Richard lowered his voice.
"Do you understand what this could do to the company?"
"Yes," Eleanor replied. "That is why we are here."
Inside the building, Marcus entered the conference room.
Several board members were waiting.
Daniel Brooks sat near the far end of the table.
Captain Hayes was beside him.
Elena Brooks had brought a collection of verified documents.
Marcus recognized some of the executives.
He had once presented technical reports to them.
Now they looked at him as though he were a stranger.
Eleanor entered a few moments later.
"Thank you for coming," she said.
Marcus nodded.
She introduced him to the committee.
"Mr. Reed was the lead engineer responsible for the original Orion navigation architecture. His records may help us determine what happened during the first investigation."
A board member cleared his throat.
"Mr. Reed, before we begin, I want to make something clear. We are not here to revisit personal disagreements."
"Neither am I," Marcus replied.
"Then what are you here for?"
"To establish whether the company knowingly concealed a safety defect and blamed an employee who had reported it."
The room became quiet.
Eleanor gestured toward the screen.
"Please begin."
Marcus connected his laptop.
The first document appeared.
It was the original safety report.
He explained the navigation issue, the atmospheric conditions under which it could occur, and the testing procedure required to correct it.
He then displayed the revised report.
The warning had been removed.
The testing period had been shortened.
The approval date had been changed.
A board member leaned forward.
"Who authorized this revision?"
Marcus displayed the authorization record.
"An account belonging to senior project management."
"Can you identify the person?"
"Not from this document alone. But the server records and financial approvals provide additional information."
Elena took over.
She presented the financial records connecting Vanessa's investment company to the component supplier.
She explained the dates, the transfers, and the conflict of interest.
Daniel described the original software revision history.
Captain Hayes presented his handwritten flight notes.
Each piece of evidence supported the next.
The room grew increasingly uncomfortable.
Finally, one board member asked the question nobody wanted to ask.
"Was Mr. Reed's employee account used after his termination?"
Daniel nodded.
"Yes."
"Can you prove it?"
Daniel displayed the server record.
"The authorization occurred twelve days after his employment ended."
Another board member turned toward Eleanor.
"That is serious."
"It is," she replied.
Marcus remained silent.
He had imagined this moment for three years.
He had imagined anger.
He had imagined shouting.
He had imagined Richard Sterling being forced to admit that he was wrong.
But now that the evidence was on the screen, Marcus felt something different.
Relief.
The truth was finally being examined by people who could not dismiss it with a single sentence.
Richard entered the conference room with Vanessa.
He stopped when he saw the presentation.
"What is this?"
Eleanor looked at him.
"The independent review."
Richard glanced at the screen.
His face turned pale.
"Who authorized this?"
"The oversight committee."
"You cannot interrupt the launch without consulting me."
"We have consulted the board."
Richard looked at Marcus.
"You."
Marcus did not respond.
Richard stepped toward the table.
"Do you understand what you're doing?"
Eleanor intervened.
"Richard, please take a seat."
"I will not sit here while this man spreads false information about the company."
Marcus finally spoke.
"Everything on that screen is supported by original records."
"Those records were taken without authorization."
Daniel stood.
"I copied them before the server was decommissioned."
Richard turned toward him.
"Daniel, you should be very careful."
Daniel's hands trembled, but he continued.
"I was careful for three years. That's why I stayed silent. I'm done being careful."
Vanessa interrupted.
"This is a coordinated attempt to damage the company."
Elena opened another folder.
"Then perhaps you can explain these financial transactions."
Vanessa stared at the screen.
The documents showed payments made through a private consulting company.
The amounts corresponded to invoices from the supplier.
The supplier's ownership records listed Vanessa as a silent investor.
One board member removed his glasses.
"Ms. Cole, did you disclose this relationship?"
Vanessa said nothing.
Richard looked at her.
"Vanessa?"
She shook her head.
"This is being misrepresented."
Eleanor asked, "Did you have a financial interest in the supplier?"
"It was a private investment."
"Did you disclose it to the board?"
"No, because it was unrelated to my responsibilities."
"Your department approved the supplier's contract."
Vanessa's expression tightened.
"I was not involved in the technical decisions."
Marcus looked at her.
"You approved the purchase order."
Vanessa turned toward him.
"You have no authority to question me."
"I have the purchase order with your approval."
Richard struck the table with his palm.