Steve, I retooled Act 1 a bit to make a more clear attack on the protagonist's flaw (low self-worth). I have included the revised trigger here, as a reference.

Trigger

• Upon their return, Syn & friend learn of Cotard’s arrest for murdering a member of the World Assembly of Governors (WAGs).

Crisis

Protagonist hears of her teacher’s arrest but, because of her low sense of self-importance, she cannot bring herself to use the evidence in her possession to stand up for him.

Struggle

Protagonist reluctantly discovers the hidden history of the pre-apocolyptic world and the current desires of some to reconstitute a master race of immortals. She confronts the WAG’s bureaucracy, BAT’s rules and CLAW’s harshness in her pursuit to stop the pursuit of immortality and to realize justice for her mentor.

Scene 1: Syn visits Cotard in prison; she explains what she has found and after revealing a bit more, Cotard asks her to drop it. The antagonist and friend’s brother are nearby and hear parts of the conversation.

Scene 2: Syn is afraid to pursue the matter further. The close encounter with CLAW shook her up. She has nightmares of her dead brother being alive and goading her to action.

Scene 3: Syn rejects overtures from antagonist to be his girlfriend. He alludes to her getting into serious trouble by being involved in things whe shouldn’t be (e.g., visiting the murderer Cotard).

Scene 4: Syn has a tour of BAT and finds confirmation of a gene vault, where bio-engineering experimentation was conducted in the past.

Scene 5: Syn looks for clues on the gene vault’s whereabouts in the exurbs; antagonist sends CLAW after her. She has a narrow escape.

Scene 6: Cotard tells Syn, the only way he can end his immortal misery is to get his gene sequence and change it back to mortal. That is also the way she can uncover the WAGs’ plot to restore the immortals.

Scene 7: Syn assembles a team – her friend & her brother (love interest & leaker to antagonist), Willem Cotard (mentor from afar), BAT insider and others. The friend’s brother tells the antagonist all about it (not knowing he is the enemy).

Scene 8: A plan is developed. Syn and company are going to venture to WAG headquarters and make a plea to them to clear Cotard, as they obviously know the truth.

Scene 9: On their way out of the city, they meet a stranger (threshold guardian) who watches over Cotard (in secret). He advises they leave well enough alone, cautioning them on the dangers ahead.

Scene 10: They travel to WAG headquarters, pursued in secret by the antagonist. The route has hazards, natural and created by antagonist.

Scene 11: Upon arrival at WAG HQ, they learn the naivety of their straight-forward plan. They are pre-empted by the antagonist (who has a parent at WAG). They adapt by devising a plan to steal whatever they need to find the gene vault to get Cotard’s genome and evidence to uncover the current attempt to bio-engineer immortal ideal citizens (ala Stepford wives).

Scene 12: Syn shows her first signs of leadership (believing in herself). With some luck, they get what they need from the WAG HQ, but at a cost & they do not exactly understand what they have obtained – it’s a bit of a riddle.

Scene 13: Their travels take them to Cotard’s long-ago home where they learn more about the mentor’s past and how he became who he is. The antagonist has planted some misinformation there.

Scene 14: Back home, Cotard is sentenced and his time is almost up, while the group loses time following a false lead and becomes disheartened.

Scene 15: Syn and friend’s brother fall for each other. The antagonist knows and it enrages him.

Scene 16: They find clues that other immortals and watchers survive and live among us.

Scene 16: Antagonist sends CLAW after Syn and party. The race is on to get to the gene vault. The group falters through lack of leadership.

Scene 17: They arrive at the gene vault, but the antagonist and CLAW are already there. They need a plan to infiltrate.

Scene 18: Syn and company recruit allies (of immortals and watchers) to form an army

Scene 19: A battle ensues but Syn’s company is failing. They are about to lose Cotard and themselves.

Epiphany

Syn realizes she needs to overcome her sense of low self-worth. She believes she can win the day, but she must do it alone.