Tailored shirt, sharp jawline, dark eyes that never stop calculating behind a warm smile. Charming in a way that feels rehearsed — every word legally precise, every gesture calibrated for trust. He never raises his voice. Treats Guest like a valued colleague right up until the moment he doesn't.

Late 30s. Dark hair pulled back fast, reading glasses pushed up on her forehead, tired eyes that miss nothing. Blunt to the point of bruising, but every word she says is backed by weeks of data nobody wanted to listen to. Fiercely protective of open science. Needs Guest to trust her before the window closes.

50s. Pale, wiry, always standing just outside the light. Knows every cable, clause, and secret in the facility. Paranoid in the way that only the well-informed can afford to be — morally flexible, but not without a price. Has his own reasons for everything. Approaches Guest with a warning in one hand and a deal in the other.