Just in time the first zeppelin is targeted by some sort of harpoons. A platoon riding a modified Outer Father, fire on the monster, whose skin abruptly loosens, releasing liquids, filaments and other material. The zeppelin shrinks and collapses on the ground, swollen. Proteena joins the platoon, yet more organized: thoughts are more coherent. The rescuers talk about their journey, the encounter with the zeppelins, the discovery of the harpoons that seem to accomodate in some cracks in the skin of the monsters, opening it up like a zipper. "No, not monsters, it's like machines, no music flows within them. Living Machines, that's how we call them".

Suddenly, a stream of hostile thoughts. The platoon is encircled by soldiers bearing slightly different armours, the ensigns are those of Hermitokratos, a cruel Warlord. The platoon is slaughtered, all but Proteena, who is a scientist and therefore unbound to soldier's honor code. A Lieutenant protects her an leads her to their camp.