# Character State: ch-28

## Marcus Thorne
Location: The Forge / Workshop, Cypress Bend, Florida.
Physical: Soot-stained face; hands steady but calloused from mechanical labor.
Emotional: Profoundly grounded; a sense of systemic belonging.
Active obligations: Owes Sarah a life free from indexing (Ch-01) — IN PROGRESS; Owes Leo a future (Ch-12) — IN PROGRESS.
Open loops: The Ocala "Ghost" Signal (Ch-22) — UNRESOLVED; The Avery-Quinn "Deep Scan" Retaliation (Ch-25) — UNRESOLVED.
Known secrets: CARRIED (Ch-01—unresolved): Knows the Alpha-7 empathy protocols were a lie to facilitate mass firings — Julian does NOT know he kept the back-end logs.
Arc: 185% -- Marcus has fully transitioned from a digital architect to a physical steward, valuing communal labor over algorithmic efficiency.
Permanent: YES

## Sarah Jenkins
Location: The Kitchen Hub, Cypress Bend, Florida.
Physical: Smelling of rendered fat and woodsmoke; tired but physically robust.
Emotional: Content; authoritative as the community's logistical heart.
Active obligations: None.
Open loops: None.
Known secrets: CARRIED (Ch-01—unresolved): Knows the Alpha-7 empathy protocols were a lie — Julian does NOT know she has weaponized that detachment.
Arc: 170% -- Sarah has successfully codified the "Winter Trade," proving that human trust is a viable alternative to the old currency.
Permanent: YES

## David
Location: The Smokehouse / Perimeter, Cypress Bend, Florida.
Physical: Strong; rib-cage fully healed; moving with predatory efficiency.
Emotional: Protective and satisfied; seeing the fruition of Arthur’s lessons.
Active obligations: Owes Helen a legacy (Ch-01) — PAID.
Open loops: None.
Arc: 175% -- David has finalized his role as the "Anchor," moving from a soldier for a corporation to a provider for a tribe.
Permanent: YES

## Elena
Location: The Solar Array / North Bank, Cypress Bend, Florida.
Physical: Grease-stained forearms; eyes sharp and focused.
Emotional: Validated; seeing the physical "torque" of the community hold.
Active obligations: Owes Marcus a physical failsafe (Ch-10) — UNPAID.
Open loops: None.
Known secrets: CARRIED (Ch-10—unresolved): Knows the manual axe-throw is the only physical failsafe for the power line — Marcus does NOT know.
Arc: 160% -- Elena has successfully integrated high-tech energy production into an analog barter system.
Permanent: YES

## Arthur Silas Vance — DECEASED (Ch-01)
Established: Died peacefully in his sleep after ensuring the "dead-zone" logic was intact.
Legacy: His tractor’s mechanical failure served as the catalyst for the community to prove its economic independence through the Winter Trade.

# World State: ch-28

## NPC Memory
- Miller (Neighbor/South-by-Southeast): GRATEFUL -- Received a hog carcass in exchange for smithing labor -- He is now a nodes in the "Sovereign Mesh" barter network.
- Julian Avery (Avery-Quinn Corp): PREDATORY EXCLUSION -- Still blinded by the "True Dark" status but increasing statistical pressure on the perimeter's "void."

## Faction Attitudes
- Avery-Quinn Corp: AGGRESSIVE -- Monitoring the energy-draw anomalies in the sector.
- The Bend Tribe: UNIFIED -- The successful tractor repair has cemented the internal trade protocols.

## Active World Events
- The Winter Trade: COMPLETED -- The community survived a major mechanical and economic shock without outside currency.
- The Sovereign Mesh: PERMANENT -- Now functions as both a tactical shroud and an economic ledger.