Larkin reflects on how many of the children adopted into new Christian American families were mistreated and ended up unhappy. Her adoptive parents gave her a stable and secure life, but they valued obedience and submission, and Larkin did not feel free to express herself.

The narrative resumes with Lauren’s journal in March 2035, shortly after the escape. Lauren is trying to adjust to the mindset of a free and autonomous individual, reflecting that “things haven’t just happened. I’ve caused them to happen. I must get back to normal, to knowing and admitting, at least to myself, when I cause things” (263). The trauma of being enslaved is reflected in how even an extremely strong and independent individual like Lauren has to work to actively reclaim her identity as a free person. After Lauren and her followers leave Camp Christian, they spend a few days together in the forest, grieving their pain and loss. Lauren tells them they must all go their separate ways, cover up their identities (to avoid being punished for killing the guards and burning the camp), and focus on finding their children. While it breaks Lauren’s heart to separate from her community members, she encourages them to keep the beliefs of Earthseed alive.