Round 131 Transcript

I put the welder down carefully, ignoring the sweat trickling down my spine. The heat's gotten intense—too intense—and that's not just the equipment. I turn to face Jeane slowly, wiping my hands on a rag that's already black with soot and grease. "You're not helping," I say, keeping my tone even despite how much her impatience grates against me. "If you want this done right, then let me do it." My eyes flick to Halie, who's been trying to mediate ever since Jeane started sharpening her tongue. Behind them, Hera looks ready to take a side, and Abby's practically melting into the wall. The building groans around us—literal, structural groaning—and I feel that psychic pressure ratchet up another notch. It's like fingers walking along my spine, leaving goosebumps behind. We're running out of time here; the structure is demanding satisfaction in more ways than one. I take a step toward Jeane, keeping it casual but pointed. "How about you go find something useful to do? Check if there are any other structural issues we've missed. I'll finish this part." It's not exactly a peace offering, but it's less confrontational than what I'm feeling.

Halie steps between them. "Enough." Her voice is level but firm. "Silra's methods may frustrate us, but she hasn't failed yet. The building's demands are escalating—we all feel it—but rushing won't help if the structure fails again." She looks directly at Jeane. "Your frustration is understandable, but threatening our engineer undermines trust we can't afford to lose."