Laboratory peak versus radiation storage

If the observer starts at step $3$, a passive supplier initially holds all three radiation qubits. The two-slot programme then has

It has not compressed three stored radiation qubits into two.

With just-in-time emissions and sufficient spacing to finish the early readout before carrier $3$ is emitted, there need be no external buffer and $Q_{\mathrm{stored},\mathrm{total}}=2$. If carrier $3$ is emitted while the two early carriers remain live, it occupies a supplier slot and total storage reaches three. These are different delivery schedules.