Translation State

Dlar notes that Qven has killed and eaten a lot of other Translator juveniles; if Reet and Qven join human society, they could harm humans. Seimet backs Dlar up by suggesting that Reet has been associating with Hikipi extremists; this is why she has brought Mr. Nadkal and his associate on board. Mr. Nadkal insists that Reet is a Schan and that the Presger are a hoax. Everyone gets increasingly angry, especially after Seimet says that she does not care about the conflict between the Hikipi and the Phen at all. Other members move to ban Mr. Nadkal and Ideni Ismor from the Treaty Administration Facility.

An alert comes through: The Hikipi militants have a ship nearby that is threatening to fire on the facility. Ideni Ismor runs across the room and stabs Translator Dlar in the neck while shouting, “Death to the Phen oppressors!” (289).

The physical space that the committee is in undergoes a bizarre change. Gravity disappears. The lights go out, and when they switch back on, the committee room has shrunk as though it has been cut into pieces. Qven, Reet, Enae, and Reet’s parents remain, but everyone else has disappeared. The Geck mech suit is stuck in a wall and is twitching horribly. Qven can feel other doors in the room, but they are invisible doors that only Presger Translators can use. Enae finds emergency supply kits that will provide them with enough air to survive for a few days, though there is still air in the room. Everyone realizes that Dlar did something to the physical space when they were attacked, but it somehow went wrong. Against Reet’s parents’ wishes, Reet and Qven decide to open one of the invisible doors and see if they can find help.

Enae and Reet’s parents struggle with their fears after Qven and Reet leave. Echemin is especially pessimistic. Both Echemin and Istver hope that Reet will be able to live a full and happy life, whatever happens. Enae wishes sie had such a supportive family. Sie worries that sie has even managed to ruin hir friendship with Caphing; they have sent no messages back and forth recently. To avoid getting lost in fear and despair, Enae floats over to the Geck mech to see if it is still able to communicate.

As Reet and Qven explore the corridor beyond the door, Reet notices that they seem to be going in circles, as they keep passing the same scuff mark in the floor. He goes back one loop and sees Qven, who insists that the two of them are not in the same place even if they appear to be. Reet doubles back, goes around the loop, and comes to Qven again. Now, Qven believes they occupy the same part of the corridor. Reet is still confused, but the two continue to explore. Reet goes back to where they started to make sure he can still hear his parents and Enae through the hidden door. When he confirms that he can, he returns to Qven. Qven is upset and says that e can feel doors somewhere, but cannot tell where they are. E believes that Translator Dlar created the confusing corridor space when they were attacked. It is not a loop, but rather a spiral: Each loop looks the same, but it is actually different. Qven despairs, but Reet comforts em, and they work together to find the other doors. After six passes through the corridor loop, Qven detects a door. E opens it and finds Sphene and Batonen in another part of the committee room. Batonen is fully comfortable in microgravity; her long limbs make it easy for her to move around.

Qven tells Sphene that Agagag’s mech suit is stuck in the wall. Sphene, who has been receiving a confused signal from the mech, urges Qven and Reet to continue going around the corridor looking for more doors to open; behind one, they might find help. Before they leave, Sphene asks to talk to Reet privately.

When Reet and Qven continue their search, Qven panics. Reet calms em down and tells em about Sphene’s suggestion: that they match with mech suits. Qven does not know how to feel about this idea. They continue around the spiral until Qven feels another door. E opens it, and they find Ambassador Seimet with Ideni Ismor. Ideni is unconscious and bleeding profusely; her arm was caught in the wall and severed. Seimet has slowed the bleeding but can do little else. She tells Qven and Reet to continue going around the spiral until they find a way out, but she is not optimistic that they will find anything.

Enae examines the mech suit. It starts to whisper, asking if anyone is injured, but its words are garbled. One of Dlar’s bodies is outside the spiral hallway with Qven’s Teacher and Agagag, who communicates with Enae through the mech. They urge Enae to find Dlar’s other body; without it, Dlar cannot restore the committee room. Dlar does not believe that Qven opened an invisible door and left with Reet to find help, as only adult Translators should be able to open doors. Dlar asks Enae to find Qven.

As Enae explores, sie is similarly baffled by the loop/spiral nature of the corridor. Eventually, sie comes across Sphene and Batonen and explains the situation. Batonen goes to find Reet and Qven, as she can move faster. Sphene and Enae find one end of the spiral corridor, which ends in a wall with Dlar’s other body seemingly stuck to it. Sphene realizes that they are looking down into a portion of the committee room; there is gravity there, and Dlar’s body is lying on the floor. Sphene tries to warn Enae about the gravity, but they both get too close and fall.

Reet and Qven meet Batonen, who tells them to head back to the room with the mech suit. Reet suggests that they split up; he wants to find the end of the corridor. Qven seems offended at this suggestion but agrees. Reet continues forward while Qven and Batonen head back.

Reet reflects that Qven will probably be happy to match with a mech instead of him, especially after Tzam’s attack. He wants to match with Qven, but would hate to match with someone unwilling. He realizes that he yearns for Qven and does not want to match with anyone but em; he wants em to understand him completely. Eventually, Reet finds the end of the corridor, but he cannot get close to it; he is repelled by gravity. While he contemplates this, blood begins to seep through the wall. It floats in droplets toward him. Reet suspects that one of Translator Dlar’s bodies is on the other side of that wall. He rushes to find Qven.

Qven speaks to Dlar through the mech; Dlar confirms that without Dlar’s other body, the room cannot be restored. To find the body, Qven needs to “examine the pathways from the inside” (339) which will require em to become an Adult. Dlar suggests matching with the mech; doing so will allow Dlar to guide Qven to their body. Qven argues that the mech is too badly damaged. Qven wants to know if e and Reet can be considered human if e agrees to match with the mech. Dlar admonishes em for using “a time like this to pursue your own individual interests, when so much else is at risk” (341). Qven talks to Batonen and Reet’s parents about what to do. Batonen says that sometimes, sacrificing oneself is the wrong thing to do. Qven desperately wants to talk to Reet, but he is not here.