Zero Days

Jack’s ring is a symbol of the love between Jack and Gabe. It is somewhat unusual, made in the 1600s and “a bit wonky, a bit unique” (288), as Gabe said when he gave the ring to Jack years ago. He could have been describing the couple—Gabe is a former hacker and Jack is a former shoplifter, both of whom have become security experts. The ring’s origin and appearance are unexpected and out of the ordinary. The diamond isn’t “very big,” Gabe said, and he pointed out that it isn’t shaped as well as it could be because of the maker’s rudimentary tools. Likewise, Gabe and Jack might seem a little odd and different as a result of their pasts, jobs, and lifestyle. The ring has become part of who Jack is, literally and figuratively.

The ring is stuck on Jack’s finger, bruising and bloodying her knuckle when she removes it to give to Madrox. She thinks, “It hurt. Oh God, how could such a small thing hurt so much?” (288). It also hurts emotionally because Jack already lost Gabe, and now she loses something that symbolizes his understanding of and love for her. Gabe taught Jack what love is after Jeff abused and manipulated her.