The media called it a digital reckoning.
Blogs, podcasts, and major news outlets erupted with the same headline:
> "PulseCast Wipes the Slate Clean—Thousands of Influencers Vanish Overnight."
It was the biggest content purge in internet history.
Some creators cried foul. Others praised the platform's boldness. But one thing was undeniable:
Authenticity had become the new currency.
---
Jason stood before a packed auditorium at CreatorCon 2005, addressing over five thousand creators from across the globe.
"Many of you lost followers," he said. "Some lost verification. A few lost everything."
A hush fell over the crowd.
"But for the first time in the digital era, you know who your audience really is. And they know who you are."
He gestured to the screen behind him. It displayed PulseCast's new mission in bold serif letters:
> Create. Connect. Confirm.
No scripts. No noise. Just signal.
The applause started slow—then erupted.
Jason knew the moment he'd just delivered wasn't just a speech.
It was a declaration.
---
Meanwhile, in a dim-lit private suite atop Valkyrie headquarters, Vivian Keats stood with her back to the window, watching the chaos unfold.
Reports flashed across her tablet:
VALK+ subscriptions plateaued.
Specter Grid flagged by regulators.
Data leaks traced to Valkyrie subnets.
Even worse?
The public was turning. Influencers were deleting Valkyrie sponsorships. Celebrities were openly endorsing PulseCast. And an upcoming Senate committee hearing—sparked by Jason's dossier—was drawing national attention.
She set the tablet down carefully.
"Call Project Lazarus offline," she said.
The room froze.
"You're shutting down Specter Grid?"
"No," Vivian replied coolly. "I'm shutting down this phase."
A technician hesitated. "What comes next?"
She smiled without warmth. "Phase three."
---
Back in San Francisco, Jason returned to his office to find Naomi waiting, holding a file.
She tossed it on his desk.
He opened it—inside were reports of deepfakes, blackmail attempts, and synthetic scandals hitting rival platforms.
"Valkyrie's not going quietly," Naomi said.
Jason scanned the data, frowning. "They're not trying to win users anymore. They're trying to erode reality itself."
Naomi crossed her arms. "What do we do?"
Jason looked up.
"We build the tools that anchor people to the truth."
---
Overnight, PulseCast's ClearFrame AI was made open source.
Developers worldwide began integrating it into news outlets, schools, public forums—even dating apps.
Jason wasn't just leading a company anymore.
He was starting a movement.