A few days later…
The sun dipped below the horizon. The expedition had already begun prepping their tents. They were camping in front of a massive forest with tall trees which contrasted greatly with the dryness of the savanna. The tall trees disappeared into the darkness of the sky which made the people below unable to grasp their true height. The enforcers lit a fire and began preparing dinner.
Kay sat near the fire with Arthur and Maple. The flame danced with the wind, as Kay's eyes were lit by it. Suddenly, a voice called Arthur out from behind.
"Ah, Arthur. How are you doing?"
The trio spun around and saw professor sterling, standing with a big smile on his face.
"Ah, sir. I was just about to go and find you." Arthur replied, pulling a plastic chair towards sterling.
"Hm? What do need me for?" Sterling sat down on the chair like the others.
"I needed to know more information about this…place." Arthur said.
"This…" Sterling looked behind, seeing the vast, tall forest. "This is the furthest we've been in the history of expeditions. Beyond this forest, our drones, robots, satellites, any man-made technology fails. It's the reason why we didn't bring any sort of advanced technology to camp."
"Is that the reason why we're using tech from the 21st century?" Amelia inquired, leaning her head on her hand.
"Exactly." Sterling lifted his head, looking at the milky way galaxy.
He smiled and then, lowered his head. He gave a small nod to himself and stared at the fire. Right then, Kay asked a sudden question.
"So…sir sterling. What is the plan to execute the expedition tomorrow?"
Sterling rotated towards Kay and gave a straightforward answer. "The generals, supreme commander and lead scientists are still deciding on it."
"Really? Shouldn't you be there? Aren't you one of the lead scientists?" Kay inquired in a surprised tone.
"Ha! I don't care about such meetings. I only care about science and discoveries." Sterling laughed.
***
In a rather big tent, Nyx, David and Lancelot were sitting across from each other. In the middle was a holographic map of the explored parts of the forbidden continent.
"Generals." Nyx uttered.
All eyes turned to the supreme commander. She sighed and leaned forward.
"Listen, we need to formulate a plan for the expedition by tomorrow."
'It would've been more efficient if you'd done it before the expedition instead of on the stop. Oh, great supreme commander, forgive me for your laziness and stupidity.'
Lancelot mocked Nyx internally. He coughed and spoke in a pleasing tone.
"I think we should hear what the scientists want, commander."
Nyx raised her brows. "Right…sir Charles. What would you think is best?"
The officers turned towards a singular man. The man calmly sat in his chair, sipping his tea. He wore a black flat cap, had dark hair and eyes with a beard. He wore dark long coat which made him stand out among the scientists, inside he wore a classical suit with a bowtie. He sipped his tea some more before putting it down on the table. He intertwined his fingers and said in a calm tone.
"To accomplish the task of exploring an unknown area…it will be quite troublesome."
"Technology doesn't work beyond the glades, so what can we rely on to map out the terrain." David blurted.
"On that topic, supreme commander…" Lancelot spoke up. "Why did you make us bring those devices if they don't work beyond here?"
"You'll come to know." Nyx replied. "Trust me, I have a plan."
'I sure hope you do.' Lancelot grumbled in his mind.
"Maps aren't good enough but…" Charles pointed to the holographic map. "Stratos Academy has been able to generate a rough outline of the forest."
Nyx, David and Lancelot looked towards the map. Every bit of the land past the glades were glitched out as if one couldn't perceive what was on the other side.
"We'll need to find a place to stay. A river or a lake." Charles continued to speak. "Water wouldn't be a problem and neither would food. If our theories are correct, there should still be life beyond here."
"Perhaps we may also have to study the ecosystem and animals alongside creating a map?" David inquired.
"That's a given, general." Charles replied. "But let's only do the studies. Making a map would be horrendous without the advanced technology back on Novopangea."
"History has shown that maps aren't really the most reliable things in the world." Lancelot leaned back.
"Then it's decided." Nyx stated. "We'll head out – same time. Tech won't work beyond here so, we'll have to watch each other's back and remember…"
The others drew in closer as Nyx finished her statement.
"If we're in danger or find anything dangerous, we're getting the fuck outta here."
***
The night became even darker. Dinner came to be with the same rations as before. Under the milky way, they quietly ate their food. After dinner, most enforcers went to bed. Kay still sat near the fire pit. The fire had been extinguished quite long ago. He swung his legs, admiring the stars.
Right then, Harvey sat beside him, also peering towards outer space.
"What are you doing out here? It's late." Harvey asked.
"Nothing…The view is just…captivating." Kay answered.
They both sat in silence. Stars shot through the sky like fireworks, mesmerizing anyone who watched. After a few minutes, Kay asked Harvey a strange question.
"Harvey…how far do you think I am from Arthur's level?"
Harvey leaned back. "Arthur's level? Far but not as far as you think."
Kay raised a brow. "What do you mean by that?"
"Listen, Kay. I've known you for two years and how you compare yourself to others. At first, I thought to get you out of that habit but…it was actually doing miracles for you."
"Elaborate."
"Unlike others, you didn't get discouraged. You actually trained until you got the same result as people better than you. It's the reason you got this strong but…"
"But?" Kay urged him to continue.
"You've gotten strong enough. Stop, comparing yourself to others, son. At this stage, you'll only be hindering yourself from your true potential. Appreciative how far you've come and try to climb even higher."
"When did I become your son?" Kay chuckled darkly.
Harvey smiled, glancing at Kay. "Since, we met. You've grown so much since we met and we've gotten so close…It's like you're my actual son…"
Kay bit his lip. His heart began to be filled with something he hadn't felt in ages…compassion. He had always felt underestimated but got used to it after so long. He learnt to work hard and become like people better than him. He constantly compared himself to others whether he wanted it or not but…was it time to change? He didn't know – He didn't know if he could.