Chapter 4
Correction Makes It Spread
Platform counsel Omar Bell labeled the video manipulated at noon.
By twelve-ten, screenshots of the correction had driven it into a second trend. Gavin cited the label as proof that Verity needed the city identity contract to solve the crisis its own employee created.
Aria requested distribution logs under the platform's safety process. Omar could preserve them but not hand them over without legal authority.
"Give me timing, not identities," she said.
He showed a chart. Hundreds of paid accounts received caption packages six hours before upload. Their invoices traced to Halcyon Civic, a subcontractor on Verity's city bid.
Mei arranged an emergency procurement hearing. Gavin answered by filing a professional misconduct referral accusing Aria of stealing model safeguards and source media.
"He wants every explanation to sound like retaliation," Mei said.
Aria opened the referral. It quoted internal messages she had never sent, mixed with one real warning about Verity's audit failure.
Omar froze the account graph. An executive override immediately restored half the network.
"That override is above me," he said.
The restored accounts began posting about Mei's unreleased video.
They knew its title before Petra's system had finished rendering it.