The machine has been asking all along
A station engineer thinks the computer is ignoring commands. Its old safety module asks for permission through numeric reports that the replacement display labels as errors; routine reversible commands still work.
What we believe
The engineer can adjust lights but cannot vent a sealed module. Rebooting repeats the same report without carrying out the dangerous command.
What changes
The safety module was retained during an interface upgrade because it was certified to control the airlocks. Its paper maintenance card maps the repeated code to a request for explicit authorization.
Plant this clue
Comparing successful commands with blocked ones reveals the pattern: only irreversible actions wait. Translating the report lets the engineer understand the question, but she still has to decide whether to authorize venting.
Two ways to take it further
- Make the contractor omit the legacy codes from the new display manual while leaving the maintenance card in the machine room.
- Have venting stop a fire while destroying the docked shuttle's access corridor; establish that route before the final permission request.
CueShelf original writing starter. Work examples are identified separately; this premise is not a plot summary.