Amir immediately approached them, and as soon as they touched the ground, they went to check on him. —Prince Amir, are you okay? Are you hurt? —They examined him head to toe.
Vanrra was puzzled. —Prince Amir?
He spoke to his men. —It was nothing; I don't have any scratches. Do you have any water?
They handed him a small radio. —Prince, the general wishes to speak with you. —Six large cranes descended slowly into the cave. Several soldiers approached Vanrra, drawing their weapons. He showed them his hands.
Amir stepped away from the radio for a moment. —Don't touch him, that's an order!
—The general ordered us to arrest him.
—Then treat him very well; he's one of ours.
—Are you sure?
—I initiated him into the order; he has my royal invitation.
—Does the general know anything?
—He's listening right now; I don't think he'll mind. —The soldiers surrounded Vanrra; they led him toward the ropes. He didn't resist.
He said over the radio. —Amir, can you hear me?
—How's everything up there, Arian?
He sighed. —What did you do?
—It was an accident; I'd already beaten him as you told me to; not even you would have avoided falling into this crevice.
—Do you know who the pilot is? How much did you talk? What did you tell him?
—His name is Vanrra; he's a good guy, not as tough as I pictured. We talked a lot; he's not a bad person. In fact, he's a bit naive. It was a mistake for him to be on that ship. I still can't believe he actually managed to pilot this monster.
—Did you capture him already?
—They're about to bring him up. Don't treat him badly; I don't want to look bad with him.
—Did he tell you where he's from? His past?
—He said he came from the Tian Shan mountains; I believe him.
—Did he mention a companion?
—Yes, a doctor. He said he was like his father.
The general was on the other end of the radio, next to the large cranes. Hiram stood beside him, Nage aiming both revolvers at his back. Hiram felt a combination of relief and something he hadn't felt in a long time: attachment.
Nage holstered his pistols. —What a pity, he told the truth.
—I never lie.
—The best lie is to tell only part of the truth.
Arian said, —Get up here right now, Amir. —He put the radio aside. —I didn't think you were telling the truth. Vanrra, is that the pilot's name? I'm dying to meet him.
—Don't get your hopes up.
—Nothing is insignificant; I can count on my fingers all the pilots I've ever met.
—Outside this nation, it's not so unusual.
—I mean the neural synchronization models; the rest are just junk; even a kid could use them. —A crane began to lift the rope, which Amir and Vanrra were tied to with harnesses. They came out of the hole. The other cranes picked up each mech one at a time. It took all afternoon.
Vanrra and Hiram were taken away from the operation. They sat in the shade of one of the trucks. —Are you unharmed, doc?
—I was lucky they didn't shoot me. How do you feel in there? You're a prodigy. You were able to synchronize almost without problems. I saw you fight.
—It was horrible, doc. The pain…it was… I still feel it.
—It's your first time; it happens to everyone.
—How did you know I could pilot that thing?
—Did I have another option? I could have gotten in, but you clearly don't understand how to use the safety mechanisms. It was a risky bet, and I had to trust you.
—Just that? A simple bet.
—Life is about taking risks; everything is a big game. We're betting right now that we can trust these people and that we'll be alive tomorrow. Nothing guarantees it; we simply choose to bet that it will happen.
—Is everything a game to you?
—Partly. People live as if they're in a game; many don't realize it. I just adapt to the rules. If we want to reach our goal, we have to find the best way to win.
—Do you have a strategy?
—The only winning strategy is to cheat.
—What do you know about these people, the Ismaelites?
—Just a bit; they're much more organized than I expected. The propaganda paints them as desert nomads. There's some truth to that.
—Can we trust them?
—Only for now; we have no other choice. Did you meet the prince? What's he like?
He looked at the prince from his spot; he was being cheered by his men as he passed by. —He's another madman. He reminds me of someone; I don't know why. For some strange reason, I trust him; I can't explain it.
—Vanrra, remember what I told you on the ship when you entered the mech... I mentioned it because... I didn't mean it; these days have been especially difficult.. You're not the only one with doubts.
—It seems you're finally becoming the old doc again. —They finished removing both mechs and placed them on trucks. The evening arrived, and they began dismantling all of the equipment; they planned to leave as soon as possible. —Doc, have they told you where we are going?
—To the west, out of the desert. To a place where we can finally rest.
Both were escorted by Nage to one of the trucks; they sat in one of the trailers, near the cab, in the open air. The same truck carried the blue mech; it was so big that it needed two platforms. Nage sat in front of them. He pointed one of his revolvers at each of them. Hiram said to him, —Are you going to be like this the whole trip?
—It's protocol.
The truck began to move, and next to it was another identical truck carrying the red mech. The other vehicles followed them, forming a steel column. All of them had been modified in some way, such as adding more armor or hand cannons. They maintained the same desert aesthetic. They left the paramilitaries behind, supposedly as an act of mercy, next to the ship's wreckage. Vanrra could see Amir in the cab. Amir leaned out the window and waved at him from afar in a rather ridiculous way.
Hiram said to the mechanic, —Is that your glorious prince?
—Unfortunately, yes, nothing like his father. He's still very young; he'll change.
He said, somewhat incredulous. —Did you know the king?
—Don't you believe me?
—I thought the aristocracy of Ab was the most refined on the continent.
—You ain't wrong. The spoiled children and the cowardly men in suits didn't hesitate to lick the High Porte's boots; only honorable men decided to fight, and only the strongest survived.
The truck rocked from side to side; the huge engine made a loud noise. Hiram noticed something strange in those vibrations; he tried to decipher what it was. That flaw bothered him.
Nage asked him. —Is something bothering you?
—You know about machines. Can you hear it?
—What exactly?
—The engine.
—I don't hear anything wrong.
Vanrra said to him. —Doc is an engine expert; he's never wrong.
Nage just looked at him in silence, with a comically serious face. —You saying something's wrong, brainiac?
—I can feel it; the vibrations don't match.
—We're moving over sand and rock; on uneven ground, the vibrations will be irregular.
He leaned over the edge of the platform. —You're saying it's the ground?
—What else could it be? At this speed, we'll reach the shelter by nightfall.
Vanrra asked him. —What's your shelter like?
—Nothing nice; be ready to sleep among cockroaches.
Hiram looked at the rest of the convoy, about fifteen trucks, all very close together. They were slowly leaving the sand and rocks; they could see the bushes just ahead. —Aren't you afraid we'll be attacked?
—The satraps can't even agree to have dinner with their families, much less chase us in no man's land.
Vanrra asked again. —What exactly are you, Nage? Just a mechanic? You seem to have a lot of trust with the General.
—None of your business. Don't forget you're a prisoner. I don't give a damn what the prince promised you. He's not here, and the general holds me in high enough regard to forgive me for an accident. —He cocked the hammer of one of his revolvers.
Hiram threatened him. —If you do anything to him...
He interrupted him. —If I do something to him? What will happen to me? What am I supposed to be afraid of?
Hiram looked at him with a lot of hate and disgust. His amber eyes looked like they were shining more than usual. Hage, on the other hand, didn't back down. He stood firm, even though it was a little awkward. The two men looked at each other, waiting for one of them to do something.
You could feel the tension. Vanrra tried to turn away, but he could see a small spot on the horizon out of the corner of his eye. A small black dot. He had seen it before on the trip and thought it was just a rock in the distance, but every time he looked at it, it got a little bigger, so slowly that he couldn't see it.
He grabbed Hiram's arm. —Doc… Doc…
—Not now?
—Doc… you still have your binoculars?
—I didn't get them back. You need something?
Nage said jokingly. —You want to see the rocks up close, kid?
—Look, doc. —He pointed with his finger.
Hiram strained his eyes. —What's going on? —He recognized that thing. He stood up immediately.
—What are you doing? Sit down!
—Do you see that over there?
—What thing?
—That spot.
—What's with that rock?
Vanrra said worriedly. —It's a demon, an abomination! It's running this way!
He got up. He hit the truck's cabin. —Chesam! —An old man with a beard looked out from the top of the cab. He wore a big brown hat and a big brown cape. —Look over there! What do you see? —He aimed with his sniper rifle from where he was standing; the scope was as long as the barrel. —The dark spot? Find a black spot! Are you sure?
—We saw that thing when we got to the desert. It's about twenty meters long and looks like a big spider.
The sniper shot a red flare into the sky, and everyone reacted right away. They talked on the radio. —A djinn at three o'clock. It's coming toward us. —Do you know how it looks? —Not yet, General; it's still too far away. —It's coming quickly. —Keep going! Get the weapons ready.
Nage kept staring at the thing. —Are you sure it's twenty meters long?
—Its legs are huge; it runs much faster than these vehicles.
—How did you survive?
—The cannons from Samarkand scared it away.
—City artillery, our cannons won't even scratch it. —He turned to look at Vanrra. —Kid, you'll have to get in the mech now.
—But it's supposed to be damaged.
—Let's hope it can still walk. —Amir was already on the rear platform, ready to get in. —You'll have to go out and face it; we can't let it get close to us.
—Let Amir handle it on his own!
—If it's twenty meters long, I doubt a single unit can handle it.
—I'll never get in that thing again; you don't know what it feels like!
Hiram grabbed him by the shoulder. —You have to do it; you already did it once; it's not impossible.
—You, doc, should pilot it; you're much better than me!
—I can't, Vanrra; you're the only one who can synchronize.
—I'm going to screw it up!
—You have to do it, Vanrra. Remember the dream you had. You have to fight just like in your dream.
—But I…
Nage yelled at them. —Oh! Holy fucking shit, I see it now. What in the hell is that? You have to get in right now! —He took Vanrra by the arm and pulled him toward the mech. As soon as Vanrra saw those big eyes again, he froze in fear. They reminded him of that titan, Devi, and those horrible shocks. He panicked again and moved to the edge of the platform.
He could see that Amir was already getting into the mech, and his men raised their weapons and cheered his name. The heads of the monster were already visible on the horizon, and it looked like it was moving much faster than the last time. Hiram brought him back to reality. —Are you set?
Vanrra walked along the platform until he got to the mech. Nage put a small radio on his chest. A few men helped him climb up to the neck, but he almost fell because it kept swaying. He got back to the hatch, put his hands on the lights, and the door opened. That red light was still on in the cockpit. He went to the chair. They talked to him on the radio. —Vanrra, do you see the panel?
—The one with the buttons?
—Press the blue button, which will restart the system. When the screens turn white, you will be able to fly again. Vanrra obeyed. The cockpit darkened for a moment before the hatch closed. After a few seconds, the screens came back on. —Vanrra, hurry up; Amir can already move.
He sat in the chair and got in position to grab the levers. He paused for a moment; he trembled being back in that position. He'd have to do it again, suffer once more. Why him? What is all this about? Is there any meaning? Is it part of a bigger story? He couldn't think anymore; the truck braked suddenly. —Do it now! —The roar of the cannons sounded.
—Why me? Amir can do it on his own; he will get us out of this situation. I would just be a burden. I lack the required strength. My assistance will not change anything. I don't fear.
The convoy came to a complete stop. Amir activated his mech, stood up on the platform, and got down to the ground. The great abomination was less than a kilometer away; it was a dark shadow, impossible to make out the details of its body, a bizarre silhouette. Its heads looked static, as if made of stone.
Amir stretched, testing the condition of his mech. —How far is it?
—Eight hundred meters.
He took a combat stance. —I want you to support me; don't leave me alone against that thing. You're supposed to be professionals.
—At your command, Prince.
—Vanrra, can you hear me? Did you get into the cockpit?! Vanrra? Why isn't he answering?
—Five hundred meters. Ready! —Crush it, Amir.
—Copy, General. What bad luck to run into these things; they were supposed to have been almost completely eliminated. —He dashed toward the demon; the abomination did not stop. Amir slammed on the brakes and planted his feet. The spider crashed into him at full speed, attempting to knock him down. Amir withstood the impact. The creature's core was covered in layers of stone. The collision was similar to being hit by a cannonball. The spider's legs ended with stone claws. Their heads were all covered in the same material: hairy worms with small, bright blue eyes in their mouths.
Amir was able to move the thing out of the way. It was impossible to hurt because it had no weak spots. Amir just avoided the charges and cuts to his legs. The stone armor didn't break, even though there was a lot of friendly fire. The monster charged at Amir, knocking him down and stabbing him with its sharp legs.