Section Five Summary and Analysis

October 29th, the seventeenth day, began normally for the survivors. They completed their chores, and when the sun went down, they entered the plane. The injured and couples climbed in first and slept where it was crowded but most protected. The strongest among the survivors took turns sleeping in the exposed area near the opening where there was room for five to sleep. On this evening those were Juan Carlos Menendez, Pancho Delgado, Roque, the mechanic, and Numa Turcatti. They all dozed off and fell asleep except Diego Storm and Roy Harley, who had just switched sleeping positions. Roy felt an odd vibration, then heard a metallic sound. He was startled and jumped up only to find himself covered waist high in snow. An avalanche had pummeled the plane and entered through their makeshift barriers. Roy remembered Carlitos Paez...