Jessa met her one last time before the hearing. “Whatever happens,” she said, “do not sign their version of me into your story. Let the numbers speak. The children will know one day that someone saw the trap.” Nina nodded, throat tight. The vote clock ticked. The danger was no longer abstract.
Nina walked into the ethics hearing with the training file printed in triplicate. The panel flipped through pages silently. “This appears internal,” one said. Nina replied evenly, “It was left accessible on a public terminal. The agency monitors those drives—they knew I was there.” A pause. “We will review this.”