Red Mars Part 5, Chapter 6 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • John heads to Vlad and Ursula's biotech complex in Acheron Fossae where Maya currently chills. He checks out some of the research, and after dinner, Ursula reminds them that they both need their physicals.
  • No news is good news here, and John gets a clean bill of health.
  • Ursula asks him if he wants the treatment. Treatment? Seems Vlad and his people have developed a longevity gene therapy. Ursula gives John the nitty-gritty details, but what it comes down to is this: longer life. Like, much longer.
  • He goes for a walk to think about it, but returns to Ursula pretty quickly. Not much to debate over really.
  • That night, Maya and he make love "[w]hile it's still [them]" (5.6.52).
  • John receives the treatment. After a few days of his body adjusting, reality seems to have a different glow to it. He now understands Sax's concept of thisness, and he asks Maya to marry him. "Something like that," she answers (5.6.58).