Chapter 22 · Rift Protocol - Chapter 22: The Reset Comes Early

"Kess."

Dalen's voice. Not from the interface. From behind me.

I try to turn but the interface won't let go. My palm's still pressed to the scanner, skin torn where the needles went in. Blood runs down my wrist, warm and slick.

"Kess, look at me."

I twist my head. He's on his knees, one hand braced against the floor. His face is sheet-white, veins still dark under his skin like someone drew a map of poison across his throat and jaw.

"You're awake," I say. My voice cracks.

"Barely." He pushes himself up, stumbles, catches himself on the edge of the console. "How long?"

"Thirty seconds. Maybe less."

The countdown on the screen says forty-two seconds. The cooling system's shutting down. The core temperature's climbing. In less than a minute, the whole facility goes up.

Dalen looks at my hand. At the interface. At the blood.

"It won't let you go."

"No."

"Can you pull free?"

"I tried. The needles go deeper when I move."

He swears under his breath and crosses the room in three strides. His hands close over mine, careful, testing the angle. The needles shift and I bite down on a scream.

"Sorry," he mutters.