Gladys takes Luke by elevator to C-Level, using her usual chirpy small talk about the weather. Luke notices her wedding ring and pointedly asks if she has children and how she would feel about them being imprisoned in a place like the Institute. He presses further, asking how she lives with herself and what she would tell her kids if the Institute’s practices were exposed.

Gladys tightens her grip and hurries Luke along, her face blank and doll-like, offering no anger or remorse. They arrive at room C-17, which is filled with medical and computer equipment and features a padded chair and a projector-like device. A technician named Zeke greets Luke with forced cheer and a veiled warning not to make trouble.

Zeke produces a bottle of blue liquid and an alarmingly long thermometer, ordering Luke to drop his pants and bend over the chair. Gladys has already slipped out, leaving Luke alone with Zeke. When Luke suggests a less invasive method, Zeke threatens coercion and mocks him, proceeding with lubricant to perform a rectal temperature check.

As Luke complies, he reflects that the procedure is designed to break him down and assert absolute control rather than gather necessary data. Zeke continues to taunt Luke, emphasizing the humiliation and power dynamic. The chapter ends with Zeke laughing, heightening the sense of dehumanization and Luke’s helplessness.