# Character State: ch-17

## Marcus Thorne
Location: The Riverbank / Construction Site, Cypress Bend, Florida.
Physical: Lacerations on forearms; moderate hypothermia from river immersion; extreme muscle fatigue.
Emotional: Transformed; experiencing a profound sense of shared humanity over individual survival.
Active obligations: Owes David his life (Ch-17) — UNPAID; Owes the group a bridge that the county can't see (Ch-16) — UNPAID; Owes Sarah a world that doesn't index Leo's childhood (Ch-12) — IN PROGRESS.
Open loops: The Alpha-7 "Phone Home" sequence (Ch-13) — UNRESOLVED; The structural integrity of the timber span (Ch-16) — 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: 90% -- Marcus has crossed the threshold from observer to physical participant, proving his commitment through sacrifice.
Permanent: YES

## David
Location: The Riverbank / Construction Site, Cypress Bend, Florida.
Physical: Crushed ribs (suspected); severe bruising; exhaustion.
Emotional: Indebted and shaken; his skepticism of Marcus has been replaced by traumatized respect.
Active obligations: Owes Marcus his life (Ch-17) — UNPAID; Owes Leo a functional exit-strategy (Ch-15) — IN PROGRESS.
Open loops: David and the looming "Great Hunger" caloric deficit (Ch-11) — UNRESOLVED.
Arc: 85% -- David has recognized that the "analog" world requires collective trust to survive its own weight.
Permanent: YES

## Sarah Jenkins
Location: The Riverbank, Cypress Bend, Florida.
Physical: Tremors in hands; mud-caked; no major injuries.
Emotional: Fierce and maternal; stepping into a logistical leadership role under pressure.
Active obligations: Owes Leo a future that exists outside the "Great Flight" narrative (Ch-14) — ACTIVE.
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 same detachment for survival.
Arc: 70% -- Sarah has transitioned from a refugee to the moral and logistical anchor of the physical build.
Permanent: YES

## Elena
Location: The Workshop / Perimeter, Cypress Bend, Florida.
Physical: Smells of diesel; no injuries.
Emotional: Calculating and relieved; viewing the group's bond as a structural reinforcement.
Known secrets: Knows the manual axe-throw is the only physical failsafe for the legacy power line — Marcus does NOT know.
Arc: 60% -- Elena increasingly views the human "friction" as a necessary component of her siege defense.
Permanent: YES

## Helen Vance
Location: The Cabin Porch, Cypress Bend, Florida.
Physical: High-frequency tremor in hands; limited mobility.
Emotional: Resolute; acting as the spiritual custodian of the work.
Arc: 45% -- Helen is fully embracing her role as the guardian of the Vance legacy.
Permanent: YES

## Arthur Silas Vance — DECEASED (Ch-36)
Established: Died peacefully in his sleep after ensuring the "dead-zone" logic was intact.
Legacy: His track hoe and "Long Wait" tactics nearly caused a tragedy but ultimately forced the group to bond.

# World State: ch-17

## NPC Memory
- County Automated Dispatch (Remote): HOSTILE -- Ignores the environmental anomalies around the Bend as "unindexed noise."

## Faction Attitudes
- Avery-Quinn Corp: PREDATORY -- Drones are scanning for the rhythmic vibration of the track hoe.

## Active World Events
- The Great Dark: ONGOING -- Grid instability masking the physical construction noise.
- The 14-Week Lockdown: DAY 5 -- The calendar remains the primary driver of the build's urgency.