Summary

In Chapter 103, Tom flies from San Francisco to Hong Kong. He considers one crucial difference between his old world and this one: his old world had a stronger sense of optimism about progress. He concludes that this optimism is not necessarily better as it is connected to the belief that the world is here for humans to control, which leads to self destruction. There is a moment in which Tom explains to the reader that if this was fiction (which we know it really is), he would have to think about what message would counteract this myth of control.

Chapter 104 depicts Tom’s attempt to find Goettreider in Hong Kong. The hotel staff give him an address where he finds a man with a gun who gives him another address, which is home to Goettreider.

In Chapter 105, Goettreider greets Tom, stating, “I assume...