The driver stopped where the local worker raised both arms.
Beyond him, the approach road had lifted into a shallow ridge. It did not look impressive enough to stop a vehicle. Eli knew that appearance was a poor measure of what pressure could do to a wheel already halfway across. The driver got down, examined the ground with the worker, and chose the side lane. It added a turn tight enough that they would have to unload the long panels before the last corner.
Bram was already undoing a strap when the reserve commander called for a fresh second-site report.
The answer took long enough for Eli to hear the crew beside him stop talking. Then the second commander’s voice came through, irritated by a question someone else had apparently asked him.
“No, we haven’t cleared the district. We’re keeping the local defense and the receiving point. The instruments still show instability.”
He asked what remained available if his own pressure rose. The reserve commander gave the actual small margin, including the heavy carriage delayed before the bridge. It was less than the second commander had wanted before Mira’s recommendation and much less than he had expected after it.
“Keep the line,” the man said. “Don’t make me find you after the next turn.”
