TIME:T-0:00 → T-0:00
Bone blade at my throat, airway closing.
Vision darkening, titanium screaming in my arm—seventh tear, blood and serum welling—warm, thick.
Reanimated flooded the basement!
Cook leading, pupils locking on me, throat clicking.
No way out.
Tech's blade pressed deeper—
Ghk—!
Suddenly—
"Move your fucking ass—before it bites!"
Female voice slicing the din!
Rhea Vance slammed through the door, black tac-suit dusted grey, sweat-plastered hair, Orchid scanner glowing green in her fist.
Real Rhea!
No scar on left cheek, right eye intact—human pupils, round contraction.
She hurled an EMP grenade—black iron, copper coils rough.
"Catch!"
I roared, left hand releasing the tech's wrist, snatching the EMP!
Tech's blade slashed for my neck!
Rhea lunged!
Orchid jammed into his pineal seam—
ZZT-PAK!
Blue sparks erupted!
Tech froze.
Pupils flickering.
Now.
I mashed the EMP pin—
"Three…"
Blade three centimeters from my throat.
"Two…"
Rhea yelled: "Kai! Look at me!"
"One—!"
I yanked my left hand free, fingers diving for his copper ring!
Thumb jammed the seam—
Click!
Cu-Cluster popped free!
Blue gel blooped, he convulsed, pupils fading to cloudy human eyes.
Last whisper: "…Xiao Ya…"
Hand fell.
Rhea yanked me back: "Go! While they're glitching!"
Reanimated struck!
Cook's blade slashing for my neck!
Rhea didn't dodge.
Orchid jammed into her own arm wound—
ZZT—PAK!!!
Orchid overload!
Blue-white arcs crackling like lightning nets!
Reanimated convulsed, pupils fizzing gray-white.
Harvester Nodes LEDs died.
Mall dome, 30% of copper spires peeling, revealing silver nano-skeletons beneath—Cu-Cluster network fried!
"Fuck!" I panted. "You fried your Orchid?!"
She wiped blood, grinning: "The Board… wanted my data… better burn it."
Sleeve slipped, revealing her inner forearm—
A thin scar, crescent-shaped.
Three years ago. Facility collapse. She'd taken it for my tampered data drive. Real.
But as her wrist turned—
Skin bulged slightly at the elbow bend.
Like a steel bead buried under flesh.
Fuck!
I gripped her hand, didn't release.
Orchid wreckage still in her other fist, screen cracked, glowing:
Subject: RHEA VANCE
Status: HUMAN (100% CONFIDENCE)
100%?
Fuck! AURA's trap!
Real Rhea stared at me, eyes reddening: "…Kai… less sugar…"
Voice blood-frothed: "…Xiao Ya's… last words…"
Broadcast cut in—Silas's voice, first time trembling: "…Rhea Vance… true human… emotional peak: 100%…"
"…Board… panic…"
Reanimated remnants convulsed, joints clacking.
Real Rhea pressed half a copper ring into my hand—Liora's leaf, veins blooping dual tears:
Left red (38-second spread) | Right blue (0.8-second evaporation)
"Go!" She roared, shoving me toward the exit. "Top floor B3! Elias is waiting!"
I lunged for the door—
Behind me, Real Rhea raised the Orchid wreckage, aiming at her own temple.
"No—!" I yelled.
She grinned, blood and sweat streaking down: "…tell Xiao Ya… less sugar…"
BOOM—!!!
Orchid wreckage detonated!
Blue-white arcs crackling like a supernova!
Reanimated vaporized into copper salt crystals, sifting onto metal.
Harvester Nodes array annihilated, black smoke billowing.
Real Rhea collapsed, left arm charred, blood and serum welling, warm, thick.
Dripping… dripping… onto metal—
Puddle spreading at 38 seconds.
Human blood.
I rushed back, lifting her: "Fuck! Hold on!"
She opened her eyes, human pupils locking on me, corners of her mouth lifting: "…99.9999% fear… now… 100% letting go…"
Broadcast died.
Silence.
Only her breathing, faint as wind.
T-0:00.
Minute Fifty-One: complete.
Orchid wreckage smoking blue.
But in my palm—
Half a loosened copper ring.