alien-indifference

In this chapter, Paul Hagbolt endures physical discomfort and psychological humiliation under the control of the alien Tigerishka aboard a saucer observing the burning and chaos in Los Angeles below. Tigerishka displays contempt for humans, controlling Paul and caring for her cat Miaow, while Paul struggles with feelings of helplessness and rage. Meanwhile, Don Merriam is held captive in a sterile, controlled environment where he experiences a drug-like mental sedation, reflecting the aliens' invasive manipulation of human minds.

This chapter, titled 'Full Text,' is primarily composed of front matter and introductory material for Peter Watts's novel 'Blindsight.' It includes copyright information, a dedication, epigraphs, a detailed introduction by Elizabeth Bear that outlines the novel's premise and thematic concerns—such as consciousness, alien indifference, and the nature of humanity—and the beginning of the prologue, which introduces the narrator Siri Keeton's childhood experience with his friend Robert Paglino, highlighting themes of empathy, social alienation, and the impact of genetic engineering.