POV: Maya SantosTwenty-eight days left on Jennifer's system countdown. We gathered at Cole Industries for the full team meeting, Ethan, me, Marcus, Lily, Jennifer, Adrian, and Robert Cross who'd driven three hours specifically for this.Dr. Sarah Kimani from the Neural Research Institute was already there when we arrived, sitting at the conference table with James Cole's journal open in front of her.She looked like she hadn't slept."This is extraordinary work," she said before anyone even sat down. "I reviewed the journal overnight and this represents a twenty-year head start on current neural interface development. Publishing this openly will accelerate legitimate research in ways that could affect millions of people.""So it's actually significant scientifically?" Ethan asked. "Not just symbolic?""Significant is an understatement. Your father was solving problems researchers are still struggling with today. If this had been published when he wrote it, the field would be decades

POV: Jennifer Reeves"Judge Morrison Davies just assigned himself to Ashby's suppression motion."Agent Reeves called me at midnight, breaking the news to me."Fuck.""Yeah. The hearing is in forty-eight hours."My system had already flagged Davies the second his name appeared on the case assignment. And here I was thinking I was done with my last mission. Which was supposed to be three missions ago. I didn’t even understand how the system was working anymore.[MISSION UPDATE: JUDGE MORRISON DAVIES - ACTIVE TARGET][PRIORITY: CRITICAL - DISQUALIFY BEFORE HEARING][TIMELINE: 48 HOURS]"I have his financial records," I said. "Eleven years of Harmon Capital payments to his wife's consulting firm. Two point three million total.""That's enough for charges but charges take time.""I know. We need to disqualify him from the case before the hearing, not after.""How?""Judicial recusal motion filed with the Chief Judge. If the evidence is strong enough, the Chief Judge can force him off the

POV: Ethan ColeI listened to Jennifer's voicemail at seven AM."Davies recused himself, Walsh denied the suppression motion, Santos trial is set. But we need to talk about the final mission. It's not what I thought. Call me back."Maya was still asleep.I called Jennifer."Where are you?" she answered."Home. What's going on?""Can you meet me? Now?""Yeah. Where?""The diner. Same one Adrian and I use.""Give me thirty minutes."I woke Maya up."Jennifer needs to meet. Something about the final mission.""I'm coming."We drove to the diner and Jennifer was already there in the back booth with coffee she hadn't touched."The system has identified the fourth candidate,” she said, pulling up her phone and showing me a profile.Priya Nair.She’s twenty-four years old. Medical researcher."Her supervisor stole her work on a rare childhood disease and published it under his own name. Ended her academic career before it started."I read through the file."Who's the supervisor?""Dr. Geral

POV: Maya SantosAt one AM Jennifer was on the phone with Dr. Chen, the scientific review board chair. I was so tired my eyes were burning, but I stayed in the Cole Industries conference room because leaving felt like giving up."Dr. Chen, I'm sending you complete documentation on seven cases of research fraud committed by Dr. Gerald Whitmore over twenty years."Silence on the other end."Did you say seven?""Yes, seven. Priya Nair is the most recent. There are six others before her. I have timestamped original research, publication records, financial evidence showing payments, and email communications proving institutional coordination."More silence."Send me everything. I'm calling an emergency board session for seven AM. Can you present?""Yes.""I'll send the video link."He hung up.Jennifer looked at us."Six hours to build the presentation. Who's staying?""I am," I said.Ethan nodded."Me too."Marcus stretched."We'll go home and pull supporting documentation. Financial patt

POV: Jennifer ReevesWe met Priya at a coffee shop three blocks from the university. She was already there when Ethan and I arrived, sitting at a corner table with tea she hadn't touched."Thanks for meeting us," I said."You said it was important.""It is."Ethan and I sat down across from her. She looked calmer than I expected. She’s still wary, but the immediate panic from two weeks ago was gone."How's the reinstatement going?" I asked."Good.” She said, her face almost expressionless. “It’s strange though. Everyone's being carefully polite like they're afraid I'll sue them.""Will you?""Maybe. Haven't decided yet."Fair.I took a breath."I need to tell you something that's going to sound insane. I need you to listen to the whole thing before you decide I'm crazy.""Okay.""Twenty-eight years ago a man named James Cole built something called the Vengeance Protocol. It's a system, an actual technological system with an interface and missions, designed to activate for people who'v