Wren spends the day doubting Declan’s promise of a safe rendezvous but decides the risk is worth taking. Near midnight, she slips out in a black operations uniform, noting active cameras despite Declan’s assurances. When she complains telepathically, Declan urges her on and projects a base map into her mind, guiding her to the western vehicle pool and the transport tunnel.

Wren navigates the base perimeter, avoiding sentries and passing tanks, and enters the tunnel where a woman signals her with an unfamiliar comm’s projected light. The woman introduces herself as Adrienne, younger than Wren expected and clearly dangerous despite no visible weapons. Adrienne states the network had ignored Wren because she “wasn’t important,” criticizes Julian Ash (Jim) as a liability, and reveals the network has jammers and camera loops active around the site.

Adrienne sets a hard condition: Wren must make it into Silver Elite to be useful, because the network needs to replace a top operative. When Wren realizes Adrienne means Betima, Adrienne confirms she opposed sending an empath due to liability from uncontrolled emotional triggers. Adrienne emphasizes a strict hierarchy: operatives take orders without debate, doing “anything, everything” required, with improvisation only to preserve cover.

Pressed on loyalty, Wren rejects support for the General, and Adrienne frames obedience as essential to ending the regime. Adrienne also reveals that Julian Ash had praised Wren’s sniper skill to the network. Wren admits she has been sabotaging her Program performance and is currently failing; Adrienne, seemingly consulting others mid-conversation, orders her to turn it around with five weeks left.

Adrienne invites a link and confirms Declan will be Wren’s handler, while reiterating that orders originate “from the top.” Ending the meeting, Adrienne disappears into the tunnel. Left alone, Wren weighs returning to failure and possible punishment against the empty prospect of life outside. She reflects on the ranch’s loss, surveillance of her village, and Betima’s execution by Roe Redden as symptoms of Command’s fear of Modifieds.

Resolving not to witness further executions of people she cares about, Wren commits to pursuing Silver Elite as her new path within the Uprising’s strategy.