It isn’t surprising the topic of not having a dad was something that affected Lucy. Obviously it isn’t near the circumstance that Charlie had to deal with, but for a kid it is understandable to be confused about why I don’t have a father. You can see why she latched onto both Phil & Gilbert. Hell, even Hannah as a mother who would listen.
This volume really showcases that everyone is trying to use Charlie to their own benefit. Of course Charlie has his own free will, and it appears that the Gilbert CEO lacks that understanding. In fact, he might be as deranged as Feyerabend because of his mentions of modifying your genes. Still, if people are willing to change their genes, they might want to mix genes of someone like Charlie, which, as we’ve seen with Omelas, is dangerous if that is put in the wrong hands. Hell, his treatment of Dr. Grossman despite having dementia is another sign that he is bad news.
I do have to credit Feyerabend because he knows how to make the most out of his situation. Calling a ceasefire temporarily with Charlie was smart. The reveal that Dr. Grossman has dementia and a bad case is rough. Though, as expected, it doesn’t hit Charlie well because he is very logical. He is different from Omelas, where his creation started him suffering, where Charlie hasn’t suffered until Omelas made his moves. In fact, Charlie tries to save his father because he knows that just because he might be able to recall his research doesn’t make it right at all. The defense that it’s better for humanity is more a selfish reason from the CEO. He is going to learn soon, like Feyerabend, that Charlie won’t be fine with being a mascot.
The dive into Omelas’s suffering is quite apparent when Dr. Yuan mentions that he has a spider in his brain. It really says a lot that you would need to put that in his head for him to function. Of course that is how he unlocked his genius, much like Charlie, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that he worked his way to removing it safely. Still, you can see the disappointment in him learning about his father, Dr. Grossman’s condition.
You can see the pain in Dr. Yuan’s eyes, and you can tell she regrets giving birth to him. Normally it is a terrible thing to say to your child, but given what Omelas is doing, it makes the conversation seem less off-putting, interestingly enough. Omelas does try to be true to himself, and sadly that is a threat to humanity. Now, even worse, he has taken Lucy hostage.
This brings up the point that Charlie needs to take these threats seriously. Dealing with Feyerabend was going to keep letting him escape, and at least now he has been captured. But now that Lucy has been taken hostage, Charlie must go beyond his limits because if he loses Lucy, he might approach a dark area in his heart that he hadn’t experienced before.