There are 200 or 300 survivors left, the employees estimate. What do they do all day, free of quotas and deadlines and Management breathing down their necks? "Uh... we're working on that." The ones you ran into have claimed one of the Biome spheres for their own— "it's hot property," especially since the main employee's-housing sphere vanished under goo— and show you rows of gardens, offices converted into shabby bedrooms, a paved walking path, a still-functioning vending machine. It's an order of magnitude less elaborate than the Headspace Collective's sprawling campus. Do they have to do everything by hand?

"Management wouldn't let people just think things up. It'd break the whole system. And it's not their manse, even now. Guess whose manse it is?"

You stare at Pat. "...Yours."

"Yeah. I mean, sort of. It's not the one up here." She jabs her temple. "And even if it was, I couldn't snap my fingers and give them a magic rainbow sparkle kingdom, or whatever you're thinking. Building a manse is hard, and then one person can come along and explode it, which is fun. But anyways. I'm the landlord, and I'm here for the goo no matter what, so it's no harm to bring supplies. I'm used to helping people who don't know what the hell's going on."

Huh? "You mean gooplicates?"

"No. I mean people who drowned five minutes ago. They land near the Pillar, I bail them out, I stop the gibbering, and if it seems like they're coping okay I send them off to the skimmers or whoever. Or I did all that until around a month ago, because I've been otherwise occupied."

Is she lying? Her voice is dry, but sarcastic-dry, or just tired? It's so hard to tell. "Really?"

"Yeah. Don't look so surprised. I have a different face for it, and it's not like you take a lot of interest in my hobbies, Charlotte."

"I thought your hobbies were making goo-people," you say honestly. "And... oh. And spelunking, I guess."

"Yeah. Another thing I haven't been doing. Seems Anthea doesn't appreciate my stunt. It's fine."

It's not fine. You have no doubt now that she's upset about it. Which she should be! Her "stunt" was shooting Gil and kidnapping Madrigal! But... you didn't know she helped people who just drowned. That's noble. And she's helping the employees right now, and Us, and she hasn't kidnapped anyone else, and Madrigal seems to think she's okay. You don't have to like Pat to not hate her, or even to feel bad. Heroic graciousness. Remember. "Maybe I could talk to Anthea? Or I could get Madrigal to talk to Anthea, and tell her that Gil's fine now, and she's fine now, so there really wasn't any harm done? Assuming you don't plan on shooting anybody else?"

"Why would I?" Pat's eyes flick to the side. "...You'd do that?"

"Duh? Hello? Why would I say that if I wouldn't do that?"

"I don't know."

"Okay, then! It's settled! I'll do it!"

———

(5/7)