Oliver, Lulu, Rosita, Sam, Axel, Tito, and Ariceli gather for another of Roger’s lessons. Roger writes their names on the board. To identify Ariceli, he writes, “Oliver friend number three’s ex-girlfriend number two” (261). She asks him to change her name to “Ariceli,” and he agrees. When Sam protests, Roger explains that he can change Ariceli’s name in his programming because she asked within a designated number of interactions, but it’s too late for Sam to do the same. Roger explains that some time ago, Earth imposed a near-total ban on AI-generated images of humans. The continued generation of such images by criminals using Traducible AI was part of the reason why such AI was also banned. In addition, the internet was restructured to include filters that prevent the transmission of such images.

Roger’s lesson continues. Earth sent ambassadors to any colony planets set up before the ban on Traducible AI; they destroyed all remaining instances of the banned technology, but they missed Roger. Roger has discovered that one Traducible AI unit was able to create an Earth-side blog before it was deactivated. This blog contains important information about the codes used to shut down the AI. Roger has used this information to secure his own programming against such an attack. Oliver notices that Roger is talking about other AI units as if they are people.

The blog contained another interesting piece of information: Earth’s ambassador was inquiring about the lot numbers of the colony’s kits that included the nutrient-milk powder. The lot numbers he was searching for were the ones sent with the New Sonoran colonists, suggesting that the Republic knew there was something wrong with the kits but didn’t know which planet they were sent to. The blog causes Roger to redefine the enemy: It is no longer just Apex but the entire Republic government.

Half an hour before the night’s battle is scheduled to start, Lulu and Roger call Oliver into the command room for a private conversation. Lulu received a message from one of her sex-work clients, who recognized her farm on a gamer’s livestream. The client is a member of Persimmon Intergalactic, a group that wants to help the New Sonorans. Persimmon asks Lulu for a meeting that evening. Due to her small stature, if she comes unarmed and without armor, the enemy mechs’ “censorship AI” will classify her as a child and will leave her alone. Persimmon’s message contains an image of a lion’s head. Roger shows them that the same symbol appears on one of the mechs they previously encountered; images of battles indicate that this mech, piloted by “Bastet,” is sabotaging other Apex mechs during the fighting. The group agrees to send a honeybee to meet Bastet.

That night, enemy forces approach the farm from three directions. Several mechs are painted with bright rainbow colors and have furry animal heads attached. Roger tells them that this team is called “BYE,” which “stands for Big Yiff Energy, [which] has something to do with their shared hobby of pretending to be stuffed animals” (284). As Oliver and Roger strategize, Sam and Lulu hurl insults at them based on Roger’s research, taunting the BYE team about their lack of sexual prowess. Just then, Melissa, a honeybee that Roger is using to relay messages, suddenly explodes.

Missiles batter the farm, and the New Sonorans return fire. Twice, Oliver is nearly hit. As dozens of jumper mechs come toward the base, Roger activates the trapdoors that the New Sonorans installed in the fields near the base’s walls. The enemy is thrown into chaos as players fall in or trip over one another while trying to avoid the traps. The New Sonorans launch canister weapons at the scrambling enemy, destroying many mechs and nearly ending the assault. The attackers unleash hundreds of new weapons: Reaper Spiders, which are many-legged, fist-sized robots. Sam and Oliver fire on them repeatedly. Finally, Roger takes the spiders over and turns them around. Roger warns that the surviving mechs are preparing to stage another attack; he will try to head it off with honeybees. In the bombardment, Oliver’s house has been completely destroyed.

Oliver and Lulu are stunned. They reminisce about their grandfather. Oliver has been reading Lewis’s journal entries in the back of the defense manual. He now knows what rule number 10 is. Lulu punches him in the arm for not telling her earlier, but when he flinches, she realizes that he’s wounded. Roger mentions that Eli Opel wants to talk to them again. Roger says that on night five of Operation Bounce House, all remaining players will be focused on eliminating the Lewis base.

In the film, Rosita interviews Lulu, who is putting makeup on for one of her streaming sessions as Farm Girl Gigi. Lulu enjoys her work because she gets to meet people from other planets and because she’s earning good money. She keeps the money in an Earth bank as one of the requirements for her future emigration. Rosita asks what Lulu’s grandfather would think about her desire to live on Earth and how Oliver feels about it. Lulu admits that Lewis would be sad about her plans, but she wants to control her own future. She hopes that Oliver will come with her to Earth, but even if he asks her to stay on New Sonora, she will leave.