The numbers on the imager glowed: 99%. The countdown to the facility-wide reboot was a drumbeat in their ears.
[Thrum…]
Warning: Facility Reboot T−03:00
Penalty on Failure: Survival −6%
[Ding!]
Event: Imaging Integrity at Risk
Status:
- Survival Probability: 98% → 96% (Δ −2%)
- Attention: 30/100
- Imaging Progress: 99% (Hash pending)
Sub-Objectives:
M) Complete image & record final hash before reboot (+5%)
N) Obtain reboot exemption (evidence suites isolated) (+4%)
O) Preserve "S." control path (board office trigger logs) (+3%)
Rowan checked the small UPS unit under the desk. It beeped a warning red. "Minutes, not hours."
"Hold power, not network," Elara said, her eyes fixed on the imager. "We need an exemption. Isolate this suite from the reboot."
Rowan was already on the radio to Facilities. "Active warrant in Suite 2B. We require isolation from the facility reboot. If policy blocks a full exemption, we need a three-minute variance to complete a critical forensic image. Cite evidence preservation protocol."
The reply was static-filled. "Stand by."
"Dual track," Elara said. She adjusted the desk lamp to cut the glare on the imager's screen and began narrating for the body-cam. "Case number C-4492. Imaging device serial I-M-G-7710. Hash progress: ninety-nine percent." She placed a steadying hand on the imager, shielding it from the building's vibration.
Simultaneously, Rowan had the Port Counsel on the line. "We need a Reboot Exemption Form. Now." A digital form appeared on a shared tablet. Elara filled it out with swift, precise strokes—warrant number, suite, critical status. Rowan co-signed. The Warehouse Duty Officer added his witness signature.
[Ding!]
Event: Reboot Exemption — Pending Approval
Status:
- Survival Probability: 96% → 97% (Δ +1%)
A new voice crackled over Rowan's radio—IT. "Reboot command originated from a Board Admin console. Job ID J-8821."
"Send the syslog and authentication ledger for that job," Elara said, her attention split between the screen and the new data stream. The logs appeared. She scanned them. "The job owner alias... it's the same root as 'S.' The console machine ID is C-N-S-L-4492." She captured the job ID, console ID, and alias root. The path was solidifying.
[Ding!]
Event: Evidence Capture — Reboot Job Ledger
Status:
- Survival Probability: 97% → 98% (Δ +1%)
- Sub-Objective O progress: 0% → 60%
The reboot clock hit 01:00.
"Facilities denies a global exemption," Rowan relayed, his voice tight. "But they'll let us pull Suite 2B off the main power bus if we assume liability."
"Assume it," Elara and Rowan said in unison.
Rowan moved to a sub-panel by the door. He threw the switch. The main lights died, plunging them into the eerie glow of the UPS and the imager. The PC and the forensic tool hummed on, isolated. "Suite 2B is off the bus," he narrated for the camera.
The imager screen flickered, then settled. 100%.
A string of characters appeared. The final SHA-256 hash.
Elara read it aloud, slowly, clearly. "Final hash: 4A7B2... recording on evidence label now." She wrote it on the physical label affixed to the sealed drive. The Warehouse Officer repeated it back. Both signed the label. Elara triggered a rapid verification pass. The hash matched.
[Ding!]
Event: Image Complete — Final Hash Recorded
Status:
- Survival Probability: 98% → 100% (Δ +2%)
- Sub-Objective M — COMPLETE
A moment later, the exemption was approved for Suite 2B only. Rowan posted a printed Reboot Lock Notice on the door, stating the time, scope, and warrant number.
[Ding!]
Event: Evidence Suite Isolated from Reboot
Status:
- Survival Probability: 100% → 101% (Δ +1%)
- Sub-Objective N — COMPLETE
The final piece fell into place. IT sent the full board console log. The job owner alias matched the 'S.' pattern exactly. The badge reader log showed the same badge, H-4492, had entered the Board Admin Room ten minutes before the reboot was ordered.
[Ding!]
Event: Handler Path Preserved (Board Console)
Status:
- Survival Probability: 101% → 102% (Δ +1%)
- Sub-Objective O — COMPLETE
A new message pinged on Rowan's device. "Board requests Compliance presence. Now."
Elara pocketed the sealed forensic drive. As they stepped into the corridor, a flicker of winter-grey eyes and a calm, precise voice echoed in her memory—the Anchor resonance hummed, a faint but steady thread connecting her across worlds.
The doors to the main Board Conference hall slid open silently. At the far end of the imposing table sat an executive, a woman with sharp features and an impeccably tailored suit. The nameplate before her read: S. Holt.
[Thrum…]
Warning: Board Review — Imminent
Penalty on Failure: Survival −7%