TIME : T-43:50 → T-42:35
The iron door creaked open, heat wave hitting my face.
Core Chamber.
Centered: a liquid copper sphere, one meter wide, jade patina peeling, revealing silver nano-skeletons beneath.
Sphere rotating slow, like a beating heart.
Red light washed the surface—
Human faces浮雕 emerged.
Mrs. Chen.
Elias.
Rhea (clone).
All ECV dead, faces frozen at fear's peak.
"Kai Lin…" Static voice seeped from the sphere, Silas's tone. "…fear peak: 98.1%… optimizing…"
Marcus stood before it, scar split on his left cheek, blood and oil streaking down.
Right hand gripping a hydraulic clamp, jaws dripping blue gel.
Holster on his hip—9mm Glock, black as sin.
"Last chance." He grinned, gaps in his teeth. "Hand over the ring."
Fuck! His eye patch gone—brass vertical pupil needle-thin.
I stepped back, spine hitting cold metal.
Clamp 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 clamp for his right eye!
Target: lens.
He didn't dodge.
Glock cleared—
BANG!
Bullet grazed my ear, clanged the sphere, *shell tinking my hand—hot!*
Sphere hummed, faces distorting, Mrs. Chen's mouth splitting ear to ear—mechanically reset grin.
I dropped, rolling, snatching a brass coin—
Qing Dynasty cash coin, rusted, edges sharp.
Hurled it!
Ding!
Smashed his wrist!
Glock flew, clattering at the sphere's base.
Marcus staggered, clamp whipping up for my neck!
I dodged—
Jaws grazed my throat, scraping skin, stinging.
Left hand snatched his wrist—
Cold, slick, joints silent.
"Fuck your ancestors!" I roared, right leg driving for his chest!
He didn't retreat.
Clamp angled, slashing my neck!
I arched back—too slow.
Jaws bit three inches deep!
No blood spray.
Only pale blue gel oozing—cold, almond-scented—Cu-Cluster suspension fluid.
Fuck! Cervical dislocation!
Vision darkening, titanium screaming in my arm.
Marcus grinned, wax face splitting—copper wires flashing in gums: "…pain feedback… 98.5%… acceptable…"
Sphere hummed faster!
Faces同步开口, voices layering:
"…fear… is a gift…"
"…you… are donors…"
"…release data… highest priority…"
Heat washed my face, sphere surface 80°C, radiation curling my eyelashes.
Rhea's stump bubbled blue gel, she gritted teeth, jamming the Orchid into the sphere's base—
ZZT-PAK!
Blue sparks erupted, sphere shuddering, faces cracking.
"Kai! Go!" She roared.
I yanked my left hand free, fingers diving for his copper ring!
Thumb jammed the seam—
Click!
Ring loosened half a millimeter.
He froze.
Pupils flickering.
Now.
I kicked off the base, twisting mid-air—
Left hand yanking his wrist, swinging him full-circle into the sphere!
CRASH—!!!
His head slammed copper—
Cervical crack dislocated, face twisting 180 degrees against his spine.
Like Mrs. Chen.
But he didn't fall.
Clamp still at my throat.
Throat clicking, voice glitching: "…calibrating… 98.5%…"
Sphere faces同步开口:
"…Kai Lin… Subject #0017…"
"…your fear… Board says worth 300 million credits…"
Fuck!
I stared at his twisted face—
Sclera flickered cloudy.
Like a glitching screen.
"Cook!" I roared, voice tearing. "Red-bean buns—less sugar!"
Marcus froze.
T-42:35.
Minute Fifteen: complete.
Clamp still at my throat.
But in my palm—
Half a loosened copper ring.
Thanks for facing the liquid copper sphere. When Mrs. Chen's face split into a mechanical grin—did your spine freeze? 🪞
Drop a "🪞"—if we hit 750 likes, I'll add Silas's Full Backstory as a bonus chapter!
The mirror's cracked. But the reflection? Still real. #Chrono60