In this chapter, we learn that Mim, the bonehead, has been using a new synthetic narcotic called "phoenix" to control the city. Mim has linked this new drug to his terminal, and he is risking Mim's life in the process. He tells Mim that the city needs a new leader, and Mim is willing to do anything to help the city, even if it means risking his own life. He explains that the new drug bypasses the pre-frontal cortex, which is responsible for impulse control, and that anyone who uses the drug eventually goes insane. He wants Mim to test the new narcotic on a subject, so that he can learn more about its effects and how he can stop it. He asks Mim if he has guessed correctly that the police are trying to sell the drug, but Mim assures him that the drug is not yet known and that citizens are instructed not to use it.