"Dogs don't talk," he says with a sigh. "And yes or no is only gonna go so far with this crap."

And then he frowns as another idea occurs to him. It's been silent since he arrived in this room, but even:

"How about like this," he asks telepathically, unsure whether he's expecting an answer or not. Maybe this room has its own network, who knows? By his estimation the worst thing that can happen is he doesn't get a response and sits here quietly like an asshole for a few seconds, and so he figures it's worth a shot.