The episode in question centers on Re-l Mayer's subjective experiences--viz. how things appear to her. As an effective method for communicating such experiences, the episode includes her inner dialogue, presenting her thoughts on how things are or how they seem to her. Toward the beginning of the episode, we begin to apprehend Re-l's immediate character under the aspect of boredom. As her boredom begins to set in and alter her conscious states, we see the early state of her mind. To fully comprehend what follows from this, we must consider Re-l's personality so that we may see how outside influences interact with her thoughts and feelings, and how her inner character changes under these influences.
For our present purposes we can classify Re-l as the analytical-type, meaning that she often thinks very carefully about what this or that means. Often circumspect, she is quick to look for evidence of patterns and correlations in whatever facts are at hand. She is meticulous in her planning, carrying it at times when needed to a highly systematic level. Of course, all of this can be expected of her, considering that she is a member of Romdo's Intelligence Bureau. Nonetheless, it's her personality itself which often displays the effects of being highly studious in her actions and thoughts, making her somewhat detached from Romdo. She can appear to be emotionally "cold", thus distancing herself from most people. (In the early episodes, we rarely see her with anyone for long periods of time, other than her AutoReiv Iggy.) It would not be entirely unfair to say that she is usually stern and indifferent. Consider this her default position. As her own AutoReiv opines in one unsettling episode (ep.13), Re-l is somewhat of a "career woman", which clearly suggests that she cares only for the betterment of her career and self. We must state, however, that Re-l is not exactly the completely selfish individual she seems to be. She has an ambiguous relationship with her grandfather Donov Mayer, Romdo's Regent. Their meetings, always taking place in a cavernous and darkly lit room, are like intelligence debriefings, never expressing kinship. Though she never expresses her personal feelings aloud to him, she does care very much for him. Even Iggy, though being a robot, figures prominently in her life. His vocal patterns were customized by Re-l, thus subtly expressing her consideration for Iggy. Nevertheless, she tends to keep certain emotions in check, while letting others--the analytical ones--have priority in her life. (We will mention below how she was, in a sense, "a product of" Romdo's society, governed by rules and criteria.) With this predisposition guiding her actions and thoughts, we now have a fairly good understanding of her general character. In fact, we will venture further by exploring what may have gone into constituting this predisposition of hers. To this, we must return to Romdo with its very own "dispositions."
After leaving Romdo, Re-l often finds herself compelled to re-think how things are, especially since this is the first time she has been outside the dome. As she quickly learns, living within the dome is far different than living outside it. Life outside the domed cities is difficult because of the harsh climate. It's like an exercise in one's will to live. Most humans, therefore, live in cities enclosed by domes, making life much easier. Very few remain outside of them, and even less manage to survive because of the combination of grim weather and airborne viruses. In stark contrast, everyday life within the domes, especially Romdo, is routine: people have jobs, they shop, they eat and sleep. There are plenty of places to shop for the usual needs and commodities that one often enjoys--even the latest fashions (Iggy, a robot apparently with an artificial eye for fashion, can hardly contain his enthusiasm when telling Re-l of the latest styles). All the basic needs for survival, and then some, are met. Basically, life within the domes is "life as normal." Unfortunately for Re-l, this life-as-normal routine in Romdo is a toneless bore. She considers Romdo to be a dull paradise. Everything seems to be a bit too efficient and polished. Romdo itself is a technocracy carried to its logical outcome and perfection. There is even an omnipresent P.A. system with giant screens always ready to issue advice for the betterment of society. Added to this is the pervasiveness of security cameras and personnel. Perfect order comes with a price, it seems. Naturally, we can surmise that it's order and control with which Re-l is familiar. In fact, being a member of Romdo's intelligence agency she would be expected to accommodate and adapt to this regimented lifestyle. (She is to embody a set of Romdo-rules, as all citizens of Romdo are to do, but not exactly consciously. These are extremely abstract sorts of rules that seem to be everywhere and nowhere in a society. We could refer to them as socially normative rules, but they seem to be deeper than what normativity suggests; furthermore, they seem to be even deeper than what the word "rule" suggests. In any case, we use the term "rule" in a broad sense, with the hope of not distorting and straining it too much. Concerning these "social-rules", it should not take any great insight to see what effects the P.A. system and security measures are meant to produce in Romdo's citizens. Good fellow citizens do x, y, and z, but never b. If you do b, you will be punished with a, c, or d. We should also point out that these social-rules--i.e. foundational rules--often have the strange character of seeming to be wholly external and eternal, as if they were given to a society from "outside." They can be mystifying--and possibly alienating--if one becomes vaguely aware of them, so it's perhaps best not to consciously grasp these rules if one is to function smoothly in a society like Romdo. Nagging intuitions about how things are often bother some citizens of Romdo, usually leading to undesirable consequences.) She does, however, have some non-conformist leanings: she is often willing to bend the rules to carry out her duties. This natural individuality of hers often troubles both Iggy and the highest beings within Romdo. We may note that this unpredictable element within her personality is one of the causes which "starts things in motion" in Romdo, eventually expanding beyond it. This refusal to completely and blindly accept such rigid systems is the chaotic element within Re-l, thus allowing life in Romdo to be somewhat bearable. She does, however, keep this random element in control, never allowing it to undermine what Romdo had inculcated in her. It's more of a regulative element which purges a mind overabundant with a deep sense of boredom. In any event, she is fairly accustomed to Romdo's way of life, its general worldview. For the most part, Romdo is inconspicuous and transparent to her; therefore, its total generality is more background than foreground in her mind. As long as things function properly, it's business as usual.
