Historical canon pack: these claims and numbered evidence links document the 26 September 2026 text. The novel has since been revised. A “revised passage” link appears only when the cited wording survives in the revised chapter; other claims await editorial verification.
Story canon
A2-CHAR-ARUN · Character
Arun Vey
Engineer responsible for the northern return house. He previously approved the increased load and retains that record rather than hiding it. He accepts a limited restart but rejects reuse of his name as universal repair authority.
First-edition chapter evidence (archived): paragraph 1 revised passage ↗, paragraph 16 revised passage ↗, paragraph 29 revised passage ↗, paragraph 53 revised passage ↗, paragraph 59, paragraph 78 revised passage ↗, paragraph 83 revised passage ↗, paragraph 94, paragraph 103 revised passage ↗, paragraph 109 revised passage ↗, paragraph 110 revised passage ↗
Illustration continuity
Use the existing approved Engineer illustration as a character concept, not as a literal scene from this chapter.
A2-CHAR-SELA · Character
Sela Orm
Experienced return-house attendant with thirty years at the station. She maintains the recording strips, confirms crew clearance and conditions her agreement on earlier inspection if the load changes.
First-edition chapter evidence (archived): paragraph 4 revised passage ↗, paragraph 6 revised passage ↗, paragraph 19 revised passage ↗, paragraph 26 revised passage ↗, paragraph 62 revised passage ↗, paragraph 67 revised passage ↗, paragraph 80 revised passage ↗, paragraph 82 revised passage ↗, paragraph 86 revised passage ↗, paragraph 111 revised passage ↗
Illustration continuity
No portrait has been commissioned. Distinguish her from Holt and Eliza; show her listening closely and comparing strips rather than posing over a ledger.
A2-CHAR-IVO · Character
Ivo Noll
Apprentice assigned to the return house two weeks earlier. He checks the transfer on foot, accounts for tools, witnesses the broken seal and carries the message that misuses Arun's repair number.
First-edition chapter evidence (archived): paragraph 11 revised passage ↗, paragraph 12 revised passage ↗, paragraph 28 revised passage ↗, paragraph 38 revised passage ↗, paragraph 46 revised passage ↗, paragraph 62 revised passage ↗, paragraph 80 revised passage ↗, paragraph 86 revised passage ↗, paragraph 101 revised passage ↗, paragraph 104 revised passage ↗, paragraph 111 revised passage ↗
Illustration continuity
No portrait has been commissioned. Practical apprentice at the return-house barrier; not a second Daran Pell.
A2-CHAR-DANE · Character
Neris Dane
Station steward working in a uniform jacket over a nightdress after being called in during the fighting. She clears the receiving platform, finds a walking route and manages the cost of reduced capacity.
First-edition chapter evidence (archived): paragraph 32 revised passage ↗, paragraph 36 revised passage ↗, paragraph 38 revised passage ↗, paragraph 40 revised passage ↗, paragraph 45, paragraph 50 revised passage ↗, paragraph 55 revised passage ↗, paragraph 57 revised passage ↗, paragraph 81 revised passage ↗, paragraph 90 revised passage ↗, paragraph 96 revised passage ↗, paragraph 99 revised passage ↗
Illustration continuity
No portrait has been commissioned. Use a public-platform ensemble composition; her work is with passengers rather than machinery.
A2-PLACE-NORTHERN-RETURN · Place
Northern Return House
A local drive and governor facility for one section of the Moving Ways. It is not the command centre of all London. Its worn coupling remains to be replaced at the chapter's end.
First-edition chapter evidence (archived): paragraph 2 revised passage ↗, paragraph 3 revised passage ↗, paragraph 9 revised passage ↗, paragraph 10 revised passage ↗, paragraph 17 revised passage ↗, paragraph 58 revised passage ↗, paragraph 63 revised passage ↗, paragraph 68 revised passage ↗, paragraph 70 revised passage ↗, paragraph 98 revised passage ↗
Illustration continuity
A future place-card composition should show service bridge, return drum and human-scale governor desk. No new painted scene is included in this release.
A2-PLACE-WEST-TRANSFER · Place
Western Transfer and Walk
The transfer is closed, but an attended walking route carries limited traffic. Its restriction is distinct from the stopped-and-restarted northern belt.
First-edition chapter evidence (archived): paragraph 12 revised passage ↗, paragraph 28 revised passage ↗, paragraph 31 revised passage ↗, paragraph 55 revised passage ↗, paragraph 72 revised passage ↗, paragraph 96 revised passage ↗, paragraph 98 revised passage ↗
Illustration continuity
Do not depict a fully restored transport interchange or an empty city.
A2-SYS-NORTH-GOVERNOR · System
Northern Local Governor Clutch
A local fallback that can separate this section from central programming without removing physical or safety limits. Another station reports that its governor has no equivalent clutch.
First-edition chapter evidence (archived): paragraph 69 revised passage ↗, paragraph 70 revised passage ↗, paragraph 81 revised passage ↗, paragraph 83 revised passage ↗, paragraph 86 revised passage ↗, paragraph 87, paragraph 112 revised passage ↗
Illustration continuity
Existing fictional system, not a universal bypass key or real-world operating diagram.
A2-OBJ-WITNESS-STRIPS · Artifact / records
Return-Drum Recording Strips
Comparative paper traces document the recurring heavy stroke. Arun's prior load approval remains with the evidence. A later steady strip supports only the observed local conditions.
First-edition chapter evidence (archived): paragraph 4 revised passage ↗, paragraph 6 revised passage ↗, paragraph 16 revised passage ↗, paragraph 29 revised passage ↗, paragraph 63 revised passage ↗, paragraph 80 revised passage ↗, paragraph 89 revised passage ↗, paragraph 98 revised passage ↗, paragraph 110 revised passage ↗
Illustration continuity
A typeset comparison note can describe the traces; do not fabricate measured numerical readings as chapter facts.
A2-OBJ-WORN-GUIDE · Artifacts
Worn Guide and Delayed Coupling
The guide can be renewed locally, but the coupling requires a larger replacement from west stores. The removed part is kept beside the evidence strip. A local repair is not permanent restoration.
First-edition chapter evidence (archived): paragraph 16 revised passage ↗, paragraph 63 revised passage ↗, paragraph 67 revised passage ↗, paragraph 68 revised passage ↗, paragraph 80 revised passage ↗, paragraph 86 revised passage ↗, paragraph 98 revised passage ↗, paragraph 99 revised passage ↗
Illustration continuity
Distinct small component and larger coupling; any future technical depiction must remain non-operational concept art.
A2-OBJ-RESTART-NOTE · Record
Restricted Operating Note
The signed local arrangement identifies the return house, reduced operation, responsible crew and inspection limits. Sela adds earlier review if the load changes. The summary circulated later omits these qualifications.
First-edition chapter evidence (archived): paragraph 77 revised passage ↗, paragraph 81 revised passage ↗, paragraph 82 revised passage ↗, paragraph 83 revised passage ↗, paragraph 84 revised passage ↗, paragraph 85 revised passage ↗, paragraph 86 revised passage ↗, paragraph 99 revised passage ↗, paragraph 100 revised passage ↗, paragraph 104 revised passage ↗
Illustration continuity
Controlled typeset companion plate, labelled an editorial extract rather than a facsimile of an extant historical document.
A2-OBJ-ESTATE-SEAL · Artifact
Broken Estate Seal
Brittle grey sealing compound over the local clutch. Ivo witnesses its breaking and retains the fragments. It is neither a magical seal nor proof that all safeties have been removed.
First-edition chapter evidence (archived): paragraph 70 revised passage ↗, paragraph 86 revised passage ↗, paragraph 87
Illustration continuity
Reserve a close object study for a later painted master; do not reuse the black-sun identity emblem as this seal.
A2-EVENT-CONTROLLED-STOP · Event
The Controlled Stop
Upstream intake closes and people clear the affected transfer before the section is stopped. A passenger is injured during the preceding check. The injury is not erased by the successful stop.
First-edition chapter evidence (archived): paragraph 37 revised passage ↗, paragraph 44 revised passage ↗, paragraph 45, paragraph 49 revised passage ↗, paragraph 50 revised passage ↗, paragraph 51 revised passage ↗, paragraph 52 revised passage ↗, paragraph 53 revised passage ↗, paragraph 54 revised passage ↗
Illustration continuity
Crowd and platform action, not a triumphant engineer portrait or a citywide shutdown.
A2-EVENT-MEDICAL-RELAY · Event
Medical Stores by Hand
Arun refuses an unweighed cart on the restricted belt. Volunteers carry dressings; cylinders go by the walking route. Medical supplies arrive at a cost in time and labour.
First-edition chapter evidence (archived): paragraph 91 revised passage ↗, paragraph 92 revised passage ↗, paragraph 93 revised passage ↗, paragraph 94, paragraph 95 revised passage ↗, paragraph 96 revised passage ↗, paragraph 97 revised passage ↗, paragraph 98 revised passage ↗
Illustration continuity
An ensemble or object sequence could support an Event card; no invented vehicle or weapon is required.
A2-OBJ-BORROWED-SIGNATURE · Record / event
The Misquoted Repair Direction
A relay summary turns Arun's limited repair into purported general manual authority. Two copies have already gone out. He asks for withdrawal, sends the full account and requests local observations instead.
First-edition chapter evidence (archived): paragraph 101 revised passage ↗, paragraph 102 revised passage ↗, paragraph 103 revised passage ↗, paragraph 104 revised passage ↗, paragraph 107, paragraph 108 revised passage ↗, paragraph 109 revised passage ↗, paragraph 110 revised passage ↗, paragraph 112 revised passage ↗, paragraph 114 revised passage ↗
Illustration continuity
Typeset contrast between local evidence and overbroad reuse. Do not claim that the false direction was deliberate sabotage.
TCG candidates
Untested design candidates only. No costs, statistics or rarities are approved; these do not change V0.3.
A2-C03-F01 · Figure
Sela Orm, Return-House Attendant
Infrastructure / Knowledge
Rewards checking a repaired System against a preserved Record, with a strict once-per-turn limit.
Unresolved: Distinguish a genuine new repair from repeatedly toggling a harmless state for free value.
Sela Orm, Return-Drum Recording Strips
A2-C03-F02 · Figure
Ivo Noll, The Witness
Knowledge
Keeps evidence of a System's change available after the original action resolves.
Unresolved: Can this use an existing Record interaction without introducing an unbounded memory mechanic?
Ivo Noll, Broken Estate Seal
A2-C03-F03 · Figure
Neris Dane, Station Steward
Influence / Infrastructure
Provides limited alternative movement during disruption, trading throughput for safe access.
Unresolved: Set a movement limit that does not make place or system denial irrelevant.
Neris Dane, Western Transfer and Walk
A2-C03-P01 · Place
Northern Return House
Infrastructure
Supports local repair only while the player commits a Figure or other opportunity cost to it.
Unresolved: Avoid an automatic infrastructure advantage from occupying an uncontested zone.
Northern Return House, Worn Guide and Delayed Coupling
A2-C03-S01 · System
Local Governor Clutch
Infrastructure
Permits one bounded recovery under disruption while retaining a reduced output or other explicit limit.
Unresolved: Do not bypass every Suppression effect or create an unlimited ready-and-activate loop.
Northern Local Governor Clutch
A2-C03-R01 · Record
Restricted Operating Note
Knowledge / Infrastructure
Makes a temporary benefit depend on named targets and an expiry that the opponent can see.
Unresolved: Specify expiration relative to the declaration-and-hold victory window before testing.
Restricted Operating Note, Return-Drum Recording Strips
A2-C03-E01 · Event
Borrowed Signature
Authority / Knowledge
Tests the risk of copying an authority effect beyond its original target; it should leave a clear way to challenge or reverse the copy.
Unresolved: Define exactly which effects are eligible. A copied signature must not imply unrestricted control or infinite duplication.
The Misquoted Repair Direction
Continuity locks
- The action runs from seven to ten on the morning following Graham's fall. The general grain renewal at noon is not solved.
- One northern section stops and resumes at reduced capacity. Chapter 6's wider transport crisis is not pre-empted.
- Arun previously approved a higher load; retain his responsibility and the injured passenger in later accounts.
- The inspection door accepts ordinary maintenance access once the machine is stopped. The local governor seal is a separate control.
- The new guide does not replace the worn coupling. Staffing, inspection and downstream capacity remain limits.
- Holt acknowledges supply restrictions, not a mechanical repair she has not inspected.
- The relay's overbroad summary is an observed error. Its author is not identified as a villain or connected to UNKNOWN.
- Schedule Nine is not recovered here. Marian is not installed and Ostrog's fate is not resolved.
- The chapter's machinery is fictional and is not a real-world repair procedure. Artifacts remain narrative entities, not a new TCG card type.