The chapter opens with a discussion of the powers of incarnates. It's clear that the corps has no one with those powers, and it's also clear that they don't have the ability to do so. This is the first time we've heard about the ability of humans to transform into other beings. The chapter ends with a description of the stabilization tanks in the back of the building, where the incarnate research was conducted. The narrator notes that the building is connected to the mining tunnels, and he wonders why they're closing it down. He wonders if there's a better way to keep secrets. He also wonders if elaine was the one who figured out the secret of the core of an incarnate creation. She was the only one who understood the secret, and the army gave her permission to do whatever she wanted with the core. She's the only person in the army who understands the secret. The army agreed that no one could be incarnated, and that's why the north wanted to destroy the entire system. They didn't know how to react to the idea that they'd have to destroy their own bodies in order to be able to do this. They were all in the dark, trying to figure out how they could change things. The trans-formations were painful, but they were also supposed to select those who could do it. They weren't supposed to