Kern, damaged and distributed between the crashed Lightfoot and an orbital telepresence, carefully investigates the station’s live communications channels. The xenobiology lesson that drew Kern in was being transmitted by something responsive, not a simple automatic archive, which makes Kern suspect either a hidden computer system or the same amorphous entity that attacked Meshner.

As Kern’s ant-based systems recover more memory and processing, Kern recalls that Helena had recently discussed ancient octopus-preserved cautionary recordings. Those records involved Erma Lante, a human researcher from thousands of years earlier who studied the alien ecosphere. Kern accesses the garbled Lante Diaries, but processing them strains Kern’s already limited resources.

Kern recognizes that searching for Meshner is not the most practical priority while the surviving crew needs life support and repair. Kern analyzes possible motives: emotional contamination from Meshner’s implant, guilt over pushing Meshner into danger, or simple damage to Kern’s own decision-making after the crash and prior experiments with human sensation. Kern concludes that choosing the risky rescue may itself prove Kern is impaired.

Kern locates Meshner’s implant, still active and vulnerable to Kern’s access. Kern knows it may be a trap set by the station’s occupying entity, but enters cautiously at the lowest operating level. Status checks show Meshner’s brain is extremely active, while the implant is working at capacity and reorganizing itself to generate more efficient sensory spoofing.

To understand what Meshner is experiencing, Kern must access the implant’s higher functions and risk becoming entangled in whatever virtual or neurological process is consuming Meshner. Kern knows failure could endanger Fabian, Viola, Zaine, and Kern’s own fragmented existence. However, Kern’s damaged safeguards leave Kern’s confidence unchecked, so Kern decides to take charge and goes in.