Motif · Book 2, Carl's Doomsday Scenario
The clock
The countdown in the corner of every crawler's vision: 'Time to Level Collapse', five days on the first floor, read out by the system at the head of chapters and by Carl whenever he has to choose. On the second floor a second timer appears beneath it, counting down to the closing of the safe rooms an hour before collapse, and Carl waits for the level timer to reach six hours before he takes the stairs.
Segment appearances
Progression
'We only had eight days to complete this next level' — and Mordecai's forecast: 'If they keep this up, the sixth floor is only going to be open 11 or 12 days. The factions are going to be pissed. It's usually open for 30' (ch. 2). The system reads 6 days, 23 hours (ch. 8), 5 days, 10 hours (ch. 13) and 3 days, 16 hours (ch. 18); Carl asks what a short floor means for the Over City's natives when it collapses (ch. 7).