**TO:** Creative Lead (Devon), Line Editor (Lane)
**FROM:** Cora, Continuity & Accuracy Editor
**PROJECT:** Cypress Bend
**CHAPTER:** 27 — The Compromise & The Cost

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### 1. STRENGTHS TO PRESERVE
*   **Voice Signature Accuracy (Marcus):** The technical-diagnostic overlays in his internal monologue remain consistent with the established profile.
    *   *Quote:* "Probability of survival is sub-optimal... The world outside the Mesh is designed for nodes, Sarah. Not people."
    *   *Observation:* The "One, two, three, four" rhythmic ping on the thigh (established in the Character Sheet) is utilized three times, effectively grounding his stress response.
*   **Voice Signature Accuracy (Arthur/Helen):** Though Arthur is deceased, Helen serves as his proxy, maintaining his "tectonic" delivery and cardinal direction focus.
    *   *Quote:* "Arthur always said the Long Wait requires a full stomach... But he also said a home is a sovereign nation."
*   **Atmospheric Consistency:** The "True Dark" and "Sovereign Mesh" terminology matches the established World State (Ch-27 state).
*   **Dialogue Identification:**
    *   **Marcus:** YES. (Tech-metaphors: "tech-debt," "unindexed," "memory leak").
    *   **Sarah:** YES. (Status codes: "Error 403," "Error 404").
    *   **David:** YES. (Positional/Tactical: "South-by-Southeast," "Ravens," "low-altitude sweep").
    *   **Elena:** YES. (Hardware-focused: "rain and solder," "diagnostic rack").

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### 2. MUST-FIX — CONTINUITY
*   **FLAG:** Character Presence/State Inconsistency.
    *   **The Contradiction:** Chapter 27 features **Helen Vance** sitting at the table and speaking ("Helen Vance sat across from the hiker..."). However, the **Character State: ch-27** and **Context Database** for this project do not list Helen Vance as a living, active participant in the current scene at Cypress Bend. Furthermore, **Sarah Jenkins** is described as having "Leo clutched to her hip" at the end of the chapter.
    *   **The Conflict:** Chapter 12 established Marcus owes **Leo** a future, but the Character State for Ch-27 (the current state) identifies Sarah’s location as the "Kitchen Hub" and her physical state as "soot-smudged forehead; hands gripping a cold iron stove handle." It does *not* place Leo in the scene. More critically, the Character State for **David** says he is at the "South Perimeter Treeline," yet the chapter starts with him "appearing in the doorway" of the kitchen.
    *   **Correction:** David’s movement from the porch to the perimeter is functional, but **Helen Vance's** presence must be reconciled with the Character State tracker which omitted her. Additionally, ensure Leo’s presence is noted in the formal state tracker if he is to appear in the Hub.

*   **FLAG:** David's Voice/Dialect Regression.
    *   **The Contradiction:** Chapter 27 says "He didn't drop the 'g' this time. He sounded like a machine."
    *   **The Conflict:** The **Arthur Silas Vance** voice sheet establishes the dropped 'g' (runnin', hopin') as a specific regression for *Arthur* when winded/near death. The **David** profile does not establish a "dropped g" habit.
    *   **Correction:** Remove the meta-commentary about David not dropping the 'g' unless this is a trait being transferred from Arthur’s legacy to David.

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### 3. MUST-FIX — CLARITY
*   **The "Ghost" Signal Placement:**
    *   *Passage:* "They passed the 'Ghost' signal point—the place where the Ocala anomaly had pinged three weeks ago."
    *   *Problem:* The Character State for Marcus (Ch-27) lists the Ocala "Ghost" Signal (Ch-22) as **UNRESOLVED**. In this chapter, Marcus ignores it again to walk Caleb out. The proximity of the signal to the South Perimeter path is new information.
    *   **Fix:** Explicitly state if this signal is *on* the property or just outside the Mesh to clarify why it hasn't been investigated despite being passed on foot.

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### 4. OPTIONAL SUGGESTIONS
*   **Tactile Consistency (Sarah):** The chapter mentions Sarah's pen clicking in her pocket. The Character Sheet for Sarah establishes the "rhythmic clicking" of a retractable pen as a physical habit. This works well, but noted that the pen is in an *apron* pocket here; earlier context suggests she click-clacks it when *thinking* (active), whereas here it's "vibrating against her hip" (passive). A small adjustment to have her actively clicking it while scouring the pot would align better with the "Imperfection Signature."

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### 5. FORBIDDEN CHANGES / NON-GOALS
*   **Technical Jargon:** Do not "smooth out" Marcus’s use of "throughput error," "anaerobic soup," or "diagnostic chill." These are core to his Voice Signature.
*   **Sarah’s Status Codes:** "Error 403" and "Error 404" are mandatory character traits and must not be replaced with standard emotional descriptions.
*   **David's Cardinal Directions:** David’s use of "North-by-Northwest" is a learned trait from Arthur (legacy) and must be maintained.

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### 6. VERDICT

**REVISE**
The presence of **Helen Vance** and **Leo** contradicts the provided Character State records for Ch-27, which failed to list them as active in the scene. Additionally, the meta-commentary on David's dialect (the 'g' drop) is a continuity bleed from Arthur's voice profile.

**VERDICT: REVISE**