The late afternoon sun cast long shadows through the courthouse’s towering windows as Roma rose with his usual lethal command. The cupronickel tones had dimmed to their evening configuration, their warm glow almost lending shadow to the chill that settled over Juniper as she caught the look he’d been saving for her.

“The Department of Justice calls Michael Trentons to the stand.”

A collective mumble of gossip rippled through the gallery as an elderly man approached with careful dignity, his weathered hands steady despite his measured pace. Even before he was sworn in, Juniper felt her stomach drop. She’d read every one of his patents, studied the elegant simplicity of his designs. The father of modern biomechanical interfaces - the man who had transformed theoretical possibilities into practical reality.

No no no, her mind raced. They can’t possibly be trying to… But even as the thought formed, she knew exactly what Roma had planned. Her fingers found Daniel’s wrist under the counsel table, an unconscious grasp for stability that made his vertebrae elongate. The slight pressure of his arm shifting to meet her touch carried silent support.

“Please state your name and occupation for the record,” Roma began, his performative warmth re-calibrated.

“Michael James Trentons. I’m the inventor of the pentatonic resonator and matrixied stepper gimbal systems.” His voice carried that particular tone of someone who had spent decades perfecting their craft - humble yet absolutely certain of their expertise.

“And could you explain, in layman’s terms, why these inventions matter?”