"I'll show you," Lenora said, "but nobody touches my phone."
Merrick agreed to watch while she held it. He asked Sela to remain nearby and make a note of the file's visible timestamp. Zire stayed seated, his hands resting on the little notebook that had suddenly become the only familiar object in an aircraft full of strangers.
The first video Lenora opened showed the airport lounge. The next was a short view of the gate display. Then a thumbnail appeared showing her pink jacket inside the cabin before the passengers had entered. She flicked past it so quickly that Zire almost missed the time in the corner.
"You skipped the cabin video," he said.
"I opened the wrong one."
"The one at 8:44."
Merrick looked at her. "Please go back to that file."
Lenora held the phone without moving. For the first time all morning, there was no camera pointed at her face, no caption ready to explain her reaction, and no crew member offering her a flattering version of what had happened. Finally she tapped the earlier thumbnail and turned the screen outward.
The recording opened on an empty premium aisle, the seats immaculate and the overhead compartments still closed. Lenora moved slowly toward her window seat while speaking into the phone in the same polished voice she used for her online reviews. The light from the early morning windows made her jacket glow a cheerful pink. She looked delighted, as though the aircraft had been prepared exclusively for her arrival.
"Some airlines know that an extraordinary experience begins before anybody else is even invited aboard," she told the camera. "Today I have something wonderful to show you."
The camera turned toward Bria. The flight attendant stood beside a service cart with a sealed black tray in her hands. Its white passenger label had been partly covered, but Zire recognized the salmon and vegetables through the clear lid, and the underside of the tray showed enough of the molded code to identify it without relying on the label.
"Our most valued guests deserve the finest attention," Bria said brightly.
"Is this one of the new premium meals?" Lenora asked.
"A particularly lovely one. The colors will look beautiful against the cabin interior."
Lenora moved closer and brought the camera low, recording the food from beneath Bria's hands. The shot lingered on the bright vegetables and golden bread. Everything in it had been arranged to create an impression of spontaneous generosity, but Bria was holding a sealed meal that was supposed to be waiting for a child who had not yet entered the aircraft.
Then Lenora asked a question that silenced the passengers watching. "What if the passenger wants it?"