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Spinward Arcade and Dorms
Administrator’s Office


“Ren Zel, Jen Sin’s been wounded.”

Ren Zel looked up from his screen.

“Wounded? How badly? Where is he?”

“He—Stost has him. I am guiding him and Anthora through the maintenance tunnels to Dock A. Bechimo has a crisis autodoc aboard, and Seignur Veeoni suggested that it would be appropriate.”

“Seriously wounded, then, but in hand. Very good. What happened, Catie?”

“Tinsori Light—a remnant of the Old Light, seized control of the new array. Jen Sin disabled the array. He was…Mentor Jones tells me that he was too near when the field discharged, but that the leather—the leather saved his life. Maybe.”

That last was rendered in Tolly Jones’s very voice.

Ren Zel took a deep breath.

Anthora has it in hand, he told himself. And Bechimo has a crisis unit.

“I report that I am now fully myself,” Catie said, though not as if it gave her any joy.

“Is Tocohl—”

“A virus was released into the systems. Tocohl threw the changeover switch. The legacy system has been dismantled. The new array…

“There is no longer a new array.”

“It sounds as if we have weathered a very storm,” Ren Zel said. “Has Light Keeper Lorith been informed?”

There was a sense of hesitation.

“Light Keeper Lorith is dead,” Catie said. “Jen Sin promised not to wake her.”

Ren Zel blinked.

Then, he shut down his screen, rose, and put on his jacket.

“I am going to the central tower,” he said. “I will stand as light keeper until Jen Sin is able again. It will be my priority to find someone to interface with the second wave from this office. Pray tell Coordinator Carresens this, and ask her to contact me with any questions.”

He moved toward the door.

“I am speaking with Vinsint Carresens,” Catie said. “She is aware that there was a system failure and that Light Keeper yos’Phelium was wounded in his successful effort to preserve the station. Hazenthull is on the way to you with Seignur Veeoni’s jitney. She will take you to the main tower.”

“Thank you,” Ren Zel said, and stepped out into the hallway.


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Framed