(U.S. Federal Courthouse, New York — Hearing Room)
Sophie Vance's voice echoed through the courtroom speakers, trembling with rehearsed emotion:
"Carson Thorne used the Sterling Virus to manipulate NichiPharma's stock price—"
In the back row of the gallery, Alia lowered the brim of her baseball cap.
In her earpiece, the hacker team whispered:
"Neural telemetry's off. Traces of α-toxin detected in Sophie's bloodstream."
A holographic overlay blinked across Alia's smart contact lens—
Pinpointing a microneedle injection mark on Sophie's carotid artery.
Davies was controlling his star witness.
Suddenly, Carson stood.
He tore open his shirt collar, revealing a matching barcode scar beneath his clavicle.
"Your Honor," he said, voice steady, "please scan this."
The courtroom's AI complied.
Instantly, every screen in the chamber flickered—
Replaced by leaked footage from Davies' human testing facility in Tokyo.
Screams filled the room.
U.S. Marshals surged toward Davies.
But he was faster—
His fingers tapped his watch.
The building went black.
Emergency lights flickered on, bathing the stunned crowd in a blood-red haze.