The caretaker named the part of the offer Eli wanted to hear before it named the people who would provide it.
Expanded capacity. No further memory erosion under the proposed maintenance state. Enough stored power to reinforce the seal while preserving the person carrying it.
Eli stood beside Tessa at the chamber-side station. His hands were still sore from the outer evacuation. The independent meter showed the draw beyond Rook’s predicted range. Two pressure-board engineers remained inside with a blocked withdrawal. Below, Juno and Ilyan worked at the junction through the checked hardline.
There was no quiet place from which to consider the bargain.
“How?” Eli asked.
“Accept the stored identities required for reinforcement.”
“Do they choose?”
“Maintenance necessity permits allocation.”
