Control reads over a transcript from the latest conversation with Ghost Bird. She is still terse with him, but friendlier, more open. She is quippy, stubborn, and defiant, but she also calls him by his first name John. Control asks if Ghost Bird wants to hear about his dreams, and she is interested. Control tells her his recurring dream (which opened the novel) about the abyss. Afterward, she admits she thought she was in purgatory when she woke up at the abandoned lot after coming out of Area X. She gives more details about how she felt then and how the Southern Reach staff grabbed her.

After the border tour, Cheney feels more comfortable with Control since they have a shared experience. He tells Control about a rumor: People think the prior director went into Area X alone between the 11th expedition and the 12th. Whitby seems uncomfortable with the conversation, but Control wonders if it is true.

During his report to The Voice, Control tells him about the dead mouse and plant from Area X he found in the past director’s office. The Voice seems frustrated again, while Control loses his train of thought.