Otto is on the phone with Leo’s therapist, Doctor Faraja Kariuki. This is one of those situations where an in-person examination is really necessary. Unfortunately, she’s in the United States, where Leo can’t go any longer. Sure, they could sneak in, but Otto asks about that, and is informed in no uncertain terms that there would be a duty to notify law enforcement.
The backup plan is to find someone in another country, then fill them in with Leo’s case notes.
The Newmen have no infrastructure anywhere else - nobody to call, no finances, no insurance. Arbogast’s words haunt Otto.
A ray of hope shines through.
“I can come somewhere else,” the therapist explains. “If you can find a way to arrange the billing, I’m willing to travel, for so unique a patient.”
The Spanish superhero, Hellenic, has graciously taken Otto’s call for help. She meets Dr. Kariuki at the airport in England, then flies her into an open stretch of air. A portal opens there, and the pair pass through.
Hellenic stays only long enough to drop off her passenger, out of respect for the privacy of the Newmen. Otto welcomes Kariuki and escorts her to the Nursery, where there’s a 24-hour rotating watch keeping an eye on Leo and Aria.
The therapist makes her examination, once again using the data from Leo’s neurochip and asking for Aria’s assistance in interpreting it.
“He can’t stay here,” is her conclusion. “He cannot live in this place. He can’t be underwater, or near the Atlanteans, or near other triggers for his prior trauma.”
“I have to be with him,” Aria asserts in no uncertain terms.
“Then you must leave too,” is the doctor’s conclusion.
“But… I’m building this city. I’m the administrator–”
“Then you must make a choice,” says Dr. Kariuki firmly.
Leo and Aria can’t go to the United States.
They can’t go anywhere without a Nursery, because that’s where their newborn baby has to live.
Hellenic and other European supers are sympathetic, but the legal proprieties must be obeyed. Privately, Hellenic conveys to Otto that they too are concerned about the optics of publicly associating someone the United States is on the outs with.
Antarctica is technically ungoverned, but it is lonely beyond measure. Leo cannot be allowed to wrap himself up into himself, the therapist warns. He needs contact.
The team discuss technical solutions, like remotely operated drones with holographic projectors.
It’s Otto who finally suggests the simple solution. “We’ll build another vehicle. Propulsion, automation, life support, and the rest is all Nursery. We’ll just drop it somewhere in an English-speaking country. Leo and Aria will live out of that, and hopefully find some neighbors. If shit goes south, the craft packs up and leaves, and we try again.”
The Newman boys get to work on building the new thing, which is dubbed the RV almost immediately.
Summer contributes by taking care of Fez, every moment she can, freeing Aria to tend to Leo more often.
The baby is visibly growing and maturing. From Aria’s numerous photos, reference images, and notes, she’s been obsessive about monitoring her baby’s development against some kind of metric, in a desperate bid to establish that her child is “normal”. For her part, Summer is happy enough to play with Fez, read to them, soothe them to sleep, and comfort them when they wake up crying or hungry.
Dr. Kariuki is assisting with Leo’s needs, although she makes it clear she is a therapist and not a caretaker. Rather, she spends time studying his brain patterns and other indicators.
Aria has worked out a difficult deal. The doctor gets to publish Leo as a case study in a book - an examination of hypergenius treatment - and the price of therapy will be covered by the book’s profits. It feels somehow wrong, but the doctor assures Aria that other geniuses will benefit from the research.
“My goal is not to profit from your husband, my dear,” she says. “Many medical breakthroughs were achieved thanks to unique opportunities, but sadly were exploited without the consent of the patient. I will not make that mistake with the two of you.”
Safe Harbor’s manufacturing base is able to assemble the RV much faster than it took to plan it. It’s only a few days after Leo’s incident that they’re able to start testing.
Aria carries Fez’s robotic brain, as delicately as though she were transporting the Crown Jewels, and plugs it into the waiting socket of the RV.
The system comes to life, and the holographic Nursery is restored from backup. At the center of it is her child, cooing in wonder and surprise.
Destinations are discussed. Countries with lots of open land and lax law enforcement are considered more appealing, as are those with difficult geography that would let someone hide out. The final four are Australia, Italy, Switzerland, and Ireland.
Aria opts for Australia. The pair of them have American accents that will stand out, but the hope is that they’ll be able to cover for that with a story that they’re travelers.
“If the cops show up, we’ll run for it,” Aria says. “Pack up and move on.”
Dr. Kariuki, as Leo’s therapist, signs off on the plan, with the caveat that doctor-patient confidentiality can only cover so many sins. Otto arranges with Hellenic for another pickup, and she says her goodbyes to everyone.
This clears the deck for the most important question: the administration of Safe Harbor in Aria’s absence.
“I’ve made a list of people I trust the most,” she says crisply. “I’ve informed seven of them that they’re now an executive council. Their decisions will be binding on Safe Harbor as a whole. The Launch System, and your rescue operations, will continue to be independent and under Otto’s direction - I’ve made that clear. But the rest of the city…”
She bites her lip. “I think I can trust them. I hope. I know I can trust all of you.” She looks from face to face, gauging her Newman family and friends. “I sometimes fear you’re the only people I can trust. This is difficult for me. But of my two babies, Fez is infinitely more important.”
Summer and Aria share a heartfelt, tearful hug. The others hug her as well. They help Leo on board the RV, with supportive pats to the shoulder and whispered words of encouragement.
The Hula Hoop opens onto the Australian outback, and Aria pilots it through. Then the portal closes, and the Newmen left behind let out a long collective sigh.