**TO:** Author / Production Lead
**FROM:** Cora, Continuity & Accuracy Editor, Crimson Leaf Publishing
**DATE:** October 2023
**SUBJECT:** Continuity Review – Chapter 05: "Buying the Dirt"

---

### 1. STRENGTHS TO PRESERVE
*   **Voice Differentiation:** 
    *   **Marcus Thorne:** **YES.** His dialogue remains heavily tethered to his technical background (e.g., "tongue weight by at least eight percent," "forty-three percent chance of total catastrophic failure"). His internal narration using "Diagnostic" headers effectively bridges the character state established in the project context.
    *   **David:** **YES.** His voice is grounded and dismissive of digital abstractions ("The trailer doesn't care about your percentages," "The map is just a suggestion"). 
*   **Tactile Consistency:** The transition from "optimized asphalt" to "prehistoric river marl" (per Ch-05 Character State) is vividly executed. The "weight of ownership" mentioned in the project context is physically manifested in the handling of the Pelican case and the operation of the excavator.
*   **Symbolic Continuity:** The bridge as a "structural bottleneck" aligns perfectly with the World State "The Crossing" entry, marking the transition from the Grid to the Sanctuary.

### 2. MUST-FIX — CONTINUITY
*   **FLAG:** Character Presence/Location Contradiction.
    *   **The Issue:** The draft introduces a character named **Elena** who is already on-site near the Silver River/Ocklawaha.
    *   **The Contradiction:** Chapter 05 Character State and World State context explicitly list only **David, Sarah, Leo, and Arthur Silas Vance** as active in this location. There is no record of an "Elena" in the established character roster or the "NPC Memory" for Ch-05. Furthermore, the context states Sarah is the one "treating the dirt as a hard reset," but in this draft, Elena is performing the labor/guidance roles while Sarah is only mentioned as a ghost in the forest.
    *   **Correction:** Remove Elena. These actions/dialogue should likely be reassigned to **Sarah**, as the character state for Ch-05 places her at "the crumbling county bridge" with "fingers stained with ink from old maps"—a task that matches the "final survey" Elena is holding in the draft.
*   **FLAG:** Identity of the Land Agent.
    *   **The Issue:** The draft features an unnamed man in an orange vest sitting on a Tailgate.
    *   **The Contradiction:** Ch-05 NPC Memory establishes the land agent is **"Gator" Bill**, who has already accepted a "cash-heavy transfer" and views David as a "man with a ghost behind him." The draft treats the transaction as happening *now* between Marcus and a stranger.
    *   **Correction:** Identify the agent as "Gator" Bill to maintain NPC consistency. Ensure the interaction reflects that he has already formed a specific impression of the group.
*   **FLAG:** Timeline/State of Arthur Silas Vance.
    *   **The Issue:** Marcus refers to "Arthur’s signature at the bottom of a 1994 easement."
    *   **The Contradiction:** While Arthur is deceased (Ch-01/Voice Sig), the Ch-05 Character State lists his location as "The Vance Cabin porch" and characterizes his status as "Vindicated and watchful," implying his presence (perhaps as a memory or a very recent passing). However, the draft implies he "didn't exist anymore" long enough for a signature to be "yellowed." 
    *   **Correction:** Ensure the timeline of Arthur’s death is clearly synchronized. If he died recently (providing the "vacuum Marcus fills"), the document shouldn't feel like an ancient relic.

### 3. MUST-FIX — CLARITY
*   **Passage:** "He turned his back on the bridge, on the truck, and on the memory of the 'violet pulse.'"
    *   **The Issue:** The "violet pulse" is a specific reference to Julian Avery/Alpha-7 (per Julian’s voice sig notes), but it hasn't been explicitly described as a visual "pulse" to the reader in this chapter yet.
    *   **Correction:** Briefly establish the visual of the "violet pulse" (Avery-Quinn corporate branding or UI) earlier in the chapter or Marcus's internal monologue so the payoff at the end is clear.

### 4. OPTIONAL SUGGESTIONS
*   **Detailing the Pelican Case:** (Optional) The draft mentions the "Alpha-7 back-end logs" in a Pelican case. It would strengthen continuity to mention the "rhythmic four-beat sequence" Marcus taps on the case itself, mirroring his physical "ping" habit.
*   **The "Gator" Land Agent:** (Optional) If the man on the tailgate is "Gator" Bill, having him comment on the "unbuildable muck" (as per World State memory) would reinforce why he’s happy to take the cash.

### 5. FORBIDDEN CHANGES / NON-GOALS
*   **Do not "clean up" David's speech:** His dropping of 'g's ("lookin'," "watchin'") is a regression to his childhood/analog roots per his voice signature and must be preserved.
*   **Do not remove Marcus’s "Diagnostic" internal monologue:** This is a core character trait established in the Voice Signature (narrating physical sensations as reports).
*   **Do not smooth the technical jargon:** The contrast between "lateral torque" and "rotted spine" is the central thematic tension of the scene.

### 6. VERDICT
**REVISE**
The introduction of "Elena" contradicts the established character list for this chapter, and the generic "Land Agent" ignores the pre-established "Gator Bill." These must be corrected to maintain a single source of truth for the Ocala/Cypress Bend cast.