The Nostalgia for Infinity is now in orbit around Resurgam. Volyova sits on the bridge with Triumvir Hegazi, reviewing sensor data. Cuvier has been badly damaged. They await a report from Sajaki, who is on the surface undercover. Using infrared lip-reading, the ship reconstructs Sajaki’s spoken report from the surface. He describes Cuvier’s destruction by antimatter weapons used by True Path factions, the uncertain political situation, and confirms Sylveste is alive but held outside the city by unknown forces. Sajaki states that negotiating with any official planetary authority is impossible, hinting that Volyova may be required to intervene.

Before rousing the other crew members, Volyova had interrogated Khouri in a rat-infested corridor, away from Sajaki’s listening devices. Khouri provided a cover story about being an infiltrator from the Galatea. Volyova judged it plausible and kept the information from Sajaki. She spent six days erasing all evidence of the cache-weapon incident, repairing the hull, editing databases, and constructing a façade replica.

Crewmembers Sudjic and Kjarval join Volyova and Khouri in suit-combat training in chamber two. During the exercise, Sudjic tells Khouri that Nagorny was her lover and that she blames Volyova for his death. Kjarval’s suit goes erratic and she begins firing live weapons at Khouri.