Page 60 of Commander’s Mate

“I have created a mess.”

“It is a structured mess.”

“High praise.”

He picked up one slate.

“You cannot keep all of this in an open room.”

“I know.”

“Names, medical conditions, family relationships, destination requests.”

“I know.”

“This needs encrypted storage.”

I stared at him.

“You have that?”

“Of course.”

“Then why are we using slates?”

“Because until eight minutes ago, no one aboard realized you were building a registry.”

Registry.

The word landed.

Not merely a list. A registry.

Something official enough to matter.

Something that could preserve a person instead of reducing her to Lot 4417.

“Can we make one?”

Tivid looked at me for a long second.

“Yes.”

“How long?”

“To create a secure structure? An hour.”

“To enter everyone?”

“That depends on how much help you have.”

I looked at Scarlet.

She sighed.

“Fine.”

Nora pulled a slate closer.