Chapter 34 - What the Water KeptThey divided into two groups.
Adrian, Patricia and Daniel went to seal the damaged docking chamber.
Mara, Elise, Margaret, Rose, Celeste, Charles and Dr. Trent remained with the registry.
Victor disappeared during the confusion.
The archive estimated complete flooding in eight minutes.
Mara attempted to activate termination.
The system required unanimous consent from all seven roles.
Charles refused.
“These records are worth billions.”
Margaret raised Patricia’s gun toward him.
“Consent can be encouraged.”
Mara lowered the weapon.
“No more forced decisions.”
Charles smiled.
“Then we drown with our principles.”
Elise approached the memory console.
“The archive doesn’t need unanimous consent if the owner proves corruption in one founding role.”
“Which role?”
“Finance.”
Everyone looked at Charles.
The system requested original evidence.
Charles’s stolen accounts were documented in the lighthouse ledger, but the ledger remained missing.
Then Elise removed the silver locket she had recovered from Room 714.
The memory chip behind Eleanor’s missing portrait contained a full copy.
She inserted it.
Transactions appeared across the table.
Payments from Charles to Victor.
Payments from Eleanor’s continuity identity to Agnes.
Payments funding the vehicle sabotage.
A final transfer was dated three days before Lillian’s death.
Recipient: Mara Sutton.
Mara stared at the amount.
Ten million dollars had been routed through an account in her name.
“I never received that.”
Charles looked genuinely surprised.
The account had approved several payments after Eleanor’s funeral, including the helicopter used to remove Margaret.
Someone had been operating as Mara.
The registry rejected the corruption claim.
FINANCE ROLE SHARED WITH OWNER.
Termination now required Mara to prove she had not authorized the transfers.
The room shook again.
Five minutes remained.
Celeste examined the account signatures.
“These aren’t copies of Mara’s signature.”
“They match her biometric profile,” Dr. Trent said.
“How?”
Margaret looked at Mara’s scar.
“The blood collected when she was six.”
Eleanor’s continuity operators had stored Mara’s biological material for years.
Rose admitted that Agnes possessed enough to fabricate biometric approval.
Mara selected the transaction history.
One payment had gone to an address she recognized.
Her own consultancy.
The company had hired her six years earlier after receiving a recommendation from a private client.
Her career had been arranged by the registry.
Then she noticed the authorization time.
Each fraudulent payment occurred while she was logged into her employer’s secure system.
Someone had used her work to disguise the transfers.
Her supervisor had always approved her access.
Mara whispered his name.
“Frederick.”
A screen activated.
Frederick stood inside the Azure Crown control room onshore.
Victor stood beside him.
May you like
Frederick smiled.
“I was wondering when you would audit yourself.”
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