# Character State: ch-22

## Marcus Thorne
Location: The Ocala National Forest (Juniper Prairie Wilderness), Florida.
Physical: Shivering from cold; hands numb; no new injuries beyond minor abrasions from brush.
Emotional: Humiliated but enlightened; experiencing a "hard reset" of his sensory priorities.
Active obligations: Owes David his life (Ch-17) — UNPAID; Owes Leo a future outside the index (Ch-12) — IN PROGRESS.
Open loops: The Seed Exchange Protocol (Ch-21) — UNRESOLVED; The Ocala "Ghost" Signal (Ch-22) — 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: 105% -- Marcus has accepted that his technical "God-tier" perception is a liability in a biological survival state.
Permanent: YES

## David
Location: The Ocala National Forest (Juniper Prairie Wilderness), Florida.
Physical: Rib-cage fully healed; moving with predatory efficiency; no injuries.
Emotional: Stoic and paternal; focused on "indexing" Marcus into the land's logic.
Active obligations: Owes Marcus his life (Ch-17) — UNPAID.
Arc: 100% -- David has transitioned from a refugee to a mentor, successfully grafting Arthur’s "Long Wait" philosophy onto Marcus.
Permanent: YES

## Sarah Jenkins
Location: The Kitchen Hub, Cypress Bend (Off-screen).
Physical: Rested; hands smelling of rosemary and flour.
Emotional: Sovereign; managing the local "Seed of Barter" economy.
Known secrets: CARRIED (Ch-01—unresolved): Knows the Alpha-7 empathy protocols were a lie to facilitate mass firings — Julian does NOT know she has weaponized that detachment.
Arc: 100% -- Sarah remains the stable administrative heart of the sanctuary.
Permanent: YES

## Elena
Location: The Perimeter Road, North Bank, Cypress Bend (Off-screen).
Physical: Lean; sun-darkened; no injuries.
Emotional: Strategically satisfied.
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: 95% -- Elena continues to manage the physical structural reinforcement of the Bend.
Permanent: YES

## Arthur Silas Vance — DECEASED (Ch-36)
Established: Died peacefully in his sleep after ensuring the "dead-zone" logic was intact.
Legacy: His "Long Wait" philosophy served as the curriculum for Marcus’s training in the Ocala woods this chapter.

## Helen Vance
Location: The Porch, Cypress Bend (Off-screen).
Physical: Frail but steady.
Emotional: Fulfilled; seeing the legacy of the land take root in Marcus.
Arc: 85% -- Helen remains the spiritual bridge to the Vance legacy.
Permanent: YES

# World State: ch-22

## NPC Memory
- Miller Family (Regional/Pork-trade): FRIENDLY -- Viewing the Bend as the primary node for mid-winter survival commerce.

## Faction Attitudes
- Avery-Quinn Corp: BLIND -- The "True Dark" status is maintained; however, the Ocala hunt revealed a latent "Ghost Signal" (unindexed hardware) in the deeper woods.

## Active World Events
- The Sovereign Mesh: ACTIVE -- Permanent state of local autonomy achieved.
- The Seed of Barter: ACTIVE -- Local trust-based resource exchange is the primary currency.
- The Winter Lockout: ACTIVE -- Deep cold and humidity testing the "Analog" resilience of the sanctuary.