Worried about injury and mutation, the party of Umeko, Lilac and Xander retire to HMS Equalizer's infirmary to check for damage, with Anisa joining her brother elsewhere on the ship. The ship's medical chief declares the group healthy, minus cuts and bruises, except for Umeko: although she cannot pinpoint the difference, Head Chirurgeon Shirvinj declares Umeko to be off in some what she can't fully articulate. Disturbed, but assured she'll be fine, Umeko is left wondering what, exactly, happened to her. She hasn't time to worry long, when she finds out another nerve-wracking revelation: the Emperor demands her presence, and soon.