3.7 KiB
Character State: ch-20
Marcus Thorne
Location: The Canopy/North Bank, Cypress Bend, Florida. Physical: Hands scarred and stained with fiber-optic resin; no new injuries; high-altitude fatigue. Emotional: Vindicated; experiencing a shift from digital fugitive to a foundational architect of a physical domain. Active obligations: Owes David his life (Ch-17) — UNPAID; Owes Leo a future outside the index (Ch-12) — IN PROGRESS. Open loops: The Alpha-7 "Phone Home" sequence (Ch-13) — RESOLVED (Masked by the new mesh-layer). 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: 100% -- Marcus has successfully transitioned from the architect of displacement to the architect of a sovereign, unindexed sanctuary. Permanent: YES
Elena
Location: The Canopy/North Bank, Cypress Bend, Florida. Physical: Lean, sun-darkened muscles; smelling of ozone and pine; no injuries. Emotional: Professionally satisfied; treats the completion of the mesh as a structural "commit." Known secrets: CARRIED (Ch-10—unresolved): Knows the manual axe-throw is the only physical failsafe for the power line — Marcus does NOT know. Arc: 90% -- Elena has moved from a survivalist mechanic to the guardian of a permanent, high-tech fortress. Permanent: YES
David
Location: The Garden/Sanctuary Grounds, Cypress Bend, Florida. Physical: Rib-cage healed; walking without a limp; strong grip. Emotional: Peaceful; viewing the mesh as a protective "skin" for the land. Active obligations: Owes Marcus his life (Ch-17) — UNPAID. Arc: 98% -- David has completed his transition to the tribal elder and primary steward of the physical sanctuary. Permanent: YES
Sarah Jenkins
Location: The Kitchen/Sanctuary Hub, Cypress Bend, Florida. Physical: Rested; hands soft from flour but calloused from garden work. Emotional: Grounded; the maternal urgency has been channeled into communal stability. Active obligations: Owes Leo a world outside the "Great Flight" (Ch-14) — IN PROGRESS. 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 detachment. Arc: 95% -- Sarah has reclaimed her role as the de facto head of the "unindexed" family. Permanent: YES
Leo
Location: The Canopy/Mesh Base, Cypress Bend, Florida. Physical: Uninjured; climbing with agility. Emotional: Fearless; treats the tech as part of the natural flora. Arc: 85% -- Leo has become the first true native of the Bend, unaware of the "indexed" world. Permanent: YES
Arthur Silas Vance — DECEASED (Ch-36)
Established: Died peacefully in his sleep after ensuring the "dead-zone" logic was intact. Legacy: His cardinal points and refusal of the "cloud" served as the blueprint for the mesh network.
Helen Vance
Location: The Porch, Cypress Bend, Florida. Physical: Frail; hands resting on a digital tablet used for monitoring the "ghost records." Emotional: Fulfilled; watching the legacy of the Bend evolve into a protected state. Arc: 80% -- Helen has successfully passed the stewardship of the land's "soul" to the collective. Permanent: YES
World State: ch-20
NPC Memory
- Avery-Quinn Search Drones (Regional): BLINDED -- The mesh network mimics the background radiation of the swamp, rendering the 1,000 acres a "true dark" zone.
Faction Attitudes
- Avery-Quinn Corp: FRUSTRATED -- The "lost sector" remains a persistent anomaly in their throughput maps.
Active World Events
- The Great Dark: ENDED -- Replaced by the "Sovereign Mesh," a local autonomous grid.
- The 14-Week Lockdown: COMPLETED -- The group has moved into a state of permanent autonomy.