In the deep mine, Darrow’s suit nears failure as heat melts his boot and jams his foot in a drill’s gearing. Controlling his panic, Darrow uses his slingBlade to cut free the boot and escapes, burning his hand on the drill but confirming minimal gas and a good scan before climbing out.

At shift’s end, he rides the gravLift with Lambdas and Gammas, helping a floating Gamma novice down while banter and rivalry flare. In the depot, Gray “Tinpots” led by Ugly Dan mock and threaten Darrow—leering about Eo—forcing him to bow as he swallows his anger. On the tram, Darrow and Gamma legend Dago trade jabs; when Gamma’s raw pull is announced, Dago warns that raw count “never matters,” hinting the Laurel may be decided by something else.

After the grim Flush air showers, Darrow reflects on Lykos culture—dance, the forbidden song and dance that cost his father his life, and Eo’s spirit. He describes the township’s hivelike homes beneath a constant holoCan, where Octavia au Lune’s broadcast praises Red sacrifice and obedience in service of terraforming.

Darrow reaches home, where Eo stops him from entering their room, tending his burned hand with a rare webwrap and teasing him about surprises she has planned for the night. They share intimate banter about hopes for Laurel rewards as Laureltide and the allowance distribution near, and Eo urges Darrow to wear gloves to hide the injury before they head out.