Wei spread the western route across the command map and put a red stone on the relay. He wanted the road closed as soon as the storm bent the upper barrier. Two shelters still depended on that road, Yan pointed out. Closing it too early would leave them with no safe route.
“If the node fails under full pressure, the road becomes a hazard,” Wei said. “I won’t send families beneath a barrier we know is failing.”
“We don’t know that it will fail,” Yan replied. “The keeper can disconnect at the marked level. The shelter needs time to clear.”
Qinghe studied the map. A red flag at the relay would warn the western crew, but the lower bridge could not see it. The relay and bridge were separated by a bend in the road.
“We need a second signal,” she said. “A lantern shutter from the roofline. It can be seen from the shelters and doesn’t depend on the old command wire.”
Wei asked who had authority to disconnect if both signals appeared. Yan said the local keeper should have that authority. Wei added that the outer commander must be able to evacuate people from the node’s radius.
“The commander can clear the road,” Yan said. “The keeper decides whether to pull the cord.”
