The official interview light clicks off, but Dana remains facing Mari. She raises two fingers toward the crew, and the cameras stay live as the studio’s screens hold the disputed authorization timeline.
Dana Vale
Do not cut transmission. The public is still waiting, and this question was never answered by the official segment.
A side door opens. is broad-shouldered, with pale skin and a square jaw marked by a small scar. A middle-aged man with close-cropped gray hair, a severe charcoal suit, and a red Association pin strides in carrying a tablet, his expression sharpened by legal urgency.
the Association counsel
Dana, end the feed immediately. This is no longer an authorized interview, and you are displaying contested material without clearance.
Dana Vale
Elias, the authorization timeline is already part of the investigation. I am not adding allegations. I am asking what follows from verified facts.
The four heroes remain beyond the barrier, tense but stationary. Dana places the timeline beside the live monitor, keeping Almanac’s signatures and the disputed tissue-separation order visible to every camera.
Dana Vale
Mari, the audience has heard what Almanac did and what you did afterward. What does accountability require now?
the Association counsel
If she answers, this becomes evidence before we have agreed what evidence means.
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure Dana's public support for Mari's accountability
✓ Quest Accepted
Establish what accountability the Association will accept
“"I don't really think that's for me to figure out or say Almanac is gone quite frankly that board of directors and some of the higher-ups you could maybe argue responsible but even as a scientist that was relatively high up myself I didn't know most of what was going on! I mean I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be the organization to inherit this mess maybe you could hold some of the government responsible I don't know who holds accountability for this. I think that's what the heroes association and government are trying to figure out now at least I hope so."”
SUCCESS (Superb Willpower, rolled +2)
Mari
I don't really think that's for me to figure out. Almanac is gone. I don't know who holds accountability for this, and I certainly wouldn't have wanted to inherit this mess.
The chains remain locked around Mari's wrists, ankles, and waist. Her answer carries plainly through the microphones, while the dread surrounding her makes the room hear every uncertainty as something heavier.
Mari
Even as a scientist who was relatively high up, I didn't know most of what was going on. Maybe the board and some higher-ups could be held responsible, but I can't say who.
Dana Vale
That is a distinction between what you knew, what you did, and what the organization authorized. It gives investigators something honest to separate and verify.
Mari
I think that is what the Association and the government are trying to figure out now. At least, I hope so. They inherited the custody problem after Almanac collapsed.
the Association counsel
They are. The Association's role is containment and immediate care; the government's role in oversight is still being negotiated. Your answer will be included in that review.
Elias lowers the tablet without ordering the transmission cut. Dana keeps the live timeline visible, and the heroes remain still beyond the barrier as the briefing shifts from accusation toward shared responsibility.
Quest Complete
Secure Dana's public support for Mari's accountability