020: Night Driving
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“I accept.”
John agreed readily.
“A wise choice.” Nando produced another neck gaiter. “You haven’t modified your respiratory system, have you? Here, cover your nose and mouth. The sandstorms beyond the city and the toxic air left over from the war will give you lung disease.”
[Equipment: Black Sand-Filtering Neck Gaiter]
[Description: Made from biological fabric, soft and comfortable. Worn around the neck, it feels like a high-collared undershirt. Pull it up to cover the nose and mouth without causing the slightest difficulty breathing.]
Nando was run off his feet and soon departed.
John was assigned a shack in the rest area to catch up on sleep.
Several thick industrial mattresses had been laid over an alloy bedframe. A mosquito-repellent lamp hung overhead, while camp members repeatedly came and went. It was just as noisy as the restaurant lounge, though he had slept more soundly there.
He had no idea how long had passed.
In his daze, John felt something heavy slam onto his chest.
He instinctively reached out and grabbed a scorching-hot soft parcel. At the same time, the aroma of food reached his nose.
“Eat something. We’re going to work.”
Elona appeared in the doorway and tapped her wristwatch.
“It’s the same vehicle as last time. The maintenance bay with the searchlights to the east. Find a man called Screwdriver and get the keys from him…”
As she spoke, she began changing her jacket. The wind was strong at night, so she needed to wear a cold-weather suit. Below the waist, she still wore the familiar work trousers and tactical boots.
John silently unwrapped the food and ate.
A classic Mexican tamale, made from dough and synthetic meat, seasoned with a little cheese and hot sauce, then steamed in a corn husk for convenient packing.
John tugged at the item around his neck and asked, “This equipment came from Nando. He seems to be trying to show me goodwill. Why?”
“He wants you to join Damascus Camp.”
“I see. You could have just said so. The way he went about it made my skin crawl. Your straightforward approach is much more convenient.”
“So, are you coming?”
Elona lifted her blond hair from inside her clothes and tied it back, revealing a metal rivet at the top of her spine before her jacket slipped back over it.
“The camp is expanding, and we’re desperately short-handed.”
“I’m willing to take assignments, but I’ll pass on joining.” John shook his head. “I’m not ready to reintegrate into a group yet.”
He found the maintenance bay without trouble.
Ground-mounted searchlights illuminated the workshop like broad daylight. Four or five vehicles were undergoing repairs, and both walls were covered with tools and small components.
Partition panels and enormous vehicle bodies divided the work areas. There was even a dedicated paint shop and an electronic weapons calibration system.
Explosively loud rap music blared through the workshop.
A middle-aged man called Screwdriver slid out from beneath a vehicle.
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He was an extremely muscular Black man with a shaved head. His left arm was mechanical. After confirming John’s identity, he handed over the keys.
Bang.
John shut the door and climbed into the familiar off-road vehicle.
The Atlanta virtual network activated inside his mind and automatically connected to the equipment, then erased the login traces in the system’s background.
He ran a hand over the steering wheel and finally let out a sigh of relief. Ever since hacking this vehicle, he had been terrified of being discovered. Fortunately, no one from Damascus Camp had noticed.
Knock, knock.
Someone tapped on the window.
John’s heart lurched. He turned and saw Screwdriver standing outside the vehicle.
The man lifted his chin. “Your Eisenberg is in my hands. Any thoughts about modifications? I do my best to accommodate my customers.”
John followed his gaze.
The Silver Knight hung suspended in midair, mechanical arms busy welding. They appeared to be digging out the bullets embedded in its body.
He asked tentatively, “The Silver Knight has a weapons module. Could you install an automatic gun mount?”
“Small matter…”
Screwdriver pondered for a moment, apparently recalling the vehicle’s condition. “All the armor is shattered, and the front windshield needs replacing. Do you have any requirements for the load-bearing capacity of the vehicle’s defenses?”
John thought carefully.
“I’m used to driving fast. Glass up to D3 grade is acceptable. Too much armor weight will affect the engine’s torque.”
“You know your stuff. No problem, buddy.”
Screwdriver tapped the chassis and stepped aside to clear the way. “I only modify vehicles for people who know what they’re looking at. Experts appreciate good work. Go do your job without worry. Come back to camp tomorrow and pick it up from me. The finished product won’t disappoint you.”
Vroooom—
Miles revved the engine and pulled up to the camp entrance.
As usual, Elona tossed in a life-sized package filled entirely with high-powered weapons. Then she pulled open the door, climbed into the passenger seat, and sent John the communications verification code privately.
[New communications channel detected. Connecting…]
After John adjusted the equipment, he heard Nando’s rough voice.
“Hello, hello. Check your equipment one more time. If you leave anything behind, get out and fetch it yourself. I hate taking brats camping.”
“The coordinates have been sent to the system. Set out on your own.”
Damascus Camp had been established beside a highway outside the city.
It was midnight. The convoy drove out one vehicle at a time, merged onto the main road, and began spacing itself out in separate sections.
At the very front was a lightly equipped framework vehicle. Fast and low to the ground, its primary purpose was to scout ahead and gather intelligence for the convoy.
John and Elona were in the second echelon, an armed off-road vehicle prepared for battle. If fighting broke out, they would be among the first to organize a counterattack.
Nando followed at the rear in an armored vehicle, bringing up the end.
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Plato-Class Frigate T1.
A pitch-black, high-tech combat vehicle. Its alloy armor alone was enough to inspire despair. Equipped with a radar scanner and an anti-air electromagnetic cannon, it would turn any Exile foolish enough to cause trouble into mincemeat.
John and Elona did not speak much.
The vehicle channel was filled with dirty jokes, and the journey was somewhat dull until daylight appeared on the horizon, revealing the desolation of the outskirts.
Most living creatures beyond the city had already gone extinct.
Yellow sand and drought-resistant plants made up the unchanging scenery. Any fool without experience surviving in the wild who left Eden City could easily lose their way in the wasteland, only to be buried by a sandstorm in some unknown corner.
The sky brightened completely. At last, a message came through the earpiece.
“We’ve reached the destination. Everyone stay alert.”
The convoy left the main road in a grand procession. Endless low hills surrounded them, and vehicles occasionally traveled along the abandoned dirt roads. They were all escort convoys moving between cities.
John had done the same kind of work for Ironbound Logistics.
The railways outside the city had been completely abandoned decades ago. The Wanderers had stripped away every scrap of metal, leaving only two parallel grooves twisting into the distance.
For cross-regional deliveries, armed escorts were usually the only option, and logistics companies dominated the business.
If one could not afford high-spec armored vehicles and combat personnel, the only alternative was to hire slightly cheaper mercenaries.
Drive yourself?
A fine suggestion if you wanted to die.
The environment beyond the city was brutally harsh, and it was no exaggeration to say that danger lurked everywhere.
After the cities declared themselves independent of one another, corporations seized the land, and the farmers banded together to become the first Wanderers.
Their society was divided into families, clans, tribes, and nations. The farther down the list, the larger the population, and they generally migrated in the form of camps.
Damascus was one small branch among them.
Meanwhile, the madmen, traitors, and deviants expelled by their families had formed a vast hostile force…
The Exiles.
These people committed every kind of crime in the wasteland, waged war against the family powers, and even joined forces with gangs and scavengers to make a living robbing travelers.
“There’s a good chance we’ll be fighting this time. Be careful.”
Elona spoke without expression.
John drove across a stretch of railway and headed toward a high slope with an unobstructed view.
The official trading site lay within the valley.
He got out and found a sheltered spot to relieve himself.
Elona, meanwhile, quickly set up a kinetic heavy sniper rifle.
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