The offline terminal flashes an audit countdown. Cold-storage cabinets unlock in sequence, their seals clicking through the archive chamber as the freight lift waits above.
the Helix technician
Once those originals leave storage, my collar becomes traceable. Quist's scrambler can mask us, but only if we move before the audit finishes.
The first cabinet opens on labeled evidence wafers and sealed paper backups. A red status line marks each file for immediate inventory reporting.
the Helix technician
Take the complete archive chain, not just Quist's folder. The recovery orders prove what happened, and they are our best protection if Venn cuts us loose.
The factory-sealed scrambler rests beside the terminal, its executive transport tag matching Quist's office. Its power cell shows enough charge for one masked departure.
the Helix technician
If the audit reaches the chamber before we leave, the vault will know exactly what was removed.
Behind them, the freight lift indicator shifts from ready to restricted. The Helix technician's cuffed hands remain in front of her as another cabinet unlocks and the countdown drops.
“I take the complete archive chain”
SUCCESS (Legendary Agility, rolled +2)
Denver opens the intact archive directory and transfers the complete chain: approval records, recovery orders, payment links, and the original buried files. The console seals it into a shielded local package.
Evidence wafers slide from the cabinet into a padded carrier, followed by the paper backups. Every numbered case in Quist's chain registers as removed under the temporary manifest credential.
the Helix technician
Good. That gives us the orders, the authorizations, and the proof they tried to bury. No one can reduce this to a forged summary.
The offline terminal marks the archive chain as exported and closes its directory behind a local checksum. The complete package now rests with Denver, separate from the untouched implant data.
the Helix technician
Keep the scrambler with it. Once powered, it can hide the package and my collar long enough to reach the freight line.
The audit countdown drops beneath a minute. The scrambler's executive tag peels free from its mount, and the restricted lift gives one brief green signal before returning to red.
Quest Complete
Recover the archive originals
Skill Upgrade: Stealth Good→Great
+ New Item Acquired
Archive chain