Mr. Druck’s expression twisted. With Jeanne standing beside him, he had to push his chair back to take her in in full. He growled out the words, “Relatively less?”

“Compared to projected deaths in the millions,” Jeanne said, gently. “You can push us on this, but I think you’ll find that when the bodies start stacking up and people start finding out that their loved ones still on Bet are suffering or coming back with cancer, people will start asking why we weren’t more ready. You won’t have people on your side if it comes to that.”

“You’re going to suggest they ask, aren’t you?” Sierra Kiley asked.

“No. But I don’t know what Mr. Buckner will do,” she lied. She glanced at the media mogul.

“The news would report the truth, of course,” Mr. Buckner said.

“Of course,” Sierra said.

Jeanne moved her laptop, sliding it to her end of the table. Kurt handed her four ring-bound booklets without her asking.

She paused, laying one hand flat against the booklet on top of the short stack.

“Our proposal,” she said, returning her focus to the room. She distributed the booklets to Mr. Nieves, Mr. Buckner, Ms. Kiley, and Mr. Druck. “Read it. It’s our suggestion for worker protections and remediation, to go into effect in April of next year. If there’s an aspect of it you don’t like—”

“April?” Mr. Druck interrupted.

“—You may want to see our website. You can add and subtract factors and adjust the numbers, and it will note the effects, based on peer reviewed study and the input of some great minds. You don’t have to agree with the numbers, but they may help you predict our responses.”

“April,” Mr. Druck said, with more emphasis. “They’re not going to stand for this.”

“You riled them up, Mr. Druck, or you allowed them to be riled up,” Jeanne said. “This is in their best interests. Have them return to work. If they work themselves to the bone, lives will be saved, and they could be heralded as heroes in their own right.”

“A tainted word, hero,” Mr. Nieves said.

“People aren’t machines, Jeanne,” Sierra Kiley said. “They’re not numbers on a spreadsheet. They won’t want to go back to work without any incentives.”

“I’m trying to save as many people as I can. If people are reduced to numbers on a spreadsheet here, it’s because we have to work on that scale, we’re doing it in the best ways we can, for their benefit.”

“People are irrational,” Sierra said. “Brockton Bay and New Brockton are platinum standards when it comes to rebuilding after a disaster. Trust me when I say that people don’t act in their own best interests. Especially when it comes to making sacrifices.”