Summary

Chapter 17

Peter still wasn’t ready to write to Bea, though he did read more of her messages. He went to the cafeteria and briefly spoke with Tuska and one of the engineers. He found he was having a hard time communicating with them. He missed the simplicity of Oasan communication, the way that they spoke so directly, and only when necessary. He struggled to make small talk, simply because the words seemed so meaningless to him. He realized that the USIC workers were trying to talk with him because they didn’t want him to go native, like the missing linguist and priest.

Peter retreats back to his room, where he discards his clothing because it feels too uncomfortable to him. On top of that, he throws up the food he ate in the cafeteria and finds himself wishing for some of...