Cinder

A med-droid draws more blood from Cinder and refuses to answer any of her questions, including a response about when she might receive the antidote. Following instructions to detach Cinder from the machines, the med-droid moves her to another room, “Lab room 4D” (92). Her questions continue to go ignored. Once she arrives in the new room, her restraints are removed, but she’s given no antidote.

Cinder reassembles herself, putting on her boots and gloves. She remembers the tools stored in her leg, including a wrench, which, she thinks, may need to serve as a weapon. Waiting for what comes next, she peruses the room, tries to open a locked door, and attempts to deduce why the research team moved her, and released her from her restraints.

Dr. Erland enters; Cinder realizes it’s his voice that was speaking to her earlier. Erland says he is “the leading scientist of the royal letumosis research team” (95). Cinder considers hitting him in the head with the wrench, but feels an abrupt change in both her physical and mental states that cause her to drop the wrench instead: “She did not want to hurt him” (96).

The orange light indicating a lie illuminates in conjunction with Cinder’s change of thought in regards to harming Dr. Erland. This is peculiar to Cinder, but she reasons it is a simple programming reaction to the electrical bolt she received at the time of her capture. Another puzzling thought for Cinder is Erland’s lack of concern about catching the plague from Cinder.

A series of questions from Cinder to Dr. Erland result in her learning that she’s not sick, despite the injection of letumosis: “They had given her the plague, but now she was healed? Without any antidote?” (98). The absence of the lie-indicating orange light means that Dr. Erland speaks the truth. Erland is excited by what this breakthrough could mean for the health of the global population. He shares possible theories that might explain Cinder’s recovery, from genetic immunity to exposure-based immunity. Dr. Erland asks about Cinder’s past, in the hopes of obtaining a clue about how she developed the immunity. Cinder tells Erland about her stepfather’s death from letumosis five years ago, after he adopted Cinder in Europe. Erland’s “hands trembled, as if his clutched fingers alone were keeping him from combusting” (99). Europe is important, but for reasons Erland does not reveal.

Cinder discloses that she has no memory prior to the surgery that altered her from human to cyborg. She reports, based on what others have told her, that she survived a hover accident that killed her parents. Dr. Erland contends that a hover accident would lack the severity to mandate Cinder’s transformation from human to cyborg.

Inquiring if she can now leave, since she’s not contagious, Dr. Erland responds with a statement about her value. Assuring Cinder that she will not receive future injections due to her importance, he recounts the benefits she now offers to others. At this realization, Cinder negotiates her continued involvement in the research program: monetary compensation that is inaccessible to Adri, and any successful antidote going to Peony before anyone else. Knowing the first antidote must go to the emperor, Dr. Erland agrees to Peony as the second recipient of the vaccine. 

Observing his ill and quarantined father, Prince Kai contemplates Luna’s possible declaration of war. His android, Nainsi is currently unable to report important information. Emperor Rikan’s advisor, Konn Torin, joins Prince Kai. Rikan remains in quarantine.

All three know the emperor’s time is limited, and that leadership will soon Prince Kai. The emperor, no longer the father Kai remembers, tells him to “[b]e strong,” and to “[t]rust” (106). Advisor Torin reminds Kai that he will soon be emperor and they must ready themselves for that day.

Kai leaves the visiting room and the conversation with Torin to find Dr. Erland, hoping for new information about the plague. Before he finds the doctor, Kai encounters Sybil Mira, “head thaumaturge to the Lunar Crown” (108), who offers false concern for Emperor Rikan. She also takes the opportunity to address the ongoing conversations about an alliance with Luna, and the previous inability to reach consensus.

Kai and Torin leave Sybil in search of the doctor. They discuss their dislike and distrust of Lunars, as well as a plan to avoid the possible war Luna may inflict upon the Eastern Commonwealth. Kai says, “I have a plan. My plan is to not marry her. Diplomacy be damned. There. End of discussion” (111). Torin’s logical and stoic mind suggests continuing Kai’s father’s path, and encouraging a peace treaty. Kai counters with his own plan that involves a search for the niece Queen Levana supposedly killed, and who is rumored to still be alive: “And who knows? If the rumors are right, and she has been on Earth all this time, maybe she would be different. Maybe she would be sympathetic to us” (114).