She did not want a smiling chairman beside her seat.
She wanted to see whether the system worked when no one important was performing for a camera.
The flight attendant at the door looked at her boarding pass and smiled.
"Good afternoon, Miss Williams. Welcome aboard."
Maya watched her face carefully.
The smile was professional, but not stiff.
The greeting was simple.
No flinch.
No panic.
No overdone apology.
"Thank you," Maya said.
She walked to 1B.
The seat was the same kind of seat she had occupied that night.
Wide leather.
Polished armrest.
Small tray table.
Window to her left.
For a moment, her body remembered before her mind could stop it.
The missing coffee cup.
Clare's voice.
Ethan's tablet.
Victoria's fork.
The peanut packet beside her medical confirmation.
Maya placed her bag under the seat slowly.
Then she sat down.
A young flight attendant approached a minute later.
She was Black, maybe 24 or 25, with neat braids pulled into a low bun and a name badge that read Ariel Johnson.
She carried a tablet in one hand and a sealed service pouch in the other.
"Miss Williams?" Ariel asked.
"Yes."
Ariel smiled, but her eyes were serious.
"I'm Ariel. I'll be taking care of you today. Before we depart, I need to confirm your medical meal accommodation."
Maya looked up.
Ariel turned the tablet so Maya could see the screen.
Seat 1B.
Maya Williams.
Medical meal.
Low sugar.
No seafood.
No peanuts.
No substitutions.
Locked in the system.
Only you can accept it.
No crew member can reassign it.
Any attempted change triggers a supervisor review.
Maya read the screen.
The words were ordinary policy language.
System language.
But her throat tightened anyway.
"That's correct," she said.
Ariel placed the sealed pouch gently on the tray table.
The label was printed in bold letters.
Maya Williams. Medical meal. Protected accommodation.
"No one can reassign it," Ariel said.
Maya nodded.
"Good."
Ariel hesitated, then reached for the service cart beside her and poured coffee into a paper cup with a lid.
She set it beside the sealed meal.
"Black coffee, no sugar. It's in your preference profile, but I can change it if you'd like."
"No," Maya said. "That's right."
Ariel stepped back but did not leave.
Her hand rested lightly on the cart handle.
"Miss Williams," she said, lowering her voice. "I know I'm supposed to keep this professional."