Severin asked for the date beneath the worst report.
The aide read it.
“Now the observer’s report.”
Sera Dain’s account was later. The rack had been overloaded. It had been closed promptly, secured by local workers, and repaired to a lower rating under independent observation. The prediction of imminent collapse did not appear in her findings.
“Remove that sentence from the summary,” Severin said.
The aide drew a line through it.
Beyond the operations table, the Central Spire’s measuring rods moved in small increments against their reference scales. A waiting technician held a maintenance request whose proposed relief drew on a station already below its preferred reserve.
Severin had him put the receiving and supplying accounts together.
