Chapter Five: Beneath the Mask

Dozens of drones opened weapon bays outside the dome. Shen braced the collapsing roof with webbing and tore open an underground passage. Before Lin jumped, she looked back. “Tomorrow night, which side will you be on?” The mirrored lenses reflected the swarm. “If I say yours, you shouldn't believe me,” Shen said. “So watch which thread I let break.” An explosion consumed the dome. Zhou pulled Lin into darkness as her clock reached 48:03:12. Across the city, every public screen quietly moved the demonstration forward by twenty-four hours.