The chapter opens with updates from Carl’s allies before the next heat begins. Imani reports that cleaner bots have already moved 227 people to the Pineapple Cabaret, while Mordecai explains that Ronit improved the dread system by tying each crawler to a small plant in a protected terrarium. The new “Garden of Deliverance” will show whether a crawler dies or escapes the dungeon, giving the group one hidden way to track survivors.

At the starting line, Carl rides with Pontiff driving, Donut strapped onto Dorota, and a hired mercenary named Nester in the back. Carl reflects on how badly the Linus revelation rattled him, because it proved that outside threats can still slip close and because crawler unity remains fragile. His worries extend to Osvaldo’s distrust, Agatha’s disappearance, and old mysteries such as Burcu’s accusation that Carl killed her father.

As the racers line up, the teams compare positions and notice the strange environment. Through chat, Louis realizes they have all been shrunk and placed inside parts of a giant apartment building, with different teams starting in ducts, pipes, or bathrooms. A holographic version of Dr. Metcalf then appears through the team’s new GPS upgrade and identifies their location as apartment 712 in the L’Engle Building, where the goal is to reach the lobby by any route down through walls, shafts, stairs, or pipes.

The upgrade quickly proves unnerving and disruptive. Donut recognizes Dr. Metcalf’s appearance as Bea’s therapist, which unsettles Carl further, and the hologram behaves less like a useful tool than a meddling personality. When Dr. Metcalf silences Dorota by putting her into diagnostics mode, Carl realizes the upgrade can interfere with their equipment in ways he had not expected.

Meanwhile, Osvaldo finally answers Carl and makes his position clear: he will cooperate only when necessary and still refuses any tenth-floor deal, believing death is preferable. Osvaldo plans to risk the elevator shaft, but Carl suspects that route is a trap and tells his own team to rely on Nester’s radar to find hidden spaces. Just before the race starts, Dr. Metcalf announces a new rule that changes everyone’s strategy: each team must drive through seven hidden rings, one per floor, and Carl’s mandatory ring is in apartment 231 on the second floor. With their shortcut plans ruined and the starting lights appearing, the team braces for the heat.