Outside the debriefing room, Zack, Szedra, and Zino stood in a loose circle, tense from the weight of recent failures.
Rock, paper, scissors. Best of three. That was how they decided who would test-run being team leader.
Zack won.
Inside the debriefing room, five chairs faced a central hologram board. Zack stood at the head—not leaning coolly like Lanse used to, but standing upright, hands behind his back.
"As team leader," Zack began in a bold voice, "I'll be chairing this meeting. Basic rules: if you want to speak, you say 'through the chair' and wait to be acknowledged. Got it?"
Blank stares. Zino blinked at him. Szedra raised an eyebrow.
Zack pressed on, undeterred.
"All motions require a roll-call vote. Majority rules, meaning at least three votes to pass. Zino, you'll be part-secretary for this meeting."
Zino gave a playful salute and opened their shared hologram notelog.
