Testing the Limits

In the Game Room, Lin Mo slowly released the girl's hand. Her hand stayed where it was, as though she didn't know what to do next.

Lin Mo picked up a relatively intact piece of the broken red building block and placed it in her palm.

"This one's broken."

The girl looked down at the piece.

"Be gentler next time."

She said nothing, but she held on to the piece instead of crushing it again.

The first contact experiment lasted only twenty minutes.

After that, the girl showed no obvious interest in the new building blocks, stuffed animals, or picture books the researchers brought in. She remained seated close to Lin Mo.

Now and then, she looked at her own hand, then at Lin Mo's wrist, as if checking again and again that their earlier contact hadn't hurt him.

When the allotted time ended, an instruction came over the speaker.

"SOL-0, stand up."

Lin Mo looked toward the Observation Window. Time was up. They wanted him out.

"Today's activity is over."

"Please proceed to the exit."

He didn't move at once. The blond girl raised her head too, following his gaze to the glass.

Lin Mo knew Vought was watching to see how she reacted to being separated from him.

Refusing to leave would only cause trouble, so he didn't linger. Besides, he had already achieved what he came for.

He rose from the carpet and brushed the building-block fragments off his clothes.

The girl remained where she was, looking up at him. Reluctance showed in her eyes, but she didn't move.

Lin Mo walked toward the door, and a metal security door slowly opened.

A caregiver stood outside without entering the Game Room and gestured for him to come out.

Lin Mo crossed the threshold. The girl behind him didn't lash out, follow him, or destroy anything.

The monitoring data showed that although her heart rate had risen, it remained within a controllable range.

The researchers in the Observation Room visibly relaxed.

"First contact successful."

"Joanna displayed no aggressive behavior."

"Recommend repeating the experiment."

"Assess the feasibility of Lin Mo providing long-term companionship."

Vogelbaum smiled too, but before he could bring the proceedings to a close, an unexpected sound came from the room.

Lin Mo heard the metal door begin to close behind him. He didn't turn around.

Just as the gap narrowed to a slit, a voice suddenly came from inside the Game Room.

The word sounded clumsy, as though she hadn't spoken in a long time and wasn't even sure how to say it.

"Come back."

Lin Mo stopped. The caregiver froze as well.

In the Observation Room, every eye turned to the monitor.

The blond girl still sat on the colorful carpet, holding the broken piece of red building block.

Through the narrowing gap, her pale eyes stayed fixed on Lin Mo's retreating figure.

It was the simplest request a three-year-old could make.

Lin Mo turned back. Through the closing door, he looked at the girl who might one day become Homelander.

Then he gave a slight nod.

"Okay."

The metal door closed completely, but every researcher behind the glass had heard her.

For the first time, Joanna had asked for someone to come back without being prompted.

Joanna's first unprompted request for someone to return caused a far greater stir in the research wing than Lin Mo had expected.

In the six hours after the first contact experiment, the researchers pulled footage from every camera angle in the room.

They analyzed it frame by frame: Joanna's gait when she entered the Game Room, how much force each finger exerted when she grabbed Lin Mo's wrist, and the changes in their heart rates, pupils, and brainwaves after they made contact.

A preliminary report reached Vogelbaum's office that very evening.

Its conclusion was clear.

Lin Mo's presence had significantly lowered Joanna's guard.

During their contact, Joanna had shown no unprovoked aggression.

After Lin Mo spoke to guide her, she had even shown conscious control of her strength for the first time. More importantly, at the end of the experiment, Joanna had displayed a clear stress response to separation.

She had neither damaged the room nor attacked the staff. Instead, she had used words to express her desire for Lin Mo to return.

For a test subject who had long refused to communicate and had been unable to form stable relationships, this was almost a breakthrough.

"It isn't that she can't form a bond with someone."

Frank, head of the behavioral psychology research team, stood in the conference room and addressed the video on the screen. "She just can't maintain contact with ordinary people."

The screen showed the moment Joanna touched Lin Mo's wrist for the third time.

The first time, she had used enough force to crush an adult's bones.

The second time, she had used less. The third time, she had touched him lightly with her fingertips.

"Ordinary caregivers can't endure her trial-and-error process."

Frank continued, "They get scared. They pull away. Once they're hurt, they ask to end contact."

"Joanna keeps receiving the wrong message. She doesn't know why they're afraid, and she can't understand what she did wrong."

"But Lin Mo is different."

The video froze on the moment Lin Mo took her hand.

"His defensive ability gives them enough room for trial and error. He can withstand Joanna's initial strength while giving her feedback through words and expressions."

Vogelbaum sat at the end of the long table, tapping his fingers lightly against its surface.

"So you think we should continue their contact?"

"Yes."

"How often?"

"I wouldn't recommend making it too frequent yet."

Frank replied, "Joanna has only just begun to take an interest in Lin Mo. Too much contact could create dependence or cause us to lose control of the experimental variables."

"I suggest a second contact session first. We can decide what comes next based on the results."

Vogelbaum was in a good mood, but he didn't agree right away. Instead, he made a point of asking for other opinions.

He looked across the table at Marty, the researcher responsible for safety assessment.

"What about the risks?"

"Manageable for now."

Marty thought for a moment before speaking slowly. "Lin Mo's defensive ability is a major advantage. He sustained no real injuries, and Joanna showed no hostility toward his ability. That's certainly good news."

"But I recommend introducing an element of competition in the second experiment."

"An element of competition?" Vogelbaum frowned and asked for clarification.

"Ownership of an object, for example." Marty pulled up another file.

"Joanna has shown a strong attachment to a blue blanket. When caregivers previously tried to take it out of her room, she became severely aggressive."

"We could put the blanket in the Game Room and see whether Lin Mo touching it triggers a protective or possessive response from Joanna."

The conference room fell briefly silent.

Barbara, who had said nothing until then, frowned. Vogelbaum also tried to dissuade him.

"That could damage the bond they've only just formed."

"Every relationship needs to be stress-tested."

Marty didn't argue. He went on, "Vought can't settle for knowing they get along under calm conditions."

"What if resources are contested? We need to know whether Joanna will attack Lin Mo, and whether Lin Mo can truly take on this role and become someone new for Joanna to depend on."