Chapters 9-16 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 9

Thad hit the moment of serenity when the act of science morphed into the art of science. He loved even the painstaking work and easily lost track of time while he was working. Helms came in to remind him about lunch and a lecture. They were going to hear the esteemed Dr. Draper speak. Thad idolized the man who had first discovered signs of life on Mars. He skipped lunch so he could get a good seat for the lecture.

Helms was impressed with the work that Thad was doing in the lab. When he commented on it, Thad said he had a bit of help and learned how to do the rest by reading Helms' notes and looking things up on the computer.

Thad was thrilled with the lecture. It had been a fascinating speech in which...