Halley's Comet

Halley's Comet is a symbol of the approaching destruction of the entire Earth. As the novel opens, Petra often looks up, seeing the comet's approach as it has many times previously. But, this time the comet is off-course.

The Stories

The stories are symbols of culture, history, and nature. Petra realizes that the stories told by storytellers – cuentistas – are vital because they provide connections and common ground.

The Ships

The ships are symbols of the technology that was meant to provide entertainment opportunities for the rich people who wanted to travel in space. Instead, these ships become an opportunity for a limited number of humans to escape the doomed Earth.

Empty Stasis Pods

The empty stasis pods that held Petra's parents are symbols of their deaths, confirmed by the computerized voice that details the failed attempts at eliminating their memories to make them part of...