GOLDEN PATH

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"Attention all passengers. Floor 65 - 24 train is arriving on platform number 12 shortly," the overhead station speakers announced.

Vert trains zoomed up and down the platforms, and the floor rattled with each passing. Remy and Will were seated in a secluded corner overlooking the station platforms.

Will leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped in front of him. Remy, on the other hand, ignored the trains altogether. He stared at Will, shell-shocked. His mouth opened and closed for a long while, unable to find the words before he finally spoke.

"This is the single most insane thing I have ever heard."

"Yup," said Will.

"You want to go out of the tower. Wade into a radioactive wasteland of the exclusionary zone and collect etherite from the rubble."

"That’s right."

Remy gaped at Will, shocked disbelief etched on his face. It took a while for him to process what he had heard. His eyes sparkled. His shock transformed into mirth, and finally, he started laughing out loud. "Alright, sign me up."

Will smiled. "That's it? Just like that? You don't have any questions."

"No. I'm in," Remy grinned. "This sounds awesome. Besides, we have done way dumber stuff. Remember the goose."

Will groaned and made a gesture to ward off evil. "Stop bringing it up."

"Duck, duck, goose," Remy chuckled. "Besides, you're right about the embargo driving the prices up. Man, if we manage to pull this off, imagine a city's worth of etherite. The money is gonna come rolling in."

"Don't count your credits before they're printed," cautioned Will. "This is not going to be easy. Transportation, navigation, and finally, the date. This can only be attempted on Awakening Day. One shot, no room for mistakes."

Will tapped his foot nervously.

"This will be fun," Remy grinned. "Lots to do. There are a few things that we can get a handle on first. Fuel for one, and yes - radiation suits. We're going to need those."

"Yes," Will nodded. "But the main problem would be the programming. You've got to get the coding on the drones as tight as possible. There is no plan without it. Think you're up to it?"

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"Piece of cake," Remmy scoffed. "It's been a while since I coded in assembly, but hey, I got this."

Will let out a breath. "There is a lot to do and so little time. two weeks is barely enough."

"Let's get to it then," Remy stood up.

"Yeah..." Will stood up as well. Both boys gave the speeding trains one last glance before leaving the station.

▼.▼.▼

The next few days went by in a flash.

In the distant corners of Bunker 37, odd happenings were afoot. Strange sounds emanated from an abandoned structure. A grinding noise, oddly muffled, echoed through the desolate space. The building itself was barely standing.

Paint peeled off the few walls that remained, exposing rusted rebar to the open air. Bullet holes pockmarked the walls, remnants of a recent gang dispute. It had long been abandoned, even by vagrants and drug users, yet now someone else had taken residence.

Will was bent over a metal frame with a welding mask on. Sparks reflected off the visor as he took the torch to it. Littered around him were scraps of metal and broken automotive parts. He had gutted all of them, taking only what he needed.

Will flipped the mask off when he was done and examined the piece. Satisfied, he got up and walked to the side. In front of him were the parts he had worked on, all neatly arranged in a blueprint-like fashion. He slotted in the latest piece, completing the assembly.

"Alright," Will called out. "I'm done with this one."

"Fuck!" Remy cursed and smacked his slate. Attached to the device was an old-school mechanical keyboard on which Remy was typing furiously.

"I could make the parts smaller," suggested Will. "The only risk is that it falls apart if we go too far."

"No, no," Remy shook his head. "There is only so much code that I can cram into this thing."

Remy put the keyboard aside and rubbed his eyes. "Do you have that delivery schedule?"

"Going for it right now," Will waved his slate.

"Go on then," Remy yawned and picked up the keyboard. "I'll be here a while."

▼.▼.▼

Days passed. Will spent half his time machining and the other half at the railway warehouse. He went through the transport roster from front to back and made note of all incoming and outgoing deliveries. There was a lot of inventory being transported, but he was only interested in one particular location.

Other than data, there were other pressing concerns. He took photographs of the storage areas within the train, measured out the sizes of the transport boxes. It took a week to gather everything they needed. With that done, there was only one thing left to do: one final task.

Remy and Will watched Scout put together the bike. The robot was now a lot bulkier. Reinforced plating surrounded him to match the look of the worker drones, but that was only a facade. Nimble grippers attached to his feet peeked from the covers and darted about assembling the components. Engine parts were picked up and screwed to the bike frame. The bike was being built live in front of their very eyes.

Will had his hands in his pockets, looking apprehensive. Remy had his fist clenched, looking crazed. "Come on, baby, come on."

Scout screwed the last bolt in and clambered up the bike seat to reach the start button. With a simple tap with its leg, the engine roared to life.

"Yes! Let's go!" Remy yelled.

Will looked relieved, and Remy shook him, jumping up and down. He ran towards Scout and kissed the bot. "Atta boy, Scout, you absolute beaut!"

Will was breathing hard as he clutched his chest. A tingling feeling crept up his knee. His leg spasmed, and his spine grew hot.

With long, deep breaths, he rode the mini-seizure out. Shaking, he steadied himself and straightened up.

Remy fussed over Scout, oblivious. "Now, awakening day!" He cheered.

"Yes," Will breathed out. "Awakening day."