Augie’s contact with Sully is brief, but they provide one another with basic information about themselves and their situations. Augie finds himself longing to tell her about life on the lake and in the Arctic, as well as to ask her about life on the Aether, but they are cut off shortly after contact.

Augie is surprised when Iris exhibits no interest in hearing the new voice or learning about the outside world, but he nevertheless returns to the hut to wait for Sully’s voice. However, the next voice he hears is Harper’s, and they discuss the state of Earth. Neither can provide the other with answers about what happened.

In Augie’s next contact with Sully, she asks him to tell her about the land, longing to hear about something on Earth. Just before they disconnect, she tells him of the Aether’s plans to dock with the International Space Station, even if it is unmanned.

Augie falls ill after this conversation, becoming as feverish as he was at the observatory. Whenever he wakes, he sees Iris caring for him, but he thinks that she looks at times like Jean and at times like his mother. She comes back into the tent during one of his waking moments, and he falls back asleep.