While Lynne carefully massages the ointment onto Austin's battered leg in his dimly lit room, Sam walks down the narrow hallway, joining Henry and Maddie. Their footsteps echo slightly on the cold, polished floor as they all head back to the Gathering Zone, the tension between them palpable. Austin's agonizing cries from earlier still reverberate in their minds, a grim reminder of what defying Mother can cost. The fluorescent lighting overhead flickers faintly, casting uneven shadows on the walls, as though the house itself were alive, breathing and watching their every move.

Henry breaks the silence, his voice low but urgent. "Elijah told me there's a way to take back the power from Mother. He said it before, and I know it's true now. Mother even hinted at it earlier." He looks back and forth between Maddie and Sam, desperation gleaming in his eyes. "We just have to figure out how."

Sam stops walking, folding her arms across her chest. Her eyes narrow. "And what exactly is this supposed power, Henry? Do you even know? Or are we just pinning our hopes on some random emails from a guy you've never even met?"

Henry stiffens but doesn't back down. "I trust Elijah. He's been watching, trying to help us. And he's right about everything else so far. If he says there's power here, then there is. We need to find it."

Maddie's voice is softer, tinged with exhaustion but also curiosity. "But how do we even start? This place is a maze of lies and traps. What if we're just running straight into another one?"

Henry's gaze flicks to Sam, his tone imploring. "Do you trust me?"

Sam hesitates, her lips pressing into a thin line. She looks away, her fingers tightening against her arms. "I don't know," she finally admits, her voice waffling.

Henry's shoulders sag slightly, but he nods as if he expected the response. "Then trust the evidence," he says, gesturing toward the small desk in the corner where the laptop sits. "Come with me. I'll show you everything Elijah's sent me. Let me prove it to you."

The three of them head to the small desk, as they gather around the laptop. The screen casts a pale glow on their faces as Henry pulls up his email inbox. He scrolls through Elijah's responses, pointing out the detailed observations, the carefully chosen words, the personal anecdotes about Elijah's brother and the stuff Elijah's abuela taught him.

"This isn't SEED," Henry insists, his voice firm. "No way would they bother with this kind of detail if it was just another trap. Elijah's real, and he has always been on our side."

Maddie leans closer, her eyes scanning the messages. "If he's real," she murmurs, "he might be our only shot."

Sam exhales sharply, rubbing her temple as though trying to massage away her doubts. "Fine," she says grudgingly. "Let's see what your imaginary hacker friend has to say this time."

Henry doesn't respond to her sarcasm. Instead, he types a quick, urgent message:

Subject: Rough Days

Hey Spock,

It's been a few days...rough days on my end. I don't know what is going on with the outsiders. But I need some guidance quick. If you saw what you saw the past few minutes, the nation is not on our side. Mommie dearest is the worst mom ever. Help us! Have anything?!

– Data out

As they wait for a response, the seconds tick by agonizingly slowly. Sam's foot taps impatiently on the floor, while Maddie keeps glancing nervously at the camera lens above them. Then, the familiar ping of an incoming email cuts through their elevated stress. All three of them huddle closer to read Elijah's reply:

Subject: Don't Worry

Hey Data,

I saw what mommie dearest did to Austin. Horrible! She needs to stop. Remember I told you, the greatest prize is that power. That power she claimed she has, you need to take it back. I think I may have something to help you. Hold on for one sec.

– Spock out

Henry's eyes light up. "See?" he says triumphantly. "Elijah knows what he's doing. He's onto something."

Maddie's lips twitch into a tentative smile. "Maybe this is it. Maybe this is the 'something' we need."

Sam remains skeptical, her brow raised with some doubts. She reads the message again. "Or maybe it's just another wild goose chase. What if this is another trap? Another way to mess with us?"

Henry shakes his head adamantly. "It's not!" He turns to her. "Elijah wouldn't do that."

"You really do believe him?!" Sam looks baffled, still with that qualm.

"I always have. This has been our best chance..." Henry pauses, "Like Maddie said, might be our only chance."

Before Sam can offer her opinion to that, another email pings into the inbox. Henry opens it quickly, revealing a cryptic message:

Subject: The Key

Hey Data,

The gardeners made a mistake. They may have allowed their seeds to fertilize into the ground. Allowed mommie dearest to run amok. But they forgot the key. A key that led some outsiders to the shed. In the shed lies a map of a greenhouse. They have lost their minds once they abandoned the key. For anyone to steal. To take back. Check out the greenhouse in the attachment.

– Spock out

Henry clicks the attached file open. Once reveal, they examine what looks like an intriguing schematic, a detailed first floor plan of a house-like structure. The structure oddly bares similarities to many of the rooms and open space that match their environment. While Henry and Sam don't put it together at first, Maddie's breath catches. She notices it.

"Wait, is that..." She says, pointing to the screen. "...this place?!"

Sam leans closer, her eyes darting across the lines and labels. "It is," she says grimly. "But what does it mean?"

Henry's finger traces a section of the map marked with bold initials: MCN. Beneath it, scrawled in faint handwriting, are the words: Data...Mind

"Those words, that's near the Forbidden Room," Henry says, pointing to the scratched out room nearby the initial entry mark, which matches where the artificial front door lies here. "Elijah... he's telling us to go there."

Sam becomes startled when she notices something familiar by the border of the schematic. She notices a name and privately freaks out. Without alerting the others, she quickly steps back and retreats quietly to the couch. Henry notices her leaving.

"Sam?" Henry looks puzzled by her movement. "Are you okay?"

Sam doesn't respond. Before Henry can concentrate on her, Maddie starts to see something happening to the laptop screen.

"Henry, do you see it?" She asks concernedly.

Henry glances back at the screen, and to his horror begins to see it. Some dangerous signs materializing. Knowing this is a problem. A major problem. "Oh no!"

The laptop screen suddenly flickers violently. A bright red warning fills the display: TROJAN VIRUS ACTIVATED

"No!" Henry reacts aggressively, his hands darting to the keyboard as the screen glitches and then before he can fully have time to react. The screen goes black. Frustrated, he slams the keys, but nothing happens. "No! No! No!"

Maddie grabs his shoulder, trying to calm him. "Henry, stop. It's gone."

He stares at the blank screen, his chest heaving. "SEED must have cut it off," he says, his voice breaking. "They finally found out Elijah was helping us, and what he has been doing to the firewalls. So they... they killed it."

Maddie's attempt at humor is weak but earnest. "Well, at least they can't blame any of us for killing the computer."

Henry gives her a half-hearted smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes. He glances at Sam, who is sitting on the couch with her head bowed in a downcast quietness.

"Sam?" He asks cautiously. "Are you okay?"

She doesn't respond at first, her body rigid. Finally, she speaks, her voice strained and low. "I saw something on that blueprint. A name."

"A name?" Henry frowns as he turns to Maddie with a befuddled look. Maddie does the same. As he turns back to Sam, he asks her. "What name?"

The name hangs in her mouth, heavy and distressing. As the others await what she knows, Sam lifts her head with her face pale. After a long stressful minute, she eventually speaks it out.

"Dr. Illam Gerro."