Dr. Hendricks met Mrs. Sigsby in the private suite beside her office and provided a hard-copy file of his latest results. Sigsby dismissed the utility of his data, calling them his tests and secondary experiments that were not producing consistent outcomes. Hendricks pushed back, naming prior residents—Agnes Jordan, William Gortsen, Veena Patel, Donna (surname unknown), and others—as positive cases, though he conceded many “pinks” produced no results.

Hendricks argued that telepathy and telekinesis appeared linked, suggesting additional latent psychic abilities might exist and could be cultivated. He speculated about possibilities like psychic healing and dramatically extended lifespans, insisting current uses of the children might be only the beginning. Sigsby said she had heard it all before and remained unmoved by his mission statement rhetoric.

Hendricks minimized the value of Luke Ellis and Iris Stanhope as typical “pinks,” but Sigsby countered that this was less true than in the past. Pressed for specifics, Hendricks reported that Luke did not display telepathy, but he continued to see the Stasi Lights even after the projector was turned off—an indicator they consider significant. He added that Luke experienced a seizure, which he characterized as not uncommon.

Sigsby authorized Hendricks to continue the Stasi Lights testing but emphasized institutional priorities: the main purpose is to prepare children for Back Half; side effects are secondary. She disparaged his search for ancillary benefits as akin to discovering a cosmetic side effect, which outraged Hendricks, who contrasted hair growth to procedures that could change human existence. Sigsby reiterated that management cared about consistent, actionable results, not sporadic hits.

When Hendricks tried to argue further, Sigsby shut him down and reminded him that several children had been lost due to his experiments. He dismissed them as “pinks,” prompting her to warn that such children were no longer plentiful. She then gave him a red file stamped RELOCATION, indicating a pending transfer or operational movement unrelated to his speculative research.