I entered the review hearing with one binder, three hours of sleep, and no expectation that Calder Pike would surrender anything willingly.
The hearing took place in the Bellwether Harbor Authority's main hall. I sat beside Mara at a long table, with our lawyer on one side and the three independent reviewers across from us. Pike arrived ten minutes after we did and took a seat at the opposite end.
The authority had gathered the installation records, the storm data, the patent filings, and the test reports. Our job was to answer questions about what we had built and what we knew.
I explained the pressure-control system. Mara explained the contract terms and the installation schedule. The reviewers asked about every delay, every change, and every warning we had given.
I told them about t
