Rebel
Chapter 37: os Angeles: Eden 5
by Lu, MarieThe chapter “Los Angeles: Eden 5” follows the tense encounter between Pressa, the narrator, and Dominic Hann, a ruthless leader in Ross City. Inside his office, Pressa administers a medicinal concoction to Hann, who watches her with suspicion while his armed guards stand ready outside. The narrator observes Pressa’s calm demeanor as she explains the treatment, aware that any misstep could lead to violence. Hann probes Pressa about her family’s history in the Undercity, testing her loyalty, but allows her to proceed, hinting at his desperate hope for a cure.
Hann reveals his plan to hijack the city’s Leveling system, aiming to centralize control under his authority. The narrator feigns shock at the technical complexity, urging Hann to let them inspect the system immediately. Hann, however, remains distrustful and asserts his dominance by abruptly grabbing Pressa’s wrist, a silent threat underscoring his lethal reputation. Pressa drinks from the same concoction to prove its safety, though the narrator worries about unintended effects. Hann, momentarily appeased, agrees to show them the system that night but demands results by morning.
After leaving Hann’s office, Pressa and the narrator retreat to a guarded room where she takes an antidote, revealing she had anticipated Hann’s demand. The narrator admires her foresight and composure, though her mention of her late father’s apothecary hints at unresolved grief. They strategize to exploit Hann’s expected illness, buying time to sabotage his plans. A fleeting moment of intimacy arises when Pressa nearly kisses the narrator, but she quickly deflects with a lighthearted memory of their past.
The chapter culminates in a mix of tension and cautious optimism. Pressa’s resourcefulness and the narrator’s technical skills position them to outmaneuver Hann, but the stakes remain perilously high. Their shared history and unspoken feelings add emotional depth to their mission, underscoring the personal risks they face. The narrative balances urgency with quiet camaraderie, leaving the reader anticipating their next move in this high-stakes confrontation.
FAQs
1. How does the setting of Ross City’s biodome contribute to the atmosphere of the chapter?
Answer:
The biodome setting creates a tense, isolated atmosphere that mirrors the characters’ precarious situation. The text describes how night is only discernible by the blackened skylights, emphasizing the artificial nature of their environment. The roaring wind outside serves as a constant reminder of the harsh, untamed world beyond the dome’s control. This juxtaposition of controlled interior versus wild exterior parallels Hann’s dual nature—his calculated leadership versus his violent tendencies—and heightens the sense of entrapment Pressa and the narrator feel under his watch.2. Analyze the significance of Pressa drinking the serum alongside Hann. What does this reveal about both characters?
Answer:
Pressa’s decision to drink the serum demonstrates her strategic thinking and willingness to take risks to maintain their cover. By consuming the concoction herself, she proves its apparent safety to Hann, showcasing her ability to think several steps ahead. This moment also reveals Hann’s paranoia and power dynamics—he won’t consume anything his subordinates won’t. The scene highlights their contrasting approaches: Pressa’s quiet competence versus Hann’s brute force tactics. Her preparation with an antidote further emphasizes her resourcefulness born from Undercity survival instincts.3. What does Hann’s demand for a Leveling system hack reveal about his ambitions and the society of Ross City?
Answer:
Hann’s request to control the Leveling system exposes his desire for absolute authoritarian rule. By redirecting all legal/illegal designations through himself, he seeks to institutionalize his power beyond mere physical force. This reflects Ross City’s technological dependence—social order is maintained through systems rather than shared values. The narrator’s internal reaction (“a chill courses through my veins”) underscores how this hack would fundamentally corrupt their society’s structure, turning a presumably objective system into a personal dictatorship tool. It suggests Leveling was originally meant to be impartial, now vulnerable to manipulation.4. How does the chapter portray the psychological tension between vulnerability and threat in power dynamics?
Answer:
The chapter masterfully oscillates between Hann’s vulnerable appearance (“weary against a chair”) and sudden threats (“whips a hand out at Pressa”). This duality keeps both characters and readers unsettled, illustrating how power in Ross City operates—moments of apparent weakness can instantly revert to violence. The narrator notes how easy it is to forget Hann’s killer reputation, highlighting how tyrants often blend approachability with brutality to maintain control. Pressa’s calm demeanor despite this tension reveals her hardened resilience, forming a fascinating contrast with Hann’s unpredictable volatility.5. Evaluate the significance of the flashback to the drone race in the chapter’s closing scene. What narrative purpose does it serve?
Answer:
The drone race memory serves multiple purposes: it provides character development by showing how far the narrator has come since their timid beginnings, reinforces their bond with Pressa through shared history, and offers momentary relief from the present danger. The almost-kiss moment and subsequent deflection into nostalgia reveal unspoken romantic tension while demonstrating how characters use memories as emotional anchors in high-stakes situations. This interlude makes their current predicament more poignant by contrasting youthful innocence with their life-or-death mission against Hann.
Quotes
1. “The only way I can tell that night has fallen is by the blackness of the skylights in the building. Outside, beyond Ross City’s biodome, the open tundra must look like nothing more than a pitch-dark sea.”
This opening line establishes the eerie, isolated atmosphere of Ross City under the biodome, contrasting the artificial safety inside with the untamed wilderness beyond. It sets the tone for the high-stakes encounter that follows.
2. “Hann tilts his chin at me. ‘You’ll be in charge of installing a hack on the system that redirects all Leveling to be under my control.’”
This pivotal moment reveals Hann’s true authoritarian ambitions—to seize complete control over Ross City’s social credit system. The quote captures the core conflict of the chapter and the dystopian threat Hann represents.
3. “It’s easy to forget that Hann is known for being a cold-blooded killer. The sudden flip between this and his vulnerable, exhausted self leaves me reeling.”
This observation highlights Hann’s dangerous duality—his ability to shift between calculated violence and apparent vulnerability. The quote underscores the psychological tension of negotiating with such an unpredictable antagonist.
4. “‘Of course,’ she replies. ‘You always have an antidote for every concoction you make. We feed our customers this stuff.’”
Pressa’s pragmatic response reveals both her apothecary expertise and the tragic reality that she still speaks as if her deceased father’s shop operates. The quote showcases her resourcefulness while hinting at her unprocessed grief.
5. “If we can survive the night, we just might make it out of here. But if things go wrong, I may just have overreached for the last time.”
This closing thought crystallizes the chapter’s tension—the razor-thin margin between success and catastrophic failure. It leaves readers with a sense of impending danger while foreshadowing the high-stakes action to come.