Book One: The Thing Was, Chapter 35-Chapter 36 Summary

Just before the bomb drops, Captain Adolf von Kleist comes down from the crow's nest to survey the damage. The ship has been gutted. There are no light bulbs in the lights. Thanks to the darkness, the engines have not been destroyed, which will ultimately result in humanity's survival. The captain, however, has no clothes left, and all he finds is a bottle of cognac.

The crew of the other ship in the port, the San Mateo, steals the Bahía de Darwin's lifeboats, leaving the cruise ship tethered to the dock by one line. The captain proceeds to get drunk. He also discovers that the engines work. In the distance, the captain thinks he sees a meteorite. Then, the explosion hits the airport, as the missile hits the radar dish...