Chapter 17

Carl's team prepares for a truck racing challenge with Bucket Boy as the inexperienced driver, Donut riding along, and Rend stashed away. They discover the GPS is sentient and named Dr. Metcalf, and learn the race involves a 10-kilometer course with a gatekeeper monster, torrential rain, and a three-hour time limit. As they're about to start, Carl receives dire news that a rival team called Na has killed five other teams and replaced them with new competitors.

Carl and Bucket Boy exit the safe room and board the truck to prepare for the race. Bucket Boy begins touching controls nervously until warned away from the red button that activates spider legs. Carl attempts to remove the tommy gun from the truck's roof but discovers he cannot modify the vehicle's stock configuration. Donut emerges from the back, frustrated about the freezer's endless supply of frozen food that Mongo and Rend have been raiding. She warns them about the GPS, which is sentient, named Dr. Metcalf, and has a hostile personality. Carl realizes Dr. Metcalf shares the name of Miss Beatrice's expensive and dubious therapist. Donut has obtained the Donut drive system from Hedy—a janky lever-based steering mechanism—but they've opted to use Bucket Boy as driver instead due to the complexity. Bucket Boy expresses anxiety about his driving ability, having only driven a cart before. Rend is called over and teleported away into the pet carrier. Carl prepares to break the windshield at race start, with Donut ready to use her crossbow. The GPS displays race parameters: left path, starting position #7, 10 kilometers on asphalt with rolling hills, a gatekeeper monster halfway through, torrential rain and hail, and a three-hour time limit. Dr. Metcalf makes a sarcastic comment about the crocodile driver. Hedy opens the garage door to reveal the storm. As Carl begins teaching Bucket Boy about the pedals, he receives a message from teammates revealing that a rival team leader named Na has killed five other teams and replaced them with new competitors, including Tran's team. The chapter ends with Carl realizing the full scope of the threat they face.