After leaving the holding area, Mission keeps Rodny’s returned note hidden and stays silent, sensing that something unusual has happened. On the way back toward the security station, Head of IT Mr. Wyck stops Mission and confirms his identity as the Jones boy.

Wyck then makes Mission a suspicious private offer. Instead of using normal Dispatch channels, Wyck says Mission can earn two hundred chits by moving a package only a few levels from Supply, and tells him to ask for Joyce at the Supply counter if he accepts. The large payment and the secrecy make Mission suspect the job is improper or dangerous, so he avoids committing himself.

Jeffery escorts Mission through the security gate and out into the stairwell. Once he is far enough away, Mission carefully unfolds Rodny’s hidden message, fearing both what it might say and the risk of being caught with it.

The note contains only two words: Help me. Rodny’s plea makes Mission feel isolated and alarmed, especially after Rodny had acted strained during their handshake. Realizing how dangerous the message could be if discovered, Mission tears the note into tiny pieces and scatters them into the silo’s open shaft.

Although the physical evidence is destroyed, Mission cannot get the message out of his mind. The chapter ends with Mission carrying both Wyck’s covert offer and Rodny’s desperate plea, leaving him pulled toward a deeper and more personal danger.