mortality-and-finality

The chapter centers on Maya's reflections following the death of Spencer Jackson, a deeply private and complex member of the First Hundred who lived a double life as a spy. The funeral brings together many old friends, highlighting the inevitable passage of time and the dwindling number of the original colonists. Maya grapples with themes of loss, memory, and the relentless progression of time, while also engaging with contemporary political developments and her renewed professional focus on hydrology in the Hellas Basin.