Summary

As chapter 3 begins, Dex tries to make sense of Mosscap, the robot that appeared at the end of chapter 2. Mosscap tells them that Dex is the first human he’s “ever met” (51). In shock, Dex burns their dinner, but Mosscap is excited to see cooking happening. Dex explains to Mosscap that the appearance of a robot alone is shocking to them, as they seem to exist more as legends than common occurrences these days. It explains to them that they are the first human and robot to meet since “the Parting Promise,” which Dex describes as “since everything” (55). They get dressed and try to figure out what common ground they have with the robot, and then they start eating their burnt dinner. Mosscap explains it runs on solar power rather than oil, which is what Dex remembers from school about robots. Apparently, the...