Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
After a catnap and a little travel, I inch Raven One up the last ridge under the thinnest sliver of sky, ensuring every servo moves in careful increments to avoid sending more grit slithering down the dune.
My body is stiff and sore from a night crouched behind wind-lashed rock outcroppings, but I stay as silent as possible.
There’s no margin for error this close to the third outpost. The rising sun stabs at the horizon, bathing the desert in a blood-orange glow that reflects off my cockpit visor. Every sense I possess, enhanced or otherwise, buzzes with alertness. Or as alert as I can be at the moment.
This shit has gotten old.
Tabitha purrs in my earpiece. “Come on, soldier through it, boy! Only a few more steps. I’m feeding you the sand density readings. Watch your left foot. Topsoil’s softer than your pride right now.”
I roll my eyes. “Is that your form of encouragement, Tabi?”
“It’s called tough love.” Her tone flickers from snide to genuine. “And I’d rather not see you tumble headlong into a dune pit. We’ve come too far to show off your acrobatics.”
I swallow dry air. So far, the readouts say no drones overhead, but I’m not about to trust that. The air is cool enough to keep me from sweating bullets, but that’s a fleeting luxury. After the desert sun fully asserts itself, the temperature will become ruthless again. Dawn reveals a surreal sweep of the Red Dunes, wind-smoothed ridges, burnt-orange sands, and ominous rock formations jutting toward the sky.
Finally, I crest the ridge. Raven One’s external sensors hum with a near-silent ripple, scanning the basin below. My heart lurches the moment I see the imposing facility nestled in the depression. “Oh, god damn! ”
“Motherlode,” Tabitha whispers.
A stark fortress amid the dunes. High, seamless walls glint under the slanted sunlight. Automated turrets perch on top, their silhouettes bristling with lethal potential. Landing pads sprawl behind the walls, sized for midsize dropships. The entire structure is riddled with conduits that vanish underground, like the tentacles of some monstrous creature.
Tabitha whistles. “That is definitely not your average desert bandit hangout.”
“Nope.” I adjust Raven One’s visor zoom for a closer look. “We’ve got serious capital at work, Tabi. Look at the angles on the perimeter. And see that shimmer along the top of the walls? That’s probably an energy barrier generator. I see zero branding or corporate crests?—”
“But lots of firepower,” Tabitha cuts in. “And heavy funding. This place screams black site. Maybe a rogue outfit or a quarantined facility. Or, you know, we stumbled onto a fancy spa for sun-loving weirdos.”
“Sure,” I mutter dryly. “Spa with turrets. My kind of place.”
She snorts. “You’re just cranky because you hardly slept last night.”
My shoulders ache in reply. “If I didn’t know better, Tabi, I’d think you’re enjoying the fact I can’t get comfortable in this cramped cockpit.”
A teasing lilt graces her voice. “I could run you a muscle relaxant stimulation—sorry, simulation, if you let me. Though that might spike the sedation logs we forged last week. Someone might notice your extremely relaxed vitals in the middle of nowhere. Not a good look.”
Despite the tension, I chuckle. “No, thanks. I’ll cope with the knots in my spine. Let’s stay quiet. I want images.”
“Already taking them.” A subtle flick of data confirms she’s snapping hi-res shots with Raven One’s external camera. Our vantage is perfect. The rock formations around us are tall enough to mask the mech’s silhouette if I stay low. “Hold steady,” Tabitha murmurs. “I’m cycling infrared, scanning for hidden bunkers or vent shafts.”
A breeze stirs sand across the cockpit canopy. My left foot is half-buried in a dune, and the golden morning light grows bolder. If we linger too long, we might attract the drones’ attention. I don’t want to leave yet, though. I want a sense of the place’s layout.
The facility’s outer walls are glossy and angled in a style I don’t recognize. No typical Federation prefab, that’s for sure. No standard patterns from known corporate expansions. That sets my nerves on edge. Most big corporations at least stamp their logos somewhere.
Here, I see absolutely nothing.
Tabitha’s tone becomes more analytic. “No standard build lines or volumetrics. Could be custom 3D printing with local sand. If they added the right chemical catalysts, they’d build fast. That’s advanced work, David.”
I press my lips together, scanning the nearest guard tower. Something about the overall shape feels eerie, like a fortress half-buried by the desert. Who would sink this much money into a hidden desert facility and not brand it?
“There’s movement on the walls,” Tabitha comments. “I see a glint, maybe a patrol. Zoom in?”
I do, adjusting with a flick of my gauntlet controls. Through the magnified feed, I spot a figure standing behind a turret. Hard to tell if it’s a human or a heavily armored sentry. “One guard. Or a fully automated gun platform. That shield’s blocking the shape. Not sure.”
“Whoever it is, they’re damn serious about security.” Tabitha’s worry seeps through her sarcasm. “Sure you wanna tango here? If they spot us, we’re in for a fireworks show I’m not sure we can outrun.”
I release a measured breath. “We have to see what we’re dealing with. This job was sold to me as ‘investigate the rumored site.’ We’re doing exactly that. No direct engagement. We snap intel, we get paid, then we vanish.”
“Right, you sold me on that line of bullshit twice before.” Her voice warms with protective sarcasm. “I’m sure you’re about to say we’ll buy ourselves matching beach towels and never set foot in a desert again.”
I almost laugh. “Couldn’t have said it better. Let’s see if I can get another angle on that lower segment. I noticed an open platform near the southwestern corner.”
“Of course you did.”
I shift Raven One about half a meter, kneeling lower behind the ridge. Each movement of the mech’s joints makes me cringe. Even the mild servo hum might carry out here. I’m no more than a silhouette behind rocks, but it’s enough to spark paranoia.
Tabitha hums, a tranquil undercurrent as she keeps scanning. “Cancel that servo whine, David. I’ll feed you a quieter frequency distribution.”
The whir from Raven One’s limbs diminishes. I nod, aware she’s basically rebalancing the mech’s mechanical output on the fly, one of the reasons I trust her so deeply. “Thanks.” My vantage is better now, giving me a partial glimpse of a wide landing pad behind the walls. “Fucking hell, this is a huge investment.”
Tabitha finally breaks her silence. “Follow the money.”
A pair of automated cranes rest on the landing pad, big enough to haul major cargo. “Those are industrial grade,” I remark. “Could be moving some heavy equipment. This is definitely bigger than a standard smugglers’ base.”
Tabitha’s excitement holds an edge of concern. “See that faint pattern on the lower plating? That’s old-era construction. Pre-Federation, maybe. I’m cross-referencing. Gimme a sec.”
After a pause, she returns with a subdued note. “I found a clue in some black-market records Durand’s team compiled for us. An emblem from a defunct genetic research division. It’s rumored they used a stylized solar flare design, some experiments preceding the Federation. People say they disappeared decades ago.”
I freeze. “You think that’s who built this fortress?”
She’s briefly quiet as if checking several data caches. “Not sure, but the outmoded architecture and advanced hidden tech line up with secrets like that. I can’t confirm if they still exist or if someone else inherited their assets.”
I notice something on the far-right side of the southwestern corner, a faint purple coloration. After zooming in, I spot a half-buried emblem near a ventilation duct. I can’t make it out fully, but it looks like a ring or swirl, partially eroded by windblown sand. “Tabi, is that the solar flare thing you found references to?”
She zooms in simultaneously, cross-referencing live. “Yes. A serpent coiled around a miniature sun, or a star’s flare, or something close. That’s definitely old corporate branding.”
Adrenaline surges in my veins. We stumbled onto something bigger. “I guess that means they never fully died out. Or maybe whoever’s here is repurposing old tech.”
Tabitha exhales a hiss. “We’re playing with fire, kid. This place might have decades’ worth of secrets.”
Kid. She only calls me that when she’s spooked. “We’ll gather as much intel as we can, then bail,” I reply firmly. “No infiltration. No contact, I swear to God. We’re way out of our weight class if they’re fielding an actual paramilitary force.”
Her voice softens. “Good. Because if you tried breaching those walls alone, I’d have to lock down your controls and carry you home forcibly. I may be a sarcastic AI, but you’re my pilot, damn it.”
I chuckle. Sometimes, I question who’s really in charge, her or me. “Point taken.”
As the sun climbs, golden light reflects from an energy shield across the top ridges of the walls, enough shimmer to confirm we can’t simply hop inside. Meanwhile, I notice lines of thick conduit snaking out from the base, half-buried in dunes. They vanish into the desert a kilometer away toward a cluster of jagged rocks. Possibly a power station or satellite facility.
Tabitha captures more images, layering them onto an interactive schematic. “We’re close to an underground conduit, too. Raven One’s sensors picked up activity. Big power usage. Could be they’re manufacturing something or running an advanced lab.”
I shift my weight. This mission was always suspicious. The unknown fixer who hired me…what if they wanted me to find this place as a sacrificial scapegoat? I bury the paranoia for now. “We can’t spend all day here. Let’s get a full scan with multiple angles, then retreat. I want to see if any drones come out at first light.”
“Got it. I’ll do a slow three-sixty with the external cams. We might glean turret vectors, gate accesses. Keep your eyes and ears open.”
A rush of wind picks up again, swirling sand across the ridge. Raven One’s top sensors struggle to keep the visuals clear. I blink gritty dryness from my eyes as an occasional gust moans over the rocky spires.
My throat feels parched. The environment alone could kill me if I linger, not to mention a private army. Still, adrenaline keeps me pinned, scanning every detail. A guard tower along the facility’s southern face rotates its turrets slowly, panning across the dunes. I hold my breath, expecting it to lock onto me, but it continues its search pattern, oblivious to my presence.
Tabitha’s tone is hushed, as though she fears the turret might overhear. “The gate might be on the east side. It’s partially blocked by an angled rock. I can see some sort of opening. Possibly large enough for cargo convoys.”
I toggle the zoom and glimpse a thick, slab-like door faintly illuminated by exterior lights. No vehicles at the moment, but clearly, it accommodates something big. “Got it.”
Tension coils in my stomach. This base is far too quiet. A place like this typically bustles with cargo haulers and personnel or at least some sign of daily operations. Why so little movement? Are they on a skeleton crew, or do they have minimal staff on the surface? Even the few glimpses of a guard might be token watchers. Or maybe everything is happening deeper underground.
Tabitha’s voice trembles with curiosity. “The southwestern platform looks idle, but there’s a scorch pattern near the edge. Possibly evidence of regular ship landings. I’d guess they do their heavy arrivals under the cover of darkness.”
“It’s plausible,” I reply, swallowing. “They might send or receive shipments at night to avoid detection. According to the job, no one’s ever caught firm proof of activity here, only rumors.”
Her sarcasm flares. “Well, we’re about to be the first to snag pictures. Assuming we don’t become the next rumor.”
I grin, though my chest feels tight. “At least we’ll get a decent payday if the fixer doesn’t stiff us.”
A sudden gust of wind slams a sheet of sand against Raven One’s midsection, rattling the plating. My heart jumps, but Tabitha quickly adjusts the mech’s stabilizers so we don’t flail.
“Easy,” she murmurs. “No dust avalanche yet. Keep your thrusters offline, or they’ll see a thermal spike.”
I nod, nerves on edge. Don’t want to broadcast any heat signature. The sun creeps higher overhead, and with it, the risk of detection. If a patrol drone swings overhead, I might have no place to hide.
The next few minutes pass in tense silence. Tabitha’s imaging subroutines snap methodical photos of the walls, the potential vantage points, the sun glinting off shield generators. My thoughts churn in a loop, so I voice them. “What the hell are they doing inside a base that big and secret? Building weapons? Experimenting with AI? Genetic research?”
Eventually, Tabitha breaks in, ignoring my rhetorical questions. “That’s enough angles for reference, I think. I’ll compile them into a file set. Should be enough to prove we did this final recon.”
I swallow. “All right. Let’s do one last sensor sweep for active signals, then get out.”
She runs a quick pulse. I feel the faint hum in my seat restraints. “Minimal signals, some encrypted chatter. Hard to glean an origin. They’ve got decent comm jammers.” Tabitha’s voice dips. “One more reason to know they’re serious.”
I exhale. We have what we came for. “Pack it up, Tabi. Let’s keep the thrusters in low power so we don’t attract unwanted friends.” Something in my gut churns. “I hate leaving mysteries, but I’m not suicidal.”
If the place is using pre-Federation tech, this operation could be far beyond my current capacity to handle solo. I shift Raven One’s stance, carefully pivoting away from the ridge. With glacial slowness, I back down, letting the dune swallow the mech’s footprints behind me.
Tabitha keeps scanning. “No sign of active pursuit. Let’s not linger.”
The sun’s warmth intensifies with each step. “We’ll circle wide, cross that rocky plateau east, then slip back to our campsite.” My voice catches with relief. “Thanks for keeping me grounded, Tabi. Could’ve been messy if I let curiosity override caution.”
Her laugh is affectionate and exasperated. “You have a talent for dancing too close. But that’s my job, right? Keeping you from marching into a death pit.”
I ease the mech around the final ridge, heart thrumming from the tension of hours spent prone in the desert.
Tabitha’s voice rumbles in my ear. “You’re sure about leaving so soon? Part of me wonders if they’re hiding a single switch that reveals all.”
“I’m sure. We got pictures, data. That was the brief. We leave with our skins intact.” Despite my lingering curiosity, it’s a relief to choose safety. “We can?—”
Alarm pings spike across my display, and my pulse leaps. “Tabi?”
She curses. “A sensor sweep from the base, heading in this direction. Probably a wide-angle pass. Freeze.”
I exhale sharply, halting Raven One mid-step. Wind blasts sand across the mech’s plating. My heart hammers, dread churning. “Damn it! If that detection beam locks onto me, we might have an entire platoon after us.”
I clamp my jaw, trying to keep Raven One motionless. Automatics might mistake us for another rock formation if we don’t move.
Tabitha hushes me. “Just hold. They’re sweeping the ridge, probably standard protocol at dawn. Wait for it to pass and hope to whatever mythological entity you pray to that the blasting sand in this place hasn’t peeled off the anti-sensor application.”
She might have made my butt tighter than it’s ever been. You could stuff coal up my ass, and I’d shit diamonds.
The next five seconds feel like an eternity. I can practically hear my own heartbeat over the faint hum from the mech’s internal fans. Then, the pings subside, the sensor feed returning to baseline. My relief is immediate, but my limbs tremble with leftover adrenaline.
Tabitha exhales. “They didn’t lock on. We’re clear.”
Without another word, I coax Raven One forward, careful to maintain minimal power usage. The dunes stretch ahead, tinted gold by morning light. Each step away from that hidden fortress is one step closer to safety.
Behind me, the outpost’s walls still gleam in the distance, half-lost in swirling grit. The sense of stepping away from a sleeping giant gnaws at me. I can’t shake the worry that I’ve rattled a hornet’s nest, or at least peeked inside it. Yet I refuse to second-guess the decision to retreat. I have the images. It’s enough, and hopefully, I won’t make myself a target.
That would be suck-tastic.
Tabitha breaks the silence. “David, be careful storing these images. If that place is run by the rumored group we suspect, they might track unauthorized data footprints.”
I nod. “We’ll encrypt them behind a triple failsafe. Sparks taught me a trick or two. Don’t worry.”
Her voice shifts. “I always worry about you, and I sure as hell worry when we’re messing with ancient secrets.”
I manage a wry smile. “Guess we’ll be more than rumor-mongers. We’ll be the first to confirm it’s real.”
She doesn’t respond immediately, letting me have the final word. I press forward. Raven One’s footsteps are near-silent, the thrusters barely a whisper. The desert wind grows hotter, swirling gritty motes that catch in the corners of my cockpit’s ventilation.
Another hour of walking, maybe less, and we’ll reach the safe route we charted. From there, I can find a hidden gully to stow the mech, gather my bearings, and figure out how to slip off this world without drawing official suspicion. Tabi might have to do some digital gymnastics with local authorities again.
Tabitha senses my introspection. “Your vitals show a surge in stress, big guy. Don’t start beating yourself up. We lived, we got the data, we’re good.”
A breath escapes me. “You read me like a datapad, Tabi.”
“Of course. Let’s say I’m attuned to your heartbeat and…other vital signs. Now, focus on not stepping into quicksand.”
I snicker, grateful for her usual brand of acid-laced reassurance. The dunes roll beneath my feet, the scorching wind rattling the plating on Raven One’s ankles. My shoulders gradually relax as the facility shrinks behind me. We remain on guard, but we’re no longer pinned under that mega-secret, kill-me-if-they-find-me outpost.
As I top another dune, the vantage finally changes. Only distant spires of rock and swirling dust devils greet me. I risk a final glance back. The fortress is barely visible now, a dull bump in the far-off shimmer. We survived this little incursion. That’s enough.
“What do you think they’re doing in there, David?” Tabitha asks. “Building weapons? R&D for biotech? Or something else?”
A chill tugs at my spine despite the climbing heat. “No clue. Obviously not anything innocent. That pre-Federation emblem is enough to raise alarms. Whatever’s happening, it’s big. We’ll let the fixer mull that over. Our job was to find proof. Now, we have it.”
She hums. “Sometimes, I wish we could blow the lid off it ourselves.”
I press my lips together. “Me too, but we’d be outgunned. Next time, if we come back, it’ll be with a plan. Better than me stumbling around the dunes but with more firepower.”
Her voice lightens. “I’ll hold you to that. I’d prefer to take on an evil fortress with an entire battalion at my disposal.”
I grin. “Deal.”
One last swirl of sand whips across Raven One’s path, and I steady the mech with a gentle push on the controls. The sun bakes down fully, heat rising off the dunes in shimmering waves. My suit’s internal cooling does its best, but I’m swimming in sweat.
“By the way, you did good, David,” Tabitha comments. “You overcame your wanderlust, took some photos, and didn’t pick a fight with an entire black-site fortress. I’m so proud of your restraint.”
I snort. “It’s a low bar, Tabi.”
“Maybe, but you cleared it. Let me relish your victory. Just this once.”
A pang of relief mingles with my dry throat. Sometimes, the best victories are the ones where we manage to stay alive. “Thanks. I appreciate it, even if you’re sassy about it.”
Her laughter crackles pleasantly. “Oh, you want sassy?”
“Please no.”
“Fine. Let’s get you hydrated before you pass out in the cockpit. I hate carrying dead weight.”
I shake my head and smile. “Yes, ma’am.” Then, I focus on putting distance between me and the hidden base. My mind is already half on the encryption I’ll set up for these snapshots, half on the sedation logs that will need another subtle revision so no one flags my presence.
As the horizon stretches toward a blur of sun-scorched rock, I keep my gaze locked on the path ahead. I came here for answers and found a place that spawns a hundred new questions. For now, those mysteries can remain buried in the dunes. I’ll take my intel, my mech, and my AI partner’s wry concern, and I’ll walk away.
And I still have plenty of walking. I really should have considered how to get the hell away a lot better.
Thirty minutes later, a red location marker pops up on my map, and Tabitha shouts, “Run!”