Continues the confrontation introduced on page three of Chapter Three, focusing on a measured but increasingly pointed exchange between Ventrik and DeBarett inside the Metascience offices. The opening panel is a close-up of Ventrik’s face, his expression calm and unreadable behind reflective glasses as he questions the Circuits role in supporting interactions between the arcologies. He explains that no system can fully prevent theft or information loss and argues that, eventually, Metascience will have to work directly with other companies simply to maintain access to resources. Ventrik adds, with detached confidence, that no one is truly trapped in this place and that he could always return to the “real world” if he chose.

The perspective then shifts to DeBarett, shown standing with his arms crossed, posture rigid despite his polished appearance. He dismisses Ventrik’s claim with a quiet scoff, pointing out that everyone has heard how people on the outside are treated, and that no one truly trusts them enough to make it past the cordon in the first place. DeBarett concedes, with restrained sarcasm, that Ventrik could go back to work in the outside world if he wished. Ventrik adds a final, cutting remark that he could just as easily go work for the Wizards underscoring the ideological divide between calculated scientific ambition and corporate loyalty within the dystopian hierarchy.