It does occur to her that she could conceal or falsify her result. Mielikki Neith is not a machine. She is honest, not unimaginative. She could make the entire discussion go away. Hunter would be proven right, but only she and Neith would ever know, and Neith could claim fatigue and trauma and have the memory removed. She could sacrifice her integrity for the System and never know it. It might be a rational exchange.