Ch 40: Crossing the Border

The Forgotten Path spat them out into a desolate valley, flanked by jagged cliffs and strewn with remnants of old-world debris. The air felt different here—lighter, freer—but a tension lingered between Kael and Mira as they surveyed the horizon.

Kael tapped his console, eyes flicking between the map and the surrounding terrain. "We're technically out of the Blanks, but don't get too comfortable. The neutral zone is still several klicks away, and this valley's a natural funnel. If Thorn tracks us here, we're sitting ducks."

Mira leaned out of the crawler, her binoculars scanning the ridges. "Nothing yet. Thorn's patrols must still be scrambling after the mess we left behind."

Kael smirked but didn't take his eyes off the terrain. "Let's hope so. We've got no margin for error."

The landscape gradually shifted as they moved further from the Blanks. Sparse vegetation dotted the ground, the first signs of green they'd seen in weeks. It was a stark contrast to the lifeless gray expanse they'd left behind. Mira let out a small, involuntary sigh, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"Almost forgot what green looks like," she murmured.

Kael glanced at her but said nothing, his focus on the road.

The calm didn't last long. A high-pitched buzzing pierced the air, growing louder as a shadow zipped overhead. Mira reacted first, her head snapping up to locate the source.

"Drone!" she barked, reaching for her rifle.

Kael cursed under his breath. "Consortium scout. If it's locked onto us, Thorn will know exactly where we are."

Mira didn't wait for further instruction. She climbed halfway out of the crawler's hatch, bracing herself against the rocking vehicle as she took aim. Her first shot missed, but the second hit its mark. The drone spiraled out of control, crashing into the dirt in a plume of smoke and sparks.

Kael didn't slow down. "Nice shot, but it's too late. They've got our location."

Mira dropped back into her seat, scowling. "How long do you think we've got?"

As if on cue, the faint roar of engines echoed across the valley, growing louder with every second. Kael's expression darkened.

"Not long. Thorn's closing in."

Kael pushed the crawler's engine to its limits, the vehicle kicking up dust as it tore through the rugged terrain. The valley ahead narrowed into a jagged pass, flanked by steep cliffs—an ideal choke point. Behind them, the sound of pursuit grew louder, punctuated by the staccato bark of mounted guns.

"Hold on!" Kael shouted, gripping the wheel tightly.

Mira grabbed her rifle and moved to the roof turret, her boots finding steady purchase on the crawler's surface. She swung the turret toward the pursuing vehicles, firing bursts of armor-piercing rounds. Her shots hit home, one of Thorn's lead vehicles erupting in a fiery explosion.

"One down!" Mira called, but her triumph was short-lived. More vehicles poured into the valley, their headlights cutting through the dust like beacons.

Kael swerved hard, narrowly avoiding a volley of gunfire that peppered the ground around them. His mind raced, calculating their odds. The pass ahead was their only chance, but they'd have to buy themselves time to make it through.

"Mira!" he yelled over the chaos. "Keep them off us for thirty seconds!"

Mira didn't respond, her focus on the turret. She fired again, hitting the tires of a vehicle that spun out of control and collided with another. Kael, meanwhile, activated a device on the dashboard, its display lighting up with a countdown.

"You've been busy," Mira muttered as she noticed the blinking light.

"Improvised defenses," Kael said, his voice grim. "I buried charges in the pass just in case."

As they reached the narrowest point of the pass, Kael slammed the detonator. The charges detonated with a thunderous roar, the explosion sending chunks of rock and debris raining down into the valley. The ground shook violently as the cliffs collapsed, sealing the pass behind them in a cloud of dust and rubble.

The crawler skidded to a stop on the far side, Kael and Mira watching the destruction unfold. Thorn's forces had been cut off, their vehicles forced to halt just short of the newly-formed barrier.

Kael exhaled sharply, gripping the wheel as his adrenaline began to ebb. "That should slow them down."

Mira climbed back into the crawler, her face a mixture of relief and frustration. "You could've mentioned you had explosives rigged back there."

Kael smirked faintly. "Didn't think we'd need them. Guess I was wrong."

They didn't stop to celebrate. Kael pushed the crawler onward, navigating through the last stretch of wilderness toward the neutral zone. The landscape continued to shift, the sparse vegetation giving way to rolling hills and scattered ruins.

As they crossed an old boundary marker—a rusted sign barely legible beneath layers of grime—Kael slowed the crawler. They'd entered the neutral zone, a region technically outside the Consortium's direct control.

Mira leaned back in her seat, exhaling deeply. "We made it."

Kael glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "Out of the Blanks, maybe. But Thorn won't stop chasing us. Not yet."

Mira nodded, her gaze fixed on the horizon. "Then we keep moving."

For the first time in what felt like forever, they weren't looking over their shoulders. But they both knew this wasn't the end of their journey. The neutral zone was only the beginning of a new set of challenges—and a world that was as much an opportunity as it was a threat.