"Trade is the art of balance. Ripple seeks to break the scales."—Anonymous Whisper Market Record, sealed entry #4921B
The Signal
Kairos stood in his private quarters aboard the Unyielding Trust, staring at the coin that now bore a single word: Ripple.
Kessie's voice came through the comms. "I've isolated the encryption on the coin's surface. It's not just a name."
Kairos narrowed his eyes. "Go on."
"It's a protocol. A signature tied to a trade that never happened."
Kairos's pulse slowed.
Another impossible item.
Another phantom deal.
He tapped the edge of the coin against the console. "Trace its trade line. See where it leads."
Kessie hesitated. "That's the problem, Sovereign. It leads… back to you."
The Echo Log
In the main chamber of the ship, Vael and T'rana were waiting as Kairos entered.
Kessie pulled up a holographic projection of sovereign logs.
"Here's where it gets strange," she said, zooming into one particular entry marked in red.
