"There haven't been any peer-reviewed studies, but in general, since some people find certain Objects more addictive, adding combinations increases the risk."

"Ah. Well I'm not sure I quite care about that at the moment. What combinations have been tried?"

"There's only one that's ever been recorded. The knife and the wristwatch grant telepathy."

"—what? Why?"

"I'm very sure there was some kind of combination when the Collectors disbanded. They gathered them, they planned to use them all in conjunction with the Room somehow. I've never been very curious about the details, but none of the current Object owners seem to know."

"Not every set of Objects can combine to have a new effect. Some 'combinations' don't actually do anything. Finding combinations that work isn't something most people end up caring about, they just try to hold onto whatever they have." 

"Um, good to know, but I was actually wondering how the heck the knife combines with the wristwatch—it boils eggs, really?—to grant telepathy."

"Objects don't have obvious effects on their own. Combinations aren't any better."

"We have no idea," she summarizes.

"Okay. So. What now? What can you help with?" he asks Braeden.

"I can disable most electronic security systems fairly easily, and I'm skilled in hand-to-hand combat, trained to use knives, swords, and firearms. If you need someone with you to break into the vault, I can help, and I'm generally good in every case you might want hired muscle or a bodyguard."

"Okay. What about this vault's defenses? Do we know what they are, if there are any?"

"We don't have much. It's within a prison that one of the Collectors worked at. No clue what kind of defenses it has."

"But you know where it is or how to get there?"

"I can show you the map, or give you coordinates. I'm not sure what kind of input the Key needs."

"If we need a blowtorch or explosives, I can supply them."

"I need to have a more or less accurate mental image of my destination, otherwise it just sends me somewhere random within parameters."

"We might have older pictures of the outside of the prison."

They do. He provides it.

"I can probably use this. Should we worry about anything else?"

"This won't be dangerous. It's just about getting through the defenses."

"Okay." Pause. "Thank you," he says sincerely.

Door?

Door, Room. 

"So I guess it went well?"

"Reasonably. This is Braeden, the person who shot my mom trying to shoot the one who kidnapped you."