Story code: ST-001185
Part 2: The Cost of the Salvage Alibi
Clara stepped back from the counter, her folder held tightly against her chest. “If it is a salvage asset, Marcus, why is it stamped on our primary Sector-9 token? The inheritance transfer cannot clear if the token is tied to another license.”
Marcus pressed his palms flat against the wooden ledge of the counter. “It was an emergency filing. I had to merge the registries to prevent a claim jumper from locking the transit route. Arthur can clear the conflict with a standard salvage validation.”
Arthur tapped the terminal keys, pulling up the compliance protocols for active outer-belt salvage tokens. “To validate a salvage alibi for an active token under a different registration code, the registry requires an immediate priority clearance tariff. Because it involves an outer-belt sequence, the fee must be paid before we can proceed with the transfer.”
“How much is the tariff?” Clara asked, her voice dropping.
“Forty-two thousand credits,” Arthur read from the screen. “And the system requires it to be drawn directly from the primary family reserve account registered to this token.”
Clara’s face went pale. “Forty-two thousand credits? Marcus, that is the entire reserve we set aside to pay the extraction crew for their next rotation. If we drain that now, we cannot start mining Sector-9 even if the transfer goes through.”
Marcus pulled a black authorization card from his coat pocket. His fingers were stiff as he slid the card into the counter payment slot. “We do not have a choice, Clara. If we do not clear the mismatch now, the registry will lock the token for an administrative audit. We will reimburse the reserve next month from the first shipment.”
“You did not consult the board about this salvage acquisition,” Clara said, her voice dropping to a whisper. She did not touch the card or help her father align the terminal scanner. She stood completely still, watching Marcus press his thumb against the biometric reader to authorize the transfer.
Arthur watched the transaction process. The terminal whired, and the printer beside Registry Counter Three began to click, spitting out a thermal receipt that detailed the forty-two thousand credit deduction. Arthur tore the slip from the printer and laid it on the counter. The receipt clearly listed the fee as a ‘Salvage Verification Tariff’ for stamp ES-OB-992.
“The tariff is paid,” Arthur announced, his voice echoing slightly in the quiet office. “However, because the transaction involved a high-priority salvage claim on a primary family token, the registry is now legally required to initiate a mandatory trace. The system must verify the secondary owner’s identity to log the final release.”
Marcus reached out to grab the printed receipt, but Arthur held his hand over it. On the screen behind the glass, the registry trace progress bar reached ninety percent, and the name Elena Sterling appeared in the queue.