Chapter 44: Wrap-Up and Modifications

V slammed her foot down on the brakes, but the massive truck barely responded.

Forcing herself to stay calm, she scanned the cabin and immediately spotted something wrong with the driver’s corpse.

His limp hand still hung at his side, a data cable trailing from his wrist into a port on the truck’s console.

“Shit!”

Cursing, V hauled the body from the seat and tossed it out the window.

She jacked into the truck’s systems and quickly found the issue.

“The bastard killed the operating system before dying. I’ll need a minute to break it.
Goddamn it!”

She slammed her fist against the panel before reluctantly starting the override.

As she worked deeper into the program, her expression darkened.

Typical Russian Federation code—never difficult, just a bloated mess of clunky routines designed to waste time.

...

Over the comms, Arthur staggered upright, watching the colossal truck thunder straight ahead.

Barely a thousand meters away yawned a massive ravine.

Fortunately, their ambush had been set a little early, giving them some buffer.

Grimacing, Arthur rolled his shoulder, bent to pick up his dust-caked hat, and climbed into his battered old car.

By the time V cracked the lock, the cliff was already dead ahead. She gritted her teeth and slammed the brake to the floor.

But the truck’s sheer weight, the heavy Electromagnetic Amplifier in its cargo, and the sand of the Badlands stealing traction made it almost impossible to stop.

The abyss rushed closer, and V pressed so hard it felt like the pedal would snap beneath her foot.

...

Arthur’s jalopy roared after the dust cloud. One hand gripped the wheel while the other shook sand from his hat out the window.

The truck’s wheels barely turned—it slid out of control toward the canyon.

Over the comms, V’s voice snapped, sharp with frustration.

“This piece of shit won’t stop!”

“Easy, girl. Don’t underestimate your old buddy.”

Arthur floored the gas.

The engine rattled and coughed like a dying beast, squeezing out the last of its strength to answer its master’s call.

The car kicked up a storm of dust as it finally pulled ahead of the juggernaut.

Arthur cranked the wheel hard and yanked the handbrake, carving a smoky arc across the Badlands.

The jalopy shot straight in front of the truck.

Arthur flung the door open and dove clear without hesitation.

Smoke poured from the engine. The driver’s door flapped in the wind, a final salute before the wreck slammed into the monster’s front wheel.

The wreck jammed under the bumper, piling up dirt until the truck ground to a halt right at the cliff’s edge.

Inside, V was hurled forward by inertia, twisting at the last second to take the hit with her back.

Luckily, Arthur had already punched holes in the glass. With the structure compromised, the windshield shattered easily, sparing her most of the impact.

But the cliff gaped just beyond, and she was flung out. If not for the jagged rocks breaking her fall, she’d have been lost.

...

For the second time that day, Arthur dragged himself from the Badlands sand. This time, he walked a few steps to retrieve his half-buried hat.

Brushing himself off, he headed toward the truck—when a slender hand in a black tactical glove reached up from the cliffside.

“Need a hand? Uh—I mean, are you alright, ma’am?”

He leaned down, offering his hand.

V gripped it, hauled herself up, and slumped against the ledge.

Before even catching her breath, she burst out laughing.

“That was fucking insane!”

Under the moonlight, V tore the scarf from her face.

Stray black strands fell across her forehead, her pale profile glowing in silver light.

“I think we’d better go find Jackie. Haven’t seen that guy in a while.”

Arthur took in the sight for a moment, then reached out again to help her to her feet.

...

Jackie had gone down several kilometers away, leaving them no choice but to take the battered truck to find him.

V climbed into the driver’s seat, one hand gripping the huge wheel while the other shifted gears.

With a thunderous roar, the truck dragged itself out of the pit.

In the crater lay what was left of Arthur’s jalopy—flattened like a metal disc. Only the far side still held some shape, wedged awkwardly in the dirt.

Arthur tipped his hat, a silent tribute, from the passenger seat.

Under the truck’s lone surviving headlight, they soon found Jackie sprawled in a sand pit.

Arthur jumped down to check him and saw he was out cold—probably knocked out by the fall.

A few irritated kicks brought him around, and Jackie finally stirred.

His eyes drifted past Arthur to the truck, and he grinned.

“Looks like you two make a good team.”

He winked at Arthur.

Arthur sighed heavily, staring at him still lying in the dirt.

“If you don’t get moving, I’ll leave you here.”

...

On the way back, V drove the truck while Arthur and Jackie both found places to crash.

Today had only been the warm-up. Tomorrow at CHOOH₂ Farm was the real job.

The rumble of the truck rocked them into sleep, only waking as they arrived.

Towering shipping containers surrounded them, stacked neatly like iron walls meant to cage giants.

Floodlights blazed yellow across the yard, and a massive gantry crane loomed overhead, built to lift and lower containers.

V darted across the open ground. With practiced motions, she released the rear and lowered the enormous steel sphere—over thirty meters wide—onto the dirt.

Jackie jumped down beside it, staring at the vast, unfamiliar device.

“What is this place? Looks serious.”

V answered without turning.

“The Arasaka Waterfront docks.”

“Shit. So that carrier they’re always parading on TV—it’s docked right here?”

“Yep. Just outside.”

She pointed toward a cabinet on the right.

“Jackie, grab me some A45 coupling cables.”

Grumbling, Jackie went in the direction she pointed.

“Damn, what do we need cables that thick for?”

Arthur, watching the two at work, thought to himself that the most he’d ever managed mechanically was swapping wagon wheels.

With a bored shrug, he turned back toward the truck to get some sleep.

...

The sleep wasn’t restful, but he didn’t wake until dawn.

And what he saw stunned him.

The stolen sphere had been completely transformed—wrapped in thick black cables as wide as his arm, bristling with strange welded devices of unknown purpose.

Jumping down, he saw V and Jackie at a control panel, nodding in unison.

“Perfect. Power output’s stable. We’ve got ourselves a full electromagnetic bomb.”

At the sound of his steps, V turned.

“You really do sleep like the dead.”

Yesterday, she and Jackie had worked with noisy equipment through the night, but none of it had stirred him.

Arthur tilted his head with a half-smile.

“That’s a talent.”

Jackie yawned wide and chuckled.

“Me? Does drawing count?”

V clapped her hands, pulling their attention.

“Alright, bomb’s done. Jackie and I are getting some rest.

Arthur, get your people ready. We’ll need our strength for the big one.”

She handed him a black card.

“With this, the gate won’t stop you.”