“Dates.”
“Assignments.”
“Eligibility codes.”
“Some disciplinary notes.”
“Who had access?”
“Several offices over twelve years.”
Evelyn turned another page.
A name she remembered.
Captain Daniel Rourke.
According to the record, Rourke had been removed from Orion for misconduct six months before dissolution.
Evelyn knew that was false.
Rourke had been injured during an operation and medically reassigned.
She looked at Catherine.
“This is wrong.”
“Yes.”
“Rourke was never disciplined.”
“I know.”
Another file.
Sergeant Naomi Wells.
Record showed voluntary resignation.
Also false.
She transferred under protected status after testifying in a procurement case.
Another.
Lieutenant Eric Shaw.
Demotion.
False.
Another.
Evelyn closed the folder.
“Someone rewrote the roster.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“That is what we need to know.”
“Why Fort Grafton?”
Catherine slid another page forward.
Every alteration had eventually passed through one administrative node.
Fort Grafton Command Records Division.
Authorization chain:
Colonel Marcus Stone.
Evelyn stared.
“Stone wasn't connected to Orion.”
“No.”
“Then why does he have authority over archived Orion files?”
“He shouldn't.”
Evelyn leaned back.
Catherine continued:
“Six months ago, an analyst flagged repeated historical edits.”
“What happened to the analyst?”
“Transferred.”
“Requested?”
“No.”
Evelyn's eyes hardened.
“Who approved?”
“Stone.”
Another page.
A civilian archivist raised concerns.
Contract ended.
Approved by Stone's office.
Another technician reported unauthorized database access.
Performance review suddenly fell.
Signed by Stone.
Evelyn looked up.
“You think he's suppressing complaints.”
“I think we need evidence.”
“Why me?”
Catherine glanced at the ring on Evelyn's hand.
“Because Orion's records were compartmented.”
“Half the people reviewing them don't understand what they're looking at.”
“You do.”
Evelyn said nothing.
Catherine continued:
“And because someone has been using Orion's old insignia code as an internal access marker.”
That caught her attention.
“The ring symbol?”
“Digitally.”
Evelyn stared.
“That code hasn't been active in twelve years.”
“Exactly.”
Someone had resurrected a dead identifier.
For what?
Catherine slid over the authorization.
“You will enter as part of a routine personnel integrity review.”
“Minimal notice.”
“Stone will know an audit is coming.”
“He will not know the scope.”
Evelyn asked:
“And if he recognizes me?”
Catherine looked at her ring.
“He won't.”
“He might recognize the symbol.”
“He shouldn't.”
Evelyn thought about that.
Why would Marcus Stone recognize a symbol from a unit he had never served with?
That was the first question.
The confrontation in the hallway answered it.
He recognized it instantly.
Too instantly.
Security arrived thirty seconds after Nathan Hale stopped Marcus.
Two officers approached.
Marcus gestured toward Evelyn.
“This individual has restricted property.”
Nathan stepped between them slightly.
“No.”
Marcus turned.
“What?”
Nathan repeated:
“The ring is authorized.”
One security officer looked confused.
“Sir, do you still need us?”
Marcus's confidence had evaporated.
Evelyn watched him.
His eyes kept moving to the folder.
Not the ring anymore.
The folder.
He understood the real danger now.
Marcus straightened.
“No.”
Then, after a pause:
“Stand down.”
The officers left.
People in the corridor began moving again.
Slowly.
Reluctantly.
Everyone wanted to hear more.
Evelyn stepped toward the checkpoint.
Marcus blocked her again.
Less aggressively.
“Major.”
She stopped.
“I want clarification.”
“About?”
“This review.”
“You'll receive appropriate notification.”
“You just walked into my command carrying an investigative file with my name.”
“Yes.”
“That isn't appropriate notification.”
“It isn't notification.”
His eyes narrowed.
“What is it?”
“Observation.”
Marcus stared.
Evelyn continued.
“And you provided a useful one.”
His face hardened.
“You're going to use this hallway incident against me.”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether it's relevant.”
Marcus gave a humorless laugh.
“You came here looking for misconduct.”
“No.”
“You came looking for me.”
“I came looking for records.”
That answer bothered him more.
Evelyn stepped around him.
This time he allowed it.
At the checkpoint, Ross scanned her credentials.
Green light.
Evelyn moved through.
Behind her, Marcus called:
“Carter.”
She turned.
His voice was lower now.
“You don't understand what you're opening.”
Evelyn looked at him.
“That sounds like advice.”
“It is.”
“Thank you.”
Then she walked away.
Her first meeting lasted three hours.
Catherine Wells joined remotely.
Local counsel Amelia Grant attended in person.
So did Nathan Hale.
Marcus was not invited.
They reviewed access logs.
Twelve years of changes.
More than four thousand administrative actions associated with Orion-related files.
Most legitimate.
Routine archival migration.
Format changes.
Retention updates.
But seventy-three entries stood out.
Altered.
Backdated.
Or accessed using credentials assigned to inactive personnel.
Amelia pointed toward one.
“This credential belonged to Lieutenant Eric Shaw.”
Evelyn nodded.
“He left service eleven years ago.”
“Yet his account accessed files seven months ago.”
Nathan stared.
“How?”
“Cloned token,” Amelia said.
“Or administrator override.”
“Who can do that?”
Nathan answered.
“Records Division.”
“And?”
“Command-level information security.”
“Who controls both locally?”
Nathan looked at Evelyn.
“Stone.”
Evelyn remained quiet.
Too obvious.
That bothered her.
Marcus's name appeared everywhere.
Approvals.
Transfers.
Access extensions.
But intelligent misconduct rarely advertised itself that clearly.
Unless someone wanted it seen.
She asked:
“Who was commander before Stone?”
Nathan checked.
“Colonel Bryce Halpern.”
“Where is he?”
“Retired.”
“Before him?”
“Colonel Samuel Drake.”
“Deceased.”
Evelyn leaned forward.
“What year did the first unauthorized alteration occur?”
Amelia looked.
“Eleven years, eight months ago.”
“Stone's tenure?”
“Four years.”
There.
Evelyn looked at Nathan.
“So this began seven years before Marcus Stone commanded anything here.”
Nathan nodded slowly.
Amelia frowned.
“But Stone continued it.”
“Maybe.”
Amelia looked at her.
“His signatures are here.”
“Yes.”
Evelyn pointed toward the logs.
“So were other commanders.”
“Why does he react to the ring?”
Nobody answered.
That was the better question.
Marcus Stone refused formal interview for twenty-four hours while counsel reviewed authorization.
He had that right.
Evelyn used the time.
She visited Records Division.
No announcements.
No confrontation.
The office looked painfully normal.
Gray cubicles.
Archive scanners.
Locked cabinets.
Coffee machine.
People who seemed terrified of doing anything incorrectly.
Evelyn met technical supervisor Rachel Nguyen.
Thirty-seven.
Efficient.
Nervous when Evelyn mentioned Orion.
“How long have you worked here?”
“Eight years.”
“You ever process Orion records?”
Rachel hesitated.
“Sometimes.”
“What makes them different?”
“Restricted access.”
“Anything else?”
Rachel looked toward the door.
Evelyn noticed.
“You can speak freely.”
Rachel almost laughed.
“No one can promise that.”
Evelyn said nothing.
Rachel continued:
“We get requests.”
“From who?”
“Command.”
“Stone?”
“Sometimes his office.”
“Before Stone?”
Rachel hesitated again.
“Yes.”