Chapter Fifteen: A Maze of Beige

Summary

• The protagonist hates the anxiety of waiting for important outcomes that they have no control over.
• Despite nervousness about an upcoming hearing, the protagonist tries to focus on finding their father and checks four apps for a video screenshot but finds no hits.
• They have numerous tasks to consider but are distracted by the impending hearing and how it will affect Eugene, who is relying on an iPad for communication.
• John tells the protagonist that he is trying to convince Kenny to break into his neighbor's house, prompting the protagonist to excuse themselves.
• The protagonist unsuccessfully tries to overhear the intake-hearing conference and receives texts from the evidence team revealing their father's writings about "happiness quotient (HQ)" but is frustrated by incomplete information.
• While lost in the police station, the protagonist encounters a surveillance camera and acts lost to avoid suspicion, calling for help.
• Mona, a police staff member, finds the protagonist. Seizing the opportunity, the protagonist asks to see Dad's notebook in the evidence overflow room, which Mona arranges.
• In the evidence overflow room, the protagonist observes Octavius meticulously preserving their father's notebook and is moved to tears by the sight of it.
• The protagonist dons latex gloves to examine the notebook, which details their father's thoughts on the happiness quotient and its potential application.
• The protagonist realizes Dad has been conducting experiments related to happiness quotient and is particularly affected by one involving a movie they watched as part of their "Only Child Days."
• When John gave a higher rating to the movie than the protagonist due to expectation setting, the protagonist feels betrayed by their father's manipulation.
• The protagonist finds a typed sheet questioning the validity of the experiments, particularly in relation to the protagonist's cynical nature and their effect on happiness ratings.
• Feeling hurt by their father's words, the protagonist questions the validity and ethics of the experiments.
• The protagonist finds a mention of "EXPERIMENT #24" dated the day before, sparking fear that their father's disappearance may be part of an experiment.
• Exiting in distress, the protagonist meets John, who has a revelation regarding the neighbor with the video of their father.
• John has discovered that Detective Janus has had the video since the night before but has been withholding this information.