From Surgipelago, the Beach Surgery encyclopedia
Harmonic Correction Fails
At the radio/radar igloo in the red interior, as Leif's doubled vision worsens, Katita raises the frequency pitch beyond previous attempts—past the threshold where the data-harvesters cannot hear, into registers the equipment was not designed to reach. The harmonic correction comes: Leif's vision sharpens momentarily. But the high note locks and does not fade. He finds himself seeing BOTH versions of Katita simultaneously—the one beside him and the one who does not exist—crystallized, permanent, equally real. Neither is false. The pressure in his shoulder blades becomes unbearable. Katita, noticing his paralysis, says Katita: “We've never tried *holding* it like this.”. The igloo's walls begin to resonate. They abandon the equipment and flee, but the doubled sight persists. For the first time, Leif understands that the glitch might not be in the story—it might be in him.