Lukas follows Bernard through IT while nervous technicians avoid them, which makes Lukas feel exposed and uneasy. Bernard speaks as if Lukas has already agreed to become his shadow, but explains that this role is not ordinary training; Bernard wants someone able to take over if Bernard dies. Bernard adds that his will would guide the next head of IT, yet Sims is currently his executor, a detail Bernard now sees as a problem.

At the server room, Lukas unlocks the door and follows Bernard inside. When Lukas asks whether taking over would mostly mean overseeing cleanings, Bernard says that is only a small part of the job, signaling that the position involves far more than Lukas understood. Bernard then leads Lukas past the servers to one cabinet Lukas realizes he has never been assigned to maintain.

Bernard reveals that the cabinet is a disguise. Using a set of hidden keys, Bernard opens the back of the mostly empty server shell and exposes a concealed mechanism beneath the floor. He stresses that Lukas must lock everything again after returning, showing that secrecy is essential. When Bernard slides back a heavy grate, a hidden ladder appears leading down below a part of level thirty-five that cannot be reached by the normal stairs.

Lukas climbs down despite his growing fear and confusion, clutching the personal items hidden in his pocket and feeling as if he is moving automatically into danger. Bernard seals the grate above them, traps them inside the hidden space, and declares that Lukas is about to receive a great gift like the one Bernard once received. In the lit corridor and larger room beyond, Bernard presents what he calls the true heart of the silo, and Lukas is overwhelmed by the scale of the secret now opening before him.