Summary
Isidore realizes that he is gripping the handles of the empathy box when the lights go out in his apartment. Irmgard grabs him by the shoulder and directs him to go to the door if the bounty hunter knocks. She then tells Isidore to tell the bounty hunter that he lives in the apartment and that he is alone. Stratton then urges Isidore to prevent Deckard from entering the apartment because of what he will do to the androids. Isidore makes his way to the door and pauses to listen. Roy moves behind Isidore, who is now able to smell fear seeping out of the android. He directs Isidore to move out into the hallway, which Isidore does, still clutching a small spider in his hand. Isidore makes his way down the hallway and descends the stairs until he is in what used to be a garden terrace. Isidore makes his way along a path through the now dilapidated garden and releases the spider in a patch of weeds. A man asks Isidore what he is doing. Isidore responds that he’s just released a spider and the man asks Isidore why he doesn’t keep it, quoting a price from Sydney’s. Isidore replies that if he takes it back to his apartment “she’d” cut it apart again. The man then states that that is something androids do. At this point Isidore is able to make out the medium build of Deckard, who reminds Isidore more of an administrative clerk than the monster he had originally imagined. Deckard identifies himself to Isidore and asks if the androids are currently upstairs in Isidore’s apartment. Isidore explains that he is taking care of them in his apartment. Deckard asks Isidore to take him to the apartment. Isidore tells Deckard that if he kills the androids, Deckard will thereby be incapable of fusing with Mercer. Isidore refuses to help Deckard, so Deckard turns into the apartment building on his own.

Inside, Deckard contemplates how Isidore must have felt to find a living creature. He makes his way to the next floor and senses something moving in the shadows. Deckard announces that he will shoot if it moves, and he tries to bring out his laser tube, but without success. The figure then states that he is not an android, but Mercer himself, and that he is living the building because of Isidore. Deckard asks Mercer if what he is about to do means that he will be “outside of Mercerism.” Mercer responds that what Deckard is doing has to be done, something he has already told Deckard. Mercer then states that one of the androids is behind Deckard and below him, but not in the apartment. He continues to tell Deckard that this is the most difficult android that must be retired first. Then Mercer urges Deckard to respond quickly because the android is on the steps.

Deckard, now able to grab his laser tube, faces the stairs to see what appears to be Rachel Rosen approaching. He directs her to go back to Seattle and leave him alone. Then Deckard realizes that it isn’t Rosen after all. The android reaches out for Deckard and appeals to everything they have been through together. Deckard then fires his laser tube and blows her into small pieces. Deckard looks around for Mercer, but Mercer is not there. Deckard then realizes that Mercer had warned him and possibly saved his life. This instills new confidence in Deckard as he heads down the hallway with his detection gear poised. The gear alerts him to cephalic activity coming from...