The platform accepted them with no fuss.
New figures took up positions on a line beyond the first pair of guards, taller in their dark grey plates, the thin vertical strips of writing shifting as they looked at them more closely. Heavier in the air. The first pair halted at the edge of the platform, one giving a report that consisted only of absences, no transit records, no claims of House or Decree, no authorization before stepping away. The passage sealed behind them.
One of the waiting figures was the one to step forward, its mask the same featureless grey, though there was more weight to its bearing.
"Unlogged cluster of nine," it intoned. "You will remain in marked positions. Response to inquiries will be limited to requested data. Deviations to this protocol will be corrected."
Zeus was apparently unafraid. "We understand the parameters of the arrangement."
