Nightfall

Siferra 89 is one of three protagonists in Nightfall. She works as an archaeologist at Saro University, uncovering the ruins that have been hidden beneath the Hill of Thombo. Siferra is largely concerned with her professional legacy. Her first appearance sees her at the ruins of Beklimot, an ancient civilization that was previously excavated by her mentors and predecessors. Their respective legacies are threatened, however, by the approach of a massive sandstorm. It is suggested that Siferra is partly responsible for the tension that arises from this threat. Her ambition to cement a legacy causes her to abandon caution as she exposes the ruins to the elements. Though she and her team manage to secure what they can before the storm breaks, she grieves over the way her foolhardiness has endangered some of her field’s most valued treasures. Ironically, this results in her greatest discovery: the buried sites at Thombo. When she realizes that her findings at Thombo provide archaeological support for the Apostles of Flame’s Book of Revelations, she is momentarily embarrassed to share her discovery, worrying that her legacy will be marred by the perception that she has validated the Apostles.

Siferra also functions as a romantic interest for Theremon 762. She initially shuns the idea of romantic engagement as a distraction from her work. When her colleague, Balik 338, suggests the idea of a getaway, she coldly turns him down. What differentiates Theremon is his persistent professional interest in her work. He asks her out on several dates under the pretense that he wants to conduct interviews for a future column on the Thombo excavation. Later, they consummate this relationship when Theremon invites her to travel to Amgando with him, joining the survivors of the eclipse from the academic community.

After the eclipse, Siferra joins the Fire Patrol, one of several factions to spring up following the collapse of the government. Though the Fire Patrol initially antagonizes her by forcing her to strip to search her for incendiary material, she comes to trust their leader, Altinol 111, and becomes a respected officer among their ranks. She later extends an invitation to Theremon so that he can live among them. Theremon refuses, however, skeptical of Altinol, thanks to knowledge of his corruption in the time before the eclipse. When Siferra leaves the Fire Patrol to travel to Amgando, she and Theremon reflect on life in a post-eclipse world, wondering how they might be able to prevent what they had witnessed firsthand in 2,000 years.

The novel ends with Theremon convincing Siferra that the answer lies in collaboration with the Apostles of Flame since they are the only ones with the channels needed to unite the superstitious populations of Kalgash. She accedes to this collaboration but remains firm on her identity as a secularist.

Beenay 25 is the third protagonist of Nightfall, working as a junior astronomer at Saro University Observatory. He discovers the existence of a previously unknown satellite orbiting Kalgash, which eventually causes the eclipse that disrupts life on the planet. Like Siferra, Beenay is deeply anxious about his professional legacy. Specifically, he is afraid of destroying the legacy of his mentor, Athor 77, whose Theory of Universal Gravitation provides the foundation for all modern astronomical study on Kalgash. He consults Theremon 762 to ask him if he should share his findings with Athor. Theremon reminds him that it is better to reveal the truth than suppress it. As Beenay eventually finds out, his anxiety is premature as Athor reassures him of the other implications that his research could have on Athor’s work.

Beenay is a dutiful scientist, investigating theories to an almost obsessive degree. He is not above collaborating with his younger peers. However, he often withholds the purposes of the tasks he gives them, intending to let them discover those purposes on their own.

Outside of work, Beenay’s most significant relationship is the one he maintains with his romantic partner, Raissta 717, who is also an academic. Beenay initially struggles to balance work with his relationship. When Beenay and Raissta first appear in the novel, Raissta chastises Beenay for leaving her behind to go to the observatory. She has made the effort to make time for him, but he does not seem to reciprocate the effort, causing early friction in their relationship. He assures her that he will return to her as soon as possible, yet leaves again shortly after fulfilling his promise so that he can confide his worries in Theremon.

After the eclipse, Beenay’s priority is to seek Raissta out and ensure her safety. He is relieved to discover that she is not only alive but also that she has waited for him alone at the Sanctuary, spending some time there after the exodus of the Saro academics to Amgando. Overall, their relationship is the basis for Beenay’s narrative arc. Since he had struggled to make time for her in the beginning, his post-eclipse life is marked by a desire to remain with her at all times. He even pauses the journey to Amgando, choosing to wait at a Search station as Raissta recovers from injuries she sustained during their trek. The last time he appears in the novel, he provides Theremon and Siferra with the authority to pass through the provinces that lead to Amgando.