Hydrium
- Matt takes Mr. Levy (the chief sailmaker), the captain, and the first officer back to the cave. Mr. Levy confirms that the gas is indeed hydrium—there's so much that the deeper they go into the cave the harder it is to breath (the hydrium forces the air out, making them queasy and light-headed).
- The leak is coming through a crack, and would be easy enough to fit a funnel and tubing to.
- When they emerge, Mr. Levy announces it's the finest hydrium he's even smelled
- The captain orders sailmakers to work through the night to finish patching the Aurora, because in the morning they'll start to lay the tubing for gas transport.
- When Matt walks into the mess hall to grab a quick dinner he is hailed as a hero. Chef Vlad even prepared his favorite dinner just for him: smoked Muscovy duck, scalloped potatoes, and asparagus.
- Matt is so relieved to know his ship is out of danger that he almost bawls like a baby. He's exhausted, and it's finally starting to catch up with him.
- That night Matt dreams that he is the creature who fell from the sky. Not a fun dream, that's for sure.
- He is unable to go back to sleep after his nightmare, so he creeps into the movie theater to watch the featured film, Gilgamesh.
- Coincidentally, the movie is about a creature called Enkidu—half man, half animal—who falls from the sky. The cruel king Gilgamesh is jealous of the creature, and wants to get rid of him.
- Near the end of the film there is an epic battle between Gilgamesh and Enkidu atop the city's high towers. Gilgamesh falls and though Enkidu reaches to save him… Matt is crying too hard to see the end of the movie.
- Matt is reminded of his father, who fell to his death off the Aurora. He had been atop the ship making repairs after a nasty storm, and in the rough winds a piece of the ship struck him in the head, rendering him unconscious. The weight of his fall ripped his safety line from the cleat it was anchored to, and he was gone.
- They were never able to find his body, hence Matt's dream that instead of falling to his death in the cold ocean, he just sailed clear and continues to soar around the world.
- The next morning Matt is busy helping the pipeline crew. He hasn't seen Kate because Miss Simpkins pretty much has her under room arrest. He can't help thinking that's a good idea.
- Because of the thin piping, it will take about twenty-four hours for the Aurora to be back in flying condition. It will be a slow process, but one that will work.
- Matt goes back aboard the ship and the second he sets foot on A deck he's nearly run over by an irate Miss Simpkins waving a bone in the air. Uh-oh…
- The captain is drawn to the noise and asks that Kate, Miss Simpkins, and Matt join him in his cabin.
- When they get there, Miss Simpkins accuses Matt and Kate of grave-robbing.
- Kate corrects Miss Simpkins that they found the skeleton in a tree, but the distinction is lost on her.
- Kate asks permission to make another excursion into the jungle, but true to form, Miss Simpkins says that it's out of the question. When Kate seeks back-up from the captain, he admits she hasn't shown great judgment so far and he'd rather she stay by the ship.
- Miss Simpkins then asks that the captain make Matt stay away from Kate because he's such a terrible influence, but he defends Matt by sharing that he's the one who discovered the hydrium that is going to save them all.
- Nonetheless, after the ladies are dismissed the captain beseeches that Matt please stay with the ship from now on.
- A bit later Matt is outside admiring how much better the Aurora already looks when Kate gets his attention by setting off her camera flash from her window. She sends him a paper airplane begging him to help her—she's locked in her room and needs to get out so she can get pictures of their creature. Matt shakes his head no—captain's orders after all—but now he feels guilty for abandoning Kate.