The official’s proposal began with registered hunters.
He said it carefully, as if naming a smaller group would make the principle smaller too. A mandatory minimum contribution, assessed by ability and rotated through a roster. Exemptions for those who were medically unfit. The prison endangered everyone; those with power would provide a defined share instead of leaving the burden to whoever felt most guilty when asked.
Several responders nodded.
Eli knew two of them by sight from the workshop approach. They had been carrying supplies long after their own shifts ended. One had a fresh bandage above his collar. The other had fallen asleep sitting upright during the regulator discussion. They did not look hungry for authority. They looked afraid that freedom to refuse meant the same exhausted people would keep agreeing.
“What happens if someone says no?” Tessa asked.
The official looked at the empty chair.
“An emergency obligation must have enforcement.”
“What enforcement?”
