Ch 84: Wasteland Encounters

The crawler rumbled forward, the landscape stretching endlessly into the horizon. Baku was still far, and Kael knew that the journey through the wastelands was never uneventful.

His fingers tapped against the dashboard, keeping an eye on the sensor feed. The wastelands were home to raiders, rogue drones, and worse. He wasn't in the mood for distractions, but if they came—

"They'll regret it."

A Warning from the Scanners

The crawler's detection systems pinged a heat signature about 15 kilometers ahead.

Kael narrowed his eyes at the data feed. It wasn't a random energy spike—this was consistent, indicating an active presence.

"Someone's set up a camp out here?"

That was unusual. Most people avoided staying in one place in these lands unless they had the firepower to defend it.

Kael flicked a switch, diverting power to the crawler's long-range optics.

The zoomed image revealed a cluster of vehicles huddled together, forming a makeshift blockade across the road ahead.

Raiders.

As Kael approached, his comms crackled to life.

"Turn back, traveler. This road belongs to the Dust Vultures. Pay the toll, or we'll scrap your rig for parts."

Kael exhaled, resting a hand on the controls.

"Toll?"

"Half of everything you have. Fuel, weapons, and supplies."

"Generous," Kael muttered.

He activated the crawler's thermal scan, checking for hidden threats. There were at least twenty hostiles—some manning heavy turrets, others taking cover near rusted-out wrecks.

"This is sloppy work."

They were expecting a trader or a convoy, something that would negotiate or beg for passage.

Not a heavily armed war machine.

Kael's fingers hovered over the dashboard buttons.

"How about I pay in lead?"

Tearing Through the Vultures

Kael slammed the release switch, and the crawler's hidden compartments snapped open—

A series of explosive rounds launched from the front-facing launchers, streaking through the air before hitting the barricade.

Boom.

The first explosion ripped apart two of the raiders' vehicles. The second detonated their fuel reserve, sending fireballs into the sky.

The raiders barely had time to react before Kael engaged the treads at full speed.

"Brace."

The crawler plowed through the wreckage, crushing steel and bodies alike.

Gunfire rang out, bullets pinging harmlessly against Kael's armored hull.

One of the turrets tried to get a lock on him—

Kael activated the gas dispensers.

A thick, yellow cloud hissed from the sides of the crawler, spreading over the battlefield.

The raiders stumbled, coughing violently as the gas corroded their gear and seeped into their lungs.

Those who didn't drop immediately tried to scatter—but Kael wasn't feeling merciful.

The crawler's side-mounted machine guns came to life, mowing down the retreating survivors.

A few desperate raiders climbed onto bikes and tried to flee—

Kael fired the special front-mounted bomb.

The explosion ripped across the landscape, sending a shockwave that flipped the fleeing vehicles, reducing them to burning wrecks.

"Dust Vultures? More like dead vultures."

The battlefield was silent. Smoke curled into the sky, the last embers of the raiders' existence flickering out.

Kael stepped out, pistol drawn.

The camp had been poorly defended, but they must've had something worth taking.

He kicked over a crate, finding power cells, some weapon mods, and a small cache of old-world tech.

Most of it was junk, but he pocketed a few useful components before heading back to the crawler.

As he climbed inside, he glanced at his nav screen.

Baku was still ahead.

"No more distractions."

He fired up the engines and pushed forward—toward the next chapter of his journey.