The storm wall reached the capital roofline. The upper barrier bent until its supports groaned, and the old central furnace surged against its casing. Dust shook loose from the ceiling joints.
Qinghe read the latest gauge and told Yan that the values had fallen into the activation range. She wanted one final report from the wall before he began. Qiao checked the repaired conduit bracket and pressed the chalk mark at its foot. The line stayed true.
Wei’s reply came through the relay: the outer crews had moved behind stone cover. No one remained beside the damaged western node or the river station’s disconnected pylon. Qinghe copied the report to the central map and marked both gaps.
Yan stood at the inner ring with the manuscript and grounding rods. “Can every crew reach a release control?”
“The local keepers hold their cords,” Qinghe said. “The command suspension still protects the western line. The river node is isolated by Vela.”
The network was not complete, and two nodes were dark. The central furnace alone could not solve every weakness, but its stable line might keep the current barrier from failing while repairs continued.
A ceiling shard broke loose and struck the floor near the outer rail. Qinghe moved the instrument case away from the impact and checked the floor for cracks. The stone left a gouge, but did not reach Yan.
