Rainbows End Chapter 32 Summary

The Minimum Sufficient Response

  • Robert and Miri are in the mouse part of the lab.
  • They find the mice being used in Alfred's experiment and try to find the ones being prepped for launch.
  • Then they get sprayed with some liquid, which might be some sort of poison or might be just to scare them, they think.
  • Miri uses the glue that Tommie got to mess up the transports, so no mice get shipped out from this cabinet. (So much for that vacation from the lab, mice.) But there are many cabinets for various experiments.
  • So Robert and Miri race to stop any mice from being shipped out. And that's when whatever they were sprayed with kicks in. They start getting forgetful and just generally out of it.
  • Robert gets forgetful Miri to prevent the mice from being shipped out by telling her it's all a game.
  • Then something happens to the UP/Ex launcher. What?
  • Alfred is trying to rescue some of his experimental mice. Not because he likes mice—because he likes mind control.
  • Also, we learn here that Alfred didn't hurt Juan, but did erase his memory of the night with some drug.
  • But right before Alfred gets out, the US Marines hit the GenGen lab with a laser to destroy the UP/Express launcher. (The one that Robert and Miri were close to? Ruh-roh.)
  • Alfred tries to get out of the area and blend in with the crowd. He even hopes that the US attack has destroyed the evidence of what he was really doing.
  • And just to show that Alfred isn't a total monster, there's a moment where he smiles when he thinks Robert and Miri are probably fine.
  • Alfred tries to blend into the Bollywood crew that thinks he's a film executive—and then he hears Robert Gu through the network, asking for help.
  • Alfred can't see perfectly, but he sees Robert and Miri trapped in the lab. Should he help?
  • Meanwhile, back in the lab, Robert is pinned under a cabinet. The lab is a mess. And there's a bit of hot lava moving their way.
  • All this time, they've been feeling the effects of whatever sprayed them before: Miri is confused and Robert keeps calling her Cara, the name of his little sister.
  • Then Miri lies down because she doesn't feel so good. Which is normally a good idea, except when there's burning lava coming your way.
  • Robert calls out for help and tries to block the lava with whatever he can find.
  • He gets in contact with someone anonymous (who we know is Vaz because we just saw this scene from his POV). And then, guess who calls up? Zulfi Sharif!
  • While Sharif calls the police (finally doing something useful), Robert uses his arm to block the lava from killing Miri.