Page 69

“Pieces are useful.”

“That sounds optimistic coming from you.”

“It is not optimism.”

“Of course not.”

I leaned over the screen. “Do I just write?”

“Yes.”

The interface changed when I touched it. The surface warmed faintly beneath my fingertips, light spreading outward from the point of contact. I started with the easiest things.

Khar’en. My own record. The accession discrepancy. The duplicate compatibility percentage.

Veyr watched without interrupting. That was almost worse.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing.”

“You’re staring.”

“I am observing.”

“That’s staring with better branding.”

He ignored that.

I added what I remembered from Sera’n’s manual comparison set. One identifier, then another. Partial numbers. A prefix. A symbol I had seen beside two entries.

“Wait.” His hand moved toward the screen.

I stopped. “What?”

“That mark.”

“This one?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

He didn’t answer.

I gave him a look.

He exhaled. “Sealed status.”

“Like the designation from the transport?”

“Related.”

“How?”

“Administrative death records.”

I frowned. “Administrative death?”