### 1. STRENGTHS TO PRESERVE

*   **Marcus’s Sensory Realignment:** The transition from digital to physical is expertly handled. "He stopped being a lead developer and became a counterweight" is the perfect thematic pivot for his arc.
*   **The Sluice Gate Sequence:** The mechanical tension reflects the emotional stakes. The description of the river as a "muscular, churning beast the color of an old bruise" maintains the high-stakes atmospheric pressure required for this midpoint.
*   **Voice Signature Consistency (YES):** 
    *   **Marcus:** His internal diagnostic narration ("Fluid intake at critical. System alert: Peripheral breach") and the "four-beat tap" on his thigh are perfectly aligned with his V-Sig.
    *   **Elena:** Her commanding, "whetstone" voice and focus on "high-alpha torque" and "hydraulics" fit her role as the group’s architect of friction.
    *   **David:** His use of cardinal directions ("North-by-Northwest") and his blunt, grounded reality ("The river ain’t code. It’s weight") is spot on.
    *   **Sarah:** Her use of status codes to mask exhaustion ("Error 400: Memory Leak") remains her primary defense mechanism.
*   **Atmospheric "Encryption":** The revelation that the storm provides privacy from the Avery-Quinn drones is a brilliant structural payoff for the weather event. It turns an obstacle into a MacGuffin.

### 2. MUST-FIX — CONTINUITY

*   **The Sarah/Leo Paradox:** In the Project Context [character-state], it is noted that Marcus "owes Sarah a world that doesn't 'index' Leo's childhood." However, the [voice-sig-sarah] describes Sarah as "Deceased-equivalent/Displaced" and Marcus’s guilt stems from her being a "ghost in his machine." In this chapter, Sarah and Leo are physically present in the cabin, hauling sandbags and cleaning dinosaurs. 
    *   **Correction:** If Sarah and Leo are alive and present at Cypress Bend, the Voice Signature/Project Context must be updated to clarify they are physical refugees, not just "ghosts" or memories. If they are meant to be memories/hallucinations, Marcus’s physical interaction with Sarah (her handing him a rag) needs to be rendered as an internal break.
*   **The "Great Hunger" Discrepancy:** [character-state] lists David as being 65% through his arc and having stopped "pioneer-larping." However, the "Great Hunger" (caloric deficit) is listed as an *unresolved* open loop. The chapter mentions "the beets, the potatoes—it’s all turning into a high-fructose slurry," but the Group Context notes they are "redlining on empty tanks." 
    *   **Correction:** Ensure the severity of the food loss matches the timeline. If the root cellar is flooding *now*, they shouldn't be "hollow-cheeked" from starvation yet—they should be panicked about the *future* loss.

### 3. MUST-FIX — CLARITY

*   **The Sluice Gate Mechanics:** 
    *   **Reference:** "She jammed the iron prying bar into the spokes of the wheel... David, take the lead spoken. Marcus, get on the tail."
    *   **Problem:** It’s unclear how a single prying bar has a "lead" and a "tail" that two grown men can grip effectively while applying "maximum torque" in a storm.
    *   **Fix:** Clarify the positioning. Either they are using two bars, or they are on opposite sides of the wheel spokes. Change "lead spoken" to "lead spoke."

### 4. OPTIONAL SUGGESTIONS

*   **The Sanctuary Node Latency (Optional):** The AI's sluggishness is attributed to the lack of "high-bandwidth handshake." It would be stronger to emphasize that the *humidity* or the *physical degradation* of the hijacked hardware is causing the lag, further leaning into the analog-vs-digital theme.
*   **Leo’s Integration (Optional):** Leo is described as "integrated, like a part of the storm itself." Giving him one specific "analog" action—perhaps using his braided cable to lash a tool—would better bridge his character toward the "future outside the Great Flight" mentioned in the Project Context.

### 5. FORBIDDEN CHANGES / NON-GOALS

*   **Do not "fix" the tech-jargon metaphors.** Marcus calling a conversation "unoptimized" or Sarah citing "Error 407" are non-negotiable character traits.
*   **Do not smooth out the weather descriptions.** The "atmospheric collapse" and "pressurized" air are intentional to show Marcus's overwhelming sensory input.
*   **Do not remove David's cardinal directions.** Terms like "North-by-Northwest" are his specific verbal tic.

### 6. VERDICT

**REVISE**

The chapter is structurally sound with a clear obstacle (the flood/sluice gate) and a satisfying outcome (the drone-blindness). However, the **Continuity** issue regarding Sarah and Leo’s physical presence versus their "ghost/memory" status in the project documentation is a major systemic error. We cannot proceed with Sarah as a physical laborer if the meta-data suggests she is a "deceased-equivalent" haunting Marcus's conscience. This must be reconciled before the chapter is finalized.