After the bombing at the harbor, Stenfalk, Ostrero, Pfeifer, Corbeau, and S are marked as “The Enemy, The Bombers. The Subversive Threats to Life and Productivity” by the local newspaper. They are not only accused for the bomb, but also for mining the harbor. Pfeifer and Stenfalk remarked on the dramatic switch of public opinions in such distress moment.

Erich and Jen discover the cipher of Chapter 4 on this page.On the previous footnotes of the chapter, words with “ex-” prefixes lead Jen and Eric to suspect that the code is tied to such words (FN1: “expect the expected”, FN2: “expressively”, FN3: “expatriate”, FN4: “extracting”). Footnote 5, likewise, contains “ex”-prefix word “exiling.” Eric comments: “Exiling? It’s got to be the ‘ex’ words.” In respond, Jen writes: “I think you’re right. Check out FN1 again: ‘those that quickly followed.’ So maybe the letter or the word that comes next?”

After organizing the footnotes, Eric unveils the code:

Avoid Grand Central
Key Stolen Assume Bag Gone
I failed

While Jen sympathizes with FXC for her unsuccessful attempt to reconnect with VMS, Eric points out that VMS “was already dead.”  On a conversation written later in time, Jen expresses concern about her safety and privacy–she hears someone in her apartment and that wasn’t her roommate. Whereas Jen tells Eric that she is not calling him, Eric insists that she do so. Eric demonstrates a great deal of love and consideration for the circumstance of Jen.