Mara walked back toward the engineering group and tried a small test. She mentioned one old internal codename out loud, like she was being nostalgic. One engineer flinched so fast it was almost invisible. Mara watched him step away, then return ten minutes later, tense and pale.
He spoke quietly. “What do you want?” he asked. Mara kept her voice low and steady. “I want the truth on record,” she said. “I want my just share. Surely you know the work I’ve put in? I’m not here to ruin employees who followed orders.”