The map room above the western gate smelled of ink and wet wool. Wuchen had set the anchor contract on a broad table, with the provincial barrier map beneath it. Yan stood across from him. Qinghe, Wei, and two capital engineers joined them.
Wuchen opened the contract to the first marked section. “This gives the anchor authority to advise on emergency use. The registrar retains the right to issue mandatory orders if a barrier is judged unstable.”
Yan read the clause twice. It allowed him to recommend a route, a repair, or a withdrawal. The final decision still belonged to the Registry.
“What happens to the local population?” Qinghe asked.
One engineer followed the line with a finger. “They remain bound to the central ledger. If the anchor is absent, the Registry may appoint a replacement.”
“The replacement inherits the same costs?” Yan asked.
“Yes.”
Yan understood that his own gift made the role safe for him. It did not make the role harmless to everyone else. The contract could replace him with another practitioner who did not have the System.
