by Dom Testa
Questions for Discussion
What technical problem is causing trouble aboard Galahad at the start of the novel? How does Gap react to the crew’s jokes about the problem? How does the chill on Level Six reflect a change in the attitudes of some crew members?
What elements of the Kuiper Belt’s structure make it a particularly challenging passage for a spaceship? What strategies are Triana and Roc developing to navigate through this area?
Why is Channy trying to organize a “dating game” for the crew? Do you think this is a good plan? What romantic uncertainties exist between crew members early in the novel, and how do they affect the workings of the ship?
Why does Triana decline Roc’s offer to spy on Merit Simms in chapter 4? Does she apply the same code of ethics to her decision not to give the Galahad crew a complete picture of the risks of making it through the Kuiper Belt?
When he first appears before the Council, where does Merit Simms propose Triana take Galahad? What are his arguments? Do you think he is persuasive? Why or why not? Do you think Triana’s statement that “the Council will take [your] suggestions under consideration” is sufficient?
How do her accounts of her mother’s medical student days parallel Lita’s own experiences? Is this a benefit to Lita, or does it inhibit her actions? Do you ever think about “following in the footsteps” of a family member? What has led you to this possibility? Does the prospect excite or frighten you?
How do Channy, Bon, and the other Council members begin to detect Merit’s influence aboard Galahad? Do these moments affect their convictions to stay on course to Eos? If you were a Galahad crew member, do you think you might have been drawn to Merit’s side? Why or why not?
What manipulative strategies does Merit use when he speaks in the Dining Hall in chapter 11? Is Merit a bully? Why doesn’t Triana respond to his criticisms? Had you been in Triana’s position, would you have kept silent?
As Galahad continues through the Kuiper Belt, Triana, Lita, and other Council members also confront the temptation to return to Earth. What thoughts and feelings prompt the Council members to consider reversing course? What conclusions do they reach?
At the end of chapter 15, what new theory about the Kuiper Belt does Hannah develop? How might her insight relate to—or contrast with—her thoughts about her relationship with Gap? What does she decide to do with her theory?
How does supporting Lita through her first surgery strengthen Triana’s bond with her? How does Alexa come through the operation? What does the experience teach both girls? How does this result affect the crew?
In chapter 18, Triana tells Channy about her father’s advice to “visualize” her way through stressful situations. What insight about this technique does Triana realize? In what situations might you try such a technique? Could this strategy be helpful to the Galahad crew?
Is Channy right that Bon may be best equipped to respond to Merit’s implications that the Cassini may know of, and may have cured, Bhaktul’s Disease? How does Channy’s instinct relate to Hannah’s theory about the Cassini and the Kuiper Belt?
How does Triana help Bon in chapter 24? What does Bon learn, or conclude, from his second connection with the Cassini? How does he use this information to help navigate Galahad through the Kuiper Belt?
How does Gap solve the problem of the Level Six heating malfunction and help Triana defeat Merit Simms? Do you think Merit needed to use sabotage techniques to win people to his cause or might he have been equally persuasive without doing so? Could the Cassini—or Roc—have employed the kinds of trickery used by Gap and Merit to achieve their goals? Why or why not?
Do you think Merit’s punishment is sufficient? Even after Merit’s defeat, does homesickness remain a threat to the Galahad mission?
Does his success in fixing the heating problem and thwarting Merit Simms influence Gap’s decision to break up with Hannah? What has Gap come to understand about himself that led him to this action? Does this have a parallel in the new connection between Bon and Alexa? Do you think this new bond will change Bon’s relationship with Triana?
What clues from Bon and Alexa’s visions indicate what might be waiting for Galahad beyond the Kuiper Belt? Do you think the crew will pass the Cassini’s “test”? What sort of test do you think the crew is undergoing?
In the afterword to The Cassini Code, Roc admits to being jealous of human beings. How might you describe this jealousy in terms of human qualities? Do you think Roc is right to be jealous?
Do you think that empathy is the human quality that will best help the crew pass the Cassini test and proceed into deep space? Or is empathy human beings’ greatest weakness? Defend your answer.
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Tor Teen Books by Dom Testa
Galahad
The Comet’s Curse
The Web of Titan
The Cassini Code
The Dark Zone
Cosmic Storm
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE CASSINI CODE: A GALAHAD BOOK
Copyright © 2008 by Dom Testa
All rights reserved.
Previously published in 2008 by Profound Impact Group, under the title Galahad 3: The Cassini Code.
Reader’s guide copyright © 2010 by Tom Doherty Associates
The Dark Zone excerpt copyright © 2010 by Dom Testa
A Tor Teen Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
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New York, NY 10010
www.tor-forge.com
Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
ISBN: 978-0-7653-6079-3
