At a rehearsal the Commander inspects the troupe; principal dancer Christie Williams performs with a mask, claiming a cold. A masked returnee panics: if the Commander recognizes them they will lose their commission and job. Colleagues gossip about a recent return and a blind date; Sewell is introduced and mocked for his physique. The Commander asks about next month's lead; Christie is praised and ordered to his office that afternoon. Pressured when he insists on meeting them, the masked performer hesitates but decides to confront the encounter—now they must face the meeting that could expose them and cost everything.