Gu He’s first review of the maintenance diagrams arrived by relay while the council shelter was still open. Qinghe took the message strip from Fen and read the copied notes aloud to the local engineers.
“Several channels were left unrepaired for years,” she said. “Safer furnace lines were disconnected from the central network. Some stone anchors were diverted to ceremonial work.”
The engineers leaned over the diagrams. One recognized a channel near the Pinehook ridge. “That line was marked stable when I trained. We were told the current was low because the lower gate was closed.”
Fen took out the relay ledger. “The nearest marker is listed as stable too, but the anchor lost half its current.”
He placed the ledger beside Gu’s diagram. The maintenance record showed that workers had requested replacement stones three years earlier. The purchase order had been redirected to a ceremonial gate.
Wei asked to see the original. Fen opened the ledger to the page and placed a weight on the curling corner. The date and names were still legible. Qinghe checked that the copy matched, then added the medical report to the packet.
“We need to verify each mark against local records,” she said. “Don’t publish a conclusion before the engineers check the channels.”
