# Character State: ch-15

## Marcus Thorne
Location: The Common Area, Cypress Bend, Florida.
Physical: Severe ocular fatigue; fingertips raw from manual cabling and hardware integration.
Emotional: Paralyzed by "Systemic Vertigo." He is experiencing a crisis of agency as the Alpha-7 logs reveal the "Perfection" of his own cruelty.
Active obligations: Owes Sarah a reality that isn't indexed (Ch-12); Owes the group a bridge the county cannot detect (Ch-16).
Open loops: The Alpha-7 "Phone Home" sequence (Ch-13); The back-end logs containing the "Termination Logic."
Arc: 85% — Marcus has transitioned from an architect of displacement to a translator for a logic he no longer trusts.

## David
Location: The Riverbank / Timber Cache, Cypress Bend, Florida.
Physical: Adrenaline-surging; hands stained with pine resin and calloused from manual labor.
Emotional: Vindicated. He has found purpose in "Physicality" over "Data," treating the bridge as a literal manifestation of survival.
Active obligations: Owes the Sanctuary a secure perimeter (Ch-12); Owes Leo a functional exit-strategy (Ch-15).
Open loops: The looming "Great Hunger" caloric deficit (Ch-11).
Arc: 75% — Transitioned from a desperate refugee to the physical architect of the Sanctuary’s defense.

## Sarah Jenkins
Location: The Cabin Kitchen, Cypress Bend, Florida.
Physical: Muscle tremors from hauling supplies; eyes sharp and scanning for logistical gaps.
Emotional: Pragmatic; she has weaponized her corporate "triage" skills for survival.
Active obligations: Owes Leo a future beyond the "Great Flight" narrative (Ch-14).
Known secrets: Knows the Alpha-7 empathy protocols were a lie; she is now using that same detachment to manage the Sanctuary’s resources.
Arc: 60% — Reclaimed her expertise, shifting from a victim of the system to its tactical coordinator.

## Elena
Location: The Workshop, Cypress Bend, Florida.
Physical: Smelling of diesel and mineral oil.
Emotional: Calculating. Treating the bridge construction as a tactical siege defense.
Known secrets: The manual axe-throw is the only failsafe for the legacy power line—Marcus remains unaware.
Arc: 55% — Fully committed to the "Architect of Friction" persona.

## Helen Vance
Location: The Cabin Porch, Cypress Bend, Florida.
Physical: High-frequency hand tremors (longevity treatment side-effect); mobile but fragile.
Emotional: Resolute. Guardian of the Vance legacy and the "Cardinal Logic."
Arc: 40% — Stepped out of the "patient" role to become the Sanctuary’s moral anchor.

# World State: ch-15

## NPC Memory
- County Automated Dispatch: HOSTILE. Maintains "Zero Priority" status for the bridge washout, effectively isolating the Bend.

## Faction Attitudes
- Avery-Quinn Corp: PREDATORY. Drones are actively searching for "Rhythmic Anomalies." The group is countering this by using irregular timber and manual labor to mask their signature.

## Active World Events
- The Great Dark: ONGOING. Power fluctuations provide the group tactical cover for construction noise.
- The 14-Week Lockdown: DAY 4. The isolation clock is the primary driver of tension.
- The Timber Span: Chapter 15 concludes with the physical commencement of the bridge — a "Silent Bridge" designed to evade digital detection.