Oryx and Crake Summary
Description
Here you will find a Oryx and Crake summary (Margaret Atwood's book).
We begin with a summary of the entire book, and then you can read each individual chapter's summary by visiting the links on the "Chapters" section.
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Last Updated: Monday 1 Jan, 2024
Chapters
Chapters Oryx and Crake Summary Overview
The story unfolds with a man known as Snowman, who appears to be the only surviving human after a mysterious disaster, the cause of which is initially unknown. He exists in a desolate, post-apocalyptic world, accompanied only by a group of genetically unique individuals, known as the "Children of Crake" whom he oversees. Throughout the book, the narrative oscillates between Snowman's current circumstances and his past life when he was called Jimmy. In the past, Jimmy's parents worked for OrganInc Farms, a company that specialized in growing affordable human organs. However, his mother became disillusioned with their work, leading to friction within the family and her eventual disappearance. During this time, Jimmy developed a friendship with a fellow student Crake, who excelled in fields Jimmy struggled with. After graduating, Jimmy pursued a career in advertising while Crake became a bioengineer, leading to a drift in their friendship. Crake developed a pill named BlyssPluss, designed to enhance libido and secretly render people infertile, and initiated a confidential project to create a new human species, the Crakers. In the present, Snowman cares for the Crakers and embarks on a dangerous journey to a former workplace to gather much-needed supplies. The story also reveals that Jimmy's mother was executed, leading him into a deep depression until Crake offered him a job at RejoovenEsense. Here, Jimmy met Oryx, a woman from his past whom Crake had hired to teach the Crakers. Jimmy and Oryx began a secret affair, but a global plague outbreak linked to the BlyssPluss pills interrupts their lives. Crake kills Oryx, and Jimmy responds by killing Crake. Jimmy, now Snowman, guides the Crakers to a new home by the sea. In the end, Snowman discovers other human survivors and contemplates his next move.
chapter 1
Snowman, a man living alone, wakes up at dawn, listening to the crashing waves against the debris-laden beach. He gets down from a tree and strolls towards a hidden stash of food and other essentials. As he prepares to eat his last mango, he recites an untraced quote, which stirs thoughts of European colonialism in his mind. As the day progresses, Snowman watches a group of naked individuals, dubbed as the Children of Crake, frolicking on the beach, gathering washed-up wreckage. Despite their title, the Children of Crake are largely adults. Snowman contemplates the stark differences between them and him, such as their UV resistance while he remains vulnerable to sunlight. He wonders whether he envies or yearns for their lifestyle. Snowman's chosen name, inspired by the “Abominable Snowman,” gives him satisfaction, as it breaks a naming rule set by someone named Crake, which stated, “no name could be chosen for which a physical equivalent . . . could not be demonstrated.” The Children of Crake, intrigued by his beard, approach Snowman, who humorously replies he's growing feathers, unlike them who have no facial hair. Later, while he's on the beach, Snowman mutters to himself: “All, all alone. Alone on a wide, wide sea.” He yearns for another human voice and soon hears a female voice from his past, whose identity he can't quite place. He speculates it could be a prostitute due to her comment on his “nice abs.” Upset by the voice, he cries out to the sea, blaming Crake for the world's downfall: “You did this!” His call goes unanswered. Clearing his face of tears, he admonishes himself, “Get a life.”
chapter 2
The story delves into Snowman’s past, where he was known as Jimmy. His earliest memory at five years old was observing a massive bonfire of animal carcasses. He connects this bonfire to a memory of burning his hair, resulting in a dispute between his parents. Snowman revisits the bonfire memory, feeling guilty as Jimmy for not saving the animals. The circumstances surrounding the bonfire were a mystery to him, although it seems related to a virus outbreak. The day after the fire, Jimmy questioned his parents about why the animals were incinerated. His father clarified it was to halt disease spread, even jokingly suggesting that Jimmy could've caught the disease, which infuriated his mother. The narrative informs us that Jimmy’s father was a “genographer” at OrganInc Farms, mapping genetic material and achieving recognition for developing the “pigoon”, a pig-like creature that could host up to six human kidneys for transplantation without causing harm to the animal. These pigoons were housed securely in special facilities that Jimmy often visited. While in the OrganInc cafeteria one day, Jimmy overheard his father and his co-worker Ramona discussing his mother, Sharon's, depression. Ramona mourned the loss of Sharon's former brilliance. The story reveals that Sharon, a former microbiologist at OrganInc Farms, quit her job to be with Jimmy, but he was sceptical since this coincided with him starting school. Sharon suffered from mood swings and Jimmy wished he could alleviate her distress. The family lived in a housing development called the Modules, part of the larger OrganInc Farms Compound. The Compound, designed to emulate a previously comfortable lifestyle, boasted replica homes, pools, shopping malls, restaurants, and more, providing a safe haven for OrganInc families from the dangerous, lawless cities or “pleeblands.” Jimmy’s father valued the Compound's safety, comparing it to a castle that kept "you and your buddies nice and safe inside, and for keeping everybody else outside." Conversely, Sharon thought the Compound resembled “a theme park,” and argued that no matter the extent of efforts to mimic past living conditions, they "could never bring the old ways back."
chapter 3
In the present narrative, Snowman retires to the forest to escape the midday heat and rests on a makeshift bed in the shade. He thinks back on his initial shelter, a lean-to which did not offer sufficient protection from the harmful UV rays and was invaded by ants, pigoons, and rakunks (a raccoon-skunk hybrid). Snowman is troubled by his fading memory, forgetting words like 'Mesozoic' and other entries from his beloved wordlists. He criticizes himself for his idle thoughts and contemplates ways to better utilize his time, such as carving a chess set or writing a diary, though he dismisses the latter as pointless given there's no one left to read it. Watching a caterpillar descend a thread, he experiences a fleeting moment of "irrational happiness"- a sentiment which he soon suppresses, telling the caterpillar, “We are not here to play, to dream, to drift. . . . We have hard work to do, and loads to lift.” He ponders on this strange outburst, attributing it to his junior high Life Skills teacher. His mind reverts back to the question of how to improve his living conditions. He daydreams of finding a cool cave and recalls a nearby fresh-water stream that forms a pool, but is hesitant to visit fearing the presence of the “Crakers”—the Children of Crake—who may persuade him to swim naked with them. Snowman dozes off and dreams of a woman named Oryx, elegantly dressed and floating in a pool. The dream is ominous and ends with a deafening boom. Awoken by thunder, he seeks shelter and once the rain eases off, he washes and drinks from a collapsed bridge's runoff water. Feeling trapped like a caged animal, Snowman breaks down. He recalls words from “the book in his head” that resemble survival advice: “It is important . . . to ignore minor irritants, to avoid pointless repinings, and to turn one’s mental energies to immediate realities and to the tasks at hand.” He repeats the phrase “pointless repinings” aloud and wonders if anyone can hear him.
chapter 4
Snowman spots a rakunk, a raccoon-skunk hybrid, nearby, sparking memories of a pet rakunk he once had named Killer, given to him by his father on his tenth birthday. His father had been recruited by NooSkins, forcing the family to move to the upscale HelthWyzer Compound. His mother was unhappy and felt trapped. His father achieved a breakthrough in his work, developing a method to grow human skin cells on pigoons. His mother disapproved, viewing it as unethical. Over time, Jimmy grew distant from his parents, finding solace only in the company of Killer. This tranquility was shattered when his mother disappeared, taking Killer with her and leaving behind a destroyed computer. Jimmy was unsure who he missed more, his mother or his pet. After his mother's disappearance, CorpSeCorps agents questioned him repeatedly about her whereabouts. Despite receiving postcards from his mother disguised as "Aunt Monica", Jimmy insisted he knew nothing. His father eventually moved on, starting a relationship with a coworker named Ramona. They coexisted in a state of distance and cold civility. In the current time, Snowman reminds himself, "I am not my childhood," while vowing to hold onto his collection of words. The narrative then travels back a few months prior to his mother's exit, introducing a new character, Crake, whose real name was Glenn. Jimmy was instantly intrigued by Crake's mysterious demeanor and they quickly bonded over after-school games. They enjoyed playing Blood and Roses, a game that balanced human achievements against atrocities, and Extinctathon, a trivia game focused on extinct species. Crake was particularly engrossed in the latter, adopting the game's name as his alias. Their leisure time was also spent exploring disturbing internet content, including live-streamed surgeries, animal cruelty, executions, and illicit sexual activities. During one such session, they encountered a site called HottTotts, where they first saw Oryx. She was featured in a video alongside two other girls licking whipped cream off a man. Jimmy felt a connection with Oryx, as she looked directly into the camera. He printed a screenshot of the moment, which he later showed to Oryx when they were together. Her response was elusive when he asked her about her thoughts in that moment.
chapter 5
Snowman, feeling desolate and famished, sits near a forest at twilight. He gazes at underwater sunlit window panes and neglected rooftop gardens. He spots a large-toothed, partly glowing rabbit, a result of interbreeding between wild and genetically modified "luminous green rabbits." Though he considers hunting the rabbit, he remembers the Crakers' reverence for rabbits as being holy to Oryx. He decides not to kill it, to avoid angering the vegetarian Crakers. This sparks his memory of the invented tale he told the Crakers, emphasizing the need for consistent narratives. As night falls, Snowman starts reciting, “Star light, star bright," but scoffs at the notion of wishing upon a star. The Crakers show up and bombard him with questions. An internal voice advises him to respect their traditions and keep explanations simple. Snowman dismisses this patronizing voice and warns the Crakers their curiosity could lead to their downfall, using the phrase "be toast." He then worries about the ensuing confusion if he tries to clarify this expression. In the growing darkness, Snowman ponders the naming of oil paints, contemplating that words and phrases are both fantasies and proof of human creativity. He recalls Crake's disregard for human creativity. He spots a group of Crakers bringing him a grilled fish. This weekly ritual, based on an Oryx tale he created, is unusual as the Crakers are vegetarians but they tolerate his carnivorous lifestyle. Surrounded by Crakers, Snowman is asked to recount Crake's deeds. He narrates a rehearsed tale of Crake bringing order amidst chaos, saving the world from self-destruction through the Great Rearrangement and creating the Great Emptiness. The Crakers query Crake's birth, to which Snowman replies that Crake descended from the sky. After the Crakers leave, Snowman climbs his tree with Scotch from his stash. He drinks the remaining alcohol, throws the bottle at the gathering wolvogs, and contemplates the nursery rhyme again. Later, he fantasizes about Oryx, which leads to self-gratification.
chapter 6
Snowman is roused in the darkness, the call of an owl stirring remembrances of Oryx. As he contemplates her enigmatic character, he reflects on the challenge he faced in piecing together her history from the scarce details he had. The tale then rewinds to detail Oryx’s past. Originating from an impoverished Asian village that she cannot recall clearly, she was among the many children sold by their families to a city businessman, Uncle En, in a desperate bid for survival. Oryx, her brother, and two more children journey with Uncle En from their rural home to an unfamiliar, hectic city. They are placed in a room with other children, all sharing tales of their lives. Soon, Uncle En instructs Oryx and her peers in peddling flowers to tourists. Oryx, petite and delicate, is likened to an “angelic doll", making her a natural at the job. This physical attribute also attracts sexual predators. After refusing one man's advances, Uncle En tells her to accept the next. She thus becomes part of a scam with Uncle En, leading men on, only for them to be caught by En and blackmailed for money. After Uncle En is mysteriously murdered, Oryx is sold to a pornographer. Oryx shares with Jimmy about men who paid to be filmed with the girls, reinforcing her belief that “everything has a price.” The man behind the camera, Jack, dubbed the studio “Pixieland”. He occasionally provided the girls with banned cigarettes and persuaded Oryx into sexual acts with promises of English classes. When Jimmy hears this, he struggles with Oryx’s acceptance of her past, questioning its impact on her. Oryx, however, encourages him to “think only beautiful things”, dismissing his attempts to delve into her traumatic past.
chapter 7
Snowman, the protagonist, wakes up with a bad hangover and starts his day. He's feeling disoriented and has a lingering sense of unease about his life. He realizes he needs to find food as he's on his last can of faux sausages. He considers going back to a nearby orchard or perhaps stealing bird eggs, but both are no longer viable options. Suddenly, he thinks of the Paradice facility in the RejoovenEsense Compound which might still have supplies. The journey is long and will take two days, but he decides to take the risk. He heads over to the Children of Crake to inform them about his intended journey. When he reaches the Crakers, they are in the middle of their morning ritual where they mark their territory. Snowman is invited to join them and sees that they're nursing a child hurt by a bobkitten. They are purring over him, a sound scientifically programmed into them to aid in healing. They mention they will apologize to Oryx for hurting her 'child', the bobkitten, which makes Snowman wonder whether they are starting to develop religious beliefs. Snowman shares his plans with the Crakers and despite their eagerness to accompany him to meet their creator, Crake, he insists they stay put. He's troubled by their unwavering faith in Crake and heads off on his journey alone. As he travels, he hears the cries of the bobkittens, introduced to control the population of green rabbits, and sounds of a Craker mating ceremony. He recalls a past conversation with Crake about the biological purpose of sexual desire, and the debate about its role in art and culture. Snowman is left feeling extremely low and desolate.
chapter 8
After graduating from HelthWyzer High, Jimmy and Crake are auctioned to universities. Crake is scooped up by Watson-Crick and Jimmy is reluctantly taken by the less distinguished Martha Graham Academy. His father’s response to the news is tepid, but his stepmother Ramona is thrilled, much to Jimmy's annoyance. Crake’s mother dies suddenly from a lethal bioform infection a month before graduation. Surprisingly, Crake recounts the incident with curiosity rather than distress. Following their graduation, a global uproar ensues over a genetically engineered coffee bush by Happicuppa that threatens small farms. Jimmy sees his mother, an activist, on the news protesting against Happicuppa. Crake recognizes her and shares a personal tale about his father’s suspicious death, which he believes may not have been a suicide. But Snowman, present day Jimmy, reproaches himself for not understanding the true meaning of Crake's story. Jimmy starts his education at Martha Graham Academy, a fading institution for arts and humanities. He enrolls in a course called Problematics, hoping it will prepare him for an advertising career. Initially, he shares a dorm with a demanding vegan, Bernice. After complaining, he is relocated and feels less constrained in starting relationships with women. During a holiday, Jimmy visits Crake at Watson-Crick, a campus far superior to Martha Graham. Crake introduces Jimmy to numerous research projects, including one involving lethal creatures called "wolvogs". Jimmy is taken aback by the unnaturalness of these creatures, to which Crake scoffs, dismissing the concept of "Nature" altogether. Crake reveals that HelthWyzer had been spreading new diseases using vitamin pills, a secret his father discovered just before his mysterious death. In their final meeting, Crake shares his accomplishment of becoming a Grandmaster on Extinctathon and reveals MaddAddam, the game monitor, is actually a bioterrorist group. Despite Jimmy's warnings, Crake seems undeterred, expressing mere curiosity.
chapter 9
Snowman treks to the RejoovenEsense Compound, wandering through an overgrown former neighborhood, reflecting on the possibility of other survivors. As vultures circle above, he grows anxious about finding shelter from the approaching midday heat. Reaching the Compound's towering wall, he enters through a defunct gate, observing remnants of a hasty evacuation. Once past the deserted security checkpoint, Snowman navigates towards the houses. In one, he discovers a little bourbon, a man's corpse in the bathroom, and another woman's in the bedroom. Her hairstyle reminds him of Oryx's wig. He notes the absence of a child's body in the kid's room. Searching the kitchen for sustenance, he finds it ransacked, with only stale cereal, a few cashew packets, and a tin of sardines left. He also finds a working flashlight, remnants of candles, and matches, which he collects in a garbage bag. In the home office, he comes across a computer and a stack of reference books. He theorizes the deceased man might have been an advertiser or speechwriter for RejoovenEsense and briefly imagines he's in his childhood home. Exiting to seek more supplies, Snowman encounters a group of pigoons. He freezes until they leave, then contemplates hiding in a checkpoint gatehouse nearby. Threatening clouds imply a looming tornado. As the storm intensifies, Snowman takes refuge in the gatehouse, finding two more bodies in biosuits amid a chaos of papers. The storm terrifies him, causing him to tremble. He fears a potential rat swarm if the gatehouse floods. However, a voice in his mind tells him, “Having to face a crisis causes you to grow as a person.” In the darkness, he strikes a match, snacks on cashews, and sips the remaining bourbon. A woman’s voice, possibly Oryx’s, encourages him, “You’re doing really well.” A gust of wind extinguishes his candle, returning him to darkness.
chapter 10
Post-graduation, Jimmy got a library job at the Academy, digitizing and discarding old books. Unable to dispose of any book, he was soon jobless. He then moved in with his artist girlfriend, Amanda Payne, known for her peculiar four-letter-word vulture sculptures, a concept Jimmy found invigorating. However, he found himself at odds with Amanda's roommates and their pessimistic worldviews. Soon, Jimmy embarked on a new professional journey at AnooYoo, a self-help product company. He excelled in creating fear and desire-driven advertisement campaigns, which led to his promotion. His personal life too was eventful with multiple love affairs, none of which materialized into anything serious. But life at AnooYoo soon became monotonous for Jimmy. Meanwhile, his friend Crake was leading a rewarding career at RejoovenEsense. Crake's uncle Pete's sudden death due to a virus distanced the two friends. Growing discontented with his life, Jimmy's sexual adventures no longer thrilled him, and the grim global news - plagues, natural disasters, human trafficking - left him deeply disturbed. One such news caught his eye about trafficked girls, one of whom resembled a girl from a video he had once seen with Crake. In his fifth year at AnooYoo, CorpSeCorps agents visited Jimmy with a video of his mother's execution. Her last words were a message to him, and a reference to his pet rakunk, Killer. The chilling event drove Jimmy into a state of despair, leading him to isolate himself and find solace in alcohol. His once treasured words seemed to lose meaning.
chapter 11
Snowman dreams of his childhood, awaiting his mother's return. He wakes in a gatehouse, unsure of the elapsed time since he drifted off. He hears a crab rummaging in a corner hole. Exiting the gatehouse, Snowman encounters the pigoons he saw the previous day, just three blocks away. He rushes back, aware the pigoons will invade, and finds a door to a stairwell in another room. He rushes upstairs as the pigoons break in. The staircase prevents them from following him. In one of the gatehouse's two watchtowers, Snowman finds no bodies, leading him to surmise that the guards escaped the outbreak like everyone else. He assumes the men in biosuits below might be the guards. In the watchtower, he discovers some supplies: cigarettes, food, beer, and a windup radio. He explores the AM and FM bands, finding them silent. On the short-wave radio, he hears a voice in Russian. Trying the CB radio, he hears a man faintly asking, "Anyone out there?" Despite some reservations, Snowman strives to respond, excited by the thought of other survivors. Seeing a cut on his foot, he cleans it with outdated antibiotic ointment, then relaxes on a cot. He muses over the cot’s previous occupant—a man oblivious to the impending disaster—and compares him to Jimmy, who had clues but failed to understand them. He wonders if killing Crake earlier could have changed anything. The next day, Snowman eats, packs supplies in a laundry bag, and flees the watchtower via the rampart wall encircling the Compound. He heads towards his next stop, the dome called Paradice. He spots a trail of smoke in the distance, suspecting it might be due to lightning or the Crakers, though he doubts both possibilities. After eating a Joltbar, he presses on.
chapter 12
Snowman ponders his purpose in Crake's plan as he walks along a wall. His thoughts shift to the past when Crake, concerned about Jimmy's depression after his mother's death, took him on a trip to the pleeblands. Crake gave Jimmy a health vaccine and offered him a job at RejoovenEsense, which Jimmy accepted. On his return to AnooYoo, Jimmy found that Crake had informed everyone about his new position and even managed his move to the new Compound. At RejoovenEsense, Jimmy was impressed by its scale. Crake explained that it was funded by human's fear of death and gave him an overview of the research being conducted, focused mainly on a pill called BlyssPluss, that protects against STDs, enhances libido, retains youth, and causes sterilisation, a function they would keep secret. The pill and its implications would be Jimmy's marketing responsibility. Crake also showed Jimmy Paradice, a secure facility staffed by members of the gaming group MaddAddam, whom Crake had recruited for safety. The second major project was revealed here: a group of genetically manipulated humans, the Children of Crake. Crake had programmed them to die at thirty to eliminate fear of death, and planned to offer their special characteristics as enhancements to prospective parents. Jimmy spotted a woman named Oryx in the facility who was responsible for teaching the Children of Crake and distributing BlyssPluss samples globally. Jimmy realised that Crake was in love with her, and despite his own feelings, refrained from pursuing her until she initiated a relationship with him. Oryx's past as a prostitute and her relationship with Crake fuelled Jimmy's insecurities. He often questioned her about it, but his suspicions largely remained unanswered. In retrospect, Snowman mourns his missed opportunities and recalls Oryx's departure for pizza, a night filled with foreboding conversation about love, death, and responsibility. Despite his concern, Oryx assured him that Crake was not envious of their relationship and asked Jimmy to ensure the safety of the Crakers. As he waited for Oryx to return, reports of global bioterrorism started coming in. Oryx called Jimmy, confessing that the BlyssPluss pills were the source of a pandemic, before the connection was lost. Later, Crake called Jimmy reassuring him that everything was under control and he would be at Paradice soon. Jimmy changed the security code and armed himself. When Crake finally arrived, he was initially denied entry by Jimmy, but he convinced him to let him in by claiming they were immune to the plague due to a vaccine they'd taken. Crake held Oryx hostage and killed her, prompting Jimmy to shoot Crake.
chapter 13
Snowman, nursing an aching foot following a storm, moves along the wall to Paradice. He uses a sheet to descend the watchtower and arrives at the facility. Inside, he finds Oryx and Crake's remains, and administers antibiotic for his foot using the medical supplies. His mind travels back to the time when he had isolated Oryx and Crake after shooting the latter. He'd spent the night drinking Scotch and ignoring the Paradice staff banging on the door. A CorpSeCorps agent from RejoovenEsense had called, but Jimmy convinced him not to raid Paradice, making up a story about Crake selling his research and escaping to Bermuda. During the pandemic's onset, Jimmy kept an eye on the Crakers and spent his time eating, sleeping, and watching news about the outbreak. He tried understanding Crake's actions, including his possible suicide, but couldn't reach a conclusion. Realizing he couldn't stay in Paradice indefinitely, and with the Crakers' food supply dwindling, he knew he needed to find them a safe haven. In the present, Snowman comes across a letter he'd written, blaming Crake for the disaster. The letter, however, lacked a conclusion about Crake's motives. Introducing himself as "Snowman", Jimmy approached the Crakers, informing them of Oryx's departure and his role as her substitute. He promised a better place with more food. He created tales about his clothes and facial hair, delighting in his ability to evade the truth. He charted a path out of Paradice, through the Compound, to the sea, shooting infected individuals encountered along the way. He told the Crakers these were elements of "a bad dream that Crake is dreaming." As night fell, they reached the ocean, their new home.
chapter 14
Currently, Snowman is hastily gathering as many provisions as his capacity allows before departing from Paradice. He exits the Compound and begins his journey across No Man's Land, heading towards the Crakers. As the day heats up, he seeks refuge in a tree's shade. His aching foot makes him ponder his potential death in the tree. After a short rest, he descends and carries on. Upon reaching the vicinity of the Crakers' settlement, an unfamiliar sound of a chant, resembling the word "Amen", reaches Snowman's ears. Getting closer, he spots a statue constructed from ragged cloth. The Crakers spot Snowman, happily greeting him and informing him that they've been calling out his name, not chanting "Amen". He then realizes the statue was an idol constructed in his image, intended to help his people communicate with him. He recalls Crake's cautionary words, "As soon as they start doing art, we're in trouble." The Crakers query about the difficulty of Snowman's celestial journey. They envision Crake residing in the sky and believe that the tornado carried Snowman there. He explains that the storm brought Crake back to earth and recounts their visit to Paradice, their birthplace. The Crakers express their wish to visit Crake, but Snowman refutes their hopes, informing them that Crake had transformed into a plant. When a woman notices Snowman's inflamed foot, a crowd gathers around him, purring over the wound. Although the pain alleviates, the swelling doesn't completely subside. The Crakers provide him with fish, and he observes the children tearing down the idol, visualizing his own body being ripped apart. Abraham Lincoln alerts Snowman about the presence of three individuals like him, composed of one female and two males. Others report that the men seemed hostile, and one was armed with a "noisy stick"—a firearm. When the Crakers attempted to get closer, the group retreated further down the beach. This news sends Snowman into a flurry of thoughts, contemplating the presence of other survivors and preparing for the worst.
chapter 15
Snowman rouses himself at dawn, scales down his tree, limps to the ocean, and cleans his deteriorating foot wound in the water. His infection is worsening, indicating that the antibiotics from Paradice are no longer working. Stripping down to just his baseball cap, he then follows a path marked by human footprints towards smoke rising afar. Peering through the foliage, he observes a trio of gaunt, rugged individuals huddled around a fire and cooking an animal. One man is armed with a spraygun. Snowman debates whether to approach them peacefully or aggressively. In a soft mutter, he questions, "What do you want me to do?" Oryx's voice echoes in his mind, "Oh, Jimmy, you were so funny.” This is followed by Crake's voice: “Don’t let me down.” Resolving, Snowman thinks, “Time to go.”
