Gu He left his remote archive with the original anchor theory, copied maintenance records, and the island folios sealed in two cases. His road journey would take several days. Tew rode with him, along with two route guards who knew the north approach.
They traveled by road and relay, stopping at staffed shelters rather than trying to force the distance in one ride. Gu kept the cases close and checked their seals at each change of guard.
At the first relay station, he compared the storm tower reading with the last message from the capital. They matched within the known margin. He sent a brief note ahead that he would arrive before the laboratory descent and asked Wei to keep the original records separate from copies.
“The figures can travel by relay,” Gu told Tew, “but the archive still has to be opened and checked in person.”
The next stretch of road crossed a low plain, where families from the transfer zones had stopped near a shelter. A local engineer recognized Gu and asked whether the missing relay crews were listed in the island archive.
“I don’t know yet,” Gu said. “I have to compare the original schedule with the maintenance record.”
