death: The shares in everyone's brokerage accounts are "shares", regardless of whether they are "real" or "air". Once the shorts cover and we sell our shares, we get our selling price, period. Then, thereafter, if it is an air share, it evaporates, if it is a real share it gets a new CUSIP#.
To interpret things your way would result in no ss ever involving NSS and that is just not the case. In your way there would never any reason or impetus for the NSS to ever cover --regardless of whatever event occurs. And that is somply NOT the case. IMO of course this is my understanding