Chapter 20: Landing in Gravel Town

“Dear friends, see those black dots along the highway over there? Those are checkpoints on the way to Seattle. But we don’t have to queue up like them. Ha, do you see those drones? They clearly spotted us, yet those border guards don’t even dare send a single communication. These dogs raised by Arasaka are all bark and no bite at the border; tough ones come along, they suddenly go deaf and blind. But that works in our favor—they saw us heading toward New America’s controlled territory and inadvertently became our eyewitnesses.”

Moses’s leisurely voice came through the car’s broadcast. The young hackers, who had been tense and full of anticipation, suddenly felt as if they were on a casual trip.

“Next, we’ll cross some hills and enter a wilderness. Treasure the little green you can still see. For the rest of the journey, you’ll likely only see dilapidated roads, endless yellow dust, and perhaps countless ‘Hadabo.’”

“Curious about what ‘Hadabo’ is?”

“That’s a wanderer’s term for ‘dust storm.’ I bet most of you haven’t experienced a real dust storm, but don’t worry—once you do, you might not like it. Plus, because of the remnants of war, these dust storms carry radioactive particles clinging to the ground and swirling in the air. Sometimes the network signal will drop, meaning the dust storm is coming from a radioactive zone. But no need to fear radiation; swallowing a bit of dust won’t hurt you.”

“Due to multiple wars and climate change, the oases of New America are steadily shrinking, especially near California, where barren wastelands stretch everywhere. If you’re unlucky and unsure which route is safest, you might even step on landmines left over from the Unification War.”

“But like I said, don’t worry. I’ve done a lot on the server—got maps, even accessed Vancouver’s city network to search for plenty of info.”

Moses spoke calmly, like a radio host. The young hackers relaxed and began chattering among themselves. Yet as they loosened up, Moses fell silent.

Only Lucien quietly gazed out the window. After a while, she sent him a private message through the comm software.

[Lucien: Why are you doing this?]

[Moses: Doing what?]

[Lucien: You’re the one who’s been through the toughest, the hardest work. We’ve done almost nothing. So why... are you still taking the trouble to care about our feelings?]

[Moses: That’s what a mature big brother looks like, you get it.]

[Lucien: ...Actually, I’ve been hiding something from you, or rather, from everyone. Moses, I’m not sure if bringing me along might drag you into some other trouble.]

[Moses: Is it worse than me killing the project director, dozens of security guards, and agents, then stealing Arasaka’s top-secret relic chip and prototype cybernetics from their lab?]

[Lucien: Probably not as bad.]

[Moses: Anyway, if you consider me one of your own, then I treat you the same. That’s how it is. But hey, sometimes I can be a bit stingy—you know how it is.]

[Lucien: Yeah... got it. I won’t talk about Sailor Soldier’s super dreams anymore. Sorry.]

[Moses: Ha! You little pest, don’t let me catch you doing anything embarrassing.]

[Lucien: XD~ Seriously, thank you, Moses. Without you, I probably would have died back there.]

[Lucien: I’m really afraid of dying. Watching my companions drop one by one right in their seats almost drove me insane.]

[Lucien: But I owe you my life. We all owe you our lives, Moses. I’ll repay that debt, for sure.]

[Moses: Among our own, no need for debts. Only outsiders owe each other. If you want to say that, wait until we part ways. When that time comes, and I need you to return the favor, I won’t be stingy—you won’t have a choice.]

[Lucien: Are we really your own people?]

[Moses: Depends on whether you want to stick with me from now on. But even if we’re not together, it’s fine—just don’t stab me in the back.]

“We’ll talk more when we get the chance. For now, I need to focus on driving—and locate the friends we’re meeting soon.”

[Lucien: Who?]

[Moses: You don’t think we can survive thousands of kilometers on two legs and a few survival backpacks, do you? Of course, someone’s delivering our car and fuel. When I was connected to the server, I checked the map and found a spot where we can get a vehicle and supplies. Now I’m trying to connect and pinpoint their location.]

[Lucien: And who are they... ?]

[Moses: I’ll tell you later, but I can promise it’ll be exciting. Better brush up on your shooting skills from training.]

[Lucien: Alright then, you get to work... I feel like I’m no help at all.]

[Moses: Kids should act like kids. I’m not in a hurry to make child labor do the job.]

Lucien pursed her lips—aren’t you only fourteen yourself? Or maybe you really are some rogue AI... Whatever the case, she owed him her life.

Snapping back to reality, Lucien noticed the car had gone quiet. Only three eyes were fixed intently on her.

“Done chatting? What were you two talking about?” Leon grinned slyly.

“Nothing much. Just plans for the road ahead—can’t be too careful,” Lucien replied with a steady face.

Kyoko eyed her suspiciously and snorted, “Feels like you and Moses have been chatting behind my back... Aren’t we supposed to be good sisters?”

“Of course... I just didn’t want to disturb you guys while you were relaxing,” Lucien said, not quite understanding why she instinctively lied.

After a moment’s silence, she added softly, “I’ll tell you if there’s a chance later.”

No one pressed further. All fell into quiet again, gazing out at the passing landscape, the drifting clouds, and the endless blue sky.

Everyone has secrets. It was plain to see that since that incident, Moses had been a little off too, but no one dared—or wanted—to ask. Trust is like that: it’s less about knowing everything and more about believing in what remains unknown.

“Night City... I hope this journey goes as smoothly as today,” Leon muttered.

Tetsuya rolled his eyes, “Usually, when you say something like that, don’t expect an easy trip.”

“Exactly! Haven’t you seen Sailor Soldier? The yellow-haired girl said something similar, and then the villains kidnapped her,” Kyoko admonished with righteous seriousness.

Leon raised his hands in surrender, “My bad, spare me.”

Lucien said nothing. She leaned against the window, quietly staring toward the direction once home to the Arasaka base.

Looking that way, all she could see was the horizon where earth met sky, the place symbolizing her nightmares, as if it had vanished forever.

She closed her eyes slowly, feeling only calm within.

Goodbye... no, never again!

Damn you, Arasaka. Go to hell!

...

“This damn Arasaka hovercar is a real piece of junk,” Moses muttered, staring at the fuel gauge.

Only four hours in, and after filling up at the base, we’ve run less than 600 kilometers—and it’s almost empty already?

“What’s the point of this car except city driving? Delivering armed hovercars or whatever... pathetic.”

The only advantage was that it ignored terrain and moved straight ahead. Almost on cue, they reached Moses’s planned stop.

Moses hadn’t used GPS. This meant he was navigating mostly by comparing downloaded maps with the scenery, estimating their position.

Luckily, he hadn’t taken a wrong turn. They had arrived at their destination—a shaded spot behind a small hill. From the top, a somewhat rundown town could be seen not far away.

“Get ready, we’re getting out,” he said over the car’s internal comm.