A few hours after the earlier events, Carl and Donut are abruptly transported for their scheduled appearance on Plenty of Plenty. Instead of going to orbit, they arrive in a greenroom at an underwater production facility. While Donut wonders what the show will involve, they are met by Lexis, a production assistant Carl recognizes from one of Odette’s programs.

Lexis explains that she is temporarily working for Borant because normal operations have broken down. She says Zev is overwhelmed, many workers in the system are barely functioning, insurgents are controlling access, and the AI is forcing entertainment programs to continue despite the chaos. When Carl presses for details, Lexis reveals that the Open Intellect Action Network has boarded and seized nearly every major ship in orbit. According to Lexis, OIAN’s military advantage comes from the Homecoming Queen’s functioning enhancement-zone weapons, which now work because the AI has escaped containment.

Donut then asks about the surface and about Katia specifically. Lexis says Prime Minister Victory and the temporary Syndicate headquarters are on the eastern coast of North America, where they are already facing surviving humans after assuming the area had little native life left. About South Asia, Lexis says information is limited because it is considered OIAN territory, but she believes Katia is still alive and that OIAN has been in contact with her. Lexis adds that something strange happened at the kinder facility after Faction Wars ended: a mysterious third party appeared and is protecting the site, though that entity is apparently confused. A message on Lexis’s datapad interrupts her, and Carl notices a child’s image on the screen and realizes her earlier tension was genuine fear.

Lexis abruptly shifts back to her assignment and prepares Carl and Donut for the show. She warns them that caprid customs are unusual, though usually good-natured, and says Liaison Harbinger is not typical of his species. Lexis explains that the program will stage an “interlocution,” in which Carl and Donut sit in the center while roughly a dozen caprids judge them. If the caprids find them worthy, they will ask questions, which is supposed to be an honor, and afterward Carl and Donut will be expected to “exert” themselves. Lexis refuses to clarify further, leaving the pair to face a bizarre and potentially uncomfortable interview ritual.