ch. 2

Lilith awakens the first of the forty people, Tate Marah. Her Awakening begins with hostility, telling Lilith to get away from her. She then succumbs to the reaction, which involves going into the fetal position and gasping for air. Lilith introduces herself and says that, like her, she is also a prisoner. Tate tells her how she had been in solitary for two or three months, to which Lilith replies that she had been in solitary for two years. Tate asks if the person who had kept them in solitary were Russians, and Lilith replies that they aren't even human. Strangely, Tate's responds rather calmly, though expressing disbelief. They then get ready to awaken two more.


Question 1

Lilith chose Tate because she was least likely to become violent, least likely to break down, very calm and level-headed, and very likely to be helpful in Awakening others. Yet when she first speaks to Tate, telling her she is a prisoner also, Tate responds by saying that Lilith is more like a trustee, inferring that she believes that Lilith is in league with them. Though thought to be a safe choice, do you think Tate seems like a person to be trusted as Lilith's ally? Do you think she views Lilith as being on the human side?



Ch. 3

Tate and Lilith talk about Lilith's study in anthropology. Tate says that humans are more alike than different. Lilith says that Tate thinks like the Ounkali do, something that visibly disturbs Tate. At this point, they are ready to awaken two more people, Celene Iver and Leah Bede. She expresses reluctance at Awakening a man as they could disrupt things and be potentially dangerous. She says that after they awake the two women she'll awaken Joseph Shing and Curt Loehr. Tate soon realizes that they are being watched, yet the Ounkali will not take action unless someone is killed or in danger of being killed, so they are completely on their own. Lilith shows Tate how the plants work, as one tries to pull Tate in, before letting the two women out. As Lilith pushes the plants back, Leah jumps up and tries to strangle her. This is one of the first instances of Lilith disguising the changes that have been made to her by the Ounkali, as she tries to make herself seem not as strong as she really is. She makes it seems like getting Leah off her is a struggle and pretends to gasp for air, even though she was not even close to losing consciousness. She calms both down and then tells them that they are on a ship beyond the moon's orbit, to which Leah believes that she is either crazy or a liar. In the end, Lilith tells them that, whether they believe it or not, they much act as though they believe they are on a ship, endure the time there, and get the world back. They cannot get out because only the Ounkali can open the walls. She then explains how the ship is alive and digests their garbage. The chapter closes with Lilith saying that humans are an endangered species and so precautions are made to protect themselves from eachother.

Question 2

One thing that is discussed in the chapter is Lilith's past. The one subject that comes up is her college studies. Her son is also mentioned, as well as the incident with Paul Tidas. At one point Tate says that Lilith doesn't really like to talk about her past, to which Lilith says that it is pointless and that she had two years to think about her past life, that it doesn't make sense to think about it now. Do you agree with this or not and why?




Ch. 4

Lilith pulls Joseph Shing and Curt Loehr out of suspended animation next. Curt demands to know where they are and who's in charge. Lilith says she'll explain everything while they eat, yet both men demand to know who she's working for. Curt specifically demands to know which side she's on. Lilith explains that they have been captured by something not human and it is her job to Awaken people. Joseph wants evidence that they are on a spaceship. Lilith explains that changes have been to her body chemistry that allows her to grow rooms, while they try unsuccessfully to move the walls. She explains that the walls are living matter. Joseph tries to get all the information he can about the ship and acknowledges at the very least that it is necessary that they behave as though they are on a ship. She tells them about the plan to reseed the earth and more importantly about the gene trade. While most of them think that it is ridiculous, Joseph says how they did the say thing before the war, and that they must find out all they can about these aliens before escaping, something that is later referred to as the "learn and run" philosophy.

Question 3

The chapter once again refers to the idea that that they must act like they believe they are on a ship. Lilith makes it clear to the other residents that they are in a ship, they are being watched, and that, being on a ship, they have no chance of escape as they are in the middle of space. We are also first introduced to the learn-and-run philosophy, learn all they can about their captors and make their escape. Think of a situation that you have been in that you found you were unable to talk your way out of it. What did you learn from the situation and how has it helped you in the future?



Ch. 5

The next to be awakened are Gabriel Rinaldi and Beatrice Dwyer. At this point Tate believes that they should double their numbers to get things done faster. Tate accepts that they're not on Earth and people are also beginning to accept the learn-and-run philosophy. Lilith's strength from genetic tampering is first made apparent at this point when she pulls two fighting men apart and Curt suggests that she would have made a good cop. Yet people begin to look at her differences negatively when she gets into a fight with a woman named Jean Pelerin, who attacked her when she denied her demands for meat. Lilith knocked her out with a few quick jabs, receiving only a few bruises. This bothers her, as she know longer knows her own strength. She then talks with Joseph, who tells her what the people have been saying about her, suggesting that she let out a bunch of people at once so that everybody is occupied and more likely to take their minds off her. Since there are fourteen, they should awaken ten. Lilith says that when they're ready the Ounkali will take them to an area of the ship that is made into a fragment of Earth. They'll be trained there. Lilith herself spent a year there, using the information that she had learned and applying it in a way that satisfied the Ounkali. Joseph tells Lilith that seeing the Ounkali might bring them together, but it will likely turn them against her. Lilith plans to put each person with an Awakened person and the ones she can't trust will be paired with Joseph, Leah, Tate, and herself. She notes that Leah is trustworthy and loyal, although she is very moody and stubborn.

Question 4

It had been established in previous chapters that Lilith was different from the rest of the group in her ability to open the plants and the food containers, but it is in this chapter that it really becomes an issue. After knocking out Jean, many people turn on her. Jean says that she is probably a man and, more disturbingly, the new guy Van Weerden claims that she is not even human. Though Joseph says that nobody really believes that, their positions are clear. Yet the abilities that the Ounkali gave are thought by them to be necessary for their survival and for their transition to Earth. Do you think that Lilith's genetic tampering by the Ounkali is more of a benefit or a detriment? How would the situation be different if they all had it done?








Ch. 6

Nikanj comes into the room and is seen by Joseph. This is the first time that an Ounkali is caught in a lie as Nikanj says that they will not interfere and will not show themselves until there are forty of them and they are ready. Nikanj informs Lilith that several people want her dead and that two men have been trying to turn others against Joseph. Lilith asks that Joseph get strengthened just as she did, but Nikanj refuses. Joe discusses how the Ounkali clone humans, create them from artificial wombs, and even recreate people from gene maps. Nikanj finally says that he will only modify Joseph to heal faster, to be less susceptible to damage and to withstand injuries that would kill an ordinary person. He says that the side effects are only psychological. Joseph touches Nikanj's sensory arm and starts to scream, but Nikanj drugs him in order to put him to sleep. Nikanj explains to Lilith that the changes to her body are not hereditary and that the increased strength is due to her unlocked potential, and that there is an increased strength in Joe too.

Question 5

Out of fear for Joe's life, Lilith has him changed just as she was changed. Has Lilith saved Joe or doomed him as an outsider? How would the other humans view these newfound abilities? Do you think there was a better solution to the problem?




Ch. 7

Lilith then lies with Nikanj and Joe and goes into a hallucinatory sleep. She experiences of a mixture of both hers and Joe's experiences, something that he also experiences. She talks with Nikanj about Joseph. He says that Ahajas and Dichaan thought she would choose one of the big dark men because they are like her but Nikanj thought she would choose Joe because he was like her. She says he won't want anything to do with her after what happened, and Nikanj doubts it, saying he knows him quite well since he studied him and was going to have him lead a group but found him to be a good match for Lilith.

Question 6

Lilith becomes angry at Nikanj for basically "hooking her up" with Joe through this compatibility study, seeing that they were very alike in their responses. While this could be seen by many as wrong, Nikanj is exhibiting a very human behavior. How is something like this relevant to today's world? In what instances is something like this seen as acceptable?