Thirty-Three

Jessyn returns to the world-palace after her field assignment, finding the human moiety has developed significantly into a thriving community. She reunites with Dafyd and learns of changes and losses during her absence, then reveals crucial intelligence about the deathless enemy and her actions during the mission.

Jessyn's return journey through asymmetric space is her most relaxed transit yet, as the Carryx leave the humans largely undisturbed during travel. She bonds with fellow humans in the quarters, tends to her glass farm of microorganisms, and contemplates her complicated feelings about Garral and other relationships. Upon arrival at the world-palace, she's greeted by Bastien Korham and Llian Andermus, who show her the dramatically improved human quarters—now a self-contained village with hydroponic farms, a common room, school construction, nursery, and cultural spaces including murals and art studios. Korham mentions her brother Jellit is on assignment with someone called "Lord Alkhor" and reveals that Tonner Freis died when he lost his temper with Alkhor, whose guard overreacted. Jessyn finds Dafyd in the garden, looking worn and weary. He's with Clae, a woman who worked with someone named Else and is joining the protein reconciliation team. Clae leaves awkwardly after Jessyn arrives. Dafyd confirms he's pursuing a revenge plot and trusts Clae with that secret. Jessyn then reveals her critical intelligence: she encountered the deathless enemy during her assignment, sabotaged Carryx ships and killed a Sinen overseer to help them escape, and sent the archaeologist Garral Pär with them as a cultural liaison. Most importantly, she discovered that the deathless enemy is actually human in origin—humans did not originate on Anjiin.