The relay chamber settles into tense working silence. Alexei seals Checkpoint Seven’s trace beside the forged directive, while officers escort the evidence convoy toward Bulwark’s secure intake.
Gremlin accompanies Alexei, the sealed packets, and Orda’s restrained Orda's lead guard. The remaining officers stay aboard the airship, preserving its relay chamber, consoles, and detained guards.
Alexei
Lead guard, record a formal statement. Separate Orda’s genuine command habits from the counterfeit transmission, and identify every distinction you can defend under oath.
Orda's lead guard
I will state what I witnessed. Orda uses the three-stage exchange, the rotating harbor code, and delayed acknowledgment. This message used none of them.
The custody recorder captures his statement beside the hash-matched transmission. Alexei’s console offers two lawful paths: preserve the impersonation quietly for court, or release notice before Orda controls the public story.
Alexei
A quiet case protects the chain and our witnesses. A public warning may prevent further seizures, but it gives Orda time to manufacture her explanation.
The convoy continues toward Bulwark under direct authentication. Ahead, Checkpoint Seven waits under remote lock, while the decision remains open between secrecy and immediate public exposure.
“I propose a joint public accountability plan”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled -1)
Gremlin
We make the distinction public together: preserve the counterfeit transmission, warn every checkpoint, and let Orda answer before she can rewrite the story.
Alexei studies Gremlin across the moving convoy, hard-suit lights reflecting in the custody display. The forged directive, guard statement, and Checkpoint Seven trace remain sealed between them.
Alexei
Agreed. We release a verified public notice, not a rumor: the counterfeit phrase, the authentication differences, and the lawful route now under protection.
She opens a public accountability template beside the warrant file, assigning each claim an evidence hash, each checkpoint a confirmation duty, and each official a named response deadline.
Alexei
The notice will protect the convoy, expose the impersonation, and give Orda one fair chance to answer on the record. Silence no longer serves accountability.
Alexei signs the plan and transmits it to Palmer’s civic communications office, checkpoint supervisors, and the protected evidence registry. The public warning carries its custody proofs.
Alexei
Joint accountability plan active. The city will see what was attempted, who must explain it, and which records make that explanation verifiable.
“Ask the lead guard to endorse the notice”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled -1)
Gremlin
Endorse the notice. State publicly that Orda’s phrase was counterfeit, explain the missing authentication steps, and let the city verify your account.
The lead guard studies the public accountability template, then the sealed transmission and his own recorded statement. Alexei keeps the recorder active between them.
Orda's lead guard
I endorse it. I witnessed Orda’s genuine process, and this directive skipped the harbor challenge, delayed acknowledgment, and registered relay.
He places his authorization mark beneath the notice. The registry binds his endorsement to the transmission hash, checkpoint trace, and custody record.
Orda's lead guard
Publish my name and statement with those proofs. I will answer questions about what I know, and I will not let her authority be forged through my silence.
Alexei
Endorsement verified and attached. Palmer’s office can release the notice now, with the guard’s limits clearly separated from what the evidence proves.
The convoy continues toward Bulwark as the notice goes public across Mosaic City. Checkpoints receive the warning, and Orda’s counterfeit authority becomes a record everyone can inspect.
“I ask the lead guard to preserve the airship chamber”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled -2)
Gremlin
Preserve the airship chamber exactly as it stands. Keep the relay, consoles, seals, and detained guards under continuous custody until Alexei’s officers complete the record.
The lead guard looks from Gremlin to the public notice, then raises his authorization mark. He issues the preservation order across the airship’s security channel, freezing access and requiring witnessed entries.
Orda's lead guard
The chamber will remain untouched. No console, relay, seal, or detained guard moves without dual witnesses and a custody entry.
The airship confirms each restriction. Its relay chamber enters preservation mode, retaining the forged directive, the scorched fuse, and every recorded response exactly as found.
Alexei
Accepted and logged. Your order protects the evidence, but it also makes your cooperation visible to Orda and every official who reads this notice.
Orda's lead guard
That is the cost of preserving it honestly. My name now stands beside the chamber, the counterfeit, and the decision to stop her from rewriting the record.
The convoy rolls onward toward Bulwark. Behind it, the airship’s chamber remains sealed under the guard’s authority, preserved evidence waiting for lawful examination.
✓ Quest Accepted
Finalize the preserved airship chamber record
“I will verify the chamber inventory against every custody entry.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Investigation, rolled +0)
Gremlin lays out the preserved inventory: relay cabinet, consoles, seals, detained guards, scorched fuse, custody recorder, and every tagged connection. His scanner reads each item without disturbing the preservation mode.
Gremlin
Every item matches its custody entry, including the damaged fuse and the permanent repair seam.
He cross-checks timestamps, witness marks, hash values, seal photographs, and the airship’s automated preservation log. The records agree across independent copies.
Alexei
Inventory verified against every entry. Nothing is missing, moved, substituted, or undocumented.
The custody display turns green across the chamber map. Even the detained guards and sealed consoles correspond to their recorded positions and status.
Orda's lead guard
I confirm the inventory. The chamber stands exactly as ordered, and the record now proves it.
Alexei
Excellent. We have a complete baseline for examination, and Orda cannot claim the evidence changed after her counterfeit was exposed.
Quest Complete
Finalize the preserved airship chamber record