Emmett Atwater is Nyxia’s protagonist and primary narrator. A Black American teenager from Detroit, he is one of 10 competitors aboard Genesis 11 fighting for a spot on Babel Communications’ mining mission to the planet Eden. Emmett’s primary motivation at the start of the novel is to earn a spot with Babel so that the company will cover his mother’s medical expenses and provide him with a salary that will help him move his family out of poverty. Emmett is competitive, observant, and a quick learner, but he is set back in the competition early on by an attack on his life by fellow teammates Isadora and Roathy. He forms an alliance with his roommate, Kaya, and the two become like family to one another. Emmett’s motivation shifts when Kaya is killed by a tortured Adamite hidden aboard Genesis 11. After witnessing Babel’s cruelty toward Kaya and the Adamite, Emmett makes a critical decision: “I know there’s only one thing I can do, for [Kaya] and for myself and for my family. If Babel’s going to keep us in chains, I’ll go where they can’t follow. I’ll go to Eden” (219). Emmett resolves to win a spot to Eden without becoming callous like Babel.