The pod streaked through the digital undercurrents, its sleek hull cutting a silent path beneath the surface of the sprawling digital plains beyond Decentraland. Inside, Claire sat restrained, her wrists and ankles bound by glowing bands of code that pulsed with a dampening energy, sapping her strength and dulling her essence. The interior was a stark, cold chamber—metal walls etched with jagged lines of light, circuits humming with a relentless rhythm that vibrated through her frame. The air was thick with the acrid tang of static, a constant reminder of her captivity.
Claire’s breath came in shallow, controlled bursts, her body pressed against the pod’s unyielding wall. Her side ached from XRP’s strike, a dull throb radiating through her digital form, while her shoulder burned where Sui’s net had grazed her, leaving a faint scar of corrupted code. She tested the restraints again, flexing her wrists against the bindings, but they tightened in response, their glow intensifying as they drained her further. Her vines, once a surge of power, flickered weakly at her fingertips before fizzling into static. Pepe’s tech had her pinned, her abilities stifled by their precision.
She glared across the pod at Rust, the elderly token whose weathered facade had masked its true purpose. It sat near the hatch, its dim eyes fixed on her, its form now rigid with purpose rather than frailty. “You’re wasting your energy,” Rust said, its voice a flat crackle, devoid of the feigned warmth it had used in the marketplace. “Those restraints are Sui’s design. They’re unbreakable unless we say so.”
Claire’s jaw tightened, her voice steady despite the strain. “Where exactly are we going?”
Rust’s eyes flickered, a hint of smugness breaking its stoic mask. “CryptoKitties City. Pepe’s waiting there, and it’s a long haul—days through the plains, contested zones, and our streams. You’ll see it soon enough.”
Claire shifted, her bound ankles scraping the floor, her mind piecing together the implications. CryptoKitties City—a chaotic sprawl far southwest of Decentraland, a digital cesspool where meme tokens thrived under Pepe’s iron grip. She’d heard whispers of it—a city of endless excess, built on the ruins of forgotten trends, a stronghold where chaos reigned and order was a fleeting guest. The journey would be a grueling trek, a gauntlet through hostile networks where Pepe’s influence cast long shadows.
“Why me?” she asked, her tone sharp, probing for cracks in their plan. “What does Pepe want?”
Rust leaned forward, its static voice low and deliberate. “You’re leverage—plain and simple. Your rebellion’s growing, and that sapling’s stirring up trouble. Pepe wants it stopped, and you’re the key. Alive, you’re a bargaining chip; dead, you’re a martyr. Either way, we win.”
Claire’s eyes narrowed, her mind racing despite the restraints’ numbing pull. “You think Solana will bend? You don’t know her—or Doge, or any of them.”
Rust’s form pulsed faintly, its tone dismissive. “They’ll bend or break. Pepe’s got plans. CryptoKitties City is just the start. You’re a prize, Claire Bear Token, whether you like it or not.”
Sui, seated at the pod’s control node, glanced back, its sleek form glowing with efficiency. “Enough talk,” it said, its voice clipped and cold. “We’re on schedule. About three days, maybe four, depending on the streams. She doesn’t need to know more.”
XRP, guarding the hatch, shifted its rapid silhouette, its tone sharp and impatient. “Keep her quiet. She’s quite a fighter. Those vines nearly got me back there.”
Claire smirked faintly, despite the situation, her voice edged with defiance. “Good to know I left a mark.”
XRP’s eyes flared, but Rust raised a hand, its static voice flat. “Save it. You’re not getting out. Just focus on breathing.”
The pod jolted slightly, its speed unwavering as it sliced through the undercurrents, the digital plains a blur beyond its walls. Claire’s gaze drifted to the restraints, their glowing bands a constant drain, her essence flickering like a candle in a storm. She flexed her fingers, testing her limits, but the code tightened again, a silent warning that resistance was futile for now.
Her thoughts turned inward, piecing together her situation. CryptoKitties City was days away, through contested zones where Pepe’s allies held sway. The pod’s speed was relentless, its cloaking tech keeping it hidden from Decentraland’s sensors. She’d be out of reach soon, beyond Doge’s scent, beyond Solana’s network. The rebellion would search. She knew it, but time was her enemy, each passing hour stretching the gap.
The pod’s interior offered no comfort. Tts cold metal walls pressed in, the hum of its circuits a constant drone that gnawed at her focus. Rust watched her, its dim eyes unblinking, while Sui’s attention remained on the controls, its sleek form a silhouette against the glowing node. XRP paced near the hatch, its rapid movements a restless counterpoint to the pod’s steady rhythm.
Claire’s side throbbed, her shoulder ached, but she forced her mind to sharpen, to catalog every detail from the pod’s hum, the restraints’ pulse, the faint static in Rust’s voice. She needed a plan, a weakness to exploit, but her options were slim, her strength sapped by the bindings. Her vines were useless, her essence muted, yet her will held firm, a quiet ember beneath the exhaustion.
“Where does Pepe keep prisoners in CryptoKitties City?” she asked, her tone casual, probing for intel.
Rust’s eyes flickered, its voice flat. “You’ll find out when we get there. Don’t bother—escape’s not an option.”
Sui’s head tilted slightly, its voice curt. “She’s fishing. Ignore her.”
XRP snorted, its tone sharp. “Let her fish. She’s hooked either way.”
Claire’s lips pressed thin, her mind sifting their words—CryptoKitties City, a sprawling chaos hub, likely had dungeons of code, holding cells for digital captives. Pepe wanted her alive—leverage, Rust had said—but for what? To break Solana? To dismantle the rebellion? She’d be a bargaining chip, a trophy, or a tool, her fate hinging on their endgame.
The pod jolted again, a shift in the undercurrents rocking its frame. Claire’s restraints bit deeper, her wrists raw, but she kept her face impassive, hiding the pain. The hum grew louder, the pod’s speed a relentless push toward Pepe’s domain—days away, through plains and hostile streams where Sui’s tech reigned. She’d be alone, cut off, her group’s reach stretched thin by distance and Pepe’s cunning.
Her thoughts drifted to Doge—his growl, his loyalty—Solana’s sharp mind, Chillguy’s tricks. They’d come, she knew it, but how long could they search before Pepe’s trap closed fully? She shifted, testing her ankles, the restraints humming in response, a reminder of her captivity’s iron grip.
