On pages 160-173, Nathan reunites with Carolyn Powell at the Hidden Spring. She shows him the Flesya plant (which Nathan previously saw in Max Powell's lab) which provides electrical power for the underground colony. Bryan the robot is also here, and it plays recorded evidence of Andrew Bacon's molestation of Carolyn and his murder of her father Max. Bryan also calls Max "Dad." In the recording, Max speaks to the robot:

“Bryan, whatever happens, you must not intervene. Your job is to go to the Spring and wait for Carolyn to arrive. Then you will have to finish the job.”

“Sure, Dad. I understand: Go back to the Spring... Wait for Carolyn... Take care of the lab... Finish the job.”

“Bravo, Bryan.”

(Bacon arrives with Larry Frost.) “Here I am, Max. On time for our meeting.”

(Max points at Frost.) “He was not invited.”

“Frost is my bodyguard. You will understand. In these times, I prefer to have him by my side. That tin box, on the other hand, annoys me quite a bit. You turned it off, I hope.”

“Bryan's turned off, yes. After all, he also prefers not to listen to your unkind jabs towards him.”

“So, Max, let's get to the point. Why don't you want to design the new dam? Do you realize that I've put all my resources into this deal?”

“...a deal that has reduced thousands of people to poverty, forcing them to emigrate to that damned city that your fellow entrepreneurs built!”

“Since when do you care so much about people? You didn't seem to have any qualms when you designed the first dam!”

“I... I only realized the mistake later.”

“Yes, very convenient. And now you want to make me look like a monster and clear your own conscience, yet you owe your own success to the dam as well!”

“Yeah, but at what cost? By passively accepting your presence in my life... your 'presence' next to my wife Alice!”

“So that's what this is all about? You're leaving me in the lurch for some kind of belated private revenge? It's not worth it, Max, believe me. And your wife is a pathetic woman who certainly didn't deserve someone as smart as you, and I mean it.”

“I loved her, Andrew, but more than Alice, you should have left Carolyn alone!”

“So you know about her too... But what can I tell you? Your daughter was such a sweetheart! To be honest, I used her mother to get to her. I like them young... a bad little habit I can't resist.”

“You're a bastard, Andrew. But it's all my fault, because I turned my head away, pretending not to see.”

(Nathan interrupts) “Carolyn, If you prefer us to stop the recording, that's fine with us. We'll review it with a judge, once we get to town.”

“Thank you, Nathan, but you have to see. You have to see.”

(Back to Max on the recording) “I lost my wife. My daughter. My dignity. All so our business would not be jeopardized! Carolyn will never forgive me, but I want nothing more to do with you!”

“Fine. Drop everything and go, but first tell me about the secret spring.”

“I don't know what you're talking about!”

“That damned native shaman also refused to answer me, but I realized that he had told you the secret!”

“Finding the spring won't do you any good anyway, because I've decided to report you, Andrew! I've recorded all our business. We'll get to the bottom of this together!”

“You leave us no choice, Larry, what do you say?”

“I say I was waiting for this! Nothing personal, Engineer.”

“No, stop! Stop!”

(Nathan interjects again) “All right, Bryan. We understand. Stop the screening.”

“As you wish, Sir.”

“That's enough, Carolyn. This recording, combined with the evidence we've already gathered, will nail Bacon and Frost for life.”

“You'll take care of this, right, Nathan?”

“I'll personally arrest both Frost and Bacon. I just hope the people of New Alamo come to an agreement for new water supplies.”

“Bryan, we need a copy of the recording... can you send it to this memory chip?”

“Sure. Here, did you get the file?”

“Yes, thank you. It's all good. Now we can go.”

“Later, Bryan.”

“Bye, Carolyn.”

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