Chapter 14

Moja, Jazun, and Lena entered a small chamber. It held a “car” assembled by the engineers of Verus. The rusted contraption featured a single rear seat and thick roll cage bars. Its elongated nose carried a spare tire with another nestled behind the engine in the rear, next to a pair of well-worn jerricans. A cargo net full of gear spanned the space between the roll bars atop the cab.

Moja situated herself as front passenger, and Jazun took the small back seat. Lena climbed into the driver’s seat. She found a harness, which she pulled over her head and buckled between her legs. She took a moment to adjust the smattering of mirrors attached to the frame. Their locations had no discernable strategy.

“Take us through the main gate,” answered Moja. She retrieved a small ignition cylinder from inside her robe and inserted it into a slot in the steering column.

Lena felt the brake and clutch pedals beneath her feet. She pushed a green button next to where Moja inserted the key. The machine roared to life with a mean growl before leveling out into a steady drone. She tested the throttle. Deafening waves of sound filled the stone halls.

Lena steered the vehicle out of its station, gingerly tapping the accelerator. The vehicle responded with powerful jumps. She circled the back of the rotunda opposite the gated entrance.

Two guards lifted a crossbar from the main door. Each guard then flipped a switch on either side of the door. A large mechanical lock in the center of the gate gave way. The doors were pulled inward and Lena saw only darkness beyond. Lena searched for a switch on the steering column.

“What do you need?” Moja asked.

“Headlights.”

“No headlights.”

“Ever used a pair of Night-Eyes before?” Jazun leaned forward and produced a small box, “Try not to lose ‘em; they’re hard to come by.”

She opened the box to find a small pair of glasses. She situated them on her forehead and gently pressed the accelerator. They passed through the fortified gate and the cool air enveloped them. Once beyond the lights of the complex, she lowered the glasses.

The trio wound down on a long gravel road, the forest air rushing across them. The vehicle had no trouble climbing hills or hugging sharp turns in spite of the loose gravel.

At the first junction, Lena stopped. “Where to?” she asked flatly. Her mind was on Zark. Had he come to find her?

Moja pointed in the direction to continue.

“I suppose I can’t use my celltab for GPS?” Lena asked.

“Destroyed. There’s no easier way for us to be tracked,” Moja informed. “We’re going to be travelling through Occasus, away from the roads.”

“If your main concern is staying off radar, I don’t think driving around in this heap is going to help.”

“Hey, a lot of people worked really hard on this thing,” Jazun defended.

“Just because you spend a lot of time on something doesn’t make it good,” Lena retorted.

“You would be wise to keep your tongue sheathed,” Moja responded sharply.

An uncomfortable silence settled between them. Only the sound of the rumbling engine and the gravel beneath the tires filled their ears.

The western boundary of the forest lay behind them as they traversed sloping hills parallel to a major train track north of the Red Mountain range. A cardinal sky grew brighter with stars as they drove.

As they crested the next hill, Lena was greeted with a beacon of hope on the horizon. She removed the Night-Eyes. Gliese shone through the atmosphere, painting the landscape in a monochrome scarlet. Rectangular structures rose from the ground on the horizon: the fingertips of the industrial titan, Vogt.

“We rest at ten degrees. Should be another hour at least,” Moja stated, breaking the indeterminable silence.

Moja produced a sextant from her breast pocket. She aimed it at the horizon, and adjusted a small wheel.

Lena recalled her geography classes. A common practice to tell your position on Zarmina was to read Gliese’s height above the horizon. Vogt sat at a warm thirty degrees, whereas Rhod’s skyline sat at a cool seven.

Upon reaching their resting place, all three exited to stretch their legs. They had parked in a shallow ravine to hide their presence. The drone of the sandrail echoed in Lena’s head. Moja stood atop the hood of the vehicle. Her robes whipped in the wind as she stood tall against the sunlight, studying the southwestern horizon. She switched between her sextant and a pair of large binoculars.

Warm wind swept over the low-rising hills ahead of them. The air brought the scent of dry, rocky soil.

It had been hours since they left the mines. Lena’s concentration had grown weary. Jazun reached into the depths atop the vehicle and withdrew three light bedrolls.

“Try to get a nap in, if you can,” he said to Lena. He tossed her one of the bedrolls. She laid it out in the shade cast by the buggy. Upon it, she took a brief rest, only sleeping for a short time. Meanwhile. Moja and Jazun discussed a plan for when they reached Vogt.

When she awoke, Moja gave Lena a small meal that Jazun had cooked for them while she was asleep.