The Core Chamber, once calm and grand, was now ready to explode.Ryan stood near the god Weaver, the prize at the center of it all.
Before him were the gathered sharks of Sector Gamma: Tom Kane's Crimson Banner, nursing their wounds and their pride; Zara Khan's Circuit Breakers, with their gleaming, high-tech toys; and Viktor "Ironjaw" and his Iron Wolves, who looked less like soldiers and more like a pack of rabid bears in power armor.
The ten-minute countdown for "Provisional Governorship" was ticking away in everyone's vision, a constant, pressing reminder of what was at stake.
Ryan checked himself quickly. The energy bolt had burned his side badly. It wasn't serious, but it hurt.
He looked at one of the glowing blue conduits that snaked across the floor, feeding power to the dormant machinery. He had an idea. He reached out with his hand and activated his "Energy Siphon" talent.
