Carl realizes the man in the homeless shelter is not speaking to him live, but is part of a memory. The man, called Paulie but identifying himself as Goff, repeats a rehearsed message meant for any crawler who might encounter the memory. Shelter residents complain because they have heard the speech many times before.

Paulie/Goff explains that beings like him are placed across worlds before crawls begin, waiting for a chance to pass information to a maturing dungeon AI. He says the showrunners call them Residuals, that they inhabit real bodies and memories, and that monsters usually will not attack them until they transfer their knowledge. He warns that there is now a war among his kind and begins to say how to shut something off, but the world flashes before Carl can hear the rest.

Carl is abruptly pulled into Orren’s office in the closed Desperado Club. Orren apologizes for interrupting but says he had to act quickly, and he insists the broadcast feed was not cut. Orren claims Paulie/Goff had nothing useful to say, then tells Carl they are waiting for Quasar because Orren intends to remove a plastic bin from Carl’s inventory or have Carl killed.

Orren explains that the bin contains Valtay neural enhancement pills and other restricted items, and says Carl’s sponsors set a trap by leading him to the shelter. According to Orren, the Open Intellect Pacifist Network hoped either the Syndicate would pull Carl away and enrage the AI, or the Residual’s information would be so dangerous that the Council would trigger a failsafe capable of destroying the star. Orren says the plan failed, Carl’s sponsors are now fugitives, and the AI is only mildly upset because the information was disappointing.

Quasar arrives and argues that Carl legally acquired the loot, but Orren insists the communicator and neural enhancers are not allowable found loot. Carl agrees to trade the bin rather than prolong the dispute. In exchange, Carl receives a wand recharge scroll, three Cracker Jack scrolls, and permission to keep four cretins through the ninth floor, though Orren refuses to return the Gate of the Feral Gods before the floor collapses.

After Quasar is removed, Orren offers to teleport Carl back near Princess Donut or to the shelter. Carl instead asks to return to the gas station with the memory ghost dog, wanting to see the lonely dog again before resuming the floor. Orren agrees and leaves Carl waiting for transport, still thinking about the shelter and the dog guarding an empty gas station on Christmas.