Author's note: Hey, thank you, Shadowkiller, I just might do that. Okay, here's the next chapter. I e-mailed Nail Strafer about one aspect of this chapter, and took his (her?) suggestion.
I have also realized by now that this story won't be much more than a generic human-insertion/video game plot. But it's my story, so I don't mind, and I hope you don't mind either.
-
Chapter 10: Five Minutes of Haste
-
As I ran down the passage in pursuit of Nack, I left behind my pick and helmet, since they were just weighing me down. Five minutes, or three hundred seconds, was not a very long time; it took longer than that to write a one-page essay for high school.
I tried to glance at my watch to see how much time I had left, but then I remembered that I wasn't wearing one now. A countdown was ticking down in my head, though, reminding me constantly of how much time I had left, whether I liked it or I didn't.
Four minutes and thirty-eight seconds remained as I jumped into another mine cart and rode it, knowing that I would get to the exit more quickly that way. I put my wings into top gear as I propelled myself down the track.
The explosions, unfortunately, had caused chunks of Glassire Diamond to spill over the track. Knowing that the mine cart might derail if it hit one, I reacted quickly and shattered them with Ice Feathers. I missed one, though, and the cart hit it and sent me flying. There were only four minutes and two seconds left, so I had to hurry.
I wouldn't be able to get much more use out of the mine cart, so I ran down the track on foot. Fortunately, it was pretty straight, so I hit coast speed with three minutes and forty-six seconds remaining.
To my alarm, the floor had crumbled ahead, leaving a deep, wide chasm with few footholds. How Nack had ever crossed this thing was beyond me, but now was not the time to get hung up on that. A well-timed jump and open-winged glide took me across the gap as the timer in my head reached three minutes and twenty seconds.
Up ahead, parts of the passage were blocked by fallen rocks in certain positions. I had to jump over some barriers, roll under others, and sidestep the rest. I made it to the end as two minutes, fifty-one seconds remained.
The path ended at a passage blocked by a pile of large rocks. I had no choice; I picked them up and threw them aside one by one. I was down to two minutes and eight seconds before I could move enough rocks to get through.
When I got past that blockade, I encountered a familiar but frightened face. "Nack!" I exclaimed.
Nack was having problems. "Great! First, a heavy rock falls and pins my tail to the ground so I can't escape, and now you come to finish me off! I don't need you to make my problem worse!"
I thought for a few seconds about what to do, then came to a decision. I approached the rock that was keeping Nack prisoner. Nack was shocked at first to see me trying to help him, but quickly regained his composure and joined in the effort.
With me pushing and him pulling, the two of us managed to get the rock out of the way and free Nack. "Let's blow this joint," I told him, "we've only got one minute and six seconds to get out!"
Holding Nack by his wrist, I picked up the pace. The path ended in a tall shaft that led to the surface, but the ladder had been destroyed. And to make things worse, only forty-two seconds were left before the whole mine blew with the both of us in it.
"It's going to be tough getting us both out," I told Nack, "but I think we can make it." I started my wings and headed straight up, toward the exit. The flight was a little tougher with Nack's extra weight, but I believed I could make it.
Ten seconds remaining, I was almost to the surface. Eight seconds. Six seconds. Four seconds. Would I make it? Could the both of us get out? What would happen? There was no telling what would happen until the last second.
The timer in my head hit zero. R-R-RUMBLE! The entire mine began to collapse, and soon it was no more.
We had made it out.
Nack turned and faced me, and struggled to speak. "I don't believe it," he finally said. "I tried to kill you back there, and when I was trapped like that, you saved me. Why did you do that?"
I didn't answer. My facial expression gave Nack all the answers he needed. "Well, okay, I understand. I'll pay it back to you somehow, I promise. By the way, I never caught your name."
"Call me Leo."
"Leo? Nice name. Well, I'll be seeing you. I have work to do."
With that, Nack left. I figured I'd better leave, too, and I headed back to Tails' lab, which had become a kind of base of operations to me.
-
Whew! Glad that chapter's done with.
Quote of the Chapter:
"Shortly after Gadget closed the hotel room door, the grandfather clock in the hall chimed ten. The second chime was drowned out by a small explosion which did not leave Andrew in perfect condition."
-Narrator, Mission SEGA, Ch. 1