On the television, host Buster Friendly teases a “special exposé” (38) that will be revealed in 10 hours. Isidore visits his new neighbor. A frightened, young woman opens the door, who seemingly has no belongings of her own. She is living in the empty apartment, surrounded by the possessions of the departed former occupant which Isidore refers to as “kipple” (39). As they talk, Isidore realizes that his new neighbor knows nothing about Mercerism, empathy boxes, Buster Friendly, or Earth slang. When he mentions that he is special, however, she becomes cold toward him. Though she insists that she cannot be friends with him, she does require his help to find furniture in the other empty apartments. She introduces herself to him as Rachael Rosen but, when Isidore mentions the “largest manufacturer of humanoid robots used in our colonization program” (41), she insists that her real name is Pris Stratton. She shuts the door in Isidore’s face. 

On his way to work, Isidore thinks about his strange meeting with Pris. Isidore works for a repair shop that specializes in fake animals. Because clients do not want people to know that their animals are fake, the repairmen dress as veterinarians.