Alex relates the gloomy, dark weather, matching everyone’s negative mood. Ronnie will not say when Alex can visit his mother. Zed begins typing his thoughts. Terra tells Alex that one of Ronnie’s worries is the cost of Alex’s hospital stay and that of his mom’s; soon Steve has “a great idea or how we can pay for some of the hospital bills” (255). Steve writes a Rocketforum post explaining Alex’s accident and some of his adventures since leaving SHARF and asks members to donate money. They add photos of Alex’s scars and some of his iPod recordings—but “definitely not the ones from Vegas or afterwards” (257). This helps lighten the mood, but Alex is still upset that he cannot see his mother. 

In this brief recording, Terra tries to get Alex to speak. He has stopped talking to Ronnie and Terra because they are not including him in conversations regarding his mother. Terra tells Alex that the Rocketforum post is working and that donations so far are at one third of their goal. She tries to explain that his mother is not ready for a visit.