VATS issue without security light? Please chime in!

Hi all, Ive got a 97 SS camaro that Ive been restoring for almost 3 years now. Just got it started and took it for some drives no problems. went out to move it the other day now I have no crank, no dash lights (but they come on with the headlights) odometer with no numbers and I have p1626. Car battery is full. I have wiggled the lock cylinder/key/tilt with no effect. All the fuses are good. The car only had 50K miles on it so I doubt its a wear issue. Ive read several posts about bypassing VATS with the resistor solution which looks simple enough, but I dont have the dash security light that I see people describing, and in some videos I have watched they still have dash lights which I dont which makes me worry I have a different problem altogether. Does anyone know if you have to have a lit security light/dash lights for this bypass to work? I very much appreciate ANY help or suggestions -

More context - I am stuck on the dash light thing. I put a new aftermarket steering wheel on it during the restoration and didnt realize I needed to take out the clockspring (I know), so I kept trying to tighten the nut to get the wheel closer to the column before I figured it out... i tightened it pretty good. Given the dash lights coming on must be triggered by the key/column and the vats wires also come from the column is it possible I damaged these wires somehow by doing that? Though I never removed the locking plate so its hard to believe I could have bent that badly enough to crush wires. And again it ran fine for a while before this happened. The car only has 50k miles on it so I just don't want to believe its a vats issue. Ive posted this on 4 different sites and not one person has responded that they also had the dash lights out. I feel like if I find the cause of the dash light issue I might find the problem. Thoughts?

possible you crushed a wire or two in the column.

OK, I dont understand this but here it is. While researching this problem I came across a post suggesting to light probe the fuses to really make sure they are good rather than just looking at them (which I did). I gave it a shot and sure enough the dash light fuse was bad. Looked normal but whatever. So i replaced it, got in the car and turned the ignition on and voila dash lights. Then I looked to see if now I have a security light to account for the P1626. No security light. So I thought what the hell and tried to start it. IT STARTED RIGHT UP!. OMG. Can this be right? It must be cuase Im lookin right at it! (to quote my favorite youtuber). I cant believe GM would design this thing so its completely bricked if the dash light fuse is out?? Discuss...