Carl is abruptly deposited into Orren’s liaison office, still covered in King Rust’s gore and shaken by the speed and scale of recent events. Carl reflects on Rust’s death, the Operatics’ defeat, and Rosetta’s role in killing Rust, feeling proud despite the danger her actions may have caused. Donut messages Carl in alarm, and Carl tells Donut to return to base and keep Princess Formidable’s plan secret to avoid panic.

Orren is already speaking to unseen officials about Rosetta apparently accessing Rust’s accounts and moving billions of credits through a credit chit. Orren dismisses the theft and surface fighting as secondary to a larger imminent crisis, then tells Carl that the Syndicate council and other liaisons are listening. Orren asks why Carl is so confident Princess Formidable’s attempt to trigger the failsafe will not work.

Carl demands Quasar and refuses to help for free, insisting that the crawl end, the surviving crawlers be freed, Syndicate assets repair the damage done to Earth, and all outside forces leave the system. Orren says he would grant those terms if anyone had the power, but the AI would not allow it. Orren reveals that the liaisons know about Carl’s illegal non-Valtay implant, the residual, and the moment Carl activated the device, but they do not know exactly what the implant does.

Orren activates a hidden zero zone with his ball, cutting off the AI’s influence and Carl’s menus. Orren says they have about ten minutes and asks whether Carl can undo what he did, still trigger the failsafe, or allow Formidable to trigger it. When other listeners appear and shout at Orren, Orren mutes them and admits Harbinger is likely coming, meaning the window is even shorter.

Orren explains that Carl’s phrase, “Welcome to the party, pals,” led the team to uncover Carl’s hidden conversation with the residual, after which Harbinger ordered Carl killed and the AI intervened. Carl refuses the implication that he should help destroy everyone, saying he already had the option and nearly took it. Before Orren can explain what is truly at stake, Growler Gary appears in the doorway with vodka and announces that he must intervene.