"Are they using the same navigation module?"
Daniel nodded.
"They made some adjustments, but the underlying problem is still there."
"Do the investors know?"
"I don't think so."
Marcus opened the storage device on his laptop.
The files appeared one by one.
He examined the revision history.
There it was.
A software change made after his approval.
A test report altered.
A safety warning removed.
An authorization code linked to a senior management account.
And beneath that, a financial approval record.
Vanessa Cole.
Marcus looked at Daniel.
"Why would she do this?"
Daniel hesitated.
"Because Orion was supposed to be sold to a government contractor. The company had already promised a delivery date. If the project was delayed, the contract would have collapsed."
"That doesn't explain the software change."
Daniel swallowed.
"Vanessa had invested in a company that supplied one of the replacement components. If Sterling purchased that component, she would receive a substantial financial benefit."
Marcus looked back at the screen.
The problem was bigger than a failed project.
It was a conflict of interest.
Potential fraud.
And a deliberate attempt to conceal a safety risk.
"Does Richard know?" Marcus asked.
Daniel shook his head.
"I don't know. But he approved the final report."
Marcus leaned back.
For three years, he had wondered whether Richard had believed the accusations or simply chosen not to investigate.
Now he had to consider something worse.
Perhaps Richard had known enough to remain silent.
Marcus spent the following weeks reviewing every document.
He contacted an independent aviation safety consultant.
He compared the original Orion software with the version scheduled for the new launch.
He also contacted Captain Samuel Hayes, the pilot who had flown during the original demonstration.
Hayes agreed to meet him.
The retired pilot arrived at a quiet café wearing a dark jacket and carrying a folder.
"I wondered when you'd come looking for me," Hayes said.
"You knew about the software changes?"
"I knew something was wrong."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
Hayes stared into his coffee.
"Because I was told the issue had been resolved. I trusted the people who gave me that assurance."
"Did you receive the original test report?"
"No. I received a summary."
"Who gave it to you?"
"Vanessa's office."
Marcus opened his laptop.
"I have the original version."
Hayes read the first page.
His expression changed.
"Where did you get this?"
"From Daniel."
Hayes continued reading.
When he reached the final page, he slowly closed the laptop.
"They removed the warning."
"Yes."
"That warning was the reason I requested the emergency landing."
"I know."
Hayes looked at Marcus.
"Then you were telling the truth."
Marcus nodded.
For the first time in three years, someone from the original project had said those words aloud.
Hayes opened his folder.
"I kept something."
He placed a small notebook on the table.
Inside were handwritten notes from the demonstration flight.
The time of the malfunction.
The readings displayed on the navigation system.
The instructions he had received from ground control.
And one sentence written in capital letters:
SYSTEM NOT APPROVED FOR OPERATION UNDER CURRENT CONDITIONS.
Marcus stared at it.
"This is important."
"I know."
"Would you be willing to testify?"
Hayes looked toward the window.
"If it prevents another pilot from being put in that position, yes."
Marcus thanked him.
He left the café with more evidence than he had ever possessed.
But he knew that exposing the truth would not be easy.
Sterling Global had powerful lawyers.
Its executives had political connections.
And Richard Sterling had spent decades building a reputation as a respected businessman.
Marcus needed someone who could examine the records independently.
He found that person in Elena Brooks, a former financial investigator who specialized in corporate fraud.
Elena was Daniel's older sister.
She had spent years working with regulatory agencies before establishing her own consultancy.
When Marcus explained the situation, she listened without interruption.
Then she asked one question.
"Are you trying to get your old job back?"
"No."
"Do you want compensation?"
"That's not why I'm doing this."
"Then what do you want?"
Marcus looked at the documents.
"I want them to stop pretending that I was the problem."
Elena studied him.
"That is a reasonable goal. But if we're going to do this, we do it properly. No emotional accusations. No public confrontation without evidence. We verify every file, every date, every signature."
Marcus nodded.
"Agreed."
For the next month, Elena examined the records.
She found financial transfers between Vanessa's private investment company and a supplier connected to Orion.
She found emails discussing the delivery deadline.
She found a revised safety report that had been approved before the final test results were available.