See You in the Cosmos

Alex records again once his battery charges. He, Steve, and Zed are on their way to Las Vegas. The recording picks up conversation between Alex and Steve in which Steve tells Alex more about Zed’s past as a motivational speaker. Steve thinks Zed should write a book of his experiences, certain it would be bestseller, and Alex tells him, “Steve, you’re always coming up with ways to make money […]. You’re very entrepreneurial” (93). Alex mentions his desire to get his father’s voice on the iPod once he recalls being in love with Alex’s mother.

Alex and Zed are on the observation deck of the Stratosphere casino looking at the lights of Las Vegas as Alex begins the next recording. Steve, who wants to buy the cell phones of down-on-their-luck gamblers for resale profit, is on the street watching Carl Sagan. Alex’s thoughts wander to his father again: “Maybe he came up here after he got amnesia, and he looked out at the Las Vegas lights and he had a funny feeling because it reminded him of being on top of Mount Sam with my mom” (99).