The paranoia and distrust escalate and John gets his hands on the ansible!
Next week Steven is out of town, so the week after that we’re covering chapters 18, 19, and 20!
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This week’s discussion question: How would you test the ansible once you had both the transmitter and receiver?

The escalation from paranoia and distrust to John getting his hands on the ansible feels like a major turning point. I’m especially curious whether having that kind of communication power will clarify the situation or make everyone even more suspicious.
The escalation of paranoia feels especially sharp now that John has the ansible—having a tool that can connect him outward only makes the distrust more dangerous. The jump to covering chapters 18–20 after the break should make for a substantial payoff.