Archaea is the third chapter in Chiasmata. It is the last chapter in which four different characters are formally introduced.
The chapter opens upon a new character waking up.
David Wright is formally introduced.- David examines the puzzle...
- and solves it. The revealing of his powers unsettle him greatly.
- However, he is still curious. A pink cast slowly crawls up on David, and posesses him.
- A cloud of shadow approaches, sending the voice in his head away.
- A second person peeks out of the cloud.
- They explain what is going on and tell David about another guy and a girl.
- Dawn Hopkins is formally introduced.
- Dawn and David go look for the 'girl oozing everywhere'.
- The two find the girl, who tells them to halt.
- Ash Thomas is formally introduced.
- The three round the corner and Ash tries melting the walls. This triggers her side-effect instead, and when David tells her to sit down, he temporarily spaces out.
- David suggests that Dawn stops using her power. This results in her side-effect setting in.
- The three spend the next few panels talking to eachother under hypnosis.
- Anders Hallström is formally introduced.
- The puzzles open. Anders gasps upon seeing that he has to let them go from his power.
- Anders gets sensory overload from trying to use David's power and faints.
- David gives Anders a voice, and his side-effect sets in. Dawn gets clawed hands from her puzzle, and Ash also has temporary inconvenience.
- Anders enters his mindscape and hears Archivist talking to him before he wakes up.
- Anders solves his puzzle last, triggering his side-effect.
- The doors open and the chapter ends.