in a race against time jake is faced with a choice to either save cassie or the world. jake chooses to save "what must be valued above all else". jake is then instantly back in his bed the next morning. he hears a voice in his head which he has "never heard", saying it is not the ellimist. he describes the voice as both young and old, male and female, like distant thought speak. the voice simply says "interesting choice. they have strangely segmented minds: conscious, unconscious, and an ability to reconcile both. they will bear more study, these humans…".