TIME : T-45:05 → T-43:50
Marcus's clamp pressed my throat, airway closing.
Vision darkening, titanium screaming in my arm.
Reanimated flooded B3, rack reds strobing.
Cook leading, pupils locking on me, throat clicking.
Fuck! No way out.
I sucked air, left hand clenching the copper ring—
Not dodging. Ramming!
Shoulder slamming Marcus's sternum!
Ghk! He staggered back, clamp loosening half an inch.
I rolled, sprinting into the rack maze—
Gaps narrow as coffins, rot and ozone choking me.
Cook pursued, blade whooming for my neck!
I kicked off the wall, snatching a brass abacus—
Old Chinese abacus, beads scattered, brass spheres rolling.
Grabbed a handful, flung them at his face!
Ding-ding-ding!
Beads hit his eyes—embedding in flesh, dull thuds.
He clutched his face, staggering, pupils flickering.
Girl struck from the side, nails lengthening.
I swung the clamp at her hand!
CLANG!
Jaws bit her wrist, blue gel spurting.
"AAAAH—!" She screamed, hybrid blood arcing three meters.
Kid leapt onto a rack, looming, throat clicking.
Fuck! Triple flanking!
Rhea's stump bubbled blue gel, she gritted teeth, jamming the Orchid into the pillar—
ZZT-PAK!
Blue sparks erupted, field flickering dead 0.5 seconds!
"Kai! Go!" She roared.
I lunged deeper—
Cables snaked the floor, copper wires coiled like vipers.
Foot slipped—
HISS!
Arc swept my calf!
Tac-pants charred, skin hissing white smoke—like a branding iron.
Pain exploded up my spine—Ghk!
Kid struck!
Blade jabbing for my eye!
I dropped, rolling, snatching a 9mm shell casing—
Marcus's Glock round, brass hot in my palm.
Jammed it into his mouth!
"Three…"
He bit down, brass sparking.
"Two…"
I yanked free—
"One—!"
ZZZT!
Arc erupted from his mouth!
Blue lightning crackling over him, he convulsed, pupils fizzing gray-white.
Cook lunged, blade wild.
I stepped back, spine hitting a rack—
On top, discarded data cables, black sheathing, copper cores exposed.
Fuck! Heaven-sent!
I snatched the clamp, jaws clicking shut on the cable!
CRUNCH—!!!
Copper core snapped!
Sparks crackling, blue light washing his face.
He froze.
Pupils snapping to pinpricks.
Now.
I swung the clamp into his temple!
CLANG!
He staggered, clamp slipping.
I twisted his wrist, clamp reversed, jaws aiming at his pineal copper ring!
Thumb mashed the lever—
Click!
Ring loosened half a millimeter.
He froze.
Sclera flickered cloudy.
"Cook!" I yelled, voice tearing. "Red-bean buns—less sugar!"
His throat pulsed: "…Xiao… Ya…"
Jaws tightened—
CRACK!
Copper ring popped free!
Blue gel blooped, he convulsed, pupils fading to cloudy human eyes.
Last whisper: "…tell… Xiao Ya…"
Hand fell.
Rack reds flashed—
Girl retreated, hand over her wrist—blood seeping between fingers—dark red threaded with blue (hybrid blood).
She fled.
Rhea emerged, boots crunching abacus beads—grit-grit.
"98.1%." She panted. "They're almost full."
I released the clamp, copper ring still in my fist.
Looked down—boot half-gone, sock shredded, foot gashes stinging.
Rack maze end, an iron door ajar.
"Core." Rhea pointed. "The Mirror."
I wiped my face, sweat and blood gumming my eyes.
Looked up—
Rack reds pulsing, 0.8 seconds, like a dying heartbeat.
T-43:50.
Minute Fourteen: complete.
Clamp still dripping blue gel.
But in my palm—
Half a loosened copper ring.
Thanks for the abacus bead strike. When brass embedded in Cook's skin—did you feel the thud? 🪙
Comment "🪙"—3 winners get Human vs AI Blood Clot Timing Chart!
98.1% fear. 1.9% hope. We'll take it. #Chrono60