Short Fiction · Chapter
XIII explained
Cooper and Hudson discuss the absence of Wes, who left five years ago to repair a time unit.
What happens
Cooper and Hudson discuss the absence of Wes, who left five years ago to repair a time unit. Cooper remains hopeful that Wes will return, while Hudson expresses doubt. Their conversation reveals the tension between hope and despair as they wait in isolation.
Themes in this chapter
Survival and Resilience
Cooper and Hudson endure years of waiting, guarding their accumulated wealth, and maintaining hope against uncertainty.
Loneliness and Isolation
The two men are isolated with only each other and a saber-tooth cat for company, waiting for Wes's return.
The Pursuit of Dreams
Wes's quest to fix the time unit represents a desperate pursuit of hope and a dream of returning.
Characters to notice
- Secretary Cooper
Cooper interacts with his saber-tooth cat Tabby and expresses unwavering hope that Wes will return.
- Mr. Hudson
Hudson doubts Wes's return and reflects on the fragility of hope.
- Buster
Mentioned as having hit the helicopter, possibly damaging the time unit.
Key passages
“If the unit failed and we knew it failed, Wes was afraid we'd try to make him see how hopeless and insane it was. And he knew we'd probably convince him and then all his hope would be gone. And he wanted to hang onto that, Johnny. He wanted to hang onto his hope even when there wasn't any left.”
Hudson explains that Wes left because he feared that if the time unit failed, they would persuade him to abandon his hope, which he desperately wanted to preserve.
Reveals Wes's motivation for leaving and the theme of clinging to hope.