Juno opened the crates in front of the settlement engineer.
She had counted the material twice. A third count would not produce another brace. She asked the engineer to identify the pieces required for the tunnel and placed them beside the parts reserved for the reservoir release trial. The overlap became visible on the floor.
Eli stood by the open door, keeping the passage clear while workers came to see what would be moved. He had read the failed test. He had not been beneath the cracked support. Juno wanted that difference preserved too; nobody needed his reaction to an account to outrank the people who had actually inspected the load.
“This length,” the engineer said. “These fittings. Not the shorter pieces.”
Juno moved the indicated stock to one side.
“And the trial?” Eli asked.
“The next configuration can’t be assembled on its planned date if we use this here.”
“Substitute?”
