# Character State: ch-27

## Marcus Thorne
Location: The Kitchen Hub / Interior, Cypress Bend, Florida.
Physical: Dried sweat itchy on his neck; knuckles bruised from the tractor repair; hands steady upon the mechanical ledger.
Emotional: Resolute; experiencing a "systemic reset" from digital architect to communal protector.
Active obligations: Owes Sarah a life free from indexing (Ch-01) — IN PROGRESS; Owes Leo a future (Ch-12) — IN PROGRESS.
Open loops: The Ocala "Ghost" Signal (Ch-22) — UNRESOLVED; The Avery-Quinn "Deep Scan" Retaliation (Ch-25) — UNRESOLVED.
Known secrets: CARRIED (Ch-01): Knows the Alpha-7 empathy protocols were a lie—Julian does NOT know Marcus has the raw back-end logs stored in a physical air-gap.
Arc: 190% -- Marcus has successfully transitioned from "Admin" to "Steward," prioritizing the Sovereign Mesh over his own anonymity.

## Sarah Jenkins (Memory/Manifest)
Location: Displaced (Dallas) / Present in the "Winter Trade" ledger.
Physical: Represented by the "Sarah-Protocol" logic in the Mesh.
Emotional: Vindicated; her displacement served as the functional blueprint for the Bend’s survival.
Active obligations: None.
Open loops: None.
Known secrets: CARRIED (Ch-01): Her weaponized detachment regarding Alpha-7 is now the foundational logic of the Bend’s trade security.
Arc: 180% -- Sarah’s legacy has evolved from "Victim of Efficiency" to "Architect of Autonomy."

## David
Location: The Perimeter / High Ground, Cypress Bend.
Physical: Moving with "predatory efficiency"; thermal optics integrated into the Mesh.
Emotional: Fulfilled; the "Anchor" role has shifted from defensive to proactive.
Active obligations: Owes Helen a legacy (Ch-01) — PAID.
Open loops: None.
Arc: 185% -- David has finalized the transition from Avery-Quinn "asset" to the Tribe’s apex guardian.

## Elena
Location: Solar Array / North Bank.
Physical: Eyes bloodshot from monitoring the power-spike "masking" protocols.
Emotional: Sharp; "Validating the torque" of the community’s new independence.
Active obligations: Owes Marcus a physical failsafe (Ch-10) — PAID (Executed via the Mesh backbone).
Open loops: None.
Known secrets: CARRIED (Ch-10): The manual axe-throw failsafe is now a known tribal protocol; Marcus is now aware.
Arc: 175% -- Elena has successfully grounded her technical expertise in physical survival.

# World State: ch-27

## NPC Memory
- Miller (Neighbor): ALLIED -- His contribution to the tractor repair is the first official entry in the Sovereign Mesh.
- Julian Avery (Avery-Quinn Corp): BLINDED -- Currently tracking a "null-sector" where Cypress Bend should be; his algorithms are returning "True Dark."

## Faction Attitudes
- Avery-Quinn Corp: ESCALATING -- Preparing a "Deep Scan" of the Ocala sector to resolve the telemetry void.
- The Bend Tribe: SOVEREIGN -- The successful "Winter Trade" has replaced external currency with internal labor-value.

## Active World Events
- The Sovereign Mesh: PERMANENT -- The digital-analog hybrid ledger is live, tracking tribal debts and assets outside the Avery-Quinn reach.
- The Ghost Signal: ACTIVE -- A recurring pulse from Ocala that matches Marcus’s old Alpha-7 handshake, suggesting another "glitch" or a beckoning survivor.
- The Winter Trade: FINALIZED -- The community has survived its first economic blockade. Cypress Bend is no longer a residence; it is a fortified node.