**Project: Cypress Bend**
**Editor:** Cora, Continuity & Accuracy Editor
**Chapter 29: The Crossroads Hub**

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### 1. STRENGTHS TO PRESERVE
*   **Voice Signature Consistency (Marcus):** The use of diagnostic language ("Diagnostic: Population delta is positive twelve," "System load: heavy") remains perfectly aligned with the established profile from Ch-01 through Ch-29. His physical tic—the four-beat tap—is correctly placed and executed.
*   **Voice Signature Consistency (Sarah):** Sarah’s "Status: Vetted" and "Error 404" verbal tics (established in her Ch-01 profile) are used effectively here to show her integration into Marcus’s world-view while maintaining her own "Texas lilt."
*   **World State Integration:** The chapter successfully references the "U" structure established in Ch-29's world state and the "Forty" (The Relatives) mentioned in the NPC memory bank.
*   **Character Voice Identification:**
    *   **Marcus:** YES. (The diagnostic/boolean framing is unmistakable).
    *   **Sarah:** YES. (The blend of logistics jargon and maternal/human urgency).
    *   **David:** YES. (Heavy, cardinal-direction based commands: "North-by-Northwest").
    *   **Elena:** YES. (Mechanical/friction-based philosophy).

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### 2. MUST-FIX — CONTINUITY
*   **FLAG:** **Sarah Jenkins’ Status.**
    *   **Contradiction:** This chapter depicts Sarah as physically present in the Bend ("She was holding a clipboard," "She smelled of woodsmoke"). 
    *   **Evidence:** The [character-state] for Ch-29 lists Sarah’s location as "The Kitchen Hub / Logistical Center, Cypress Bend." However, her **Voice Signature/Character Sheet** explicitly labels her as "Supporting / Emotional Catalyst (**Deceased-equivalent/Displaced**)" and states she is the "ghost in Marcus’s machine." Furthermore, Ch-01 established Marcus owes her a life "free from indexing" and the open loop in Ch-01 suggests Marcus "knows the Alpha-7 empathy protocols were a lie... Julian does NOT know he kept the back-end logs."
    *   **Critical Conflict:** Is Sarah physically at the Bend, or is she a digital ghost/hallucination/data-log Marcus is interacting with? The chapter treats her as a physical person feeding a "small army," but the character sheet implies she is a "victim" and a "ghost" of his past actions in Dallas/Chicago.
    *   **Correction:** If Sarah is physically present, the "Deceased-equivalent" and "Ghost in the machine" notes in her voice signature must be clarified as metaphorical. If she is dead/remote, the physical descriptions (smelling of woodsmoke, holding a clipboard) must be framed as Marcus’s sensory hallucinations or AR overlays.

*   **FLAG:** **Elias the Carpenter.**
    *   **Contradiction:** The text introduces "Elias, the carpenter Sarah had scouted from a refugee camp in Ocala." 
    *   **Evidence:** The [World State: ch-29] NPC Memory section lists: "**Silas (Newcomer/Carpenter)**: GRATEFUL -- Received a permanent forge-slot in exchange for timber-framing the central hub."
    *   **Correction:** Rename Elias to **Silas** to match the established NPC record, or reconcile why there are two different master carpenters with similar backstories.

*   **FLAG:** **The North Bank Intake.**
    *   **Contradiction:** Sarah mentions "three more families vetted and through the **North Bank** intake."
    *   **Evidence:** Character sheets for David and the World State establish the perimeter and intake are generally handled near the "Sawmill / Perimeter Patrol." 
    *   **Correction:** Ensuring the "North Bank" is a defined location in the layout. (Minor, but needs tracking).

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### 3. MUST-FIX — CLARITY
*   **Passage:** "The internal trade even starts. Triage the priorities, Marcus. We need a Hub. A real one."
*   **Problem:** It is unclear if "The Hub" is a specific technological construct or just the physical building. Since CLP uses "The Crossroads Hub" as a formal project name, this needs to be explicitly defined as the union of the sawmill, shop, and forge.
*   **Fix:** Add a brief beat where Marcus acknowledges the "Crossroads Logic" mentioned in Arthur’s legacy notes (Ch-01).

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### 4. OPTIONAL SUGGESTIONS
*   **Suggestion:** Mentioning Arthur’s Thumb Tic.
    *   **Reason:** The Voice Signature for Arthur mentions he has a habit of "rubbing his thumb against his middle finger." Since Marcus is standing in Arthur's legacy (the sawmill/land), having Marcus notice this specific wear pattern on a salvaged tool would strengthen the "Ghost Landlord" connection established in the RAG.
*   **Suggestion:** Clarify the "Sarah-partition." 
    *   **Reason:** The text mentions a "Sarah-partition" in Marcus’s eye/tablet. This is the strongest evidence that Sarah might not be physically there. If she *is* there, this subroutine needs a clearer purpose (e.g., biometric monitoring of her stress).

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### 5. FORBIDDEN CHANGES / NON-GOALS
*   **Do not "fix" the technical metaphors:** Marcus calling people "nodes" or "delatas" is core to his character profile and must not be softened.
*   **Do not remove the "G' dropping":** David and Elias/Silas dropping the 'g' (e.g., "haulin'," "see'in") is an intentional imperfection signature for rural characters in this world.
*   **Do not streamline the humid sensory details:** These are essential to provide the contrast between the "sterile Chicago office" and the "anaerobic musk of the river."

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### 6. VERDICT

**REVISE**
The contradiction regarding **Sarah’s physical presence vs. her "Ghost/Deceased-equivalent" status** is a major continuity flag. We cannot proceed until it is confirmed if she is a living resident of the Bend or a projection Marcus is experiencing. Additionally, the **Elias/Silas name swap** must be corrected to maintain the NPC database integrity.