14. Getting Out

Bob escapes from pursuit in the maintenance complex and flees to the town of Forest Hill with Bender's matrix hidden in his backpack. He attempts to find a way to transport the eight-inch cube safely to Garack's Spine by seeking a custom waterproof funerary box, but discovers his stolen access cards no longer work and is forced to abandon his plans when his hotel room is broken into by pursuers.

Bob uses Natasha's stolen access card to board an elevator from the Halep's Ending transit station and travels fifty-six miles vertically through Heaven's River to the Utopia Spoke, recording the spectacular views despite experiencing vertigo. He transfers to the Nirvana Spoke elevator and descends to another maintenance complex, but discovers both Natasha's card and a guard's card are no longer authorized at the train station. Forced to flee on foot, Bob travels to the nearby town of Forest Hill, where he contacts Hugh to discuss his predicament. Hugh suggests Bob find a funerary box to disguise Bender's matrix as a deceased ancestor's remains. Bob locates a funeral home run by Carmine, who refers him to a carpenter named Vinny for a custom box. While considering his options—a new backpack (five irons), a custom box (six irons), and lodging—Bob receives an alert that intruders are attempting to break into his hotel room. He escapes by disguising himself as Natasha, retrieving his backpack from where he hid it in the rafters, and fashioning a clever exit using a garbage can and dumpster. After vaulting over a fence and eluding Quinlan pursuers who are unable to follow him acrobatically, Bob flees into the forest and climbs into a tree for the night. In his VR space, he reflects on his suspicions about the Administrator and Hugh, deciding to withhold confrontation until he has more information. He faces the challenge of traversing seven segments to Garack's Spine—a journey he must make by boat—while keeping Bender hidden.