The reserve worker arrived after the bench clock had started, carrying a lunch she had not had time to eat.
Juno stopped the setup before anyone called it a trial. The woman was not connected yet. Her empty position on the roster had remained empty, though one technician had already asked whether another contributor could cover it for a few minutes.
The woman heard enough of that question to become angry.
“I came,” she said.
“I know,” Tessa answered.
“I said I would. My employer wouldn’t let the shift go.”
She held the wrapped lunch against her chest, making the cloth twist between her fingers. The reserve role was new to her. She had read the revised description, asked what an abrupt input felt like, and agreed to a limited contribution under observation. She had not agreed to lose her job while the workshop refined its timing.
“He says the next absence means he replaces me.”
