psi-abilities

In this chapter, Joe Schilling contacts attorney Laird Sharp regarding the disappearance of Pete Garden, who has been kidnapped after a police detective was murdered. They investigate Pete's recent visit to the psychiatrist Doctor Philipson, uncovering that Pete was fearful of the Titanian 'vugs' and that Titan society is divided between moderates and a hostile war party. Doctor Philipson reveals a theory that the Titanians are manipulating human fertility to suppress Earth's birth rate, targeting fertile individuals like Pete and the McClains.

In this chapter, members of the Pretty Blue Fox group gather to debate whether to admit two Psi-people into their Game-playing circle, amidst fears that the Psi's involvement could end the Game forever. The group wrestles with the threat posed by the vugs, an alien species implicated in suppressing human birth rates and orchestrating violent acts. Pete Garden, the protagonist, experiences deep uncertainty and isolation, culminating in his confrontation with the charismatic Nats Katz and his temporary withdrawal from the group.

Chuck Rittersdorf, living in a diverse alien-inhabited apartment complex, is visited by Joan Trieste, a Psi with the ability to reverse time in a limited area, who offers empathy and companionship as he struggles with the aftermath of a suicide attempt. Despite CIA efforts to monitor and control him, Chuck asserts his autonomy while grappling with the moral and personal implications of remotely operating a simulacrum for espionage, including dark thoughts about using it against his wife Mary, reflecting his inner turmoil and the blurred lines between agency control and personal vendetta.