If I Rebooted Tin Man

Chapter 20: LS: Shooting The Problem

Ambrose makes a comment about how Cain almost shot the half of his brain that was in the jar. He wants Cain to know that he isn't upset about it, he understands his reasoning and it was a desperate time, but boy is he relieved that it didn't come to that–

And then Cain just casually reveals he was bluffing.

You were? says Ambrose, surprised.

Yeah. Cain shrugs. 'Course I wouldn't shoot you, headcase. Especially not the part of you that hadn't been pestering me for seven straight months, he adds in a mutter.

And then he walks off, leaving Ambrose to process the fact that Cain hadn't actually been willing to shoot him — not even to save the OZ.

AKA: What if Cain's pained decision to shoot the jar half of Ambrose when Ambrose was too panicked to remember the shut-off code to the Sunseder was, in fact, a bluff? And his intent was to cause exactly what happened — Ambrose's temporarily restored self gaining the clarity under desperation needed to manage to organize his thoughts well enough to remember?