Further underground, Ella and Richie climb through a series of prairie dog tunnels, in a tumble of dogs. Eventually, they crawl through a curtain into an enormous tunnel that leads outside the system. They leave the tunnels behind and begin exploring the new space, which they suspect is the “Inside” Tank referred to.

Podgy dives out of the water onto an ice flow in the Arctic Town on the Inside. Noah and Podgy meet up with Blizzard, the Polar Bear, and he sees Blizzard’s replacement going to the zoo—Megan saw three polar bears because the two Blizzards did not switch fast enough. Blizzard puts Noah on his back and carries him to an igloo where Tank left a note and a change of spare clothes. Noah takes off his wet clothes and crawls into the fur blankets; Blizzard and Podgy lie close to him to keep him warm, and he falls asleep.

Ella and Richie are in a desert with the prairie dogs excitedly jumping around them. Richie puts on his light-up sneakers, which causes them to gather around him while they walk through the desert known as Sector 62. On the opposite side of Sector 62, they find a curtain like the one in the Chamber of Lights.