The community’s transport lead arrived before the coalition vehicles.
She walked the loading space with the facility custodian, checking the ground for standing water and the height of the cart bed against the table. Eli waited beside the gate until she waved him in. The morning was cold enough to make the metal handles unpleasant through his gloves. He was glad of the simple discomfort. It gave his hands something to notice besides the knowledge of what they would carry.
The loading room had been changed overnight. The disputed drawer remained sealed and apart. Securely matched containers stood on a separate table, each linked to the family’s own review of the inventory. Another area held material the community had agreed to receive under temporary identifiers, with no forced claim that its name was known. The difference was visible before anyone began reading the papers.
Tessa checked the agreements with the family representatives. The facility would retain only the material those relevant families had separately permitted under the stated terms. Existing non-identifying research records would remain available for reproduction. A family that had agreed only to discuss retention had not been entered as consenting. A refusal had not delayed the rest of that family’s return.
