The seal was unbroken.
Vivienne had expected that. She checked it anyway.
Behind the custody mark, the old override cabinet waited beneath its engraved cover. Unquestioned continuity, the inscription promised. A beautiful phrase, provided no one asked whose question had been removed.
Her standing authority had ended weeks earlier. The legal act was complete. The control link had remained for recorded technical retirement, sealed and watched while the station prepared a safe window to remove it.
That window had arrived.
So had a great many reasons to postpone it.
“The approach sequence is slower now,” the official said. “The convoy’s delayed. We need every option through the alignment.”
Vivienne looked at the cabinet.
