30 Meimi August 1 – Two Weeks Before Liberation Celebration One minute, eleven seconds. That’s the countdown blazing on the monitor that hangs above the laboratory floor. It’s also how long I have to complete what we’re calling my sneak-around at the Liberation Celebration. It isn’t going well. Basically, we turned the laboratory into an obstacle course for me to practice. And by we, I mean me, Thorne, the Hollow, Chloe, and Zoe. We tried to set things up in the Simulacrum, but it turns out, that place isn’t easy to program. Plus, the Lacerator started rattling in his cage so much, the room started to shake. Thorne says I don’t remember this, but the Lacerator and I met before. The creature supposedly likes me. Sure. Likes to have me for dinner. So the Simulacrum is a no-go. We’re u

