Orbital

Chie is a Japanese astronaut on the International Space Station. When the novel begins, she has already been living in orbital space for six months, having arrived at the station with Anton and Pietro. Chie’s station tasks include growing protein crystals and studying the effect of microgravity on both brain activity and muscle growth. The last of these tasks involves observing three groups of mice that have been genetically modified or affected by a muscle stimulant.

Her primary internal conflict revolves around the death of her mother, her last surviving family member. Knowing that she cannot return to Earth in time for the funeral, Chie must reckon with her grief in space. This emphasizes The Inevitability of Endings as a theme on the individual level. Considering that she has spent most of her life harboring ambitions of space travel, Chie recognizes that she has been absent from her parents’ lives, as evidenced by the glimpse of their lives in Chapter 5. Returning to Earth means that she must engage her grief anew, and for a time, she wishes that she didn’t have to leave the station so that she could pretend that her mother was still alive. Chie is depicted as being reserved, which is evidenced by the outburst of her grief over dinner in Chapter 15.