SILAS

It's dark in the main hall. The only source of illumination is the moon itself on this surprisingly clear night, casting a big, blotchy spotlight through the hole in the ceiling and onto the floor.

I sit on the stairs leading up to the crane controls. And I stare upward.

I can't seem to look away.

It's not much of a surprise to me that Daimon wasn't that helpful. Dodging questions with more questions. Implying, but not revealing.

Only once can I recall being satisfied with an answer. When I asked him if he knew there was no one in the dunebuggies and that the vehicles were being piloted remotely.

"Of course I did. You should have seen your face."

Not that the information is of any use. More than anything else, I have to wonder why Evelyn did what she did, even if I'm obviously happy with the results.

Still, the whole thing begs another question; especially considering the fact that Daimon knew the caravan was unmanned, why didn't he just bomb the hell out of the bunker itself?

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

But of course, he wasn't helpful on that front, either. In fact, he got real quiet, shutting down completely for a couple of minutes. He did not like that at all.

Once it seemed like he was getting some of his mojo back, I went for a different tact.

"If I'm so important, how come you and that other guy are the only ones to come after me? How come it's been two days, and it's still all quiet on the western front?"

He thought that was hilarious. "There's a war on, you idiot! The Armada's tied up, and so are my brothers and sisters. Don't you worry, though. As soon as Suzerain's able to free up some resources, my people are coming for you. And it's not gonna be like it was before. They're coming in full force."

I didn't know what he was talking about, and still don't. What Armada? What resources? What 'war'?

But he just laughed, and laughed.

"You really don't know anything," he said, finally. "Do you? Boy, you've got another thing coming. It's like watching someone get sucker punched by a freight train.

"Tell you what. It's a clear night tonight, isn't it? Relatively speaking? According to what my sensors told me, it should be. Why don't you go out, tonight. Take a good look at the moon. Report back. Tell me what you see."

So here I am. Staring up at the full moon. Stupefied. Because it's not the moon I know. Well, I mean, it is. But it's different. Changed.

I gaze up, at the normally naked face of the moon. Pocked with massive, artificial structures. Lined with miles and miles of wall-like ridges. The entire surface of it, glowing with energy and lights.

And all I can think is...well. He's right.