Page 148 of Pocket Wife

I press the grave.

“Buried.”

The panel goes dark.

For one terrible second, I think I have failed.

Then the countdown stops.

32:14.

Held.

Not reset.

Not erased.

Held.

Torren’s voice comes through, barely controlled. “The node paused. I’m reading a hold command from somewhere—not Helix. Somewhere local.”

The live slate in my hand flickers.

The registry feed appears beside the node panel.

The cylinder has opened fully now, its inner bands visible. One line glows brighter than the rest.

If water is challenged, the hands that refused sale may pause the hand that steals.

Celia’s voice carries over the meeting hall feed, cracked and fierce. “Bless every dead hand that wrote that.”

My own hands are shaking now.

My eyes fix on the paused countdown.

32:14.

One minute of pressure Helix intended to use against us, frozen by a registry older than anyone alive.

“Can we disable it?” I ask.

Torren answers, “If we disconnect power now, the unit might default to active state. We need the original activation code. Helix’s code.”

Noll speaks. “Central Review has issued an order for all Helix node activation codes to be turned over immediately.”

Sen objects.

Noll overrules.

My eyes stay on the paused countdown.

I have minutes.

Maybe.

The feed shifts.

Rethan’s voice drops. “Miss Hartwell. The lower field line may have a secondary shutoff valve at the old ridge connection.”