The Gate

The Gate is a symbol of survival and the finality of the UDPs' loss of their former universe. While explaining the Gate's construction and use as a means for fleeing to safety after the power plant attacks, the narrator explains, "...everyone who hadn't gotten through the Gate had died. That was a given. The Gate was a prototype. One of a kind. One-way" (18). There was no way to return, and even if there was, it seems certain that there would be nothing to go back to. Once the Gate stopped functioning, it could not be fixed or rebuilt, as it was being operated from the other universe.

Jonas' drawing

Jonas' drawing of a tiger is a symbol of Hel's love for her son and the feelings of grief she tries to repress throughout most of the novel. By failing to discuss her loss with Vikram...