A month after his last entry, Lenny returns to his diary. Not only can his äppärät not connect, but he “can’t connect in any meaningful way to anyone, even to you, diary” (268). People are committing suicide because they cannot “see a future without their äppäräti” (268). Without connection to anyone other than Eunice, Lenny works to appreciate what he has, one of his early goals upon returning to America.

Without Joshie, the Post-Human Services is hierarchical, led by Howard Shu. Surprisingly, everyone is “glad to have instructions, even barked ones” (268). On the streets, kids run without guidance. The city feels “either completely finished or already shooting up for redemption” (269). Staatling-Wapachung offers a “5-jiao coin” (271) per hour of construction work to young men.

Eunice organizes relief work for the old people, although Lenny cannot understand why. Lenny wonders why Joshie is helping Eunice and Lenny, much less the elderly in the building. Eunice witnesses a woman die. Lenny fears the elderly’s “mortality” (271), but as his fear grows, he loves Eunice more.

He and Eunice are growing closer. He also finds solace in books, including the Milan Kundera book he once caught Eunice touching.