Byrne crawled into his tent and slid into his sleeping bag, finally shedding the day's exhaustion.
Under the influence of NZT-48, sleep didn't come easily at first. His mind began to replay the day's events: Marcus's blood-soaked display of authority at the factory, the unexpected pairing with Selena, the discovery of the secret compartment in the ore crate, and finally, the narrow escape from the nighttime ambush.
The most surprising element of it all remained his companion. This daughter of the Lawrence family possessed traits that were entirely inconsistent with a typical noble lady. She understood machinery well enough to diagnose crystal battery output issues; she was physically agile and decisive under pressure, striking without hesitation. She even held a cynical, grounded view of the upper class—she was certainly no sheltered flower.
She claimed she was only here to survive, but Byrne sensed that her participation in this life-or-death trial served a much deeper purpose. Whether it was a family directive or a personal quest, Selena wasn't talking.
Byrne knew that once the other groups realized the scarcity of power, conflict would become inevitable. The stronger pairs were likely already calculating how to swallow the resources of the weak. Even more unsettling was the group Selena mentioned—the ones who had coerced the night's attackers. To use others as disposable pawns suggested a level of strength and a total lack of morality that made them extremely dangerous.
Today was just the beginning. The real tests lay ahead. Hopefully, Byrne thought, tomorrow everything goes smoothly and we reach the outpost. Eventually, fatigue won the battle against his racing thoughts, and he drifted into a deep sleep.
The next morning.
Byrne woke Selena to trade shifts. After a quick breakfast, they packed their gear and set off with the ore crate once more. A night of rest had restored their spirits, and their cooperation felt more fluid. Selena took the lead, navigating with the map and compass, while Byrne pushed from the rear, intentionally maintaining a slower pace to keep a vigilant eye on their six.
As the sun climbed, the wasteland temperature soared. The yellow sand became scorching, and they could feel the heat biting through their boots. They were forced to slow down, stopping periodically in whatever shade they could find to hydrate. Their water supply was limited; they had to be frugal. While they had plenty of batteries, other essentials like food and water remained scarce. Byrne hoped the nearest outpost would provide the supplies they desperately needed.
According to the map, the abandoned outpost was only a dozen kilometers away. Another hour of trekking finally revealed a low silhouette of buildings on the horizon—the cargo transit and repair station marked as the first waypoint.
Selena scouted the outpost from a distance. Seeing no other crates, she said happily, "Excellent. No other ore crates. It looks like we're the first ones here."
Byrne shook his head. "Not necessarily. Someone might have pushed through the night to get here first."
"How? Their batteries would—oh. You mean someone else knows about the batteries inside the crates."
"Exactly," Byrne nodded. "If they pushed through the day and night without resting, they'd beat us here easily."
Selena's expression darkened as she looked toward the buildings. "So... do we still go in?"
Byrne smirked. "Of course we do. But first, we get ready."
Byrne found a low-lying depression near the outpost and hid the ore crate, camouflaging it with surrounding debris and sand. From a distance, it looked like nothing more than an unremarkable mound. Once the crate was secure, they moved along the edge of the dunes, staying low to avoid open lines of sight.
As they drew closer, the details of the abandoned station became clear. Several dilapidated workshops were scattered about, their walls scarred by years of erosion. Some sections had collapsed, exposing rusted metal frameworks. Byrne signaled Selena to keep her distance as they approached the nearest structure.
The first workshop was empty—no people, no supplies. But as Byrne pushed open the door to the next building, they were met with a grim sight. Two cold corpses lay against the far wall.
"It's Leo and Tiny," Selena whispered, reflexively covering her mouth. "They got here so fast."
The memory of Leo's clever plan at the factory gates was still fresh. It was jarring to see them end up as corpses in this desolate place. Byrne walked over and knelt to examine them. They had both been shot through the chest. Their black collars—the devices Marcus insisted they wear to record their actions and track their locations—had been destroyed.
Their rucksacks lay nearby, turned inside out and completely empty. Byrne stood up, his hand moving instinctively to the pistol at the small of his back as he scanned every corner of the room.
"No obvious signs of a struggle on the floor, and no defensive wounds on their bodies," Byrne noted grimly. "They were ambushed. Poor Leo and Tiny... they were just unlucky."
Selena grew tense. "Is the killer still here?"
Byrne didn't answer. He pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. After a moment, he shook his head. "I don't hear anything, but we can't drop our guard."
They continued their search, moving through several more workshops without finding a soul. It wasn't until they reached a warehouse at the very back of the outpost that they heard a faint shuffling sound from within.
Byrne gestured for Selena to stop. He pressed his back against the wall, inching toward the warehouse door, and peered through the narrow gap.