Chapter 18 - Inside the CoreWith Jax using his combat knife to pry open the heavy floor grate and Maria holding a flashlight against the blinding steam, Lily peered down into the dark, roaring abyss of the maintenance shaft.
Below them, the massive insulated pipe thrummed with terrifying power.
"Right there," Lily pointed with her small finger at a tiny manual bypass lever bolted to the side of the main pipe, half-hidden behind a tangle of fiber-optic cables. "If we turn that counter-clockwise three full rotations, it will dump the core pressure into the overflow reservoir."
"I'll do it," Jax said, sliding his legs down into the opening.
"No, Jax—your hands are too big," Lily shook her head, stepping forward. "You won't fit through the gap to reach the locking pin. I have to do it."
"Absolutely not!" Maria screamed, grabbing Lily by her shoulders. "I lost your father, Lily! I will not lose you!"
"Mom, look at me," Lily said softly, gently placing her small hand over her mother's trembling fingers. "Dad taught me how to listen to machines. This machine is screaming for help. Let me save it."
Before Maria could pull her back, Lily slipped down through the floor grate, dropping silently into the narrow, scorching shaft below.
"Lily!" Maria cried out, kneeling down and reaching her arms as far as she could, her fingertips just brushing the back of Lily's jacket.
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Lily ignored the intense heat radiating off the metal pipe. She crawled forward on her stomach, her heart pounding in her ears, until her small hand reached the manual bypass lever.
The screen upstairs beeped loudly: 95%... 96%... 97%...
