Days 2,447-2,448. Two days before emergency summit. Testing territorial division before implementation.
The Gardener had demanded proof of concept: demonstrate the territorial division worked before implementing planet-wide.
Test zone established: 200 square kilometers in northern Noachis Terra. Miniature version of full division—40 sq km completion (20%), 150 sq km equilibrium (75%), 10 sq km buffer (5%).
Chen's team deployed atmospheric processors in completion zone. Marsborn maintained equilibrium zone. Buffer engineering created graduated transition. Zhang supervised refugee placement test—50 people settling completion zone.
Results over 48 hours:
Completion zone: Oxygen 21%, pressure 95kPa, temperature stable. Earth-normal atmosphere achieved in controlled area. Fifty refugees thriving.
Equilibrium zone: Original atmospheric composition maintained. Marsborn monitors confirmed no contamination. Adapted biology stable.
Buffer zone: Atmospheric gradient functioning. Oxygen transitioning smoothly from 21% to 0.13% across 10km. No contamination drift. Engineering successful.
"It works," Chen transmitted to joint council. "Territorial division is viable. Different atmospheres, same planet. Humans in both zones."
Marsborn council confirmed: "Equilibrium maintained. No contamination detected. Buffer prevents drift. Model scales to planetary implementation."
Zhang: "Refugees successfully settled. No casualties. Atmospheric support adequate. We can do this."
The Gardener's assessment: Test successful. Model viable. Proceed to summit with implementation plan. Two days to formalize. Enforcement stands ready if summit fails.
Kessa felt hope for first time in weeks. "We did it. We proved it's possible."
"Possible in 200 kilometers," Sage cautioned. "Scaling to planetary level has complications. But yes—it's possible. That's more than we had yesterday."
Two days to summit. Proof of concept complete. Framework finalized. Implementation ready.
All that remained: getting three desperate factions to formally agree to permanent limits.
The hardest part.
But possible.
Finally, demonstrably possible.