gestalt-society

In this chapter, Hackworth is updated by Colonel Napier about the ten years he unknowingly spent among the Drummers, a group whose brains are interconnected by nanosites that form a collective network influencing their behavior. Napier explains the nature of these nanosites, their method of transmission, and the ethical complications arising from their spread, including Hackworth's unintended sexual promiscuity and divorce. The chapter also touches on the mysterious figure called the Alchemist and the ongoing investigation into the Drummers' society and technology.