Back in Lina, Tek had been assisting Lane with resource extraction. While there were countless areas in need of improvement, their immediate focus was on restoring the Manufactory—one of the few projects they could accomplish without requiring a large workforce. However, their full vision for Lina’s development would only be realized if Mario’s mission in the south proved successful.

  Tek stood by the window, gazing out at the view from the second floor of the town hall. His eyes briefly flicked to Lane, who sat at his desk, engrossed in the holographic display projected by the orb. From what Tek could tell, He was studying something about the industrial revolution, a subject that held no interest for him. To Tek, it was merely a relic of a past that he has no connection to.

  After several minutes, Lane called for Tek and gestured toward the hologram. "Can you build this?" he asked, his tone measured but expectant.

  Tek studied the image—a machine from a bygone era. Without an advanced power source, they had to rely on technology that didn’t require high-capacity battery packs. That meant reverting to what Tek considered the primitive ages.

  The Manufactory had the capability to generate energy—far more than they needed—but without the infrastructure to distribute it, that power was useless. Not yet, anyway. To make it viable, they needed vast amounts of metal to build transmission lines, machinery, and tools. That was why exploring the northern mountains for resources had become an urgent priority.

  The electrification project would require a vast amount of metal, everything depended on it. Tek understood Lane’s train of thought. Back when they were in space, rare metals and elements were among the most valuable resources, essential for sustaining advanced technology and expansion. Now, on the ground, the need for metal was just as critical, if not more so.

  Tek assured Lane that he would begin building what was needed, then mentioned he would be heading back to the Manufactory to get things done. Lane bid him farewell with a brief nod, his eyes never leaving the hologram. The dark circles beneath his eyelids were still visible—a testament to his relentless work. Tek observed him for a moment and thought, He is truly hardworking.

  A few minutes after Tek left, Lane thought perhaps it was finally time to get some rest. But then his eyes fell on a piece of paper—the report from the Doves he’d received days ago. It still held the curl of being tightly rolled, the message on its surface stark and urgent: Royal Armed Forces in two months – DR to Red Moon Mercenaries to harass Lina. Lane’s weariness vanished, his mind snapping back to full alert. There was still too much to do. He let out a tired sigh. So much for rest.

  +++

  The scorching heat of the Darat Desert was nothing more than a distant concept when sheltered inside the vehicle’s climate-controlled interior. Mario, who vividly remembered the grueling trek across these accursed sands five years ago, couldn’t help but marvel at how effortless their journey was now. Instead of trudging through the relentless heat, they were gliding across the dunes in comfort.

  Seated inside, the group remained at ease as the drone scanners continuously swept the landscape, searching for any sign of the perpetual sandstorm. According to images captured a few weeks ago, they should have been nearing it by now—after four uninterrupted hours of travel in a straight line toward its last known location. Yet, there was still no trace of it.

  Mario peeked into the driver's box, noting how the harsh sunlight outside was partially filtered by the light cloths they had draped over the windshield. The glare had become unbearable, making the makeshift covering a necessity for those who occasionally needed to check in. Zed, however, remained unaffected—his enhanced, superhuman eyes adjusted effortlessly to the brightness. The cloth was purely for the others' benefit, ensuring they could glance outside without being blinded.

  "Nothing on my scanners yet," Zed assured him.

  Mario nodded, then decided to proceed at the back of the vehicle and climb the ladder leading to the roof hatch. He pushed it open and popped his head out just enough to scan the surroundings. He swept his gaze across the vast desert, checking the sides and the rear of the vehicle, just in case. He trusted Zed’s "scanner", which as he explained it to him was a sort of an advance radar, but with little else to do, he figured he might as well get a visual confirmation rather than constantly asking Zed for updates.

  He tried to recall their journey from five years ago. How many days had it taken them to cross the desert and reach the plateau? At least a week, he guessed. Without the desert caravan guiding them back then, they would have been lost, and likely dead.

  Speaking of caravans, Zed hadn’t mentioned spotting any travelers. If there were people out there, surely his scanners would have picked them up. Mario made a mental note to ask. Mario returned to his seat near the driver's box, stretching his legs with the intention of dozing off for a bit while they had yet to encounter the sandstorm. However, before he could even get comfortable, Zed’s sudden question jolted him awake, making him immediately sit up straight.

  "I'm just curious, how have the Binatarians managed to maintain their reclusive lifestyle?" Zed asked.

  Mario shrugged before answering. "The larger world doesn’t really think much about them. They’re just seen as nomads wandering the Darat Desert, and their so-called ‘moving city’ is generally dismissed as a myth. Even the Alliance doesn’t seem to care about them, nor have they made any real effort to seek them out."

  He paused, recalling a conversation with Lane back at the Military Academy. "Lane noticed that too. The academy brats from the Alliance viewed the desert nomads as nothing more than country bumpkins. It’s like they’ve been ignored on purpose."

  "Hmm," Zed hummed thoughtfully, processing the information. After a brief pause, he asked another question.

  "What did you observe when you were there five years ago? Emilia mentioned that you visited their botanical deck. I'm curious, what were your overall impressions?"

  "Did she?" Mario replied, unable to hide his surprise. "I don’t recall visiting anywhere particularly significant. We were treated as foreigners, guests at best, but we were confined to the town area. We couldn’t go anywhere without their guards shadowing our every move," he explained.

  "I see," Zed said thoughtfully, unaware that Mario's expression had shifted from surprise to suspicion. His mind seemed to be piecing something together from Zed's revelation.

  A few minutes of silence passed between them before the scanners alerted Zed. His eyes flicked toward the display, then he called out, "We've got something."

  Mario was pulled from his brooding thoughts. He stood up swiftly and sharpened his focus. "Where?" he asked, urgency in his voice.

  "Up ahead," Zed said, nudging his head toward the horizon.

  At first, Mario saw nothing but the endless stretch of sand, shimmering under the harsh sun. But as they drew closer, a towering wall of swirling dust became visible, rising like a living beast in the distance. The storm churned and twisted, its massive, shifting body swallowing the horizon. Tendrils of sand stretched outward like grasping fingers, while the upper layers billowed and rolled, clashing against the sky in chaotic waves. A dull, rumbling sound, barely perceptible at this distance, hinted at the raw power contained within.

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  They approached, and as they neared the storm, its sheer size became overwhelming. It loomed over them like a colossal tidal wave frozen in time, an unrelenting force of nature stretching across the horizon. The vehicle, sturdy as it was, felt insignificant—like a lone ship drifting toward a mountainous rogue wave, or an insect inching toward the edge of a raging wildfire. The swirling mass of sand and dust towered above, its rolling currents shifting and writhing as if alive, ready to consume anything that dared to enter.

  "Now we go in," Zed commanded, his voice unwavering as he twisted a lever. The vehicle surged forward, its speed increasing dramatically. The sudden acceleration sent a jolt through the cabin, making everyone instinctively brace themselves. Realizing it was unwise to remain standing, they quickly took their seats in the briefing room—Mario included—strapping in as the rumbling machine hurtled toward the churning wall of sand.

  They braced themselves, expecting the vehicle to lurch and rattle violently as it plunged into the heart of the sandstorm. Gripping their seats tightly, they prepared for the worst, then… nothing.

  Instead of the chaos they anticipated, the vehicle glided smoothly through the swirling winds and dense sand. The storm raged outside, but inside, the only evidence of its fury was the muffled howling of the wind, dampened by the reinforced hull. It was as if they were moving through a tunnel, untouched by the tempest enveloping them.

  "Wait, that's it?" John muttered, cracking one eye open cautiously. Seeing nothing amiss, he opened the other, glancing around at his companions. Their expressions mirrored his own, confusion mixed with disbelief.

  Evasco shrugged. "I hope so? Honestly, I had no idea what to expect. I just saw you sit down and grab onto something, so I figured I'd do the same," he said with a chuckle. His laughter was contagious, and soon the entire room joined in, their nervous chuckles easing the tension that had gripped them just moments before.

  Mario sat motionless, his expression neutral, though his eyes blinked rapidly as he processed what had just happened. Was that really it? he wondered. Five years ago, traversing the desert had been an ordeal. They had been forced to navigate through a canyon just to avoid the worst of the sandstorm, and even then, the journey had been anything but smooth. The caravan's carriages had constantly gotten stuck, requiring all hands to push, pull, and dig their way forward. No one had died, but the experience had been grueling—an exhausting battle against the relentless sands. Yet now, they had simply driven through it, as if the storm barely existed.

  Mario stood up and leaned into the driver's box. The once blinding light from outside had vanished, swallowed by the dense wall of swirling sand. The sun's rays struggled to penetrate the storm, casting everything in an eerie, dim glow.

  He pulled away the cloth covering the windshield, revealing the relentless assault of sand against the glass. Beyond it, there was nothing but a churning wall of dust, an endless, blinding storm that obscured everything from view. He glanced at Zed, who remained unfazed by the near-zero visibility, his gaze fixed straight ahead. Only he knew what lay beyond the sandstorm.

  "The sandstorm is still raging within a five-kilometer radius," Zed informed Mario.

  "And beyond that?" Mario asked.

  "I have no idea, that's the limit of the scanner," Zed replied.

  Mario remained silent, his concerns far from eased by Zed’s words.

  Mario stood by the entrance of the driver's box, leaning in to get a better view of what lay ahead. He couldn't bring himself to sit down, his anxiety gnawed at him, keeping him restless. The gentlemen in the briefing room were a mixed bag of emotions. Lumen and Evasco sat together, whispering in hushed tones, their conversation too quiet to catch. John, unfazed, had already retreated to his bunk, casually telling Risty, "Wake me up when something happens." Meanwhile, Fairchild and Old Nil busied themselves with the supplies, preparing for their next meal. Old Nil glanced toward Mario and muttered, "The Dep'ty Gov'nor looks worried. Should we make him some tea to calm him down?" Mikael had dozed off on his seat, oblivious to the tension in the room. Risty, on the other hand, mirrored Mario’s unease, he remained seated in the briefing area, arms crossed, his leg bouncing restlessly.

  For over two hours, they cruised through the endless sands. Mario couldn't sit still, alternating between pacing around and hovering near Zed in the driver's box. Old Nil handed him a cup of cold tea, which briefly calmed his nerves. He took a few sips, letting it soothe him, but before long, he was back to his restless cycle of standing, sitting, and pacing once more.

  Finally, Zed broke the silence. "In four kilometers, the sand and wind start to clear up. We'll be there in a few minutes."

  Mario let out a quiet sigh of relief. He returned to the briefing area's table and sat down, this time sipping his cold tea with more composure. Meanwhile, Risty who deemed it impolite for Mikael to be occupying the majority of the seat beside the table, nudged him toward the crew quarters. "What were you and John up to last night?" he muttered as he led him to his bunk.

  A few minutes passed, and the relentless wind and sand began to subside. Sunlight gradually seeped through the windshield, illuminating the once-dark driver's box. It was as if the vehicle had crossed an invisible threshold. One moment, they were engulfed in the storm, and the next, everything was calm.

  Mario climbed up through the hatch and took in the sight. Behind them loomed a towering wall of swirling sand, a chaotic tempest frozen in place. Ahead, the desert stretched endlessly once more, vast and unbroken beneath the open sky.

  Mario returned to his usual spot just outside the driver's box. "So, how do we find the city now?" he asked.

  Zed responded with a question of his own, his tone carrying a hint of genuine curiosity. "How did you find them five years ago?"

  Mario rubbed his chin, thinking back. "Well, if I remember right, we just followed Sarah. After a couple of days, we found the city... or maybe they found us?" He frowned slightly, uncertainty creeping into his voice. "I remember she’d sneak off for a few minutes at a time, just out of sight. Once, I secretly followed her, and I was sure she was having a conversation with someone. I always thought she had some kind of radio, but… radios are bulky. So honestly, I have no idea how she did it."

  It could have been a small communication device, Ai's voice resonated in Zed's mind. My thoughts exactly, he responded internally.

  Instead of voicing his agreement, Zed turned to Mario and said, "Based on the last aerial images, we saw them heading northeast. I have an idea."

  The vehicle gradually came to a stop as Zed stood from his seat. Activating his control module, he sent a command to the drone powering the vehicle. A low hum filled the air as the drone stirred to life. A few seconds later, the locking mechanism disengaged with a soft click, and the drone lifted off, floating momentarily before launching skyward.

  "I'm going to use the drone to scout the area and beyond," Zed explained.

  "Alright, that makes sense," Mario replied with a nod.

  Minutes passed, and soon, the people inside began to feel the rising temperature. Without the drone supplying power to the climate control, the once-comfortable interior quickly turned into a stifling heat trap.

  Zed, noticing the discomfort, ordered the hatch door to be opened to allow some airflow. "The drone will be done in an hour at most," he assured them.

  The drone streaked across the sky at high speed, maintaining an altitude of approximately 11 kilometers—high enough to stay above the sandstorm’s reach but low enough to avoid the danger zone where the first drone had been shot down. Zed carefully restricted its operational area to steer clear of any potential turbulence or threats. He couldn't afford to lose another drone, not until they had the capability to build a replacement.

  The drone transmitted a live video feed to Zed who silently instructed Ai to begin analysis, focusing on the subtle shifts in the sand below. If the moving city was currently in transit, it would leave disturbances—ripples in the dunes, displaced patterns too deliberate to be natural. However, at the drone’s current altitude, such disturbances could easily be mistaken for ordinary windblown particles. This was a delicate task, one that required Ai’s advanced analytical module to decipher correctly.

  A few seconds passed before Ai’s voice echoed in Zed’s mind. Interesting. There are inconsistencies in wind vector behavior across a fifteen-kilometer stretch. The sand there is being displaced in a manner not consistent with atmospheric patterns. This could indicate movement beneath the surface… or above it, masked by winds passing over it.

  Zed’s eyes narrowed as he focused on the data feed. That’s promising, he thought.

  Should I maintain surveillance over the anomaly? Ai asked. Zed nodded slightly, his expression sharpening. Yes. Stay on it. If the city’s out there… we’ll find it.

  Ai zeroed in on the anomaly she had detected, redirecting the drone to follow the faint trail of displaced sand. The drone adjusted its course smoothly, gliding through the upper atmosphere as it tracked the subtle signs—like breadcrumbs scattered across the dunes.

  Minutes passed. The trail gradually began to coalesce, pointing toward something unusual far below. Then, nestled against the endless sea of sand, a structure emerged—a vast, engineered form partially obscured by dust and distance.

  Zed zoomed in, the image in the video sharpened.

  There it is. The moving city.