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Epilogue

TALIA

The first thing I learned about having authority was that people still tried to argue with you.

They just used more respectful words.

I stared at the record on my screen while the Zunatorian administrator across from me shifted in his chair.

“It may simply be a transcription issue.”

“It isn’t.”

“The discrepancy is minor.”

“It changed the assigned compatibility result by eleven percent.”

“Which may fall within recalibration variance.”

“It doesn’t.”

He went quiet.

I turned the screen toward him and pulled up the three relevant records side by side.

“Original sample identifier. Reprocessed identifier. Final assignment.”

Then I tapped the mismatch.

“The sample changed between systems.”

His face tightened.

I waited.

Months ago, I would have needed Sera’n to step in. Or a supervisor. Or someone higher-ranking to decide whether I had earned the right to keep asking questions.

Now I had an authorization seal attached to my name.

Not unlimited access.

Not unquestioned authority.

Enough.

“Hold the record,” I said.

The administrator hesitated.

I looked at him.

He held it.

Small victory.

Very boring victory.

I loved it.