Csc Struds 12 Standard -

“No,” Rohan says, “it’s just dormant. My father coded it to activate when a student chose a fourth option. Option Zero: Human Autonomy.”

Rohan sees his own profile: “Subject Rohan: High creativity, low compliance. Suggested destination: Red Stream (Field Maintenance). Neural modification recommended.” CSC Struds 12 Standard

His hands tremble. The watch also contains one final, corrupted file: Project Phoenix —an alternate evaluation model that his father had been working on before he died. It was scrapped because it valued “unstructured human judgment.” The morning of The Crucible arrives. Rohan enters the simulation pod, heart pounding. Around him, a hundred other Struds plug in, their faces calm, sedated by preparatory beta-blockers. Meera gives him a worried nod. “No,” Rohan says, “it’s just dormant

The room freezes. Project Phoenix was myth. The minister’s face twitches. “That program is dead.” Suggested destination: Red Stream (Field Maintenance)

With shaking hands, the tech officer plugs the watch into the mainframe. On the giant screen, a new evaluation appears—not a rank, but a :