The second test was a following scenario. The lead car decelerated, the test vehicle matched it, gap distance controlled perfectly.
The third was a lane-change overtake. Smooth and seamless.
"Very nice, very nice."
A smile spread across Nigel's face. He turned to Kate. "Ms. Henson, this new team of yours really is impressive."
Kate returned the smile. "Nelson is our technical lead. He's been on this project from day one, personally overseeing every single module."
Nelson stood beside her, mouth forming the words "You're too kind, Mr. Donaldson," but his eyebrows were already halfway up his forehead, satisfaction written across every line of his face.
He handed his tablet to a nearby assistant, and as he turned, his fingers grazed Kate's wrist. Casual. Barely there.
Kate didn't pull away.
The fourth test began.
This one was the active collision avoidance scenario. A mannequin would dart out from the roadside without warning, and the test vehicle had to identify it within a set distance and either brake or swerve.
The car started up and accelerated to twenty-five miles per hour.
The mannequin launcher fired. A figure dressed in red shot out from the side of the road.