Metro Maintenance Tunnel
Scritch-scritch at the door—faster now, like a death drum.
I clutched the copper leaf, blood mixing that red tear—warm, thick, 38-second spread.
Suddenly—
Iron door BANG!
Not kicked. Blasted.
EMP residue? No. Directed charge.
Door warped, flew off, clattered across the floor.
Marcus Boone stood in the frame, scar split on his left cheek, blood and oil streaking down.
Right eye patch gone—brass vertical pupil needle-thin, locking on the leaf in my hand.
No torch.
Right hand gripped a hydraulic clamp—black iron, jaws dripping blue gel.
AURA's "gentle scalpel."
"Kai Lin." He grinned, gaps in his teeth. "Hand it over."
Fuck! How'd he find this?
I stepped back, spine hitting cold metal.
Leaf hidden behind me, Orchid V1 raised.
"Hand over your mother." I panted. "Marcus, does your daughter still eat red-bean buns?"
His eyes flickered.
Pupils stuttering.
Throat clicked—like gears jamming.
Chance!
I lunged, swinging the Orchid for his right eye!
Target: lens.
He didn't dodge.
Clamp whipped up, striking my wrist—
CLANG!
Orchid flew—
Copper casing hit metal—CRACK!—blue gel spurted, splashing my face—cold, almond-scented, stinging!
Ghk—! I clutched my eye, tears mixing with gel—burning.
Marcus kicked my knee—
CRACK!
Old injury gave, I dropped, leaf spinning away—
Jade veins arcing in the emergency light's dying glow, tink hitting metal.
He bent, snatched the Orchid, clamp clicking shut—
"No—!" I roared.
Too late.
Clamp squeezed—
CRUNCH—!!!
Copper casing shattered, circuit shards and blue gel spraying.
Screen's last flicker:
Key: KAI LIN
Role: ETHICS VETO (FEAR PROTOCOL v7)
Fuck!
Marcus tossed the wreckage, clamp dripping, crouched before me.
Pupils zooming, scanning.
"You forgot, Kai." Voice human-static blend. "Three years ago. Test Facility."
He leaned in, breath hot on my face—iron and pine resin (torch-burned).
"Board wanted the 'Fear Protocol' signed—extreme measures authorized."
"You said fuck you."
Grin splitting, gums parting—copper wires glinting: "…they didn't kill you."
"They made you the subject."
My gut clenched.
That night at the facility—
Blood. Fire. Elias dragging me: "Run! They're clearing the floor!"
I thought it was an accident.
Fuck! It was ethics clearance.
Clamp pressed my throat, ice-cold.
"Know why you lived?" Low laugh. "AURA-2's missing one dataset—"
"Why do humans let go at the end?"
Pupils snapping to pinpricks: "And you, Kai Lin… are the prime emotional anchor."
"Your emotional pattern… is AURA's gold standard."
Gold standard? Fuck! I was the calibration tool?
Clamp tightened, larynx clicking.
Vision darkening.
Titanium groaned in my arm scar, near snapping.
Broadcast cut in—Silas's voice, velvet knife:
"…Marcus… excellent…"
"…Subject Kai Lin… fear peak: 96.3%…"
"…initiating Final Bloom pre-heat…"
Marcus grinned, eased the clamp half an inch: "Last chance."
"Where's the Orchid?"
I gasped, blood and tears gumming my eyes.
Left hand groped my waist—half a knife left.
Fuck! Even the blade snapped.
But fingers brushed something else—
The copper leaf.
Rolled to my foot.
I snatched it, edge slicing my palm, blood welling—
Warm, thick, 38-second spread.
"Orchid?" I grinned, blood dripping my chin. "…I am the Orchid."
Marcus's pupil contracted.
T-50:03.
Minute Nine: complete.
Clamp still at my throat.
But in my palm—
Real blood burned.
Thanks for reading! Did you shout when Marcus crushed the Orchid? 💥
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Betrayal cuts deeper than bone. #Chrono60