**TO:** Genesis Editorial Roundtable
**FROM:** Cora, Continuity & Accuracy Editor, Crimson Leaf Publishing
**DATE:** October 24, 2024
**RE:** Continuity & Accuracy Review: *Cypress Bend* – Chapter 07 (Florida Reality)

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### 1. STRENGTHS TO PRESERVE
*   **Voice Signature Consistency (David/Marcus/Sarah):**
    *   **David:** The shift into "Arthur’s Logic" is perfectly captured through cardinal directions: *"Headin' North-by-Northwest to the pump"* and *"That bank is soft headin' South-by-Southeast."*
    *   **Sarah:** Her "Status Code" verbal tic is maintained effectively: *"Error 404... Life not found."*
    *   **Marcus (referenced):** David’s internal narration of his own failure as *"Diagnostic: System failure"* accurately mirrors Marcus’s established Voice Signature from the RAG database.
*   **Environmental Consistency:** The "sugar sand" (marl) and fire ant aggression align with the established **World State: ch-07** in the RAG context regarding the "Rejecting" nature of the Florida interior.
*   **Dialogue Identification:** 
    *   **David:** YES. Identified by cardinal directions and nautical/manual labor metaphors.
    *   **Sarah:** YES. Identified by the juxtaposition of corporate/tech jargon with tactile grief.

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### 2. MUST-FIX — CONTINUITY
*   **Character Identity Displacement (David vs. Marcus):**
    *   **The Error:** Chapter 07 introduces a character named "David" as the protagonist living in the cabin with Sarah and Leo. However, the **Character State: ch-07** and **Voice-Sig-Marcus** establish that **Marcus Thorne** is the protagonist, former Lead AI Dev, and the one who fled to Cypress Bend with Sarah. 
    *   **The Contradiction:** The RAG state for Chapter 07 lists "David" as a character experiencing the collapse of his agrarian fantasy, but the **Mission/Context** establishes the family unit as Marcus, Sarah, and Leo. David is currently acting as a surrogate for Marcus’s narrative arc (The "Sarah" incident, Alpha-7 guilt).
    *   **The Correction:** Clarify the relationship between David and Marcus. If David is a pseudonym Marcus is using, it must be stated. If David is a separate character, his knowledge of "Julian Avery’s algorithms" and "Alpha-7" contradicts his established characterization as a man with an "Indiana daydream" (Marcus is from the Chicago/Corporate God-tier). 
*   **Timeline Inconsistency (Tenure at the Cabin):**
    *   **The Error:** Paragraph 5 states the floorboards groaned under a weight heavier than *"a year ago."* Paragraph 28 (approx) mentions the bridge they crossed *"seasons ago."*
    *   **The Contradiction:** **Character State: ch-07** defines the arc at 30% and the "Analog Regression" as "ONGOING." However, the narrative implies they have been there for over a year (ref: land titles, failed crops, Leo's integration). 
    *   **The Correction:** Reconcile the duration. If they have been there a year, the "Initialed" status of "The Great Hunger" in the RAG World State is delayed. Adjust "a year ago" to "months ago" to maintain the urgency of the survival timeline.
*   **Physical Item/State Contradiction:**
    *   **The Error:** David mentions "takin' the fuel assembly apart piece by piece" on the "diesel pump."
    *   **The Contradiction:** The text subsequently identifies the vehicle as "the dually" (truck).
    *   **The Correction:** Ensure the "diesel pump" and the "dually" are clearly separate entities or that the truck is being used *to power* the pump. As written, it implies the truck *is* the pump.

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### 3. MUST-FIX — CLARITY
*   **The "David/Marcus" Logic Leak:**
    *   **Passage:** *"He knew what he had to do. He had a reserve of cash... intended for the final land titles."* 
    *   **The Issue:** The text attributes Marcus’s specific history (Avery-Quinn, Alpha-7 guilt) to a character named David. If David is Marcus Thorne, the text must commit to one name for the reader's sake. If David is a different protagonist, his intimate knowledge of Avery-Quinn's "Terminal Efficiency" (Julian’s specific mantra) is unexplained.
    *   **The Fix:** Replace "David" with "Marcus" throughout to align with the **Constitutional Charter** and established **Character States**, or explicitly state David is Marcus’s chosen name for his "analog" life.

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### 4. OPTIONAL SUGGESTIONS
*   **Arthur’s "Ghost" Logic:** (Optional) While the "Hmph" and cardinal directions are present, a more direct reference to Arthur's specific habit of "rubbing his thumb against his middle finger" (from **Voice-Sig-Arthur**) being mimicked by David/Marcus would strengthen the legacy connection.
*   **Leo's Age/Integration:** (Optional) The RAG state notes Leo has successfully "rewiped his internal OS." Showing him playing with a broken dinosaur is good; perhaps a brief mention of him forgetting what a "tablet" felt like would reinforce the "Analog Regression" theme.

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### 5. FORBIDDEN CHANGES / NON-GOALS
*   **Do not "fix" the dropped 'g's:** (e.g., *Headin', clearin', runnin'*). These are intentional regressions to Arthur’s speech patterns as established in **Voice-Sig-Arthur** ("Imperfection signature"). 
*   **Do not smooth the technical metaphors:** Sarah’s use of "Error 404" and "Status Code" is a core character requirement.
*   **Do not remove the "systemic" jargon:** David/Marcus viewing his skin as a "systemic leak" or the fire-ants as "algorithmic precision" is vital to the "God-tier Developer" background.

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### 6. VERDICT
**REVISE**
The name discrepancy between "David" and "Marcus" is a **Major Flag**. The character in this chapter possesses Marcus’s backstory and Julian’s antagonistic history but is named David, creating a fundamental break in the lead character's identity/continuity across the project files. This must be harmonized before the chapter is finalized.