Chapter 73

Carl's team prepares for Heat 7 at the starting line of a race set inside a shrunken apartment building. They learn they must collect seven rings hidden throughout different floors—one mandatory ring per team—before reaching the lobby finish line. Dr. Metcalf, a holographic AI modeled after Bea's therapist, serves as race guide while Dorota enters diagnostics mode after a confrontation with the AI.

The chapter opens with radio communications from Imani, Mordecai, Donut, and Elle confirming that 227 crawlers have been sent to safety via cleaner bots, with a new "Garden of Deliverance" plant system installed in the guildhall to track crawler survival through plant wilting and flowering. Carl reflects on the Linus threat and remaining concerns about internal dangers like Osvaldo and the mysteriously disappeared Agatha. At the starting line, Carl's team is positioned in the first block with Pontiff driving, Donut on Dorota the chair, and newly hired mercenary Nester (a level 65 Zebani Cartographer). The teams learn they've been miniaturized inside apartment buildings—Carl's team is in a seventh-floor apartment. Dr. Metcalf appears as a holographic guide styled after Bea's therapist, revealing the finish line is the lobby and multiple path options exist. The fan-voted upgrade proves nearly useless, adding only aesthetic hologram features and diagnostics access. After Dr. Metcalf disables Dorota's speech as retaliation for being discussed, Carl negotiates with Osvaldo about strategy; Osvaldo dismissively reveals his guide advised against any tenth-floor deals and announces he'll attempt the elevator shaft despite warnings. A last-minute rule announces seven rings hidden across floors—each team gets one mandatory ring on their map. Carl's team must retrieve their ring from apartment 231 on the second floor before reaching the lobby.