unchanging

In this chapter, Salley explores a future prehistoric landscape along the Aegean River during the Telezoic era, discovering a small piece of human artifact embedded in ancient metamorphic rock, symbolizing humanity's distant past. She reflects on the ghost lineage concept as she observes resurrected extinct mammals curated by the Unchanging, while navigating complex interpersonal dynamics with Jimmy and Griffin. The chapter also delves into Salley's internal fantasies and emotional conflicts, highlighting her struggles with love, identity, and connection in a radically transformed world.

In this chapter, Molly Gerhard and Dr. Salley explore Terminal City, a mysterious structure from the Telezoic era, inhabited by the enigmatic Unchanging beings. Salley reveals her theory about the Unchanging's nature and purpose, culminating in her unauthorized use of a time funnel to leave, which leaves Molly and Griffin uncertain and concerned. The chapter blends elements of paleontology, time travel, and the exploration of alien-like post-human entities within a richly detailed speculative setting.