The narrator tells us that he and his sister were conceived in a "test tube" in the alternative research facility in Talkeetna. They were able to read their mother's emotions, but they were unable to determine whether or not humanity was a "form of life." The narrator says that he was surprised that the beta did not see humanity as "a form of life," and that he expected results in the same way. He asks about the device, and the narrator tells him that it is a parallel robot. He tells the narrator that the alternative program is to transition to the next stage, and that the base will cease operations. He says that the narrator should be ashamed when he first came to the research facility, because he was the one who showed that he wasn't a "enemy agent" or a "plain delusional" person. The narrator then tells the reader that he is free to use the time as he sees fit, but that he should not ask about his feelings for his mother.