Trevor Stackhouse questioned Dr. Hendricks’s cryptic remark about the situation being “not quite” contained. Ignoring Stackhouse, Hendricks activated an unused intercom in Stackhouse’s office, demonstrating urgency and control of the moment.

Before broadcasting, Hendricks confirmed there were no speakers in the access tunnel and that Back Half had a separate intercom, ensuring the escaped children would not hear. He reminded Stackhouse that the children’s confinement did not limit their minds, underscoring the psychic threat.

Hendricks then addressed all staff, announcing that children had escaped but were “penned up” in the tunnel between Front Half and Back Half. He warned that the children might attempt to influence staff to self-harm or turn against each other, similar to how certain people are influenced during “their jobs,” linking the warning to the Institute’s established use of the children’s abilities.

Hendricks instructed personnel to resist any foreign thoughts by staying calm, expelling them, and even speaking aloud to assert “I am not listening to you,” claiming such resistance would be easy if targets were forewarned. The guidance aimed to neutralize surprise, which he identified as key to the children’s success.

Stackhouse took the microphone to add directives: all Front Half children must return to their rooms immediately, and any resistance should be met with zaps. He then cut the intercom, expressing hope that the tunnel group would not think to try psychic influence from their position.

Hendricks contradicted that hope, stating the children would indeed think of it because they had practice, reinforcing that the real danger lay in their telepathic reach rather than their physical location. The chapter ended with the adults’ preventive strategy in place while the children remained trapped.