The trip took them from the bright noon to the setting of the sun. The ever elusive Nuvyron stood ending the daylight early for those in the center of The Aleutian. It was a massive megastructure of glass and frame, appearing loosely jumbled to resemble a pyramid. Though transparent, no light shot through, as the interior filled with a contrast of cold silver and lively greens. The 'City' was stuffed full with both organic and non-organic, though not apparent from the distance, the volume being filled was still apparent.

The rebels ended there trip a few kilometer's outside the city, just a few minutes into the shadow of the city ahead. They all parked at an area known as The Junction, a three-way split in the road. One typically leading to Vol, one leading north to the city of Eden, and one leading down to a place known as 'Automara'. All three paths intersecting, bending into a larger road leading to the abandoned city ahead, Aeolus sat around a small gas-generated fire, emulating from the Constructor, which had formed itself in a red frame with gas nozzles on each side. Despite the small opening's, the flames flew wide.

"So, what exactly is that place then?" Aeolus asked, sitting next to Rhyder. On the other side of the fire, Romilly and Scotty sat leaned against the Low Rider, its surface warming from the heat. Leon sat in buggy, though the passenger door open towards the fire. She continuing to mess with her comms all through the night, as disrupting as it may have been the others.

"Factories, pipes, robots. Automara was the first place me and Rom lived here." Rhyder spoke, eyes on the fire. He occasionally turned to glance at Romilly as he spoke. "Came there as kids, at least."

"You were younger than me 'at least.'" Romilly said.

Rhyder grumbled. "Don't remind me of it." Aeolus looked over to Romilly, a smile on his face.

"Older kids used to call him 'Screwdriver'. Like Rhyder Screwdriver. Fun little nursery rhyme from Europa"

"Oh..." Aeolus slightly shook his head, flinging his hand up for a moment. "From up there?" Romilly nodded his head and let out an confirming murmur.

"Hey don't..." Rhyder sighed, shaking his head. "Don't bring that up." Romilly retracted his smile, as they returned to silence as the fire. Scotty was drifting to sleep at this point, her goggles fallen down covering her eyes from the light.

The vehicles formed a small semi-circle around the fire, though behind them on the Automara road, a large metal scrap in the shape of boat appeared lodged in the ground. Though, it was withered beyond recognition, and only those who knew well the implied shape would recognize it; This being Leon and Romilly.

Romilly passed around metal cylinders to all of the rebels, save for a sleeping Scotty. Inside, a thick pasty substance was meant to be drunk, a nutrient source in the flat desert. Aeolus had trouble holding it down, being used to the salted rations given to him in Vol. He eventually subsiding his gag, but still wore an unpleasant look to his face with every swig. The fire dwindled in intensity as the air picked up, though no wind blew from the south end. A small light emitted down the road to Nuvyron, and Rhyder rose to his feet.

"Leon?" Rhyder threw behind him, still staring ahead.

"Should be Bell." Leon replied. Rhyder slowly sighed, releasing some tension in his shoulder. He slipped his hands into his jacket pocked, tapping his feet against the sand. The sound a high pitched engine grew closer. A different sound, but still, with the iconic spurting and the jumping of sound level. Aeolus looked around at the rebels, before leaning forward and watching the spotlight through the fire.

"Is that one of you?" Aeolus broke from a whisper. Romilly carefully got up from his lean, and walked over beside Aeolus, who was still sitting down.

"Yeah, point of contact." Romilly nodded his head.

Rhyder turned around to lean. "Beck?"

"Still out closer." Leons eyes never took off the screen of her laptops, the static from her comms growing in and out. She was constantly managing the signals and code being received. Any unknown signal had to be dealt with immediately, either by hiding their location, or running. A figured got off the bike and walked closer, taking off a her helmet to let loose a red-orange mane. She threw her helmet behind her, landing and rolling towards her bike. She stopped a few feet from Rhyder, blowing winding up to her hair, before running her hands to straighten her hair. She spoke out in voice lower than what you'd expect, though still smooth to hear.

"So, who's the new kid there?"

"Ah..." Rhyder turned behind the Aeolus, gesturing his hands to stand up. Upon revealing himself past the fire and Rhyder, Aeolus attempted a smile and a head nod. He was slightly horrified when Beck appeared equally as such, hand darting towards her hip.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Woh, woh!" Rhyder approached her, his hands waving her down. "Calm down."

Beck's eyes darted between the rebels, her voice shaking. "Wh-"

"It's complicated." Rhyder stated.

Beck grew to a angry whisper as she closed in on Rhyder. "What do mean, 'complicated'!?"

"He's..." Rhyder sighed, pausing as he tried not to look back to Aeolus. "Similar situation to Scotty, ok?"

They both grew silent, staring each other down. Beck only partly relieved her defense. "You sure he's not..." She stopped to catch her breath.

"I wouldn't have brought him otherwise, yeah?" Rhyder patted both his arms on her shoulders, then spun around the meet the rebels. Leon opened her driver's door and leaned over the hood of her buggy. Rhyder looked around at each of them, Scotty annoyingly pouting, as she fixed her goggles back up on her forehead. "Alrighty then." Rhyder moved to the side, Beck walking up to the space he stood.

"So..." She reached into her blue jacket, revealed by the light. Beck pulled out small device, pressing a silver center button, then slipping it back in. "Not a military convoy."

"What?" Leon as shocked, as she walked over closer to the fire.

"It's an escort, of sorts."

"Oh fuck me..." Rhyder's head flew down, then turned to Beck. "You mean he's actually here?"

Beck finished her thought in her speech, staring at Aeolus. She finally spoke again, much softer than before. "They're not in the city, they just disappeared. But it wasn't just Devon."

Leon crouched down to the fire, looking up at Beck. "Martin?"

"The very same" Beck nodded her head.

"I don't remember him being that stupid." Rhyder laughed. Leon turned towards him.

"You sure he's out of FEA?"

Beck broke in, answering for him. "He sent us most of his info last month."

"I know, that doesn't mean he's not bluffing." Leon cracked her neck, running her fingers against each-other.

"Well even if he is that stupid, he's not the type to go back on revelation." Rhyder rolled his lips around, clapping his hands together. He grew a fainting smile, turning to Beck. "Was he caught, then?"

Beck nodded her head. "Might have been heading across The Aleutian, the dumbass." Her nods turned a shake, though she only whispered that last part. "Could have been picked up. The convoy was running from Vol, which-"

Rhyder finished her thought. "Which they wouldn't have been in anyway. Vol is practically cleared out."

Aeolus' attention snapped into place, though thrown into his mind all his same. His heart-beat hardened, and his eyes flashed with the events of Vol. Again, somehow, the screams of the worker taken by the Glassmasks...

Vol. Vol. Vol.

The ringing memory of a familiar gunshot shot him back to reality, refocusing on the conversation. A heavy breathing replaced his heavy heart.

"The Forge is basically-" Rhyder stopped to look over at Aeolus. Aeolus' face appeared frozen, his breathing audible to all. "Aeolus, you good?"

Aeolus blinked his eyes, and shook his head. "Oh, um-..." He looked around at the other rebels, stares ranging from concerned to annoyed. "Yeah, I'm good."

Rhyder nodded his head, though the concern only slowly faded as he continued.

"The Forge is gone. I'm pretty sure he wasn't there." He tilted his head, turning back towards Beck. "Devon is showy, afterall."

Beck gulped down, nodding her head. "So, they had to be there for another reason."

"Martin didn't reach Vol, yeah?"

"No, picked up maybe?"

"Shit..." Rhyder clenched his teeth, though he expected the answer to her question was a yes.

"Still..." Leon's eyes widened. "Where did the trucks go, then?" She looked back up at Beck. "You didn't find a thread?"

Beck sighed out. "Nope." She reached back in her pocket for the device from before. It was a small handheld metal transponder, with a thin screen at the top. She threw it over to Leon over the fire. "Check yourself, it's dead."

"I have a feeling I won't have to." Leon put the transponder in her pants pocket, then walked back to her buggy.

"So then..." Rhyder clapped his hands together, then climbed into the Low Rider. "What's next?" He reclined in his chair, yelling out as he closed his eyes. Beck turned and walked towards her bike, shaking her head. A little bit of giggle directed towards Rhyder as she flung her hands back up, ruffling all her hair behind her shoulders.

"I'll let Bell know whatever you decide." Beck picked up her helmet, placing and twisting it tight on.

"We go in the morning?" Romilly shouted around. He turned to Rhyder in his car, after a quick stare, Rhyder opened his eyes to see him staring. Rhyder nodded his head once, then closed his eyes again. Romilly turned to Beck, who was mounting her bike. She managed to see Romilly nodding his head before she turned the bright spotlight on.

"Alright, see you then." Beck shot her engine to life, a gunshot ringing through the empty night.

She picked up dust as she drifted back towards Nuvyron. Though, the wind had mostly died out during their conversation, and the sands quickly fell back to Earth.

Romilly turned to Leon, who was staring out the open passenger door. "Well?" He said, gesturing his hands towards Leon.

"She's right..." Leon pulled the transponder out from her comms, she had plugged it in to read the data recorded. "Nothing." Romilly curled his lips, then returned to the white truck behind him. He looked at Aeolus and tilted his head towards the truck as well.

"You want the back?"

"I'll..." Aeolus looked around the darkness, as everyone settled in for the night. "I think I'll stay out here.

"Alright then. Keep an eye on Scotty." Romilly and Aeolus turned to Scotty, still passed out on the side of the Low Rider.

"Sleep well, you might need it." Romilly spoke much quieter, as he slipped into the back of the truck for the night.