Summary

Chapter 11 starts with Tessa echoing some of the questions previously posed by Martin. She asks whether the world they know and their conceptions of self are fundamentally changing and if people will form mobs and riot in the streets. Wondering what will happen next, Tessa points out that people have experienced similar things before as a result of natural disasters. She recites a list of natural disasters and examples of environmental destruction before catching herself getting carried away and apologies for talking too much. She ends her speech by posing philosophical questions about what could be happening and explains that questions like these have been asked before by scientists and philosophers.

When Tessa finishes speaking everyone in the room turns to Martin to hear his response. He talks about satellites that can see every detail of people’s lives and asteroids hurtling toward...