political-intrigue-and-sabotage

In this chapter, John gathers the aging original colonists to discuss ongoing sabotage and assassination attempts linked to factions among the new generation, particularly those grown via ectogenesis by Hiroko. He reveals that the saboteurs bear symbolic stone crowns and operate mainly in the chaotic terrain of Mars, implicating Hiroko's 'children' unknowingly working with a mysterious figure called the coyote. The group confronts external political pressures from Earth-based transnationals, agreeing to unite politically to protect their interests and investigate the internal threats.