Five

Tonner Freis is summoned to a meeting where Dafyd Alkhor proposes a major reorganization of human labor in the world-palace, including plans to create artificial children in lamb sacks to ensure population growth for the Carryx. The chapter introduces new leaders—Bastien Korham, Uuya Tomos, and Llian Andermus—who will oversee physical infrastructure, education, and security respectively.

Tonner discovers cloudiness in water samples from three hydroponic tanks and begins investigating when Jellit pulls him away to attend an urgent meeting called by Dafyd Alkhor. In the conference room, Tonner meets three unfamiliar people: Uuya Tomos, a folklorist and social historian; Bastien Korham, a former plant manager for the Gallatian church; and Llian Andermus, former director of operational security for Itzibahn Common. Dafyd explains that the Carryx have finished testing human capabilities and now want humans to translate between trees of life, improve stealth technologies, and become self-sustaining. He announces a major reorganization: Tonner and Jellit will focus on their core projects with increased resources, Korham will manage physical infrastructure and food supply, Andermus will oversee security and conflict resolution, and Tomos will handle education and organization—what Tomos sardonically calls "propaganda." Dafyd reveals the most contentious proposal: creating artificial children in lamb sacks (artificial wombs) using tissue samples the Carryx already possess, reverting them to stem cells, and growing them in incubators. Tomos sharply criticizes this as creating slaves for the Carryx and walks out, but Andermus and Korham accept the plan as necessary for survival. Tonner returns to his lab where Korham's new team has already begun improving operations. A conflict emerges when Ver Cannedan, a former dancer, refuses to wash lab equipment, leading Tonner to suggest Brun summon either Alkhor or Andermus to handle the disruption.