This is even easier than she expected. Kenzie can wake up now.

"Hi that was a really cool dream - I knew you were going to do something because I was listening to you through the door and also it's impressive how you faked your death the Protectorate thought it was real and I made sure my Friendly Finding Box didn't let them know it wasn't when it found you - I made it to find you the first time you ran off with Lacuna - and you seemed so nice so I followed you sorry I'm talking so much you were going to ask me questions about how I got here also Chelsea I like what you've done with your hair it's really nice and you should do my hair too."

And a deep breath in.

"Why were you following us to begin with?"

"Well first it was because the Protectorate wanted to find you after you left with Lacuna, and this time it was because my FFB found you and I watched you and read what the PRT wrote in your psychology profiles and it said you really wanted everyone to love you and get along and -" hiccup "-and no one wants me to love them or gets along with me. And also Panacea is famous and has a superhero family which I've always wanted to have and so I figured if I came I could have those things."

"Where does the Protectorate think you are now?"

"They think I died too! I figured you guys probably had the right idea and did it myself. I was having a rough time beforehand so I don't think anyone was suspicious. And then I came here with my holo-mom - I brought the FFB and some lab things though there's still a bunch to setup, my things suck at being moved around."

"Would you definitely know if anyone besides me noticed the holo-mom?"

"Yes, there's eye tracking and you two were the only ones who looked at her for more than a second or got nearby her at all enough to notice and we only stopped at one rest stop before getting here, I can show you the footage if that helps - though my fancy screens aren't setup yet so it will look mostly like ordinary footage and not 3D huh I'm surprised I'm not very tempted to go on about tinker things the truth thing you're doing seems to make me go on about lots of other things even more than normal and normally I go on and on about tinker things but I guess that's not how it works is it wow panacea your power is cool."

Panacea really has no idea what to make of this, except that she feels sort of bad for Kenzie in addition to being anxious about the whole situation.

"Thanks."

"What do they think killed you?"

"I blew up my lab."

"Thoroughly enough that they won't notice you didn't leave a body or any bits of one?"

"Yes."

Chelsea looks at Panacea.

"She's definitely not lying about any of it."

"I can tell that much, I just want your opinion on whether we should - add to our little band, here."

"Oh uh. If it's safe? Yeah." Panacea can tell how much Kenzie wants to join... it reminds her of herself, in a way. And she really doesn't want to hurt her.

"Yes please? Please? Pretty please??? Please please please please please  sorry I can't stop saying please I think it's the thing Panacea did makes it hard to just say things on the inside. Please. P-"

She can filter now.

"-lease. Okay I'll shut up now sorry."

"Okay. What have you got installed in this room?"

It turns out, quite a lot! Mostly cameras and screens and a projector and some trackers, minimal tools for maintaining the important stuff, and the bare bones lab equipment which she's in middle of bootstrapping.

"What's your specialty?"

"Cameras and difficult to move boxes. And also screens but that's part of the camera specialty."

"...difficult to move?"