Six hours. Six hours was all they were given and boy did it come quick.
The transport cart moved through the Ark's corridors in silence, carrying Team 7 toward a decision that would define the rest of their lives. Noah watched the metal walls pass by, feeling the weight of those six hours pressing against his chest like a physical thing. They'd talked, argued, sat in heavy silence, and somehow arrived at the same conclusion without needing to say it aloud.
The tribunal chamber doors opened with that same finality as before, revealing the austere space designed to remind everyone of military authority's absolute power. The gallery was packed again, more observers than yesterday, word having spread that Team 7's verdict was coming down today.
