They lead you into one of the domes in the back. In addition to the usual VE feeding equipment, there is a table with a collection of objects on it: a scalpel, a metal file, a blowtorch, a plastic bag, and some duct tape. It would seem like a random assortment, if you didn't know better.
"What is this about?" you ask.
"I trust you, André Timoteo," Chalidah says. "For better or for worse. This is about Lori getting to trust you too."
"Lori?"
"Yes. She's alive."
So your client was right.
"Is she here?"
Sendra chuckles. "Of course not," she says.
"Then where?"
"This is where trust comes in," Chalidah says.
"What do I have to do?"
"You connected to both Mike and Sendra yesterday," Chalidah says. "You know the kind of connection that develops between feeder and user. The user gets to know the feeder on such an intimate level that it makes your closest friends feel like mere acquaintances in comparison."
"Are you saying you want Lori to connect to me so that I can gain her trust?"
"You're getting warm," Sendra says.
"It's not the technology itself that allows that kind of deep knowledge," Chalidah explains. "The feeder needs to be feeling something intense, to be near an emotional or sensorial edge. This is what reveals them to the user. This is what makes the connection visceral, real."
"So…what are you saying exactly?" You point at the selection of objects on the table, imagine what they can do. "You basically want to torture me so you can trust me? Or, wait, you want me to torture myself?" You shake your head. "This is preposterous."
"We'll help you through it," Chalidah adds, as if that makes everything all right. "But understand this: This is how we do things. Our lives are on the line, so our way is the only way here. If you refuse to do it, you're out. You won't be getting any more help from us. Lori's conditions."