The sun dipped low toward the jagged horizon of the Papaya desert. The relentless heat finally began to bleed away into the cooling sands, though the rocks still radiated a warmth that could cook flesh.
On the flat roof of a concrete outpost, two men lay prone. They were silhouettes against the dying light. Jona adjusted the strap of his binoculars, and Richie tapped his fingers rhythmically against the stone ledge. They stared out into the vast, red emptiness where the dunes rolled like frozen waves.
Richie broke the silence.
"They've been gone since first light. The sun is almost down, Jona. If they don't get back before the shadows merge, they'll be stuck out there in the transition."
Jona squinted through his lenses. He scanned the familiar ridges.
"Strider knows the risks better than anyone. They intercepted that intel for a reason. If there was a convoy, it was worth the time."
Richie shook his head and pulled his scarf tighter around his neck.
"Worth it or not, the Rusters get aggressive when the temperature drops. And the darkness... you know how sensitive they are to electrical signals at night. One wrong move with a hoverboard engine, and the whole desert wakes up to eat you."
Jona lowered the binoculars and rubbed his eyes.
"Have some faith. The Galvanizers are the best we have."
Just as the words left his mouth, a disturbance caught his eye. A small puff of red dust kicked up on a distant dune crest. It was faint, barely a smudge against the purple sky.
"Hold on. I see movement."
Jona raised the binoculars again and twisted the focus dial.
Zzzzt.
The image sharpened. Eight mounted figures crested the dune. They moved with the weary but steady posture of returning victors. The camels dashed over the sand with bulky sacks were strapped to their backs and frames.
"It's them. Strider's unit. And look at those packs... they are loaded down heavy. Something good must have happened out there."
Richie scrambled to his feet and grabbed his rifle.
"Finally. Let's get down there and open the gate before the sun vanishes completely."
They climbed down the rusted ladder on the side of the outpost. Their boots clang against the metal rungs.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
They reached the heavy blast doors at the base of the structure just as the camels approached.
Strider led the formation in. He pulled back on the leather reins, and his beast groaned as it slowed to a halt near the entrance. The heavy pads of its feet kicked up a final cloud of red dust. The rest of the team fanned out behind him. The camels chuffed and shook their heads, smelling the safety of the bunker.
Strider raised a hand in greeting.
"Good evening, gentlemen."
Jona walked over. His eyes darted from the heavy sacks to the battered state of their gear.
"We were starting to write your eulogies, boss. What delayed you? And what in the Rust is in those bags?"
Strider dismounted and patted the nearest sack. A metallic clink echoed from within.
"We ran into some complications. First, it was a pack of Decayer mutts. They were hungry and stubborn."
Harlan grunted as he unslung his pack and set it on the ground.
"And then a Corroder showed up to crash the party."
Richie's eyes widened.
"A Corroder? You fought a Class 4 and walked away?"
Nicardo laughed, though it sounded dry and brittle.
"Barely walked away. That thing ate our Chainblades for lunch. Strider, Tessa, and I... we all lost our weapons. We were seconds away from being scrap."
Tessa nodded and wiped grime from her goggles.
"We would be dead if it wasn't for Leik."
Richie looked at Leik. She stood near her camel.
"Leik? What did she do?"
Gustov chimed in. He grinned like a man who had just won a lottery.
"She sliced it open. One hit to the core. She used an Adamantine blade."
"Adamantine?"
Jona and Richie spoke in unison. The word held a mythical weight in the wasteland.
Jona looked at the blue-hued sword sheathed at Leik's hip.
"I thought that was just a story. Where did you even get it?"
Strider stepped in and clapped Jona on the shoulder.
"That is a long story for another time. And what's in these sacks is a big surprise that I will reveal later. Right now, we need to get inside. Open the door."
"Right. Sorry, boss."
Jona ran to the control panel beside the heavy carbon door. He punched in the sequence.
Ka-thunk. Hiss.
The massive slabs of reinforced concrete slid apart. They revealed a dark, gaping maw that led into the earth.
Richie lingered behind near Leik. He pointed a thumb at the unconscious figure strapped to her camel. The man's blue armor glowed even in the twilight.
"And who is the sleeping beauty? Another surprise?"
Leik glanced at the captive.
"We found him at the crash site. I suspect he might be a Galvanizer from the Zinc Citadel, but I'm not certain. We'll get more answers when he wakes up. Until then, he's a guest."
The team guided their camels and gear into the large freight elevator that waited just inside the airlock. The doors groaned shut behind them.
Whirrr.
The platform began its slow descent into the bowels of the earth. Vents in the ceiling hissed open.
Psst.
A fine mist sprayed over them. It was a diluted chemical fog, a detoxing fume of UST designed to destroy any active Rust contaminants clinging to their clothes. The smell was sharp, like bleach mixed with lemon.
Gustov took a deep breath of the chemical fog and coughed.
"Ah, the smell of home. You know what I'm thinking about right now?"
Tessa leaned against the railing and closed her eyes.
"Sleep? Because that's all I want. That Corroder rattled my bones."
Gustov shook his head.
"No. I'm thinking about the look on everyone's faces when we open these sacks. Especially my boy. I miss that troublesome brat. And I miss the slop they serve at the mess hall. I'm starving."
Leik smiled softly. She adjusted her armor to relieve the pressure on her midsection.
"I know the feeling. I just want to pinch my kids' cheeks. A day feels like a lifetime when you're out there."
She moved closer to Strider and locked her arm through his. She rested her head on his dusty shoulder. He stiffened slightly, then relaxed and leaned into her touch.
"You did good today, Leik. But you pushed it. As soon as we're settled, you need to get checked out at the doc's place. We have to make certain everything is good with... you know."
Leik placed a hand over her stomach. The bump wasn't pronounced yet, hidden beneath the layers of protective gear, but the reality of it weighed heavy on both of them.
Pregnancy in this age was a gamble with death. Premature stillbirths, birth defects from trace radiation, and the physical toll on the mother made every month a terrifying milestone.
She whispered, "I know. I promise, Strider. This was the last run. I'm going to take this time to nurture our baby. I'll stay inside the walls where it's safe."
Strider turned and pressed his forehead against hers.
"Good. I don't want to lose either of you."
The intimacy of the moment silenced the rest of the group for a beat. Then Kai let out a dramatic sigh from the corner.
"Man, I'm jealous. Must be nice to have someone waiting for you. I've got nothing but a cold bunk and a rusted radio."
Tessa opened one eye and smirked.
"Maybe if you spent less time staring at your reflection in your blade and more time talking to actual women, you wouldn't be so lonely, kid."
Kai sputtered. "I do not stare at my reflection!"
Renn chuckled. "You do. We all see it."
The elevator shuddered and came to a halt.
Ding.
The doors slid open. They revealed the underground space of the Biome. The air here was stale and recycled, thick with the scent of unwashed bodies, but it was safe.
Jona and Richie stepped out and began barking orders at a group of laborers waiting nearby.
"Alright, move it! Assist with the cargo! Everything goes to the main storage area in Sector-Gamma. Handle those sacks with care!"
Jona pointed at the unconscious man on Leik's camel.
"And him. Strip him down to his underlayers. We don't know what kind of tech is in that armor, and we can't risk a signal going out. Tie him up in the holding area."
The laborers rushed forward. They took the reins of the camels and hoisted the heavy sacks onto carts.
Strider addressed his team.
"Good work, everyone. Dismissed for now. I'm going to check in with the Biome leader and report the situation."
Leik stepped back from the group.
"I'm going to look for my kids. I'll check in with Divento later to drop off the... special item."
Tessa stretched her arms over her head.
"Bunk. Immediately. Wake me up if the world ends. Actually, don't."
Gustov rubbed his belly.
"Mess hall for me. My woman better have saved me some grub."
Harlan hefted his broken gear.
"I'm going to see Divento right away. He needs to see this damage if we're going to salvage anything."
Nicardo checked his empty pouches.
"Market run. I need supplies."
Kai and Renn exchanged a knowing look.
"We're going to the Little Garden," Kai said quickly. "To... relax."
Tessa rolled her eyes as she walked away.
"Right. 'Relax.' Don't strike out too hard, boys."
The group split up in different directions. Leik stopped Jona before he could haul the prisoner away.
"Jona, once you strip him down, bring his armor and that sword directly to Divento's workshop. Do not let anyone else touch it. It's Adamantine."
Jona's jaw dropped slightly.
"Understood, Leik. I'll handle it personally."
Leik smiled at Strider one last time, and they parted ways.
She walked through the main thoroughfare of the Class C Biome. It was not a place of comfort. The walls were rough concrete, stained with years of humidity and grime. Glass jars lined the corridors, mounted on iron brackets. Inside each jar, a bioluminescent Glow-Slug produced blue light. Along the ceiling, a few electrical LED bulbs flickered.
It was home to over 500 people, crammed into repurposed tunnels and bunkers.
Suddenly, a loud, oscillating tone broadcast throughout the Biome.
Woooooo-Woooooo.
A mechanical voice crackled over the intercom.
"Attention. Nightfall has descended. The TED Array will activate in T-minus two minutes. Secure all sensitive electronics. Prepare for blackout."
The Transient Electromagnetic Disturbance Array was their shield. It generated a low-frequency jamming field that rendered the Biome invisible to the Rusters' electromagnetic sense, but it also meant every non-essential electrical component inside had to be deactivated.
Shortly after the announcement, the overhead LEDs sputtered and died.
Zap.
Darkness swallowed the tunnels for a heartbeat, and then the Glow-Slugs seemed to brighten in response. Their luminescence bathed the corridor in an eerie, underwater cast. The people here were accustomed to this. They didn't break stride. They moved in the dim light with practiced ease.
As Leik walked down a path by the market area, she was greeted by familiar faces.
"Welcome back, Leik!"
"Good to see you made it!"
An older woman, her skin flaky and gray like old parchment, reached out and touched Leik's arm.
"You take it easy now, dear. I heard the news about your condition. You shouldn't be running around in the desert."
Leik patted the woman's hand.
"I know, Martha. I promised Strider this was the last time. I'll be staying in from now on."
"Good. The little ones need you. Speaking of which, have you seen them?"
"Not yet. I was heading to the playground."
"That's where they were, last I saw. Go on now."
Leik continued past the stalls. She noticed two people huddled over a pile of ragged fabric.
One man argued. "Two grams of UST. This is real wool. It'll keep the chill out."
The other countered. "One point five. It's got a hole in the sleeve."
"One point eight, and I throw in a sewing needle."
"Deal."
Leik smiled at the mundane haggling. It was a sign that life went on, despite the monsters above.
She reached the playground. It was a cleared-out section of a large drainage tunnel. Old tires and sanded-down scrap metal served as play structures. A simple reading class had just finished. A young woman wiped a chalkboard clean with a rag.
Leik walked in and greeted her with a hug.
"Hi, Sarah. How was the chaos today?"
Sarah sighed, though a smile tugged at her lips.
"Oh, you know. The usual. They have so much energy, and I have so little chalk. But when one of them actually reads a sentence without stumbling... it's worth it. I'm doing what I can for the next generation."
Before Leik could reply, two small tornados of energy rushed toward her.
"Mom!"
"Mama!"
Sophie and Aidro, six-year-old twins with yellow-blue hair, collided with her legs. They clung to her like limpets. Sophie's hair was tied into neat little buns, while Aidro's was a messy mop that defied gravity.
Leik knelt down, wincing slightly as her knees hit the hard floor. She gathered them into a hug.
"Hey, my little bugs. Did you give Sarah trouble today?"
Sophie pulled back, her chest puffed out.
"I was on my best behavior! And guess what? I can spell 'photosynthesis' now. P-H-O-T-O-S-Y-N-T-H-E-S-I-S!"
Leik's eyes widened. "That is amazing, Sophie! That's a big word."
Aidro crossed his arms and scowled.
"She's a show-off. I got in a fight with Thomas."
Leik frowned and looked at her son.
"Aidro... why did you fight Thomas?"
"He said I spelled 'cheese' wrong. He said it has a 'z' in it. So I punched him."
Leik sighed and brushed the hair out of his eyes.
"Aidro, you need to keep up with your studies. And you cannot start fights over spelling."
Aidro kicked the ground.
"What's the point? I'm going to be a strong Galvanizer like Dad. Why do I need to spell 'cheese' when I should be learning how to kick Ruster ass?"
Leik took his small hands in hers. Her voice turned serious.
"Listen to me. Fighting isn't everything to survival in this world. You must also learn how to be strategic. Muscles rot, weapons break. But a sharp mind? That is what keeps you alive when everything else fails."
Sophie giggled and pointed at her brother.
"Yeah, dummy. You can't punch a book."
"Shut up, Sophie!"
Leik held up a hand.
"Hey. Sophie, that's enough. You also need to learn how to fight. Book knowledge alone will only take you so far. Starting tomorrow, you will join your brother in training with your father."
Sophie's jaw dropped.
"What? No! Why can't I train with you, Mom? You're way cooler than Dad."
Leik smiled sadly.
"I can't put too much stress on my body right now, sweetie. I'm nurturing life in my womb."
Sophie's eyes lit up. She gasped.
"Is it a little sister?"
Aidro pumped his fist.
"No way! It's gonna be a brother! Sophie is too soft. She always cries when we play rough. I want a brother I can beat up."
Leik laughed and ruffled Aidro's hair.
"I don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet. But I will appreciate either. And you will not be beating anyone up, young man."
She stood up and groaned as her back popped.
"Now, I have another surprise for you. But first... tell me, when was the last time you showered?"
The kids looked at each other and counted on their fingers.
"Two weeks!" they shouted in unison.
Leik wrinkled her nose playfully.
"I thought so. You smell like old cheese. Today, we are going to have a nice family bath together before I show you the surprise."
"Yay! Bath time!"
The children grabbed her hands and urged her toward the washroom.
The Biome's hygiene facilities were primitive. Water was a luxury they could not waste. The washroom consisted of several separated compartments with concrete walls. inside Leik's compartment, a circular tub was built into the ground. It was filled with orange, murky water that had been reused several times by other families that day.
It smelled of sulfur and stale sweat, but there was a faint chemical tang from the UST treatment that kept it from being infectious. To them, this was not gross. It was the norm. It was warmth.
Leik sat in the tub with the water up to her chest. The children splashed around her. She used a rough sponge to scrub Aidro's back while Sophie tried to make bubbles with the meager soap ration.
The mood was playful. The grim reality of the world outside melted away in the steam.
"Sing the song, Mom! The rain song!" Sophie begged.
Leik smiled and leaned back against the tub's edge. Her voice, usually sharp with command, softened into a melody.
"Close your eyes, the sky is gray,
Sleep until the sun's bright ray.
Though the clouds may weep and cry,
We are safe and we are dry."
The children listened in silence. The acoustics of the small concrete room carried her voice like a prayer.
Aidro loved it.
"You have a heavenly voice, Mom."
Leik blushed. "Thank you, baby."
"He's right. It's beautiful."
Strider's voice sounded from the doorway. Leik turned to see him standing there. He had shed his armor and wore only a towel around his waist. His body was a map of scars, but his eyes were soft.
"Is there room for one more?"
"Dad!"
The kids splashed water in their excitement.
"Get in! There's space!"
Strider smiled and dropped his towel. He stepped into the murky water and sank down with a contented sigh. He opened his arms, and both children scrambled to hug him.
"Did you miss me?"
He kissed the tops of their wet heads.
"Yes!"
Leik watched them from the side. She rested her hand on her belly. The water was dirty, the world was dying, and monsters roamed the dark, but in this small, dim circle of light, everything was perfect.