A Fountain of Fireflies
“Sparkling waves of green and white light, like a water fountain made of colorful fireflies, sprang up from the panel and engulfed her hand.” (Prologue)
This sentence describes the Atlantean scientist in the prologue (later identified as Janus) interacting with the control panel in her spaceship. This beautiful, iridescent image makes the Atlantean technology seem sleek and attractive, making science into an art. It also emphasizes the power of Atlantis: their technology is so advanced that it appears to the human reader as a light show.
A Giant Mechanical Whale
“The scientist trudged to the top of the ridge and looked back at the massive black ship, beached like an oversized mechanical whale.” (Prologue)
The Atlantean ship is enormous, and this simile compares it to a giant whale that has been beached on the shore. The reality is not far off: the ship has been floating and swimming through space, and it has temporarily landed on the shore to fulfill its mission before gliding back off through the stars despite its enormous size.
The Dream Tape
“It was the same dream, and that pleased Kate to no end. She almost felt as though she could control it now, like a video she could rewind and relive at will.” (Ch. 1)
This dream involves Kate snuggling with David, with whom she fell in love in the course of the last book. She has this dream often, and it's certainly not an unpleasant dream to have; the frequency with which she experiences it makes her feel like she can just go back and visit it anytime. Unfortunately, she has to eventually wake up, pulling her from the pleasant dream.
Arm like an Earthquake
“She felt the arm move slightly. The subtle motion seemed to shatter the scene, like an earthquake shaking, then bringing down the walls and ceiling.” (Ch. 1)
In the dream, David's arm moves slightly against Kate's stomach. This motion, despite its smallness, has the enormous effect of starting to break the dream world and return Kate to reality. The enormity of the small motion is accentuated by comparing it to an earthquake that destroys the walls of a room, revealing the world beyond.
The Orchid Flag
“The white petals were symmetrical, but the red pattern that spread out from the center was uneven, like rays of sunlight peeking out from behind a darkened moon during a solar eclipse.” (ch. 3)
This quote describes the flag of the Orchid Alliance, a new organization designed to help save the sick people and combat the evil Immari Corporation. It's like the flag of the UN in that it's a light blue flag with a white design in the center, but the design is an orchid. The pattern spreading out from the center has a deeper meaning as well: the "rays of sunlight peeking out from behind a darkened moon" represents the efforts of the Orchid Alliance to overcome the darkness of the Immari Corporation during this "solar eclipse" of warring philosophies.
