Summary

Chapter 1 of Part 5 opens on earth in the year 2040 with Helena, who is searching for her lost sister Leigh. Humanity has started to suffer some of the same symptoms the astronauts went through on the Proscenium 1 mission. Helena tried to file a lawsuit against the Institute, but it no longer exists, having broken up into subsidiary companies. At first the Institute treated Helena well, flying her to Houston after Nereus was lost, giving her financial compensation, media training and psychological support. The cause of the accident was labeled “an unpredictable outside event” (422). The official story was that Leigh had drowned at sea. After Helena asks for a full transcript of the legal agreements Leigh made with the Institute, they cut off support and communication and become antagonistic to Helena, pressuring her to give up. She opens a post office box where...