The first gauge report reached the council before the freed engineer’s account had finished being copied.
Pela compared the values with the sequence the worker had described. One of the three pressure chambers had begun equalizing. The mechanical coupling was not yet confirmed seated by the local observer. Together, the account and the current measurements gave them a constraint on what could happen next: the inner transfer needed the coupling and all three chambers prepared.
They did not give them a promise that Rook would wait.
Juno put the observed time at the top of the sheet and asked for the next reading. The observer at the safe maintenance point had a runner chain and a clear instruction to call each stage, including any unexpected change. The coalition would have one short preparation interval while work continued beyond the defended boundary. No researcher could extend that interval by leaving a question unanswered.
Ilyan reported the barrier damage first.
Removing the coastal core had weakened parts of the settlement’s protection. Local observations and maintenance changes supported that conclusion, though not every damaged support could be assigned to a single cause. A further uncontrolled activation could affect shelters and the temporary surface passage. Stopping Rook might prevent a new harm. It would not automatically restore what had already failed.
