AASID arrives with armed bots and aliases so thin they’re insulting: Smith and Jones. Michelle stands her ground as they run their own scan on the patient using unfamiliar tech. The scanner flashes red. The woman convulses violently.

Michelle stabilizes her, only for the agents to declare her contagious and prepare to terminate her with a hypodermic infuser.

Jacob intervenes. Bots raise weapons. The room locks into a breathless standoff.

Michelle orders Holi to broadcast the patient’s clean status under Accords protection. Holi complies: “Recorded, standing by.” Jacob declares AASID’s presence invalid. The agents back down, temporarily.

But the victory is hollow. During the Pro‑Castors press event, AASID hijacks the announcement, declaring that the patient and all research will be transferred to an undisclosed facility. It is a hostile acquisition disguised as support.

Michelle realizes the truth: the convulsion, the scan, the threat, all of it was engineered to terminate the subject before resurrection could change the system.

Teaser question: What do you do when the people investigating you are really here to erase you?