The regulator’s notice arrived while Kellan was pricing the clinic’s next supply order.
Eli read it at the counter. His official gate permit was temporarily suspended pending completion of the safety review. The notice cited the unfinished assessment and the fatigue and confusion reported during the tests. It provided a way to request review and listed the office where he could submit additional information.
“It says I can’t enter because I left,” he said.
Tessa took the page. “It says the safety review is incomplete. It records why you left, but the restriction is based on the unresolved assessment and symptoms.”
“They knew I went to a rescue.”
“They did. That doesn’t tell them whether you can safely use the abilities when you’re fatigued.”
Eli remembered Nordin stopping the test when his hands shook. He also remembered the feeling of leaving the room while Sera and Nadir were inside a shifting gate. He wanted the notice to be a simple punishment for the rescue. It was easier to argue with punishment than with a question the team had already seen in practice.
Kellan finished the supply calculation and turned the ledger toward him. “The scheduled gate job requires your permit. The employer hasn’t confirmed whether the rest of us can take it without you.”
