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Study Guide

Dark Matter Chapter 5

By Blake Crouch

Chapter 5

  • Jason is awoken in the hospital by a doctor. She explains that Jason's brain looks all good, though they did find a weird "psychochemical" compound in his bloodstream (5.37).
  • The doctor then explains that she's learned who Jason is. He won the Pavia Prize in 2004 before becoming the chief science officer at Velocity Labs, which is a jet propulsion lab.
  • Jason is shocked, but the doctor has an even bigger bomb to drop—he's going to be committed to a mental institution. Gulp.
  • So Jason skedaddles. As he walks through the streets, he realizes that many of his favorite local spots simply don't exist anymore.
  • Jason goes to a grimy hotel and looks up Daniela in the phone book. After getting her address, he heads out to find her.
  • Jason passes a suspicious "smoking man" as he walks along the street (5.194). Bet that won't come back to haunt him, right?
  • No one's home. However, Jason notices a poster for an upcoming art show put on by Daniela—and it's tonight.
  • Jason heads to the show. The exhibit consists of a large labyrinth, with walls showing looped videos of different parts of the human experience, like birth, death, and war.
  • Finally, Jason sees Daniela. She looks different—more like she did before they were married. They embrace, but she acts like they haven't seen each other in a long time.
  • Ryan Holder pops up and puts his arm around Daniela. Oh, so that's how it's going to be, bro?
  • Daniela leaves the two men alone. Ryan mentions something about making a "compound" for Velocity Labs, though he never knew what is was for (5.328).
  • Jason ends up at a party at Daniela's house that night. Eventually, the crowd clears, leaving him alone with Daniela and Ryan.
  • Surprisingly, Jason explains his situation to Daniela and Ryan, though he frames it as a hypothetical. After a few questions, however, he comes clean, blurting out that he and Daniela had a son together.
  • Daniela seems interested, but Ryan gets ticked off. He storms out of the apartment.
  • Later, Jason tells Daniela about their "life" together. This doesn't click for her, as she remembers Jason breaking up with her fifteen years ago.
  • Throughout the day, however, Jason tells Daniela things about herself that he couldn't possibly know, from her perspective. She's starting to buy what he's selling.
  • Jason and Daniela make some sweet, sweet love that night. Cue the Marvin Gaye.
  • As Jason and Daniela lie in post-coital bliss, there's a knock at the door. Huh? Daniela doesn't want to open the door, so the visitor kicks it down instead.
  • It's the smoking man.
  • In a flash, the smoking man shoots Daniela in the head. That was abrupt. The smoking man knocks Jason around and captures him.
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