From the kitchen window, Rowan sees a ship on the horizon through the storm. The arrival brings immediate relief because Rowan thinks naval officers may be able to retrieve Hank from beneath the vault, sparing Rowan from having to return there. Rowan also understands the ship has come too late to save many of the species in the failing storage, which sharpens the sense of loss.

Before taking the quad back for Dominic and Orly, Rowan unloads the last seed containers into the nearly full freezer. Raff and Fen help by removing the seeds from their larger containers and stacking the plastic bags more tightly, following Fen’s idea. As Rowan handles the exposed seeds, Rowan studies their unusual forms and compares them with their labels, noticing that many are striking, unfamiliar, and not what Rowan expected from Hank’s list.

The longer Rowan looks, the more uneasy Rowan becomes. Some seeds match what Rowan knows, such as the Wollemi pine and common dandelion, but others are bizarre and beautiful in ways Rowan had not anticipated. When Rowan reaches a packet labeled Banksia grandis, Rowan suddenly understands that the seeds reveal something important and troubling about what Hank has done. Rowan does not explain the realization to Raff and only says that nothing is wrong.

Rowan rides back toward the beach, hoping the ship can solve the crisis, but realizes the vessel is still too far offshore. Rowan knows the crew will need time to launch boats, reach land, and understand the situation, and the storm may prevent them from landing at all. Because the air shaft below will be filling, Dominic cannot wait and is already loading the Frog with tools so Dominic can go back himself.

When Rowan asks for Orly, Dominic says Orly told Dominic that Orly was going on Rowan’s boat. Rowan then realizes Orly told Rowan the opposite. In that instant, Rowan and Dominic understand that Orly is missing, turning the attempt to save Hank into an even more urgent and dangerous search.