Juniper rose slowly, every movement deliberate as she approached the witness stand. The late sun caught in the copper tones, casting strange shadows that made Trentons’ weathered face look almost mask-like.

“Mr. Trentons,” she began, her voice carrying that quiet authority that did something to Daniel he’d stopped trying to name, “could you explain the initial research context for developing the resonator system?”

“Certainly,” he replied, professional confidence unwavering. “The core concepts were developed independently in my private lab, building on public domain acoustic theory.”

“Fascinating.” Juniper’s smile carried just a hint of danger. “And were you familiar with the Skeletal Institute Resonance Project during this… independent development?”

The change in Trentons’ expression was subtle - barely a flicker - but the gallery’s sharp intake of breath suggested they’d caught it. Roma’s perpetual smile faltered for the first time as he recognized the trap being sprung.

“I… may have reviewed some publicly available research,” Trentons hedged, his earlier academic authority wavering slightly.

“Publicly available?” Juniper pressed, her voice taking on that particular edge that made spines throughout the gallery remember what vertical meant. “Would that include the classified frequency modulation studies conducted under federal contract in 2031?”

“Objection!” Roma surged to his feet, his usual flamboyant grace suddenly urgent. “This line of questioning involves potential classified material… ”