The heavy steel gears ground to a halt with a final, earth-shaking clank. The massive blast doors stood open. They revealed a wedge of the world that had been hidden for a generation.
Twelve heavy transport trucks, each carrying roughly 24 to 30 passengers, roared to life in unison. Their engines belched black smoke into the dusty air. They surged forward and peeled out of the emergency shaft one by one. Tires spun on the loose gravel before finding purchase on the hardpan of the Papaya desert.
They moved fast. They moved quick.
The first thing the refugees noticed was the light. The sun was a bloated, red giant that sat low on the horizon. It bled crimson streaks across the sky and set the clouds on fire.
The second thing they noticed was the movement in the distance.
Far to the south, near the main ventilation stacks of the Biome, the sand seemed to boil. A swarm of Rusters, hundreds strong, crawled over the concrete dome. They clawed at the intake vents and bashed against the sealed airlocks. They had been drawn in by the noise of the battle below and the potent electrical disturbance of the evacuation.
Luckily, the emergency shaft exited three miles north. The path ahead was clear of monsters, though the sand was littered with the skeletal remains of the old world.
"Go! Go! Don't look back!"
Kingham slammed his hand on the frame of the lead truck. The convoy picked up speed. They bounced over hidden rocks and rusted metal debris. The violent jerking forced the passengers in the back to hold onto the railings.
The GPS coordinates for the Banana Bridge flickered on the dashboard consoles of all twelve trucks. They were about half an hour away. That was if they continued on the determined tracks without deviation.
In the back of the third truck, Little Sophie and Aidro huddled close together behind a stack of crates. They peeked over the edge to look out at the vast, terrifying expanse of the surface.
This was their very first time outside the womb of the Biome. They watched everything with curious, fearful eyes. The air here tasted different. It was metallic and dry. It coated the back of the throat with grit because there were no filters to scrub it clean.
Aidro pointed at the huge ball of heat descending beyond the horizon.
"Mom? Is that the sun? The one in the pictures?"
He squinted against the glare.
"I didn't know the outside could be this hot. It feels like the oven."
Leik adjusted her grip on the assault rifle. She looked at the red orb.
"That is the sun, Aidro. But it is leaving us now. It is setting."
She looked around at the darkening dunes.
"The place will soon be plunged into darkness. We do not want to be in the open when it does. More Rusters are active at night. They are super sensitive to sound, electricity, and most importantly, moisture."
Kingham turned from where he was standing and shouted at the passengers.
"Wrap your scarves tight! Cover your mouths! Be careful not to sweat too much. Moisture attracts them like blood attracts mosquitos!"
Sophie pulled her scarf up until only her eyes were visible. She trembled.
Aidro had always thought he would be fearless like his dad. He had bragged about kicking Ruster butt. But now that he was outside, with the wind howling and the shadows stretching like long fingers, he was frightened. He held his sister tight and buried his face in her shoulder.
Suddenly, the driver shouted and slammed on the brakes.
"Ruster ahead! Three o'clock!"
The convoy swerved. They were driving by an area piled high with old stacks of shipping containers.
Upon the top of the highest container sat a beast. It was a Corroder, but its shape was different. It resembled a massive Komodo dragon made of fused tank treads and jagged iron plates.
The beast lifted its heavy, armored head. It observed the trucks as they passed by beneath it. Its sensor pits glowed with a dull, malevolent orange light, and the corner of its mouth drooled liquid Rust.
Everyone in the truck went rigid. Tension snapped through the air like a whip. They thought the Corroder was about to leap on top of them and crush the vehicle flat.
The Galvanizers raised their weapons. They aimed up at the container and waited for the pounce.
However, the beast didn't leap. Instead, it turned slowly. It climbed down the opposite side of the containers with a screech of metal on metal and vanished into the shadows of the scrap pile.
Gustov lowered his rifle. His mouth hung open.
"I am shocked. Why didn't that Corroder attack us just now? It allowed us to pass right through its territory."
He looked at Leik.
"Was it intimidated by our numbers?"
Leik kept her eyes on the scrap pile until it faded into the distance.
"Rusters have no fear, Gustov. They aren't humans. They are monsters. Maybe it was full. Maybe it was waiting for something else. Never trust a Ruster to act logically."
The convoy sped on. The light continued to fail.
Shortly after they passed the container yard, Kingham noticed a deep fissure in the earth ahead. A canyon cut through the plateau.
He grabbed the radio handset.
"Attention drivers. I see a canyon coming into view afield. If we cut through there, it could serve as a shortcut to reach the Banana Bridge quicker. We save ten minutes."
Divento who sat in the back, leaned forward and spoke to Kingham.
"No! That is suicide!"
Kingham looked back.
"We need speed, Divento."
"We need safety," Divento countered. "That canyon is a natural choke point. It might be infested with Rusters seeking shade. And with such a narrow space, we might be ambushed and taken out before we can turn the trucks around. It is best we continue in the open area and go around the canyon. It is better to lose a few minutes than to lose our lives taking that risk."
Kingham considered this. He looked at the dark maw of the canyon.
"You are right. Stick to the open ground. Go around."
He relayed the order. The trucks stayed on course and didn't attempt to steer towards the canyon.
Just as he finished speaking, a thunderous noise shattered the air.
BOOM.
A vehicle in the lane beside theirs exploded. It flipped over in the air, a ball of fire and twisted metal, and crashed into the sand with a bone-jarring impact.
Everyone screamed. They went on high alert instantly.
Kingham shouted.
"Don't stop! Keep driving!"
Leik looked back. An enemy convoy was chasing behind them. Six heavy, armored assault vehicles tore across the sand. A bold cloud emblem was painted on their hoods. Turrets were mounted on the tops, and they swiveled to track the escapees.
A man hung out the window of the lead vehicle. He held a smoking rocket launcher in his hand.
"Hostiles! Six o'clock! They are catching up!"
She yelled to the passengers.
"Get low! Everyone get as low as possible! Cover the children!"
She shoved Sophie and Aidro down behind the heavy ammo crates.
"Stay down!"
Kingham grabbed the radio.
"All Galvanizers! Fire at will! Defend the convoy!"
Seconds later, a chaotic series of gunshots rang out.
The refugee trucks were soft targets. Most of their trunks were covered only by canvas or thin sheet metal. The enemy forces had armored vehicles that deflected the small-arms fire like hail.
The enemy gunners opened up.
Rat-a-tat-tat.
Bullets shredded the rear of the rearmost truck.
Kingham and Gustov joined the fray. They leaned out the back of their vehicle and fired back at the hostiles.
Leik slung the bandolier over her shoulder. She secured her footing and started firing her assault rifle in controlled bursts.
Pop-pop-pop.
"How did they find us so quick? Weren't they supposed to be delayed by Strider's crew?"
A cold realization settled in her gut.
"The only explanation is that Strider's crew were killed. They are dead."
Gustov fired a burst and ducked as a return volley sparked against the truck frame.
"These men must be chasing us for the cargo! Should we just give the cargo over if that's what they are after? Toss the crates!"
Kingham stopped him. He pointed at the burning wreckage of the truck they had just lost.
"Look at that! There were over a dozen people in that truck! The enemy blew them up without a second thought! They had no clue if the cargo was on that truck or not, yet they didn't hesitate!"
He turned back to the enemy and fired.
"This means they don't care for the cargo alone! They want to kill us all! It is an extermination! We can't surrender! We would be throwing away our lives in vain! We must fight back!"
The grim truth settled over them. The elite Cloud 9 Corps wanted to erase them from existence.
As Kingham spoke, a massive tremor shook the ground.
KA-BOOM.
A mushroom cloud of dust and fire rose into the sky far behind them. The shockwave rippled through the sand.
Leik knew where that was.
"The Biome. The charges went off."
Divento frowned. "It was too late. The enemy was already upon us."
Leik was curious. "Could they have had multiple troops deployed? One to raid the Biome and one to guard the outside just in case?"
Kingham ejected a spent magazine and slammed a new one home.
"It doesn't matter now! We need to survive!"
Another truck exploded to their right.
BOOM.
Bodies flew up in flames and scattered across the sand like ragdolls. The enemy convoy didn't swerve. They drove over the bodies and the wreckage. They squashed the survivors out like nothing. They didn't even stop to check for the Adamantine or the water.
This proved Kingham right. They were insistent on annihilation.
Leik gritted her teeth. She saw the man with the RPG reloading.
"We need to get rid of that launcher!"
She focused her shots. She targeted the man. Bullets pinged around his window. He ducked his head back inside.
She shifted her aim to the tires of the assault vehicle.
Ping. Ping.
The bullets bounced off.
"Their armor is too tough! My rounds aren't piercing! Gustov, give me something stronger!"
Gustov checked his pouches. His face was pale.
"We have nothing! Just lead!"
Kingham took the forefront. He braced his submachine gun and focused a sustained stream of fire on the enemy truck's windshield. The glass spiderwebbed. It forced the enemy driver to slow down and shift course to see.
But this wasn't time for celebration. The enemy didn't only have one vehicle. They had a convoy.
Divento peered over the edge of the crate. He saw the mounted gunmen on the turret swivel their weapon. The ammunition belt glowed with an eerie purple light.
"Get down! Those aren't ordinary bullets!"
He screamed the warning.
"Push the ammo crates! Form a barrier! Now!"
The passengers scrambled to obey. They shoved the heavy boxes of W-H2O against the tailgate.
Shortly after they did this, the mounted gunmen opened fire.
Zzzzzzip-Zzzzzzip.
The projectiles were rapid-fire laser rounds. They didn't bang; they hissed. They sliced through the air and cut through the thick metal of the trucks like paper.
These weapons were made specifically to combat Rusters. Against a few unarmored civilian vehicles, it was a slaughter.
A truck ahead of them was sliced in half. It tumbled and exploded.
"They are tearing us apart!" Leik screamed.
Kingham grabbed the radio.
"Break formation! Save your skins! Go your separate ways! Scatter! If you survive, meet at the bridge!"
With this order, the convoy fractured. The trucks took random directions. Some went straight, some veered into the dunes.
The enemy troops were forced to split their convoy. They spread out across the sands to pursue the scattered targets.
Two assault trucks peeled off from the main group. They chased after Leik's vessel.
The driver of Leik's truck was a young man named Tobe. He was skilled. He swerved and drove over the dunes violently to avoid the enemy laser rounds.
Zzzzt.
A beam scorched the paint off the side of the truck.
Tobe shouted. "Hold on! I'm trying to lose them!"
Gustov, Kingham, and Leik maintained cover fire. They popped up from behind the crates to spray bullets, then ducked back down as lasers sizzled overhead.
Suddenly, one of the two enemy gunmen stopped firing. He made a hand signal to the other truck.
The laser fire ceased.
The lead enemy truck pulled up alongside them. It matched their speed perfectly.
The man mounting the gun atop the truck, took off his helmet. His face was bruised, and his thumb was bandaged.
He shouted over the roar of the engines and the wind.
"Hey! You! The blue-haired witch!"
He pointed specifically at Leik.
"I came for your head! I will make you suffer for ripping me off!"
Leik froze. She stared at the man.
"Reiner?"
It was the man she had rescued from the rover. The man Strider had interrogated.
Gustov spat on the floor.
"Reiner Klitz. That scumbag."
They now understood. It was Reiner who had led the enemy troops to their Biome. It was Reiner who had caused the destruction of their home.
Kingham cursed.
"Ungrateful piece of shit! I regret that I didn't put a bullet in his head when I had the chance!"
Reiner shouted again. His voice carried a gleeful malice.
"Shut up, old man! I only want Leik's life! And the sword she stole from me! And my armor! And those crates!"
He pointed at the barrier they were hiding behind.
"I know what is in there! I heard your boys talking before the escape! W-H2O!"
He leaned over further. A devious smirk twisted his face.
"Here is the deal! Hand over the woman, the gear, and the crates! If you do that, I will let the rest of you live!"
He gestured to the trembling families in the back of the truck.
"I see you have many little children on board. Do you want them to burn? For their sake, you should comply!"
The shooting had stopped. The only sound was the engines.
The refugees in the truck looked at Leik. Then they looked at their children. Confusion and fear clouded their eyes. They started wondering if they could trust Reiner's word, or if sacrificing Leik was their only hope.