In this chapter, the narrator tells us that he has a younger brother, who is quiet and doesn't talk to anyone. He's also known more about the space program than his older brother. When he was in high school, he stopped attending school for six months, and then he went to college for a while, but then he dropped out and didn't do anything for two years. The narrator says that he's jealous that his younger brother has a brother like that. He also says that the Japanese astronaut staying in Russia to prepare for a launch is supposed to call on his brother, but he won't be able to make the call because the cell phone signal is too weak.