A vibration in the central gauge pointed to the upper service tunnel. Qiao took two members of the repair crew to inspect it while Yan remained inside the chamber. Qinghe kept the relay open and gave them the route from the console. She could track their position by the short pulses from each post.
The tunnel contained an old conduit bracket pulled loose from its stone mount. The line still carried current, and its housing was too hot to touch. Qiao ordered the crew to close the local shutter before anyone approached the bracket.
The shutter lowered halfway, then caught on a bent hinge. One worker used a long wooden pole to clear it while the other watched the temperature. Qiao freed the hinge from the sheltered side. The shutter came down with a jolt. A spark burned through the pole’s tip, but the worker had already pulled it back.
“Everyone clear?” Qiao called.
The crew answered. He checked the temperature again before moving to the housing. It had cooled enough for them to brace without touching the live line. The bracket needed a new support, not a stronger push. Qiao sent the runner back for the spare brace from the storage bay.
