In this chapter, we're introduced to a new character, Michael. He's the leader of the first human colony outside of Earth, and he's determined to keep the rest of the crew in the dark about what they're up to. He wants them to keep quiet about the fact that they have weapons, but he also wants to make sure they don't get them. He tells them that he'll get a gun from one of the other colonies, and that they'll have to keep it hidden from him. He also tells them they've got to give him more time, because another colony is coming to destroy them, and they need more time to figure out a way to survive. He says that he doesn't want to kill himself, because that's not an ethical option. But he also says that if he kills himself, it's because he'd rather die than live in a place where he can't do anything about it. He adds that the cube isn't just a gift, but a gift that will last forever. The other colonies will teach them how to survive, so they won't need to kill themselves. They'll be able to survive because they know how to do it. Michael tells us that the distance between earth and the center of the galaxy is about 26,000 years, and the distance to a black hole is about 1.9 billion years. It's worth it, he says, to get lost in the galaxy for a while, because it'll give you a better idea of how far you've come. He compares living on earth to traveling to South Africa, and says that it seems like a crazy idea, but it will work out. He points out that if a ship could travel at 1g per second, it would be possible to travel all the way around the galaxy in one lifetime, although it would take billions of years to accomplish this feat. The theme of this chapter is about family, and how conflicts are carried into a new environment, despite the intent of a fresh start. The biggest conflict, he tells us, will be the new environment with all the new things that humans have never encountered before.