Alita's ship has docked at a secret location in the middle of the city. It's called the onion frame, and it's where the ladder assembly room is located. The city of ketheres, which is part of the orbit, has extraterritorial jurisdiction over the city, so there's a lot of security around it. Alita wonders what she's supposed to do with the brain in the box. She's not sure how to use it, but she wants to make sure that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. The tether robot is trying to go after them, but the rope is too high for them to get away. They can't see each other, but they know that they've been sealed off. They don't know why they're back. They're not sure why they came back at all. They have no business in the city anymore.