Jaeden ends up spending most of the night tinkering with the mysterious device from the attic, repeatedly entering the empty “white room” simulation, hoping to find something he might have missed. Once, he thinks he sees a shadowy figure, but calling out yields no response. Exhausted, he eventually falls asleep at his desk, waking up to his alarm with his XR rig still on, leaving his skin raw and sticky from prolonged contact.

Stumbling into the kitchen, he finds Xander already up, preparing breakfast. Xander notices Jaeden’s tired appearance and teases him for staying up so late working on the rig. Jaeden, still puzzled by the device, shares his frustration, but Xander reassures him, suggesting they can explore it further together later. After a quick breakfast of toaster pastries, Jaeden drops Xander off at school, making plans to pick him up after physical therapy.

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At work, Jaeden picks up coffee and donuts, then meets Vee for lunch. She offers to come over that evening to help him troubleshoot the mysterious rig, intrigued by its origins and curious about what Jaeden’s dad might have been working on before he passed. Jaeden appreciates her intuition and problem-solving skills, grateful to have her insight on something he can’t quite figure out.

After Vee heads back to her office, Jaeden’s day is interrupted by his office rival, Dirk, who taunts him about the “goofy grin” Vee left on his face. Dirk also informs him that the boss wants to see him—news Jaeden should have received an hour ago. Rushing to the boss’s office, Jaeden reflects on the uncanny nature of the computerized receptionist, who operates just below the threshold of true AI, a reminder of the controlled boundaries in tech that keep full autonomy at bay.

The receptionist grants him entry, and Jaeden steels himself for whatever his boss has in store.