Peter shook his head. "You happened to be in the corridor. You stopped, listened, separated a symptom from a cause, and asked us to test a hypothesis. Call the timing luck if you want, but don't pretend your experience had nothing to do with it."
Marcus sat back, surprised by the force of the correction. Peter's tone softened. "You don't have to make yourself smaller to prove you respect the rest of us. We already know you do." Marcus looked down at the notebook Alma had taught him to keep. For years he had become so accustomed to understating his abilities that acknowledging them felt strangely like boasting.
When the interview came, he wore the same clean work shirt he used for training and carried a folder of completed reports. Mira Patel, Gerald Moss, and a senior facilities manager named Evelyn Hart sat on the panel. They asked about his previous employment, the limitations of his current qualifications, and examples of decisions he had made under pressure. Marcus answered carefully, aware that Natalie was not present to rescue him from a poor performance.
One question concerned a hypothetical equipment failure that occurred outside his permitted scope while executives waited for a demonstration. Marcus explained that he would document the symptoms, make the situation safe within his role, and call the qualified team rather than attempting a repair he was not authorized to perform. Evelyn asked whether that might delay an important meeting. "Yes," Marcus said. "But it would be a real delay based on the problem, not a bigger problem caused by guessing."
Another question asked him to describe a mistake from the assessment period. He told them about the test assembly, his incorrect initial diagnosis, and the way Peter's questions led him back to the evidence. He did not try to turn the mistake into a triumph. He explained what he changed in his method afterward and why he now asked for confirmation before recommending costly component replacement.
Evelyn made a note and asked whether he would be comfortable mentoring newer staff. Marcus looked toward Gerald. "I'd be comfortable sharing what I know," he said. "And I hope they'd be comfortable correcting me when they know something I don't. The people who taught me this work didn't pretend they knew everything. I'd like to keep that tradition."
The interview ended without a promise. Marcus thanked the panel and returned to a scheduled service inspection on the twenty-sixth floor. He passed Natalie near the elevators on his way there, and she asked how the assessment had gone. He told her he thought he had answered honestly and that the decision was now up to the people responsible for making it.
"That's the way it should be," Natalie said. "I know you helped us on a difficult night, Marcus, but I don't want you to think you owe me a particular answer or reaction because I suggested the assessment." He nodded. "I don't. I appreciate the chance. Now I want to earn the place, if there's one to earn."