Htms-05801:37:34 Min 〈Original ✦〉

The system began the extraction. A blinding pain seared through his temples as the HTMS protocol initiated. 00:10. "Now!" Sarah cried. "Override the upload!"

The stairwells were a blur of concrete and shadow. Every time he glanced at his wrist-comm, the numbers mocked him. ... He reached the mid-level security gates.

At , the lights flickered. A voice, small and distorted, cracked through his ear-link. "Elias? Can you hear me?" HTMS-05801:37:34 Min

The terminal in the basement was ancient, covered in dust. He plugged his wrist-comm into the manual port.

"There’s a bypass," she whispered. "HTMS-05801 isn't an archive code. It's an exit port. If you can reach the cooling vents in the basement before the clock hits zero, you can jump the firewall." The Descent The system began the extraction

When Elias opened his eyes, the timer on his wrist was gone. The terminal screen was dark, save for one line of glowing green text: ERROR: HTMS-05801 - PACKET LOST.

Elias sat in the sterile white light of the Transfer Bay. According to the readout, he had exactly thirty-seven minutes and thirty-four seconds remaining of his biological residency. After that, his consciousness would be compressed into a data stream and archived—a process the government called "Ascension," but everyone else called "The Fade." small and distorted

Elias didn't wait. He bolted past the startled security droids. He had to descend forty floors.