The Awakening
Induced coma, gravity, and the infrared spectrum
Grace wakes up with no memory in an unknown place. Through homemade experiments, he discovers that gravity is not Earth's. Meanwhile, in flashbacks, a Russian astronomer detects something impossible: an infrared emission line connecting the Sun to Venus.
Waking from a coma: why Grace has muscles
Grace wakes up connected to tubes, attended by robotic arms. He's been in a coma for a long time, but his muscles are toned.
The science behind it
When a person is in a prolonged coma, their muscles atrophy because they're not used. On the International Space Station, astronauts do over 2 hours of daily exercise to combat this effect.
The novel's solution: robotic arms applying Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS). This technology is real and used in hospitals for immobilized patients. Electrodes send small electric currents that cause muscles to contract, simulating exercise.
Grace was also fed through a nasogastric tube, which goes from the nose to the stomach. This keeps the digestive system active and provides nutrients. It's standard medicine in real ICUs.
Key terms
The Petrova line: an impossible infrared emission
Grace remembers an email from Dr. Irina Petrova of the Pulkovo Observatory. She detected an infrared emission at 25.984 micrometers forming an arc from the Sun to Venus.
The science behind it
Visible light is only a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Beyond red lies infrared: invisible light we associate with heat. Every hot object emits infrared.
Wavelength measures the distance between "crests" of a light wave. It's measured in micrometers (μm). 25.984 μm is in the mid-infrared, far from what our eyes can see (0.4 to 0.7 μm).
Every substance emits and absorbs light at specific wavelengths, like a "fingerprint." Petrova detected an emission that doesn't match any known substance.
The arc goes from the Sun's north pole to Venus. Petrova ruled out magnetic fields because Venus has no magnetosphere. Without a magnetic field, charged particles can't form such an arc.
The Atacama observatory (Chile) is one of the world's best for infrared observation because it's in a high-altitude desert: the dry air doesn't absorb the infrared signal.
Key terms
Try it yourself
Interactive Electromagnetic Spectrum
Grace calculates gravity: not on Earth
Grace notices objects fall "wrong." He drops a test tube 20 times from 91 cm, times each drop, and calculates the acceleration.
The science behind it
Grace uses the free-fall formula: d = ½ · a · t², where d is the distance (0.91 m), t is the measured time (0.348 s average), and a is the acceleration he wants to find.
Solving: a = 2d / t² = 2 × 0.91 / 0.348² ≈ 15 m/s². On Earth, gravity is 9.8 m/s². Grace measures almost double.
He repeats the experiment 20 times to minimize human error. When you click a stopwatch by hand, your reaction time (about 0.2 seconds) adds error. By averaging many measurements, the error is reduced.
Conclusion: "I'm not on Earth." That extra gravity could come from a centrifuge (like on a space station) or from being on an accelerating ship.
Key terms
Try it yourself
Grace's Gravity Calculator
Try Grace's values: h = 0.91 m, t = 0.348 s