Nyxia

Kaya, a Japanese teenager, is Emmett’s fellow competitor and roommate aboard Genesis 11. Kaya is “strategic, a strong problem solver” (51). She proposes an alliance with Emmett, and their friendship becomes a source of comfort that also gives them a leg up in the competition as they discover the benefits of cooperating on tasks. When Emmett returns to the competition after his injury, Kaya reaffirms their friendship despite Emmett’s fear of making friends in the competition. She tells him, “We’re not just roommates anymore, Emmett; we’re family. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere” (165). Kaya’s consistency and compassion break through Emmett’s emotional barrier, and he ends up trusting Kaya and respecting her viewpoints. 

Kaya’s Rabbit Room strategies are effective, and she performs well in nyxia manipulation and other education tasks. Kaya’s insight and curiosity lead her to distrust Babel and its motivations—she’s “convinced Babel has something hidden” (190)—and she and Emmett often explore off-limits areas of the ship. Over time, Kaya begins to push back against Babel by refusing to participate in certain tasks that seem dangerous or unethical. Ultimately, she is killed by an Adamite whom she and Emmett find aboard Genesis 11, and Babel chooses to call her death an accident. Kaya’s strength in the face of Babel’s violence regularly inspires Emmett throughout the rest of the novel.

Bilal is a Palestinian teenager and a competitor aboard Genesis 11. He is kind-hearted and hospitable, and on Sabbaths, his room becomes a gathering place for all the competitors. He offers Emmett support when Emmett is beaten by a competitor or seems homesick, and the two become close friends. When Longwei breaks Bilal’s leg in a fight, Emmett retaliates and knocks Longwei unconscious. Bilal’s injury ensures that he won’t be able to earn enough points to make it to Eden. At the end of the novel, he is given one final chance to go to Eden by killing one of the other competitors, but since he is portrayed as a compassionate person through the novel, it seems unlikely that he will succeed at this task.

Emmett’s family lives in Detroit. As working-class descendants of a woman who escaped from enslavement in the American South, they embody the intergenerational effects of the imperialist and capitalist exploitation Babel practices. Emmett’s father is a factory worker, and his mother is battling cancer. Emmett’s father regularly encourages him on the calls throughout the novel, telling him to remember his identity and maintain his humanity in the face of the competition. Emmett’s family motivates him to continue to fight for a spot on the mission to Eden, despite the obstacles. As Emmett makes his final call home, his parents tell him, “Never forget where you came from […] or how much we love you” (327).

Vandemeer is Emmett and Kaya’s medical attendant aboard Genesis 11. Vandemeer and the other medical attendants are in a competition alongside the contestants: The attendants choose two competitors to work with, and if those competitors perform well, then the attendants earn a higher salary. Emmett suspects that Vandemeer cares for him and Kaya beyond just the competition, and this is confirmed when Vandemeer reveals that he almost quit after Kaya’s death but chose to stay to help Emmett win. After Kaya’s death, Vandemeer becomes Emmett’s partner, supporting his recovery, strategy, and competitive edge.

In the final moments of the book, Vandemeer likely knows that Roathy is waiting in the pod to kill Emmett and take his spot: “‘Be careful,’ Vandemeer whispers. ‘I won. I get to go to Eden.’ […] [says Emmett.] Vandemeer’s face is veiled. ‘Just be careful’” (363-64). Vandemeer probably knows about the final threat and chooses not to tell Emmett. It is unclear at the end of the novel where Vandemeer’s loyalties lie.

Roathy is a boy from China, and Isadora is a girl from Brazil; both are competitors and roommates aboard Genesis 11. On the first of the fighting competitions, Emmett accidentally injures Roathy and immediately makes an enemy of him. Roathy and Isadora become a couple, and they are committed to going to Eden together. Their medical attendant, Dr. Karpinski, sabotages a knife to help them attack Emmett, which leads to Emmett’s life-threatening injury. After Kaya’s death, Isadora’s spot to Eden is secured, so she often sabotages Emmett to ensure that Roathy scores higher in the rankings. On the Tower Space Station, the two of them make another attempt on Emmett’s life, and Isadora explains, “You were in our way. That’s really what it comes down to now. We can’t risk you taking Roathy’s spot. Not when we’re so close” (329). At the end of the novel, Roathy and Emmett have their final confrontation for a spot to Eden; instead of killing Roathy, Emmett spares his life and shuts him in the airlock. When Roathy vows revenge, Emmett tells him to remember that their real enemy is Babel. Roathy and Isadora’s relationship contrasts with Emmett’s relationships with his roommate, Kaya, and his girlfriend, Morning. Through these relationships, Emmett is inspired to cooperate and connect with people, while Roathy and Isadora goad each other on to commit more acts of selfishness and destruction.

Morning is the leader of the group of competitors on Genesis 12, and she becomes Emmett’s love interest in the second half of the novel. She has dark hair that she keeps in a single braid and “deeply tan skin” (257). Morning is a strategist and is almost 400,000 points in the lead by the time both groups arrive at the Tower Space Station. She is invincible on the Waterway and in the fighting ring. Though she and Emmett have romantic feelings for one another, she makes it clear that her loyalty lies with her team on Genesis 12. Morning reveals that she and the others on Genesis 12 have been investigating Babel on their own. In this way, she acts as a foil to Emmett, who also suspects Babel of wrongdoing but has chosen to work independently to focus on winning their game.

Marcus Defoe is a Babel Communications executive and the person in charge of Genesis 11. Defoe is Black, but Emmett does not feel any kinship with him on account of Defoe’s obvious power: “He’s black, but not like me […] everything about him whispers king” (1). Defoe is bald with blue eyes, and he has a withered hand that seems to have been caused by an injury. As Defoe introduces each of the tasks aboard Genesis 11, he shows his power, experience, and belief in Babel’s mission. Defoe is merciless, pushing Emmett to kill Dr. Karpinski, Roathy, and Isadora in retaliation for their attempts on Emmett’s life. Defoe has an Adamite in custody whom he is actively torturing. This Adamite eventually kills Kaya, and Defoe rules her death an accident. Despite Emmett’s animosity toward Babel and Defoe, Defoe wants Emmett to succeed because Emmett reminds him of himself. Defoe believes Emmett can be a loyal Babel operative on Eden.