{"data":{"id":17945,"title":"Sid & Cyrus (Part One)","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/serialized-fiction\/17945-Sid-Cyrus-Part-One","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/17945","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/17945","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"Sid & Cyrus","images":[{"id":26609,"name":"Sid-Cyrus-Title.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/wyz6odpinzx25r\/source\/Sid-Cyrus-Title.jpg","alt":"","size":3128041,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2021-01-11T18:06:54+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26609","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26609\/similar"}],"images_count":1,"translations":{"en_EN":"Writer\u2019s Note: Sid & Cyrus: Part One was published originally in Jump Point 5.5.\nA high-pitched screech carried across the Falling Sky as the front door slid open. None of the regulars at this run-down watering hole noticed the noise or cared. Only Sidney looked up from her post behind the bar. Still as observant and energetic as most people half her age, Sid needed but a moment to scan the young man who entered before going back to work. She\u2019d seen enough.\n\nThe kid sidled up to the bar and eyed Vinny, sitting a few stools down. Vinny took a deep drink and kept his eyes glued to the vidscreen. When the Crashers were playing, nothing was more important to him. Definitely not some nervous kid with a wild look in his eyes.\n\nThe kid leaned toward Sid, only to pause and glance Vinny\u2019s way again. Once absolutely certain he wasn\u2019t listening, he muttered, \u201cTomyris sent me.\u201d\n\nTomyris was the leader of a burgeoning and ruthless outlaw pack calling themselves the Cadejo Crew. Sid knew Tomyris through reputation only, but if this kid thought otherwise, who was she to wreck his reality? So she smiled to put him at ease then replied, \u201cHow \u2019bout I buy you a drink?\u201d\n\n\u201cRadegast, neat . . . wait, you got Ghosts?\u201d\n\n\u201cCourse.\u201d Sid grabbed the bottle of Tevarin rye white whiskey and poured his drink. The kid took the moment to eye Vinny again. His nervousness was palpable.\n\n\u201cThis is your first run, isn\u2019t it?\u201d\n\nThat returned the kid\u2019s attention to her. She set the glass before him. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, you\u2019re doing great.\u201d\n\nThe kid gulped down the white whiskey and almost spit it back out as the burn hit his throat. To his credit, he managed to swallow.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s just,\u201d the kid said as he wiped his lips on the sleeve of his worn flight suit, \u201cwell, you know. It\u2019s been a crazy day for me.\u201d\n\nSid topped him off with a bottle of bootleg moonshine, certain after the initial burn he wouldn\u2019t notice the difference.\n\n\u201cTell me about it.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, it\u2019s done.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou know,\u201d the kid leaned in even farther and lowered his voice \u2019till she could barely hear what he said next, \u201cthe convoy to Behistun.\u201d\n\nSid\u2019s stomach sank. Immanuelle. All she could manage in response was, \u201cYou\u2019re sure it\u2019s . . .\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah . . . I was there.\u201d The kid killed his drink and glanced to the sataball game. Sid refilled his glass and resisted the urge to smash him over the head with the bottle.\n\n\u201cSo, we good? They said you\u2019ll handle phase two, right?\u201d The kid asked. Sid forced a smile and nodded. The kid threw back the last shot and set down the glass. \u201cNever did catch your name.\u201d\n\n\u201cDevin.\u201d\n\nSid mentally logged the name. Then said it aloud to imprint it in her mind one more time.\n\n\u201cYou stay safe, Devin.\u201d\n\nThe kid smiled and stumbled to the door, suddenly feeling the effect of the hooch. Sid disappeared into the office in the back of the bar. She found Talsa and said she was feeling sick. Talsa sighed sharply, then waved her off without further inquiry.\n\nSeconds later, Sid slipped out the bar\u2019s back door. She debated following Devin and learning what else he knew, but in the end decided against it. Right now she needed Cyrus. Quickening her pace, Sid headed home.\n\nThe constant hum of landing and launching ships filled the sky as Sid hurried through the streets of Reis. The city was abuzz with late afternoon activity, as residents rushed to complete errands before Nexus\u2019 bluish-white sun sank over the city\u2019s heavily fortified walls. Most avoided the streets after dark due to the surging crime rate, but Sid preferred it then. There were fewer people around to slow her down.\n\nSid rounded the corner occupied by Q&D Aeroservice, then merged with a scrum pushing their way through a particularly narrow part of the street. Causing the bottleneck were a cluster of shacks constructed from scrapped shipping containers. Inside lived refugees from outposts overrun by the Vucari. These survivors were the lucky ones.\n\nThe Vucari, one of Lago\u2019s oldest outlaw packs, had grown back into power and prominence over the previous months. Led by the newly promoted Master Kraujas, they had become the biggest threat in the area once again, even overshadowing the recent nastiness that was the Cadejos. Methodically, the Vucari expanded their territory by overtaking civilian outposts. Anyone who resisted suffered from their cruelty. Anyone who relinquished all weapons and possessions was allowed to flee. Most ended up in Reis with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The crude shelters, like the ones Sid squeezed by now, were at least a step up from the broken pavement claimed by most poor souls who had to sleep on the streets.\n\nShe continued for a few blocks before ducking down an alley. The stench of Human waste slapped Sid in the face. The smell was new, a sign of worsening waste management within the city.\n\nSid held her breath, and carefully avoided the piles of trash and strange stains. An outbreak due to poor public sanitation was the last thing Lago needed. People were already on edge due to the housing shortage and shrinking food supplies. Sid knew that if Reis slipped any further, all civility would be shredded. She\u2019d seen it before and she knew what would happen next.\n\nThe Vucari would take advantage of the discord and strike. Reclaiming Reis was the dream of every outlaw commander ever since the UEE forcibly reclaimed the planet in 2931. Master Kraujas knew such a conquest would establish his name in history. He also understood that civil instability was his greatest ally and that crumbling civility would only make taking the city easier.\n\nSid slowed at a tall fence made from corrugated metal, her eyes scanning to insure its integrity. She carefully followed the fence around the corner until it connected to the back of a two-story building. She proceeded to the front of the building and entered a rundown repair shop occupying the first floor.\n\nA bell chimed as Sid opened the door. Behind the service counter, shelves of scrap collected dust. Sid ducked under the counter and crossed the threshold into the workroom of the shop.\n\nCyrus dozed in a battered chair behind a desk cluttered with mechanical parts and electronic components. Sid nudged her husband\u2019s feet off the desk, startling him awake. A small drone fell from his lap to the floor.\n\nCyrus sat forward and took a second, his post-nap haze still not completely clear. Though Cyrus was still sharp and nimble, he was sometimes slow to action.\n\n\u201cWhat you doing back so early?\u201d he asked while scooping up the dropped drone.\n\n\u201cWhat good is that bell if you don\u2019t hear it?\u201d\n\nCyrus waved off the reply as he scanned the drone for damage. He snagged a small screwdriver and made a few minor adjustments.\n\nSid took a deep breath, knowing this next moment might make everything she feared real. Cyrus sensed the pregnant pause and met her eyes.\n\n\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d\n\n\u201cWe need to check Immanuelle\u2019s tracker.\u201d\n\nCyrus took a moment to process the request before spinning in his chair and tossing the drone on his desk, all in one swift movement. He briskly typed at his terminal as spare parts rattled on his desk. He glanced up to see Sid pacing. Her shoulders hunched forward with anxiety, making her look every bit her age.\n\nSeconds later, Cyrus began to launch a program he hadn\u2019t opened in almost a year. It was a backdoor into the geolocation and biofeedback sensors in Immanuelle\u2019s armor, a feature of which their daughter was not aware.\n\nCyrus added it after a Vucari raid had hit her convoy hauling food and first aid to settlements across Lago. She had spent a week in the hospital afterwards, one of the longest weeks of his life. Outlaws were growing more emboldened by the day, but Cyrus knew that wouldn\u2019t stop Immanuelle. At her age, it wouldn\u2019t have stopped him, either.\n\nConflicted over what he had done, Cyrus told Sid. In the ensuing argument, she both chastised and thanked him for doing it. The two agreed to access the armor\u2019s information only if absolutely necessary. Immanuelle had been on numerous delivery runs on Lago\u2019s contested planetside since, without incident. This was the first time they had felt compelled to check it.\n\nCyrus knew something was terribly wrong without even having to ask, but he couldn\u2019t sit in silence not knowing for much longer. \u201cWhat\u2019d you hear at the bar?\u201d\n\n\u201cSome kid came talking about an attack on a convoy to Behistun. He thought I was someone else, so I don\u2019t know how much I can trust him . . .\u201d\n\n\u201c. . . but . . .\u201d\n\n\u201cHe had that look in his eye.\u201d She didn\u2019t need to say more. Cyrus understood.\n\n\u201cThink it\u2019s Vucari again?\u201d he asked.\n\n\u201cCadejo.\u201d\n\nCyrus visibly paled. The program finally initialized. He typed a few quick commands and waited. The terminal pinged and returned results.\n\n\u201cWell?\u201d wondered Sid, unable to bring herself to face the screen. Following a few seconds of excruciating silence, she turned to find Cyrus scanning data. \u201cIs she ok?\u201d\n\n\u201cUncertain,\u201d he replied carefully.\n\n\u201cWhat does that mean? Is that thing even working?\u201d\n\n\u201cIt was. Until eight hours ago. There\u2019s been nothing since. There\u2019s a chance \u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cWhere?\u201d\n\n\u201c. . . what?\u201d\n\nSid crossed to the terminal, \u201cWhere\u2019d that last signal come from?\u201d\n\n\u201cNorth, 34 degrees . . . 26 minutes \u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cNot the coordinates.\u201d Sid leaned across the desk and expanded the map\u2019s visible range. The signal came from the middle of the Platean Plain, about half-way to Behistun.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s Vucari territory, isn\u2019t it? What are the Cadejo doing there?\u201d\n\nSid gave it a passing thought; hitting a shipment in enemy territory violated the honor code many of these outlaw packs lived by. Then she grabbed her rifle and slammed a fresh battery in it. \u201cI don\u2019t know and I don\u2019t care.\u201d\n\nNeither Sid nor Cyrus had the courage to vocalize their fear about what might have happened to their daughter. Instead, they simply agreed to find out for themselves.\n\nThe two spent the night gathering and prepping their old gear. They moved furniture and raised floor panels to access hidden weapon lockers built by Cyrus. The caches were strategically placed throughout their two-story building so weapons would never be too far away if outlaws or ghosts from their past arrived on their doorstep.\n\nIn their own words, Sid and Cyrus ran a small security firm before moving to Reis. The reality was that they were in-demand mercs with an impressive portfolio of missions and a notable number of enemies. It was the life they wanted until the unexpected occurred.\n\nImmanuelle had never been part of their plan. Sid was as shocked as Cyrus to discover she was pregnant. The news floored the couple and forced them to reassess their life. To both their surprise, they realized that they liked the idea of expanding their family. Problem was, they had dodged death far too often and knew it was only a matter of time before it caught up with them. Immanuelle\u2019s arrival was a chance to reset and escape the dangers that had become part of their everyday existence.\n\nWhen Immanuelle was five they bought this modest two-story building on Reis. The previous year, the UEE had wrestled control of Nexus away from outlaw pacts that had dominated the system for centuries, so the government offered sweetheart land deals to entice new residents. Since Sid and Cyrus had never worked within the system, they figured it was an ideal place to start fresh with a minimal chance of encountering their past.\n\nCyrus converted the building\u2019s ground floor into a repair shop. His knack for fixing things proved invaluable, as outlaw attacks on supply shipments were common. Sid helped run the repair shop and raise Immanuelle, but felt restless until she wandered into the Falling Sky bar. There, a bit of the buzz came back. She found a piece of her old life among the mercs who frequented it. So, she taught herself to make a killer Terra Tornado, convinced Talsa to hire her, and lived vicariously through the regulars\u2019 stories of Lago\u2019s untamed planetside.\n\nAll the while, Immanuelle remained none the wiser to her parent\u2019s previous life. It\u2019s not that Sid and Cyrus hid their past from her. They merely were selective with what they said, both hoping that the gene of self-endangerment had skipped a generation.\n\nStill, it didn\u2019t take long for their daughter\u2019s sense of adventure to surface. Before turning ten, Immanuelle had explored every last nook, cranny and alley in their neighborhood. As a teenager, she often got in trouble for sneaking into the Falling Sky when Sid was off duty to hear the outrageous and often grisly tales its patrons told. It was obvious to Sid and Cyrus that their daughter was cut from the same cloth as her parents.\n\nCyrus checked ammo clips one by one before sliding them into his pack, in an effort to get his emotions in check and focus on the job at hand. In recent months, he had only heard passing mentions of Tomyris and the Cadejo Crew, but each one had sent a shiver down his spine. Unlike the Vucari, no one attacked by the Cadejo made it back to Reis. Rumors swirled that the Cadejos preferred to take people alive for use in some sinister ritual. Cyrus didn\u2019t quite believe the tales, but had seen enough strange stuff in his day to not completely discount them. At least if true, he reasoned with himself, Immanuelle might have a better chance of still being alive now.\n\nCyrus slung a duffel bag filled with gear and guns over his shoulder and carefully carried it downstairs. He dropped the bag behind the counter with a thud. He drew a deep breath, surprised by how winded he was, then stepped into the repair shop.\n\n\u201cFirst light in forty-five,\u201d he called to Sid. \u201cI\u2019ll bring the buggy \u2019round back.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll come help in a few.\u201d\n\nSid stood at a workbench making adjustments to her energy rifle while wearing heavy armor sans helmet, her lucky bandanna holding back her hair. The sight gave Cyrus pause. She\u2019d always worn light armor in their merc days, preferring to be fleet of foot over aggressively armored.\n\nA few years ago, she returned from a shift at the Falling Sky wearing the heavy armor. She scared Immanuelle half to death by confidently striding behind the repair shop counter before identifying herself. Sid claimed someone gave her a good deal on it, and asked Cyrus to work his magic. She said it might come in handy some day. He never expected this to be it.\n\n\u201cGoing with the heavy, huh? You have a chance to field test it?\u201d\n\n\u201cSeems as good a time as any,\u201d she replied.\n\n\u201cThe effect on your speed and stamina might surp\u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cHey . . . I thought you were going to get the quad.\u201d\n\nSid took her eyes off her gun to shoot Cyrus a look. Her face almost appeared to float amidst the massive armor around her.\n\n\u201cFine, but I need to tell you two quick things. One, and I\u2019m just being honest here, you look a little ridiculous,\u201d he said as he headed towards the garage. Sid\u2019s eyes flared with intensity. \u201cAnd two, when you put on your helmet, apply the setting labeled with your name. I\u2019ve already programmed in your preferences.\u201d\n\nA small smile crept across Sid\u2019s face, the first one Cyrus had seen since she arrived home. Before she could respond, Cyrus was out the door. The smile was all the reassurance he needed to know his world wouldn\u2019t completely crumble if this mission ended in the way neither of them dared say.\n\nReis sat on Sid & Cyrus\u2019 six half an hour later. The two shared a look exiting the city\u2019s eastern security checkpoint. This was the first time the two had been out on an assignment since Immanuelle was born.\n\nAs they crossed the Mycale Valley, towering gray mountains loomed on the horizon. Being backlit by the slowly rising sun only made them more ominous and imposing. As Sid drove, Cyrus calculated several potential routes to their daughter\u2019s last known location. Transposing it to the map, he saw that to reach the Platean Plain they would have to navigate one of the many passes that cut through the Harran Mountains. He scanned the list, unsure which one would be the safest.\n\n\u201cThe most direct route is through the Datis Pass,\u201d he noted.\n\n\u201cFeels like someone at the bar is always talking about how that pass is infested with outlaws. Any other options?\u201d\n\nImmanuel had once admitted that crossing this range was often the most harrowing part of her journey.\n\n\u201cHow about the Sargon Pass? That an option? Vinny swears it\u2019s the safest one heading east.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou trust the guy who also swears that asteroid in Nemo actually looks like a space whale?\u201d\n\n\u201cHe can\u2019t be wrong all the time. Just check, ok?\u201d\n\nCyrus smiled. The lightness of their exchange evaporated as the intention of their mission again came front and center. He scanned the list of potential routes until finding one through the Sargon Pass.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019ll add at least an hour to the trip.\u201d He selected the route to examine it in detail. \u201cWait . . . Remember that trip Immanuelle and I took together say about five, six years ago?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou two still laugh about it,\u201d Sid sighed softly.\n\n\u201cReally wish you hadn\u2019t gotten sick the night before we left.\u201d\n\n\u201cMe too.\u201d\n\nSilence sat between them.\n\n\u201cAnyways, I just realized we took the Sargon Pass on that trip.\u201d\n\n\u201cSo at least one of us is familiar with it.\u201d\n\nCyrus nodded. Sid stepped on the accelerator and steered the quad more southward towards the pass. The buggy\u2019s suspension bucked under the rough terrain.\n\nAhead the sun\u2019s rays licked the mountain peaks, finally providing the range some depth and definition. Cyrus took a second to admire the view, then returned to worrying about getting through the pass safely.\n\n\u201cWhy\u2019d you volunteer us for this shite gig again?\u201d Dmitri drew his thin coat closer to insulate against the cold seeping from the rocks that composed his sniper perch.\n\n\u201cStay off comms,\u201d Charlie barked back.\n\nA chilly wind whistled through the Sargon Pass. A shiver worked its way down Dmitri\u2019s spine. When it finally fled, he looked through his sniper rifle scope and scanned the mouth of the pass, which was still shrouded in dark, early morning shadows.\n\nHe defiantly spoke into his comm again, \u201cThis pass is too narrow for any big fish to take. You\u2019re not gonna impress your new friends by catching any of the minnows that come through here.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe hell I just say?\u201d\n\nFor an outlaw, Charlie certainly was a stickler for the rules, a trait that had only intensified after the two decided to crew with the Vucari. Dmitri figured it\u2019d be fun to run with the pack that had come to dominate so much territory. Meanwhile, Charlie quickly became enamored with the Vucari\u2019s master plan to wrest control of Reis away from the UEE. Dmitri merely looked forward to the looting.\n\nDespite their motivational differences, Dmitri and Charlie were now hunkered down on opposite sides of the Sargon Pass, hoping to ambush anyone coming from Reis. Dmitri checked the time, and wondered how much longer it would take the sun to illuminate the mouth of the pass and more importantly, provide him a bit of warmth.\n\nEventually, the sweet lure of a stim felt like his only salvation. Dmitri left the sniper rifle in position and slid down from his perch so Charlie wouldn\u2019t see the vapor. He removed his helmet and plucked a pack of Kings out of his pocket. He savored the flavor as the first pull rushed to his head. It almost made everything all right.\n\nSuddenly, a faint hum filled the air. The sound was subtle but growing closer. Dmitri scanned the sky to discover a small drone hovering no more than ten meters away. Some bugger was spying on him.\n\nDmitri drew his pistol. His free hand frantically felt for his helmet but couldn\u2019t find it. He turned to look for it, then everything suddenly went black.\n\nDistracted by the drone, he never saw Sid slip in close. She lowered her rifle then hit a few buttons on her mobi. The drone zipped to her location and landed safely. After Sid checked the kid\u2019s pulse, she bound his hands and then searched him out of habit, finding only a half pack of Kings. He wore a patchwork of clothes and cheap armor plastered with the Vucari insignia.\n\nClimbing up, Sid snagged the sniper rifle from its perch and hunkered behind a rock formation while inspecting it. The serial number had been filed off and the Vucari emblem crudely etched into its stock. So, the Vucari distributed meager armor but decent weapons. She made a mental note.\n\nConfident the Vucari hadn\u2019t assigned a single guy to guard the pass, Sid quickly scanned the other side through the sniper rifle scope. If anyone else was around, she couldn\u2019t see them. There had to be at least one, maybe two associates staked out elsewhere. Until cleared, driving any closer could be dangerous.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got company. Subdued one of them. Going to flush out anyone left with the drone.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll come help.\u201d\n\n\u201cHold position. Don\u2019t know what we\u2019re up against yet.\u201d\n\nSid launched the drone to survey the pass from above. It looked clear at first glance. Then she spotted a strange shape between two big boulders. She slowly lowered the drone over the location and saw a parked Dragonfly. That thing only seated two, so that must mean there was one outlaw left.\n\nSuddenly, the drone\u2019s video feed died. A gunshot echoed through the pass as the drone fell from the sky. Sid scrambled to spot the shot\u2019s origin but it was too late. Impressive \u2014 the shooter needed only a single round to hit it.\n\nA strange crackling sound startled Sid. She spun, weapon raised, to find no one there. She exhaled, relieved, then tracked the sound to the outlaw\u2019s helmet lying on the ground below. It wouldn\u2019t be long before his compatriot realized this position has been compromised. She had to move soon.\n\nSid slowly lifted her head with the sniper rifle at the ready. Gunfire erupted, spraying bullets all around her. She quickly ducked back to cover, but at least had a bead on the assailant\u2019s location.\n\n\u201cThat you firing?\u201d Cyrus\u2019 voice crackled in Sid\u2019s ear.\n\n\u201cIt will be . . . in a few seconds,\u201d she responded while adjusting her spot behind the rock.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m on my way.\u201d\n\n\u201cI can handle it.\u201d Sid raised up with the sniper rifle trained on the spot where she had seen the muzzle flash. No one was there. More gunshots peppered her location from a slightly different angle. She hit the deck before gauging exactly where they came from.\n\n\u201cYou get him?\u201d\n\n\u201cStill wasn\u2019t me.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s it.\u201d\n\n\u201cI just need\u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cSomething to draw that fire elsewhere.\u201d\n\nCyrus was right. Plus, it had only been small arms fire. That wouldn\u2019t do too much damage to their ride.\n\n\u201cFine. Show yourself but don\u2019t venture too far up. For all we know, the entrance could be lined with explosives.\u201d\n\nHidden not far from the pass, Cyrus stepped on the accelerator. The buggy lurched forward. It felt a bit jumpy to him, and he made a mental note to look at it once home.\n\nMeanwhile, Sid circled to a new firing position further up, hoping her new vantage point combined with Cyrus\u2019 arrival would end this encounter.\n\n\u201cJust cresting the pass,\u201d Cyrus announced.\n\nSid readied her weapon and peered over a rocky embankment toward the other side, waiting for this slippery bastard to show himself again. The vehicle\u2019s rumble echoed through the canyon, announcing its arrival. Sid kept scanning with her finger on the trigger.\n\nA sudden movement drew her attention. She focused on the location then paused. Something didn\u2019t look quite right. It took her a moment to realize what she was seeing. The outlaw had a massive weapon hoisted on his shoulder and aimed at the buggy.\n\n\u201cRocket launcher!\u201d Sid cried over comms.\n\nShe squeezed off a series of shots at the outlaw and saw him stagger. His movement was exaggerated by the massive weapon somehow still on his shoulder. She drew a deep breath and fired off more shots while exhaling. The outlaw finally dropped out of sight.\n\nA moment later, an explosion erupted from the place he had fallen. Sid felt the mountainside shake and heard the distinct rumble of rocks and boulders rolling downhill. The rock formation facing where he had fallen was blasted to bits.\n\nMoments earlier, when Cyrus heard Sid\u2019s warning, he instinctively slammed on the accelerator, concerned that the rocket launcher might be pointed in her direction. The next thing he knew, a boom echoed through the canyon. By the time he realized what was happening, it was unavoidable.\n\nCyrus saw what looked like a tidal wave of rubble roaring toward him. He yanked the steering wheel hard left and the vehicle spun about ninety degrees, exposing the passenger\u2019s side, just as an avalanche slammed into it. The impact knocked the vehicle\u2019s wheels off the ground and blew it downhill. Once at the bottom of the pass, it continued rolling until it lost all momentum.\n\nSid heard the impact and repeated crunch of rock on metal. When the sound mercifully came to a stop, she trained the sniper rifle on the dissipating dust cloud at the bottom of the pass. The vehicle had ended up on its roof, battered and bruised but in one piece. From this angle, though, she couldn\u2019t see inside the cab.\n\n\u201cCyrus! Can you hear me?\u201d she cried over comms.\n\nBefore receiving an answer, she began to run downhill. Sid felt like life was moving in slow motion. Soon she struggled for breath, the heavy armor and heart-stopping anxiety hitting her hard. She stopped to gather herself, then glanced up and across the pass. She sighed with relief at the sight of the Dragonfly still safely tucked between two boulders, its position just above the blast.\n\nSid commandeered the Dragonfly and sped to the crash site. Cyrus was motionless inside the upside-down vehicle. Still secured to the seat by the safety restraints, his arms limply dangled past his head. Sid grabbed his closest arm, pulled out a MedPen, and stabbed it where his undersuit was exposed.\n\nCyrus came back from the brink. His body filled with adrenaline and confusion as to why everything was inverted. He turned to see Sid. Slowly, the preceding series of events came back.\n\n\u201cYou get him?\u201d\n\nSid nodded her head. \u201cYou ready?\u201d\n\nHe nodded in return. She carefully cut away the safety restraints and helped him out of the cab. Finally freed, Cyrus slowly sat up, mind and body still not in sync. Sid felt bad for thinking it, but he looked just like he did when she caught him napping in the shop.\n\n\u201cHey . . . I\u2019m gonna see if I can find where the med kit wound up.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll help.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou sure?\u201d\n\nCyrus sat forward and stood up. \u201cRally back here in five?\u201d\n\nShe gave him a thumbs up. Cyrus wanted to smile but wasn\u2019t sure if he could. He still felt like not all his wires were connected.\n\nSid climbed on the Dragonfly and carefully followed the trail of destruction, searching for anything worth keeping. Cyrus slowly circled the buggy but found nothing. It at least afforded him the chance to get his legs under him. Sid returned faster than expected.\n\n\u201cNo luck. You probably flung it halfway home.\u201d Sid scanned the horizon. \u201cIf we want to expand the search radius, let\u2019s do it fast. No guarantee the previous owner of this bike didn\u2019t inform the entire Vucari clan that we\u2019re trying to get through that pass.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m fine. Let\u2019s go.\u201d\n\nSid eyed him, uncertain.\n\n\u201cThe most important thing is to clear the pass before reinforcements arrive.\u201d Cyrus pulled his custom sniper rifle from its attachment point. His heart dropped. The barrel was battered and slightly bent.\n\n\u201cHere . . .\u201d\n\nCyrus looked up as Sid tossed him the Vucari sniper rifle. He gave it a once over. It wasn\u2019t bad, but it wasn\u2019t his.\n\nHe jumped on the Dragonfly. Cyrus\u2019 back came to rest against Sid\u2019s. He exhaled, laid the sniper rifle across his lap and then strapped in. Sure he was safely aboard, Sid opened up the throttles to max and concentrated on putting distance between themselves and the ambush site.\n\nSid and Cyrus faced no more resistance leaving the Sargon Pass. They raced onto the Platean Plain and were blinded by the morning sun. At various points across the horizon, the land just vanished. These gaps indicated geographical scars that were once strip mines, but were now more and more often hiding outlaw encampments. Sid made sure to give the gaps a wide berth.\n\n\u201cAnyone following us?\u201d\n\n\u201cNot that I can see.\u201d Cyrus scanned for dust clouds or other obvious signs.\n\n\u201cGood. We\u2019re almost there.\u201d\n\nAn unnatural jumble of shapes was silhouetted against the horizon. That must be it. Sid quickly glanced around. She could see for kilometers in all directions. Interesting spot to ambush a convoy.\n\nSid stopped at some distance from the wreckage. Cyrus eyed it with the sniper rifle and saw no one. The scanner on the Dragonfly said the same.\n\nThey approached, then circled the ambush site. Several trucks sat in various states of ruin. One was burnt to a crisp, barely more than a frame. Others were thoroughly riddled with bullet holes and laser blasts. One lay on its side.\n\nSid stopped the Dragonfly at the center of the convoy\u2019s line. The two dismounted and glanced in each direction. Not a single body was anywhere to be seen.\n\n\u201cLeft or right?\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll take left,\u201d replied Cyrus. He headed off in his assigned direction. The closest vehicle had been incinerated by something. There was little left besides its frame and ash. Cyrus still gave it a good once over.\n\nThe utter destruction had to be the work of the Cadejo Crew. The Vucari would\u2019ve been more careful so they could use this equipment for their own purposes. The Cadejo were clearly challenging Vucari for control of the area. Such a gang war would only further destabilize this region and make getting supplies to Behistun that much more dangerous.\n\nCyrus was halfway to the next vehicle when Sid commed him.\n\n\u201cCyrus, on me.\u201d\n\nHe turned and hurried in her direction. Sid stood at the back of a mostly intact truck, its rear doors open wide. Where supplies had once been stored now sat a pile of battered armor. In the middle was the chest piece from Immanuelle\u2019s armor. With the number of times he had repaired it over the years, Cyrus would recognize it anywhere.\n\nAfter scanning for explosives, they pulled Immanuelle\u2019s armor out of the pile and inspected it. He asked, \u201cYou believe the rumors about the Cadejos taking people alive?\u201d\n\nSid slowly walked away from the vehicle, suddenly drawn elsewhere.\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t believe most of what I hear, but I\u2019m not going to let that stop me.\u201d\n\nCyrus looked up to see Sid staring off into the distance. He joined her and then saw it. Tire tracks leading north.\n\nSid and Cyrus locked eyes. Nothing else needed to be said besides, \u201cI\u2019ll go get the bike.\u201d\n\nTO BE CONTINUED\u2026","de_DE":"Anmerkung des Autors: Sid & Cyrus: Teil 1 wurde urspr\u00fcnglich in Jump Point 5.5 ver\u00f6ffentlicht.\nEin hohes Kreischen schallte durch das Falling Sky, als die Eingangst\u00fcr aufglitt. Keiner der Stammg\u00e4ste in dieser heruntergekommenen Kneipe bemerkte das Ger\u00e4usch oder k\u00fcmmerte sich darum. Nur Sidney blickte von ihrem Posten hinter der Bar auf. Immer noch so aufmerksam und energisch wie die meisten Menschen, die halb so alt sind wie sie, brauchte Sid nur einen Moment, um den jungen Mann zu mustern, der eintrat, bevor sie sich wieder an die Arbeit machte. Sie hatte genug gesehen.\n\nDer Junge schlich sich an die Bar und be\u00e4ugte Vinny, der sich ein paar Hocker weiter setzte. Vinny nahm einen tiefen Schluck und hielt seine Augen auf den Bildschirm geheftet. Wenn die Crashers spielten, war nichts wichtiger f\u00fcr ihn. Definitiv nicht irgendein nerv\u00f6ses Kind mit einem wilden Blick in den Augen.\n\nDer Junge lehnte sich zu Sid, nur um innezuhalten und wieder in Vinnys Richtung zu blicken. Als er absolut sicher war, dass er nicht zuh\u00f6rte, murmelte er: \"Tomyris hat mich geschickt.\"\n\nTomyris war der Anf\u00fchrer eines aufstrebenden und skrupellosen Verbrecherpacks, das sich selbst die Cadejo Crew nannte. Sid kannte Tomyris nur vom H\u00f6rensagen, aber wenn dieser Junge etwas anderes dachte, wer war sie, um seine Realit\u00e4t zu zerst\u00f6ren? Also l\u00e4chelte sie, um ihn zu beruhigen, und antwortete: \"Wie w\u00e4r's, wenn ich dir einen Drink spendiere?\"\n\n\"Radegast, pur ... warte, du hast Ghosts?\"\n\n\"Nat\u00fcrlich.\" Sid schnappte sich die Flasche Tevarin Rye White Whiskey und schenkte sich den Drink ein. Der Junge nutzte den Moment, um Vinny erneut zu mustern. Seine Nervosit\u00e4t war mit H\u00e4nden zu greifen.\n\n\"Das ist deine erste Fahrt, nicht wahr?\"\n\nDas lenkte die Aufmerksamkeit des Jungen wieder auf sie. Sie stellte das Glas vor ihm ab. \"Keine Sorge, du machst das toll.\"\n\nDer Junge schluckte den wei\u00dfen Whiskey hinunter und spuckte ihn fast wieder aus, als das Brennen seine Kehle traf. Zu seiner Ehre schaffte er es, zu schlucken.\n\n\"Es ist nur\", sagte der Junge, w\u00e4hrend er sich die Lippen am \u00c4rmel seines abgetragenen Fluganzugs abwischte, \"na ja, Sie wissen schon. Es war ein verr\u00fcckter Tag f\u00fcr mich.\"\n\nSid schenkte ihm eine Flasche geschmuggelten Mondschein ein, sicher, dass er nach dem ersten Brennen den Unterschied nicht mehr bemerken w\u00fcrde.\n\n\"Erz\u00e4hlen Sie mir davon.\"\n\n\"Nun, es ist vollbracht.\"\n\n\"Es?\"\n\n\"Wissen Sie\", der Junge lehnte sich noch weiter vor und senkte seine Stimme, bis sie kaum noch h\u00f6ren konnte, was er als n\u00e4chstes sagte, \"der Konvoi nach Behistun.\"\n\nSid's Magen sank. Immanuelle. Alles, was sie als Antwort zustande brachte, war: \"Sie sind sicher, dass es ...\"\n\n\"Ja . . . Ich war dabei.\" Der Junge kippte seinen Drink und blickte zum Sataball-Spiel. Sid f\u00fcllte sein Glas nach und widerstand dem Drang, ihm die Flasche \u00fcber den Kopf zu ziehen.\n\n\"Also, sind wir gut? Sie sagten, Sie \u00fcbernehmen Phase zwei, richtig?\" Fragte der Junge. Sid zwang sich zu einem L\u00e4cheln und nickte. Der Junge kippte den letzten Shot zur\u00fcck und stellte das Glas ab. \"Ich habe deinen Namen nie verstanden.\"\n\n\"Devin.\"\n\nSid notierte sich den Namen im Geiste. Dann sagte er ihn laut, um ihn sich ein weiteres Mal einzupr\u00e4gen.\n\n\"Pass gut auf dich auf, Devin.\"\n\nDer Junge l\u00e4chelte und stolperte zur T\u00fcr, pl\u00f6tzlich sp\u00fcrte er die Wirkung des Alkohols. Sid verschwand in dem B\u00fcro im hinteren Teil der Bar. Sie fand Talsa und sagte, sie f\u00fchle sich krank. Talsa seufzte scharf, dann winkte sie ohne weitere Nachfrage ab.\n\nSekunden sp\u00e4ter schl\u00fcpfte Sid durch die Hintert\u00fcr der Bar hinaus. Sie \u00fcberlegte, ob sie Devin folgen und herausfinden sollte, was er sonst noch wusste, entschied sich aber schlie\u00dflich dagegen. Im Moment brauchte sie Cyrus. Sie beschleunigte ihr Tempo und machte sich auf den Heimweg.\n\nDas st\u00e4ndige Brummen der landenden und startenden Schiffe erf\u00fcllte den Himmel, als Sid durch die Stra\u00dfen von Reis eilte. In der Stadt herrschte am sp\u00e4ten Nachmittag reges Treiben, da die Bewohner sich beeilten, ihre Besorgungen zu erledigen, bevor die bl\u00e4ulich-wei\u00dfe Sonne von Nexus \u00fcber den stark befestigten Mauern der Stadt unterging. Die meisten mieden die Stra\u00dfen nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit aufgrund der ansteigenden Kriminalit\u00e4tsrate, aber Sid zog es dann vor. Es waren weniger Leute da, die sie aufhalten konnten.\n\nSid bog um die Ecke, die von Q&D Aeroservice besetzt war, und mischte sich dann in ein Gedr\u00e4nge, das sich durch einen besonders engen Teil der Stra\u00dfe dr\u00e4ngte. Die Ursache f\u00fcr den Engpass war eine Ansammlung von H\u00fctten, die aus ausrangierten Schiffscontainern gebaut waren. Darin lebten Fl\u00fcchtlinge von Au\u00dfenposten, die von den Vucari \u00fcberrannt worden waren. Diese \u00dcberlebenden waren die Gl\u00fccklichen.\n\nDie Vucari, eines der \u00e4ltesten Verbrecherpacks in Lago, waren in den letzten Monaten wieder zu Macht und Ansehen gelangt. Angef\u00fchrt von dem neu bef\u00f6rderten Meister Kraujas waren sie wieder zur gr\u00f6\u00dften Bedrohung in der Gegend geworden und stellten sogar die Cadejos in den Schatten. Methodisch dehnten die Vucari ihr Gebiet aus, indem sie zivile Au\u00dfenposten \u00fcbernahmen. Jeder, der sich wehrte, litt unter ihrer Grausamkeit. Jeder, der alle Waffen und Besitzt\u00fcmer aufgab, durfte fliehen. Die meisten landeten in Reis mit nichts als den Kleidern auf dem R\u00fccken. Die kruden Unterk\u00fcnfte, wie die, in die sich Sid jetzt quetschte, waren zumindest ein Fortschritt gegen\u00fcber dem kaputten Pflaster, das die meisten armen Seelen, die auf der Stra\u00dfe schlafen mussten, beanspruchten.\n\nSie ging ein paar Blocks weiter, bevor sie sich in eine Gasse duckte. Der Gestank von menschlichen Abf\u00e4llen schlug Sid ins Gesicht. Der Geruch war neu, ein Zeichen f\u00fcr die sich verschlechternde Abfallwirtschaft in der Stadt.\n\nSid hielt den Atem an und wich vorsichtig den M\u00fcllhaufen und seltsamen Flecken aus. Ein Ausbruch aufgrund schlechter \u00f6ffentlicher Hygiene war das Letzte, was Lago brauchte. Die Menschen waren aufgrund der Wohnungsknappheit und der schrumpfenden Lebensmittelvorr\u00e4te bereits angespannt. Sid wusste, dass, wenn Reis noch weiter abrutschte, alle Zivilisationen zerfetzt werden w\u00fcrden. Sie hatte es schon einmal gesehen und sie wusste, was als n\u00e4chstes passieren w\u00fcrde.\n\nDie Vucari w\u00fcrden die Uneinigkeit ausnutzen und zuschlagen. Reis zur\u00fcckzuerobern war der Traum eines jeden Kommandanten der Gesetzlosen, seit die UEE den Planeten im Jahr 2931 gewaltsam zur\u00fcckerobert hatte. Meister Kraujas wusste, dass eine solche Eroberung seinen Namen in der Geschichte etablieren w\u00fcrde. Er wusste auch, dass die zivile Instabilit\u00e4t sein gr\u00f6\u00dfter Verb\u00fcndeter war und dass das Zerbr\u00f6ckeln der Zivilisation die Einnahme der Stadt nur erleichtern w\u00fcrde.\n\nSid verlangsamte an einem hohen Zaun aus Wellblech, ihre Augen scannten, um sich seiner Unversehrtheit zu versichern. Sie folgte dem Zaun vorsichtig um die Ecke, bis er mit der R\u00fcckseite eines zweist\u00f6ckigen Geb\u00e4udes verbunden war. Sie ging zur Vorderseite des Geb\u00e4udes und betrat eine heruntergekommene Reparaturwerkstatt, die den ersten Stock belegte.\n\nEine Glocke l\u00e4utete, als Sid die T\u00fcr \u00f6ffnete. Hinter dem Serviceschalter sammelten Regale mit Schrott Staub. Sid duckte sich unter den Tresen und \u00fcberquerte die Schwelle in den Arbeitsraum der Werkstatt.\n\nCyrus d\u00f6ste in einem ramponierten Stuhl hinter einem mit mechanischen Teilen und elektronischen Komponenten vollgestopften Schreibtisch. Sid stupste die F\u00fc\u00dfe ihres Mannes vom Schreibtisch, wodurch er wach wurde. Eine kleine Drohne fiel von seinem Scho\u00df auf den Boden.\n\nCyrus setzte sich nach vorne und nahm sich eine Sekunde Zeit, sein Dunst nach dem Nickerchen war immer noch nicht ganz klar. Obwohl Cyrus immer noch scharfsinnig und flink war, war er manchmal langsam in Aktion.\n\n\"Was machst du schon so fr\u00fch?\", fragte er, w\u00e4hrend er die heruntergefallene Drohne aufhob.\n\n\"Wozu ist die Glocke gut, wenn man sie nicht h\u00f6rt?\"\n\nCyrus winkte die Antwort ab, w\u00e4hrend er die Drohne auf Sch\u00e4den untersuchte. Er schnappte sich einen kleinen Schraubenzieher und nahm ein paar kleine Anpassungen vor.\n\nSid holte tief Luft, denn sie wusste, dass dieser n\u00e4chste Moment alles wahr machen k\u00f6nnte, was sie bef\u00fcrchtete. Cyrus sp\u00fcrte die schwangere Pause und begegnete ihren Augen.\n\n\"Was ist los?\"\n\n\"Wir m\u00fcssen den Tracker von Immanuelle \u00fcberpr\u00fcfen.\"\n\nCyrus brauchte einen Moment, um die Anfrage zu verarbeiten, bevor er sich in seinem Stuhl drehte und die Drohne auf seinen Schreibtisch warf, alles in einer einzigen schnellen Bewegung. Er tippte z\u00fcgig auf seinem Terminal, w\u00e4hrend die Ersatzteile auf seinem Schreibtisch klapperten. Er blickte auf und sah Sid auf und ab gehen. Ihre Schultern waren vor Unruhe nach vorne gebeugt und lie\u00dfen sie sehr alt aussehen.\n\nSekunden sp\u00e4ter begann Cyrus, ein Programm zu starten, das er seit fast einem Jahr nicht mehr ge\u00f6ffnet hatte. Es war eine Hintert\u00fcr zu den Geolokalisierungs- und Biofeedback-Sensoren in Immanuelles R\u00fcstung, eine Funktion, von der ihre Tochter nichts wusste.\n\nCyrus f\u00fcgte sie hinzu, nachdem ein Vucari-Angriff ihren Konvoi getroffen hatte, der Lebensmittel und erste Hilfe zu Siedlungen in ganz Lago transportierte. Sie hatte danach eine Woche im Krankenhaus verbracht, eine der l\u00e4ngsten Wochen seines Lebens. Die Gesetzlosen wurden von Tag zu Tag ermutigter, aber Cyrus wusste, dass das Immanuelle nicht aufhalten w\u00fcrde. In ihrem Alter h\u00e4tte es ihn auch nicht aufgehalten.\n\nVerwirrt \u00fcber das, was er getan hatte, erz\u00e4hlte Cyrus es Sid. In dem darauf folgenden Streit schimpfte sie mit ihm und dankte ihm, dass er es getan hatte. Die beiden einigten sich darauf, nur dann auf die Informationen des Panzers zuzugreifen, wenn es unbedingt n\u00f6tig war. Immanuelle hatte seitdem zahlreiche Lieferfahrten auf Lagos umk\u00e4mpften Planeten unternommen, ohne Zwischenf\u00e4lle. Dies war das erste Mal, dass sie sich gezwungen sahen, es zu \u00fcberpr\u00fcfen.\n\nCyrus wusste, dass etwas furchtbar falsch war, ohne \u00fcberhaupt fragen zu m\u00fcssen, aber er konnte nicht l\u00e4nger schweigend dasitzen und nichts wissen. \"Was haben Sie in der Bar geh\u00f6rt?\"\n\n\"Ein Junge kam und erz\u00e4hlte von einem Angriff auf einen Konvoi nach Behistun. Er dachte, ich sei jemand anderes, also wei\u00df ich nicht, wie sehr ich ihm vertrauen kann ...\"\n\n\u201c. . . . aber . . .\"\n\n\"Er hatte diesen Blick in seinen Augen.\" Mehr brauchte sie nicht zu sagen. Cyrus verstand.\n\n\"Denken Sie, es ist wieder Vucari?\", fragte er.\n\n\"Cadejo.\"\n\nCyrus wurde sichtlich blass. Das Programm initialisierte sich schlie\u00dflich. Er tippte ein paar schnelle Befehle und wartete. Das Terminal pingte und gab Ergebnisse zur\u00fcck.\n\n\"Und?\", fragte sich Sid, die sich nicht dazu durchringen konnte, auf den Bildschirm zu schauen. Nach ein paar Sekunden qu\u00e4lender Stille drehte sie sich um und fand Cyrus, der die Daten scannte. \"Ist sie in Ordnung?\"\n\n\"Ungewiss\", antwortete er vorsichtig.\n\n\"Was soll das hei\u00dfen? Funktioniert das Ding \u00fcberhaupt?\"\n\n\"Das hat es. Bis vor acht Stunden. Seitdem tut sich nichts mehr. Es besteht die M\u00f6glichkeit, dass -\"\n\n\"Wo?\"\n\n\u201c. . was?\"\n\nSid ging zum Terminal hin\u00fcber, \"Woher kam das letzte Signal?\"\n\n\"Norden, 34 Grad . . 26 Minuten -\"\n\n\"Nicht die Koordinaten.\" Sid lehnte sich \u00fcber den Schreibtisch und erweiterte den sichtbaren Bereich der Karte. Das Signal kam aus der Mitte der Platean-Ebene, etwa auf halbem Weg nach Behistun.\n\n\"Das ist Vucari-Territorium, nicht wahr? Was machen die Cadejo dort?\"\n\nSid dachte kurz dar\u00fcber nach; eine Lieferung in feindlichem Gebiet zu \u00fcberfallen, verstie\u00df gegen den Ehrenkodex, nach dem viele dieser gesetzlosen Rudel lebten. Dann schnappte sie sich ihr Gewehr und legte eine frische Batterie ein. \"Ich wei\u00df es nicht und es ist mir egal.\"\n\nWeder Sid noch Cyrus hatten den Mut, ihre Angst dar\u00fcber auszusprechen, was mit ihrer Tochter geschehen sein k\u00f6nnte. Stattdessen beschlossen sie einfach, es selbst herauszufinden.\n\nDie beiden verbrachten die Nacht damit, ihre alten Sachen zusammenzusuchen und vorzubereiten. Sie verschoben M\u00f6bel und hoben Bodenplatten an, um an die von Cyrus gebauten versteckten Waffenverstecke zu gelangen. Die Verstecke waren strategisch in ihrem zweist\u00f6ckigen Geb\u00e4ude platziert, so dass die Waffen nie zu weit weg sein w\u00fcrden, falls Gesetzlose oder Geister aus ihrer Vergangenheit vor ihrer Haust\u00fcr auftauchten.\n\nNach ihren eigenen Worten f\u00fchrten Sid und Cyrus eine kleine Sicherheitsfirma, bevor sie nach Reis zogen. Die Realit\u00e4t war, dass sie gefragte S\u00f6ldner mit einem beeindruckenden Portfolio an Missionen und einer beachtlichen Anzahl von Feinden waren. Es war das Leben, das sie wollten, bis das Unerwartete geschah.\n\nImmanuelle war nie Teil ihres Plans gewesen. Sid war genauso schockiert wie Cyrus, als er entdeckte, dass sie schwanger war. Die Nachricht ersch\u00fctterte das Paar und zwang sie, ihr Leben neu zu \u00fcberdenken. Zu ihrer beider \u00dcberraschung stellten sie fest, dass ihnen die Idee gefiel, ihre Familie zu erweitern. Das Problem war, dass sie dem Tod schon viel zu oft ausgewichen waren und wussten, dass es nur eine Frage der Zeit war, bis er sie einholte. Immanuelles Ankunft war eine Chance, neu anzufangen und den Gefahren zu entkommen, die Teil ihrer t\u00e4glichen Existenz geworden waren.\n\nAls Immanuelle f\u00fcnf Jahre alt war, kauften sie dieses bescheidene zweist\u00f6ckige Geb\u00e4ude auf Reis. Im Jahr zuvor hatte die UEE den gesetzlosen Pakten, die das System jahrhundertelang beherrscht hatten, die Kontrolle \u00fcber Nexus entrissen, so dass die Regierung mit g\u00fcnstigen Grundst\u00fccksangeboten neue Bewohner anlocken konnte. Da Sid und Cyrus nie innerhalb des Systems gearbeitet hatten, dachten sie sich, dass dies ein idealer Ort sei, um neu anzufangen, mit einer minimalen Chance, mit ihrer Vergangenheit in Ber\u00fchrung zu kommen.\n\nCyrus baute das Erdgeschoss des Geb\u00e4udes in eine Reparaturwerkstatt um. Seine Begabung, Dinge zu reparieren, erwies sich als unsch\u00e4tzbar, da Angriffe von Gesetzlosen auf Versorgungslieferungen an der Tagesordnung waren. Sid half, die Reparaturwerkstatt zu f\u00fchren und Immanuelle aufzuziehen, f\u00fchlte sich aber unruhig, bis sie in die Bar Falling Sky ging. Dort kam ein bisschen von dem Schwung zur\u00fcck. Sie fand ein St\u00fcck ihres alten Lebens unter den S\u00f6ldnern, die dort verkehrten. Also brachte sie sich selbst bei, einen m\u00f6rderischen Terra Tornado zu bauen, \u00fcberzeugte Talsa, sie einzustellen, und lebte stellvertretend durch die Geschichten der Stammg\u00e4ste von Lagos ungez\u00e4hmter Planetenseite.\n\nDie ganze Zeit \u00fcber wusste Immanuelle nichts von dem fr\u00fcheren Leben ihrer Eltern. Es ist nicht so, dass Sid und Cyrus ihre Vergangenheit vor ihr verbargen. Sie waren lediglich w\u00e4hlerisch mit dem, was sie sagten, beide in der Hoffnung, dass das Gen der Selbstgef\u00e4hrdung eine Generation \u00fcbersprungen hatte.\n\nDennoch dauerte es nicht lange, bis der Abenteuersinn ihrer Tochter zum Vorschein kam. Bevor sie zehn Jahre alt wurde, hatte Immanuelle jeden Winkel und jede Gasse in ihrer Nachbarschaft erkundet. Als Teenager bekam sie oft \u00c4rger, weil sie sich in den \"Falling Sky\" schlich, wenn Sid nicht im Dienst war, um die ungeheuerlichen und oft grausamen Geschichten zu h\u00f6ren, die die G\u00e4ste erz\u00e4hlten. Es war f\u00fcr Sid und Cyrus offensichtlich, dass ihre Tochter aus dem gleichen Holz geschnitzt war wie ihre Eltern.\n\nCyrus \u00fcberpr\u00fcfte die Munitionsclips einen nach dem anderen, bevor er sie in seinen Rucksack schob, um seine Emotionen in den Griff zu bekommen und sich auf die anstehende Arbeit zu konzentrieren. In den letzten Monaten hatte er nur beil\u00e4ufige Erw\u00e4hnungen von Tomyris und der Cadejo-Crew geh\u00f6rt, aber jede davon hatte ihm einen Schauer \u00fcber den R\u00fccken gejagt. Anders als die Vucari schaffte es niemand, der von den Cadejo angegriffen wurde, zur\u00fcck nach Reis. Es kursierten Ger\u00fcchte, dass die Cadejos es vorzogen, Menschen lebend zu fangen, um sie f\u00fcr ein finsteres Ritual zu verwenden. Cyrus glaubte die Geschichten nicht ganz, aber er hatte in seinem Leben schon genug seltsame Dinge gesehen, um sie nicht v\u00f6llig auszuschlie\u00dfen. Wenn es wahr ist, so dachte er bei sich, h\u00e4tte Immanuelle zumindest eine bessere Chance, noch am Leben zu sein.\n\nCyrus warf sich einen Seesack, gef\u00fcllt mit Ausr\u00fcstung und Waffen, \u00fcber die Schulter und trug ihn vorsichtig die Treppe hinunter. Er lie\u00df die Tasche mit einem Aufprall hinter dem Tresen fallen. Er holte tief Luft und war \u00fcberrascht, wie ersch\u00f6pft er war, dann trat er in die Werkstatt.\n\n\"Erstes Licht in f\u00fcnfundvierzig\", rief er zu Sid. \"Ich bringe den Buggy nach hinten.\"\n\n\"Ich komme gleich und helfe.\"\n\nSid stand an einer Werkbank und nahm Einstellungen an ihrem Energiegewehr vor, w\u00e4hrend sie eine schwere R\u00fcstung ohne Helm trug und ihr Gl\u00fccksbandana ihr Haar zur\u00fcckhielt. Der Anblick lie\u00df Cyrus innehalten. In ihren S\u00f6ldnertagen hatte sie immer leichte R\u00fcstungen getragen, da sie es vorzog, flink zu sein, anstatt aggressiv gepanzert.\n\nVor ein paar Jahren kam sie von einer Schicht im Falling Sky zur\u00fcck und trug die schwere R\u00fcstung. Sie erschreckte Immanuelle halb zu Tode, indem sie selbstbewusst hinter den Schalter der Werkstatt schritt, bevor sie sich zu erkennen gab. Sid behauptete, jemand habe ihr ein gutes Angebot gemacht, und bat Cyrus, seinen Zauber anzuwenden. Sie sagte, es k\u00f6nnte sich eines Tages als n\u00fctzlich erweisen. Er h\u00e4tte nie erwartet, dass dies der Fall sein w\u00fcrde.\n\n\"Du gehst mit dem Schwergewicht, was? Hatten Sie die M\u00f6glichkeit, es im Feld zu testen?\"\n\n\"Scheint ein so guter Zeitpunkt wie jeder andere zu sein\", antwortete sie.\n\n\"Der Effekt auf Ihre Geschwindigkeit und Ausdauer k\u00f6nnte Sie \u00fcberraschen...\"\n\n\"Hey . . . Ich dachte, du wolltest das Quad holen.\"\n\nSid nahm ihre Augen von ihrer Waffe, um Cyrus einen Blick zuzuwerfen. Ihr Gesicht schien fast zu schweben inmitten der massiven R\u00fcstung um sie herum.\n\n\"Gut, aber ich muss Ihnen schnell zwei Dinge sagen. Erstens, und da bin ich ganz ehrlich, sehen Sie ein wenig l\u00e4cherlich aus\", sagte er, w\u00e4hrend er auf die Garage zuging. Sids Augen flackerten vor Intensit\u00e4t. \"Und zweitens, wenn Sie Ihren Helm aufsetzen, verwenden Sie die Einstellung, die mit Ihrem Namen beschriftet ist. Ich habe Ihre Vorlieben bereits einprogrammiert.\"\n\nEin kleines L\u00e4cheln kroch \u00fcber Sids Gesicht, das erste, das Cyrus seit ihrer Ankunft zu Hause gesehen hatte. Bevor sie antworten konnte, war Cyrus schon zur T\u00fcr hinaus. Das L\u00e4cheln war die einzige Beruhigung, die er brauchte, um zu wissen, dass seine Welt nicht komplett zusammenbrechen w\u00fcrde, wenn diese Mission auf eine Weise endete, die keiner von ihnen zu sagen wagte.\n\nReis sa\u00df eine halbe Stunde sp\u00e4ter auf Sid & Cyrus' Platz. Die beiden tauschten einen Blick aus, als sie den \u00f6stlichen Sicherheitskontrollpunkt der Stadt verlie\u00dfen. Dies war das erste Mal, dass die beiden seit der Geburt von Immanuelle auf einem Auftrag unterwegs waren.\n\nAls sie das Mycale-Tal durchquerten, zeichneten sich am Horizont hoch aufragende graue Berge ab. Das Gegenlicht der langsam aufgehenden Sonne machte sie nur noch bedrohlicher und imposanter. W\u00e4hrend Sid fuhr, berechnete Cyrus mehrere m\u00f6gliche Routen zum letzten bekannten Aufenthaltsort ihrer Tochter. Als er sie auf die Karte \u00fcbertrug, sah er, dass sie einen der vielen P\u00e4sse, die das Harran-Gebirge durchschneiden, befahren mussten, um die Platean-Ebene zu erreichen. Er scannte die Liste, unsicher, welcher der sicherste sein w\u00fcrde.\n\n\"Der direkteste Weg f\u00fchrt \u00fcber den Datis-Pass\", stellte er fest.\n\n\"Mir kommt es so vor, als ob jemand in der Bar immer davon spricht, dass dieser Pass von Gesetzlosen heimgesucht wird. Gibt es noch andere M\u00f6glichkeiten?\"\n\nImmanuel hatte einmal zugegeben, dass die \u00dcberquerung dieses Gebirgszuges oft der ersch\u00fctterndste Teil ihrer Reise war.\n\n\"Wie w\u00e4re es mit dem Sargon-Pass? Ist das eine Option? Vinny schw\u00f6rt, dass es der sicherste Weg Richtung Osten ist.\"\n\n\"Sie vertrauen dem Kerl, der auch schw\u00f6rt, dass der Asteroid in Nemo tats\u00e4chlich wie ein Weltraumwal aussieht?\"\n\n\"Er kann nicht immer falsch liegen. Schau einfach nach, ok?\"\n\nCyrus l\u00e4chelte. Die Leichtigkeit ihres Austauschs verflog, als die Absicht ihrer Mission wieder in den Vordergrund r\u00fcckte. Er scannte die Liste der m\u00f6glichen Routen, bis er eine durch den Sargon-Pass fand.\n\n\"Das verl\u00e4ngert die Reise um mindestens eine Stunde.\" Er w\u00e4hlte die Route aus, um sie im Detail zu untersuchen. \"Warten Sie . . . Erinnern Sie sich an die Reise, die Immanuelle und ich vor etwa f\u00fcnf, sechs Jahren zusammen gemacht haben?\"\n\n\"Ihr zwei lacht immer noch dar\u00fcber\", seufzte Sid leise.\n\n\"Ich w\u00fcnschte wirklich, du w\u00e4rst in der Nacht vor unserer Abreise nicht krank geworden.\"\n\n\"Mir auch.\"\n\nSchweigen herrschte zwischen ihnen.\n\n\"Wie auch immer, mir ist gerade aufgefallen, dass wir auf der Reise den Sargon-Pass genommen haben.\"\n\n\"Also ist zumindest einer von uns damit vertraut.\"\n\nCyrus nickte. Sid trat auf das Gaspedal und lenkte das Quad weiter s\u00fcdlich auf den Pass zu. Die Federung des Buggys ruckelte unter dem unwegsamen Gel\u00e4nde.\n\nVor ihm leckten die Sonnenstrahlen an den Berggipfeln und gaben dem Gebirge endlich etwas Tiefe und Sch\u00e4rfe. Cyrus nahm sich eine Sekunde Zeit, um die Aussicht zu bewundern, dann widmete er sich wieder der Sorge, den Pass sicher zu \u00fcberqueren.\n\n\"Warum hast du uns schon wieder freiwillig f\u00fcr diesen Schei\u00dfjob gemeldet?\" Dmitri zog seinen d\u00fcnnen Mantel n\u00e4her heran, um gegen die K\u00e4lte zu isolieren, die von den Felsen sickerte, aus denen sein Scharfsch\u00fctzenplatz bestand.\n\n\"Bleiben Sie vom Funkger\u00e4t weg\", bellte Charlie zur\u00fcck.\n\nEin kalter Wind pfiff durch den Sargon-Pass. Ein Schauer bahnte sich seinen Weg \u00fcber Dmitris Wirbels\u00e4ule. Als er sich schlie\u00dflich verfl\u00fcchtigte, schaute er durch sein Zielfernrohr und scannte die M\u00fcndung des Passes, die noch in dunkle, fr\u00fchmorgendliche Schatten geh\u00fcllt war.\n\nTrotzig sprach er erneut in sein Funkger\u00e4t: \"Dieser Pass ist zu eng, als dass ein gro\u00dfer Fisch ihn nehmen k\u00f6nnte. Sie werden Ihre neuen Freunde nicht beeindrucken, wenn Sie eine der Elritzen fangen, die hier durchkommen.\"\n\n\"Was zum Teufel habe ich gerade gesagt?\"\n\nF\u00fcr einen Gesetzlosen war Charlie sicherlich ein Verfechter der Regeln, ein Charakterzug, der sich nur noch verst\u00e4rkt hatte, nachdem die beiden beschlossen hatten, mit den Vucari zusammenzuarbeiten. Dmitri dachte sich, dass es Spa\u00df machen w\u00fcrde, mit dem Rudel zu laufen, das so viel Territorium beherrschte. W\u00e4hrenddessen war Charlie schnell in den Masterplan der Vucari verliebt, um der UEE die Kontrolle \u00fcber Reis zu entrei\u00dfen. Dmitri freute sich lediglich auf die Pl\u00fcnderungen.\n\nTrotz ihrer Motivationsunterschiede kauerten Dmitri und Charlie nun auf gegen\u00fcberliegenden Seiten des Sargon-Passes und hofften, jeden, der von Reis kam, in einen Hinterhalt locken zu k\u00f6nnen. Dmitri \u00fcberpr\u00fcfte die Zeit und fragte sich, wie lange die Sonne noch brauchen w\u00fcrde, um die M\u00fcndung des Passes zu beleuchten und, was noch wichtiger war, ihm ein wenig W\u00e4rme zu spenden.\n\nSchlie\u00dflich f\u00fchlte sich die s\u00fc\u00dfe Verlockung eines Reizes wie seine einzige Rettung an. Dmitri lie\u00df das Scharfsch\u00fctzengewehr in Position und rutschte von seiner Sitzstange herunter, damit Charlie den Dampf nicht sehen konnte. Er nahm seinen Helm ab und holte eine Packung Kings aus seiner Tasche. Er genoss den Geschmack, als ihm der erste Zug in den Kopf schoss. Es machte fast alles wieder gut.\n\nPl\u00f6tzlich erf\u00fcllte ein schwaches Brummen die Luft. Das Ger\u00e4usch war leise, kam aber immer n\u00e4her. Dmitri scannte den Himmel und entdeckte eine kleine Drohne, die nicht weiter als zehn Meter entfernt schwebte. Irgendein Kerl hat ihn ausspioniert.\n\nDmitri zog seine Pistole. Seine freie Hand tastete verzweifelt nach seinem Helm, konnte ihn aber nicht finden. Er drehte sich um, um ihn zu suchen, dann wurde pl\u00f6tzlich alles schwarz.\n\nAbgelenkt von der Drohne, sah er nicht, wie Sid sich n\u00e4herte. Sie lie\u00df ihr Gewehr sinken und dr\u00fcckte dann ein paar Kn\u00f6pfe auf ihrem Mobi. Die Drohne flog zu ihrem Standort und landete sicher. Nachdem Sid den Puls des Jungen \u00fcberpr\u00fcft hatte, fesselte sie seine H\u00e4nde und durchsuchte ihn dann aus Gewohnheit, wobei sie nur eine halbe Packung Kings fand. Er trug einen Flickenteppich an Kleidung und eine billige R\u00fcstung, die mit den Vucari-Insignien beklebt war.\n\nEr kletterte hinauf, schnappte sich das Scharfsch\u00fctzengewehr von seiner Stange und kauerte sich hinter eine Felsformation, w\u00e4hrend er es inspizierte. Die Seriennummer war abgefeilt und das Vucari-Emblem grob in den Schaft ge\u00e4tzt worden. Die Vucari verteilten also magere R\u00fcstungen, aber anst\u00e4ndige Waffen. Sie machte sich eine mentale Notiz.\n\nIm Vertrauen darauf, dass die Vucari keinen einzigen Mann zur Bewachung des Passes abgestellt hatten, scannte Sid schnell die andere Seite durch das Zielfernrohr des Scharfsch\u00fctzengewehrs. Wenn noch jemand in der N\u00e4he war, konnte sie ihn nicht sehen. Es musste mindestens ein, vielleicht zwei Mitarbeiter geben, die woanders auf der Lauer lagen. Bis zur Kl\u00e4rung konnte es gef\u00e4hrlich sein, noch n\u00e4her heranzufahren.\n\n\"Wir haben Gesellschaft. Habe einen von ihnen \u00fcberw\u00e4ltigt. Wir werden jeden aufscheuchen, der noch bei der Drohne ist.\"\n\n\"Ich komme und helfe.\"\n\n\"Position halten. Wir wissen noch nicht, womit wir es zu tun haben.\"\n\nSid startete die Drohne, um den Pass von oben zu vermessen. Auf den ersten Blick sah es klar aus. Dann entdeckte sie eine seltsame Form zwischen zwei gro\u00dfen Felsbl\u00f6cken. Sie lie\u00df die Drohne langsam \u00fcber die Stelle sinken und sah einen geparkten Dragonfly. Das Ding hatte nur zwei Sitze, also musste es noch einen Gesetzlosen geben.\n\nPl\u00f6tzlich starb der Video-Feed der Drohne. Ein Schuss hallte durch den Pass, als die Drohne vom Himmel fiel. Sid versuchte, den Ursprung des Schusses auszumachen, aber es war zu sp\u00e4t. Beeindruckend - der Sch\u00fctze brauchte nur einen einzigen Schuss, um sie zu treffen.\n\nEin seltsames knisterndes Ger\u00e4usch erschreckte Sid. Sie drehte sich mit erhobener Waffe um, um niemanden vorzufinden. Sie atmete erleichtert aus, dann verfolgte sie das Ger\u00e4usch zum Helm des Gesetzlosen, der unten auf dem Boden lag. Es w\u00fcrde nicht lange dauern, bis sein Landsmann merkte, dass diese Position gef\u00e4hrdet war. Sie musste bald handeln.\n\nSid hob langsam den Kopf, das Scharfsch\u00fctzengewehr im Anschlag. Gewehrfeuer brach aus, Kugeln spr\u00fchten um sie herum. Sie ging schnell wieder in Deckung, hatte aber zumindest den Angreifer im Visier.\n\n\"Feuern Sie?\" Cyrus' Stimme knisterte in Sids Ohr.\n\n\"Gleich ... in ein paar Sekunden\", antwortete sie, w\u00e4hrend sie ihren Platz hinter dem Felsen zurechtr\u00fcckte.\n\n\"Ich bin auf dem Weg.\"\n\n\"Ich kann das erledigen.\" Sid richtete sich mit dem Scharfsch\u00fctzengewehr auf die Stelle, an der sie das M\u00fcndungsfeuer gesehen hatte. Es war niemand da. Weitere Sch\u00fcsse pfefferten ihren Standort aus einem etwas anderen Winkel an. Sie schlug auf dem Deck auf, bevor sie genau einsch\u00e4tzen konnte, woher sie kamen.\n\n\"Haben Sie ihn erwischt?\"\n\n\"Ich war es trotzdem nicht.\"\n\n\"Das war's.\"\n\n\"Ich brauche nur-\"\n\n\"Etwas, um das Feuer woanders hinzulenken.\"\n\nCyrus hatte Recht. Au\u00dferdem war es nur Handfeuerwaffenfeuer gewesen. Das w\u00fcrde ihrer Fahrt nicht allzu viel Schaden zuf\u00fcgen.\n\n\"Gut. Zeigen Sie sich, aber wagen Sie sich nicht zu weit nach oben. Nach allem, was wir wissen, k\u00f6nnte der Eingang mit Sprengstoff ausgelegt sein.\"\n\nNicht weit vom Pass versteckt, trat Cyrus auf das Gaspedal. Der Buggy schlingerte vorw\u00e4rts. Es f\u00fchlte sich f\u00fcr ihn etwas ruckartig an, und er machte sich eine mentale Notiz, es sich einmal zu Hause anzusehen.\n\nIn der Zwischenzeit kreiste Sid zu einer neuen Feuerposition weiter oben und hoffte, dass ihr neuer Aussichtspunkt in Kombination mit Cyrus' Ankunft diese Begegnung beenden w\u00fcrde.\n\n\"Ich erklimme gerade den Pass\", verk\u00fcndete Cyrus.\n\nSid machte ihre Waffe bereit und sp\u00e4hte \u00fcber eine felsige B\u00f6schung auf die andere Seite, um darauf zu warten, dass dieser schl\u00fcpfrige Bastard sich wieder zeigte. Das Grollen des Fahrzeugs hallte durch den Canyon und k\u00fcndigte seine Ankunft an. Sid scannte weiter mit dem Finger am Abzug.\n\nEine pl\u00f6tzliche Bewegung lenkte ihre Aufmerksamkeit auf sich. Sie konzentrierte sich auf die Stelle und hielt dann inne. Irgendetwas sah nicht ganz richtig aus. Es dauerte einen Moment, bis sie begriff, was sie sah. Der Gesetzlose hatte eine massive Waffe auf seine Schulter gehievt und zielte auf den Buggy.\n\n\"Raketenwerfer!\" rief Sid \u00fcber die Kommandozentrale.\n\nSie dr\u00fcckte eine Reihe von Sch\u00fcssen auf den Gesetzlosen ab und sah ihn taumeln. Seine Bewegung wurde durch die massive Waffe, die irgendwie noch auf seiner Schulter sa\u00df, \u00fcbertrieben. Sie holte tief Luft und feuerte weitere Sch\u00fcsse ab, w\u00e4hrend sie ausatmete. Der Gesetzlose verschwand schlie\u00dflich au\u00dfer Sichtweite.\n\nEinen Moment sp\u00e4ter ert\u00f6nte eine Explosion an der Stelle, an der er gefallen war. Sid sp\u00fcrte, wie der Berghang bebte und h\u00f6rte das deutliche Rumpeln von Felsen und Ger\u00f6ll, die bergab rollten. Die Felsformation gegen\u00fcber der Stelle, an der er gefallen war, wurde in St\u00fccke gesprengt.\n\nAugenblicke zuvor, als Cyrus Sids Warnung h\u00f6rte, trat er instinktiv auf das Gaspedal, da er bef\u00fcrchtete, dass der Raketenwerfer in ihre Richtung gerichtet sein k\u00f6nnte. Das n\u00e4chste, was er wusste, war, dass ein Knall durch den Canyon hallte. Als er realisierte, was passierte, war es unvermeidlich.\n\nCyrus sah etwas, das wie eine Flutwelle aus Tr\u00fcmmern aussah, die auf ihn zuraste. Er riss das Lenkrad hart nach links und das Fahrzeug drehte sich um neunzig Grad, wodurch die Beifahrerseite freigelegt wurde, gerade als eine Lawine auf sie zust\u00fcrzte. Der Aufprall hob die R\u00e4der des Fahrzeugs vom Boden ab und schleuderte es bergab. Am Fu\u00df des Passes angekommen, rollte es weiter, bis es jeden Schwung verlor.\n\nSid h\u00f6rte den Aufprall und das wiederholte Knirschen von Stein auf Metall. Als das Ger\u00e4usch gn\u00e4digerweise zum Stillstand kam, richtete sie das Scharfsch\u00fctzengewehr auf die sich aufl\u00f6sende Staubwolke am unteren Ende des Passes. Das Fahrzeug war auf dem Dach gelandet, ramponiert und zerschrammt, aber in einem St\u00fcck. Aus diesem Winkel konnte sie jedoch nicht in das Innere der Kabine sehen.\n\n\"Cyrus! K\u00f6nnen Sie mich h\u00f6ren?\", rief sie \u00fcber den Funk.\n\nBevor sie eine Antwort erhielt, begann sie bergab zu laufen. Sid hatte das Gef\u00fchl, als w\u00fcrde sich das Leben in Zeitlupe bewegen. Bald rang sie nach Atem, die schwere R\u00fcstung und die herzzerrei\u00dfende Angst trafen sie hart. Sie hielt an, um sich zu sammeln, dann blickte sie nach oben und \u00fcber den Pass. Sie seufzte vor Erleichterung beim Anblick der Libelle, die immer noch sicher zwischen zwei Felsen eingeklemmt war und gerade \u00fcber der Explosion lag.\n\nSid requirierte die Dragonfly und raste zur Absturzstelle. Cyrus lag regungslos im Inneren des umgedrehten Fahrzeugs. Immer noch mit den Sicherheitsgurten am Sitz befestigt, baumelten seine Arme schlaff an seinem Kopf vorbei. Sid packte seinen n\u00e4chstgelegenen Arm, zog einen MedPen heraus und stach ihn dort ein, wo sein Unteranzug frei lag.\n\nCyrus kam von der Kante zur\u00fcck. Sein K\u00f6rper f\u00fcllte sich mit Adrenalin und Verwirrung dar\u00fcber, warum alles auf dem Kopf stand. Er drehte sich um, um Sid zu sehen. Langsam kam die vorangegangene Serie von Ereignissen zur\u00fcck.\n\n\"Hast du ihn erwischt?\"\n\nSid nickte mit dem Kopf. \"Bist du bereit?\"\n\nEr nickte im Gegenzug. Sie schnitt vorsichtig die Sicherheitsgurte weg und half ihm aus der Kabine. Endlich befreit, setzte sich Cyrus langsam auf, Geist und K\u00f6rper waren immer noch nicht synchronisiert. Sid f\u00fchlte sich schlecht, weil er es dachte, aber er sah genauso aus wie damals, als sie ihn beim Nickerchen in der Werkstatt erwischt hatte.\n\n\"Hey ... Ich werde mal sehen, ob ich herausfinden kann, wo der Arzneikasten gelandet ist.\"\n\n\"Ich werde helfen.\"\n\n\"Sind Sie sicher?\"\n\nCyrus setzte sich nach vorne und stand auf. \"Versammeln Sie sich in f\u00fcnf Minuten wieder hier?\"\n\nSie gab ihm einen Daumen hoch. Cyrus wollte l\u00e4cheln, war sich aber nicht sicher, ob er es konnte. Er hatte immer noch das Gef\u00fchl, dass nicht alle seine Dr\u00e4hte verbunden waren.\n\nSid kletterte auf das Dragonfly und folgte vorsichtig der Spur der Zerst\u00f6rung, auf der Suche nach etwas, das es wert war, behalten zu werden. Cyrus umkreiste langsam den Buggy, fand aber nichts. Das gab ihm zumindest die M\u00f6glichkeit, seine Beine unter die F\u00fc\u00dfe zu bekommen. Sid kehrte schneller als erwartet zur\u00fcck.\n\n\"Kein Gl\u00fcck. Sie haben ihn wahrscheinlich auf halbem Weg nach Hause geschleudert.\" Sid scannte den Horizont. \"Wenn wir den Suchradius ausweiten wollen, sollten wir das schnell tun. Es gibt keine Garantie, dass der Vorbesitzer dieses Motorrads nicht den gesamten Vucari-Clan informiert hat, dass wir versuchen, \u00fcber diesen Pass zu kommen.\"\n\n\"Mir geht's gut. Los geht's.\"\n\nSid be\u00e4ugte ihn, unsicher.\n\n\"Das Wichtigste ist, dass wir den Pass r\u00e4umen, bevor die Verst\u00e4rkung eintrifft.\" Cyrus zog sein ma\u00dfgefertigtes Scharfsch\u00fctzengewehr aus seiner Halterung. Ihm fiel das Herz in die Hose. Der Lauf war ramponiert und leicht verbogen.\n\n\"Hier . . .\u201d\n\nCyrus sah auf, als Sid ihm das Vucari-Scharfsch\u00fctzengewehr zuwarf. Er sah es sich einmal an. Es war nicht schlecht, aber es war nicht seins.\n\nEr sprang auf das Dragonfly. Cyrus' R\u00fccken kam gegen den von Sid zur Ruhe. Er atmete aus, legte das Scharfsch\u00fctzengewehr auf seinen Scho\u00df und schnallte sich dann an. Sicher, dass er sicher an Bord war, \u00f6ffnete Sid die Drosselklappen auf Maximum und konzentrierte sich darauf, Abstand zwischen sich und den Hinterhalt zu bringen.\n\nSid und Cyrus trafen beim Verlassen des Sargon-Passes auf keinen weiteren Widerstand. Sie rasten auf die Platean-Ebene und wurden von der Morgensonne geblendet. An verschiedenen Stellen des Horizonts verschwand das Land einfach. Diese L\u00fccken deuteten auf geografische Narben hin, die einst Tagebaue waren, jetzt aber immer \u00f6fter Lager von Gesetzlosen verbargen. Sid achtete darauf, um die L\u00fccken einen gro\u00dfen Bogen zu machen.\n\n\"Folgt uns jemand?\"\n\n\"Nicht, dass ich sehen k\u00f6nnte.\" Cyrus scannte nach Staubwolken oder anderen offensichtlichen Zeichen.\n\n\"Gut. Wir sind fast da.\"\n\nEin unnat\u00fcrliches Wirrwarr von Formen zeichnete sich gegen den Horizont ab. Das musste es sein. Sid blickte sich schnell um. Sie konnte kilometerweit in alle Richtungen sehen. Ein interessanter Ort, um einen Konvoi zu \u00fcberfallen.\n\nSid blieb in einiger Entfernung von dem Wrack stehen. Cyrus be\u00e4ugte es mit dem Scharfsch\u00fctzengewehr und sah niemanden. Der Scanner der Dragonfly sagte dasselbe.\n\nSie n\u00e4herten sich, dann umkreisten sie den Ort des \u00dcberfalls. Mehrere Trucks sa\u00dfen in verschiedenen Zust\u00e4nden der Zerst\u00f6rung. Einer war knusprig verbrannt, kaum mehr als ein Rahmen. Andere waren durch und durch mit Einschussl\u00f6chern und Laserstrahlen durchl\u00f6chert. Einer lag auf der Seite.\n\nSid hielt die Dragonfly in der Mitte des Konvois an. Die beiden stiegen ab und blickten in alle Richtungen. Keine einzige Leiche war irgendwo zu sehen.\n\n\"Links oder rechts?\"\n\n\"Ich werde links nehmen\", antwortete Cyrus. Er machte sich auf den Weg in die ihm zugewiesene Richtung. Das n\u00e4chstgelegene Fahrzeug war von etwas einge\u00e4schert worden. Au\u00dfer dem Rahmen und Asche war nicht viel \u00fcbrig. Cyrus sah es sich trotzdem genau an.\n\nDie v\u00f6llige Zerst\u00f6rung musste das Werk der Cadejo-Crew sein. Die Vucari w\u00e4ren vorsichtiger gewesen, damit sie dieses Ger\u00e4t f\u00fcr ihre eigenen Zwecke nutzen konnten. Die Cadejo forderten die Vucari eindeutig um die Kontrolle \u00fcber das Gebiet heraus. Ein solcher Bandenkrieg w\u00fcrde diese Region nur weiter destabilisieren und die Versorgung von Behistun noch gef\u00e4hrlicher machen.\n\nCyrus war auf halbem Weg zum n\u00e4chsten Fahrzeug, als Sid ihn anrief.\n\n\"Cyrus, zu mir.\"\n\nEr drehte sich um und eilte in ihre Richtung. Sid stand am Heck eines weitgehend intakten Trucks, dessen Heckt\u00fcren weit ge\u00f6ffnet waren. Wo einst Vorr\u00e4te gelagert worden waren, sa\u00df nun ein Haufen ramponierter R\u00fcstungen. In der Mitte lag das Brustst\u00fcck von Immanuelles R\u00fcstung. So oft, wie er sie im Laufe der Jahre repariert hatte, w\u00fcrde Cyrus sie \u00fcberall wiedererkennen.\n\nNachdem sie nach Sprengstoff gescannt hatten, zogen sie Immanuelles R\u00fcstung aus dem Haufen und untersuchten sie. Er fragte: \"Glauben Sie die Ger\u00fcchte \u00fcber die Cadejos, die Menschen lebend fangen?\"\n\nSid schritt langsam  weg vom Fahrzeug, pl\u00f6tzlich anderswohin gezogen.\n\n\"Ich glaube das meiste, was ich h\u00f6re, nicht, aber ich werde mich davon nicht abhalten lassen.\"\n\nCyrus schaute auf und sah, wie Sid in die Ferne starrte. Er schloss sich ihr an und sah es dann. Reifenspuren, die nach Norden f\u00fchrten.\n\nSid und Cyrus schauten sich in die Augen. Es brauchte nichts weiter gesagt zu werden als: \"Ich hole das Motorrad.\"\n\nFORTSETZUNG FOLGT...","zh_CN":"Writer\u2019s Note: Sid & Cyrus: Part One was published originally in Jump Point 5.5.\nA high-pitched screech carried across the Falling Sky as the front door slid open. None of the regulars at this run-down watering hole noticed the noise or cared. Only Sidney looked up from her post behind the bar. Still as observant and energetic as most people half her age, Sid needed but a moment to scan the young man who entered before going back to work. She\u2019d seen enough.\n\nThe kid sidled up to the bar and eyed Vinny, sitting a few stools down. Vinny took a deep drink and kept his eyes glued to the vidscreen. When the Crashers were playing, nothing was more important to him. Definitely not some nervous kid with a wild look in his eyes.\n\nThe kid leaned toward Sid, only to pause and glance Vinny\u2019s way again. Once absolutely certain he wasn\u2019t listening, he muttered, \u201cTomyris sent me.\u201d\n\nTomyris was the leader of a burgeoning and ruthless outlaw pack calling themselves the Cadejo Crew. Sid knew Tomyris through reputation only, but if this kid thought otherwise, who was she to wreck his reality? So she smiled to put him at ease then replied, \u201cHow \u2019bout I buy you a drink?\u201d\n\n\u201cRadegast, neat . . . wait, you got Ghosts?\u201d\n\n\u201cCourse.\u201d Sid grabbed the bottle of Tevarin rye white whiskey and poured his drink. The kid took the moment to eye Vinny again. His nervousness was palpable.\n\n\u201cThis is your first run, isn\u2019t it?\u201d\n\nThat returned the kid\u2019s attention to her. She set the glass before him. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, you\u2019re doing great.\u201d\n\nThe kid gulped down the white whiskey and almost spit it back out as the burn hit his throat. To his credit, he managed to swallow.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s just,\u201d the kid said as he wiped his lips on the sleeve of his worn flight suit, \u201cwell, you know. It\u2019s been a crazy day for me.\u201d\n\nSid topped him off with a bottle of bootleg moonshine, certain after the initial burn he wouldn\u2019t notice the difference.\n\n\u201cTell me about it.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, it\u2019s done.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou know,\u201d the kid leaned in even farther and lowered his voice \u2019till she could barely hear what he said next, \u201cthe convoy to Behistun.\u201d\n\nSid\u2019s stomach sank. Immanuelle. All she could manage in response was, \u201cYou\u2019re sure it\u2019s . . .\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah . . . I was there.\u201d The kid killed his drink and glanced to the sataball game. Sid refilled his glass and resisted the urge to smash him over the head with the bottle.\n\n\u201cSo, we good? They said you\u2019ll handle phase two, right?\u201d The kid asked. Sid forced a smile and nodded. The kid threw back the last shot and set down the glass. \u201cNever did catch your name.\u201d\n\n\u201cDevin.\u201d\n\nSid mentally logged the name. Then said it aloud to imprint it in her mind one more time.\n\n\u201cYou stay safe, Devin.\u201d\n\nThe kid smiled and stumbled to the door, suddenly feeling the effect of the hooch. Sid disappeared into the office in the back of the bar. She found Talsa and said she was feeling sick. Talsa sighed sharply, then waved her off without further inquiry.\n\nSeconds later, Sid slipped out the bar\u2019s back door. She debated following Devin and learning what else he knew, but in the end decided against it. Right now she needed Cyrus. Quickening her pace, Sid headed home.\n\nThe constant hum of landing and launching ships filled the sky as Sid hurried through the streets of Reis. The city was abuzz with late afternoon activity, as residents rushed to complete errands before Nexus\u2019 bluish-white sun sank over the city\u2019s heavily fortified walls. Most avoided the streets after dark due to the surging crime rate, but Sid preferred it then. There were fewer people around to slow her down.\n\nSid rounded the corner occupied by Q&D Aeroservice, then merged with a scrum pushing their way through a particularly narrow part of the street. Causing the bottleneck were a cluster of shacks constructed from scrapped shipping containers. Inside lived refugees from outposts overrun by the Vucari. These survivors were the lucky ones.\n\nThe Vucari, one of Lago\u2019s oldest outlaw packs, had grown back into power and prominence over the previous months. Led by the newly promoted Master Kraujas, they had become the biggest threat in the area once again, even overshadowing the recent nastiness that was the Cadejos. Methodically, the Vucari expanded their territory by overtaking civilian outposts. Anyone who resisted suffered from their cruelty. Anyone who relinquished all weapons and possessions was allowed to flee. Most ended up in Reis with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The crude shelters, like the ones Sid squeezed by now, were at least a step up from the broken pavement claimed by most poor souls who had to sleep on the streets.\n\nShe continued for a few blocks before ducking down an alley. The stench of Human waste slapped Sid in the face. The smell was new, a sign of worsening waste management within the city.\n\nSid held her breath, and carefully avoided the piles of trash and strange stains. An outbreak due to poor public sanitation was the last thing Lago needed. People were already on edge due to the housing shortage and shrinking food supplies. Sid knew that if Reis slipped any further, all civility would be shredded. She\u2019d seen it before and she knew what would happen next.\n\nThe Vucari would take advantage of the discord and strike. Reclaiming Reis was the dream of every outlaw commander ever since the UEE forcibly reclaimed the planet in 2931. Master Kraujas knew such a conquest would establish his name in history. He also understood that civil instability was his greatest ally and that crumbling civility would only make taking the city easier.\n\nSid slowed at a tall fence made from corrugated metal, her eyes scanning to insure its integrity. She carefully followed the fence around the corner until it connected to the back of a two-story building. She proceeded to the front of the building and entered a rundown repair shop occupying the first floor.\n\nA bell chimed as Sid opened the door. Behind the service counter, shelves of scrap collected dust. Sid ducked under the counter and crossed the threshold into the workroom of the shop.\n\nCyrus dozed in a battered chair behind a desk cluttered with mechanical parts and electronic components. Sid nudged her husband\u2019s feet off the desk, startling him awake. A small drone fell from his lap to the floor.\n\nCyrus sat forward and took a second, his post-nap haze still not completely clear. Though Cyrus was still sharp and nimble, he was sometimes slow to action.\n\n\u201cWhat you doing back so early?\u201d he asked while scooping up the dropped drone.\n\n\u201cWhat good is that bell if you don\u2019t hear it?\u201d\n\nCyrus waved off the reply as he scanned the drone for damage. He snagged a small screwdriver and made a few minor adjustments.\n\nSid took a deep breath, knowing this next moment might make everything she feared real. Cyrus sensed the pregnant pause and met her eyes.\n\n\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d\n\n\u201cWe need to check Immanuelle\u2019s tracker.\u201d\n\nCyrus took a moment to process the request before spinning in his chair and tossing the drone on his desk, all in one swift movement. He briskly typed at his terminal as spare parts rattled on his desk. He glanced up to see Sid pacing. Her shoulders hunched forward with anxiety, making her look every bit her age.\n\nSeconds later, Cyrus began to launch a program he hadn\u2019t opened in almost a year. It was a backdoor into the geolocation and biofeedback sensors in Immanuelle\u2019s armor, a feature of which their daughter was not aware.\n\nCyrus added it after a Vucari raid had hit her convoy hauling food and first aid to settlements across Lago. She had spent a week in the hospital afterwards, one of the longest weeks of his life. Outlaws were growing more emboldened by the day, but Cyrus knew that wouldn\u2019t stop Immanuelle. At her age, it wouldn\u2019t have stopped him, either.\n\nConflicted over what he had done, Cyrus told Sid. In the ensuing argument, she both chastised and thanked him for doing it. The two agreed to access the armor\u2019s information only if absolutely necessary. Immanuelle had been on numerous delivery runs on Lago\u2019s contested planetside since, without incident. This was the first time they had felt compelled to check it.\n\nCyrus knew something was terribly wrong without even having to ask, but he couldn\u2019t sit in silence not knowing for much longer. \u201cWhat\u2019d you hear at the bar?\u201d\n\n\u201cSome kid came talking about an attack on a convoy to Behistun. He thought I was someone else, so I don\u2019t know how much I can trust him . . .\u201d\n\n\u201c. . . but . . .\u201d\n\n\u201cHe had that look in his eye.\u201d She didn\u2019t need to say more. Cyrus understood.\n\n\u201cThink it\u2019s Vucari again?\u201d he asked.\n\n\u201cCadejo.\u201d\n\nCyrus visibly paled. The program finally initialized. He typed a few quick commands and waited. The terminal pinged and returned results.\n\n\u201cWell?\u201d wondered Sid, unable to bring herself to face the screen. Following a few seconds of excruciating silence, she turned to find Cyrus scanning data. \u201cIs she ok?\u201d\n\n\u201cUncertain,\u201d he replied carefully.\n\n\u201cWhat does that mean? Is that thing even working?\u201d\n\n\u201cIt was. Until eight hours ago. There\u2019s been nothing since. There\u2019s a chance \u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cWhere?\u201d\n\n\u201c. . . what?\u201d\n\nSid crossed to the terminal, \u201cWhere\u2019d that last signal come from?\u201d\n\n\u201cNorth, 34 degrees . . . 26 minutes \u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cNot the coordinates.\u201d Sid leaned across the desk and expanded the map\u2019s visible range. The signal came from the middle of the Platean Plain, about half-way to Behistun.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s Vucari territory, isn\u2019t it? What are the Cadejo doing there?\u201d\n\nSid gave it a passing thought; hitting a shipment in enemy territory violated the honor code many of these outlaw packs lived by. Then she grabbed her rifle and slammed a fresh battery in it. \u201cI don\u2019t know and I don\u2019t care.\u201d\n\nNeither Sid nor Cyrus had the courage to vocalize their fear about what might have happened to their daughter. Instead, they simply agreed to find out for themselves.\n\nThe two spent the night gathering and prepping their old gear. They moved furniture and raised floor panels to access hidden weapon lockers built by Cyrus. The caches were strategically placed throughout their two-story building so weapons would never be too far away if outlaws or ghosts from their past arrived on their doorstep.\n\nIn their own words, Sid and Cyrus ran a small security firm before moving to Reis. The reality was that they were in-demand mercs with an impressive portfolio of missions and a notable number of enemies. It was the life they wanted until the unexpected occurred.\n\nImmanuelle had never been part of their plan. Sid was as shocked as Cyrus to discover she was pregnant. The news floored the couple and forced them to reassess their life. To both their surprise, they realized that they liked the idea of expanding their family. Problem was, they had dodged death far too often and knew it was only a matter of time before it caught up with them. Immanuelle\u2019s arrival was a chance to reset and escape the dangers that had become part of their everyday existence.\n\nWhen Immanuelle was five they bought this modest two-story building on Reis. The previous year, the UEE had wrestled control of Nexus away from outlaw pacts that had dominated the system for centuries, so the government offered sweetheart land deals to entice new residents. Since Sid and Cyrus had never worked within the system, they figured it was an ideal place to start fresh with a minimal chance of encountering their past.\n\nCyrus converted the building\u2019s ground floor into a repair shop. His knack for fixing things proved invaluable, as outlaw attacks on supply shipments were common. Sid helped run the repair shop and raise Immanuelle, but felt restless until she wandered into the Falling Sky bar. There, a bit of the buzz came back. She found a piece of her old life among the mercs who frequented it. So, she taught herself to make a killer Terra Tornado, convinced Talsa to hire her, and lived vicariously through the regulars\u2019 stories of Lago\u2019s untamed planetside.\n\nAll the while, Immanuelle remained none the wiser to her parent\u2019s previous life. It\u2019s not that Sid and Cyrus hid their past from her. They merely were selective with what they said, both hoping that the gene of self-endangerment had skipped a generation.\n\nStill, it didn\u2019t take long for their daughter\u2019s sense of adventure to surface. Before turning ten, Immanuelle had explored every last nook, cranny and alley in their neighborhood. As a teenager, she often got in trouble for sneaking into the Falling Sky when Sid was off duty to hear the outrageous and often grisly tales its patrons told. It was obvious to Sid and Cyrus that their daughter was cut from the same cloth as her parents.\n\nCyrus checked ammo clips one by one before sliding them into his pack, in an effort to get his emotions in check and focus on the job at hand. In recent months, he had only heard passing mentions of Tomyris and the Cadejo Crew, but each one had sent a shiver down his spine. Unlike the Vucari, no one attacked by the Cadejo made it back to Reis. Rumors swirled that the Cadejos preferred to take people alive for use in some sinister ritual. Cyrus didn\u2019t quite believe the tales, but had seen enough strange stuff in his day to not completely discount them. At least if true, he reasoned with himself, Immanuelle might have a better chance of still being alive now.\n\nCyrus slung a duffel bag filled with gear and guns over his shoulder and carefully carried it downstairs. He dropped the bag behind the counter with a thud. He drew a deep breath, surprised by how winded he was, then stepped into the repair shop.\n\n\u201cFirst light in forty-five,\u201d he called to Sid. \u201cI\u2019ll bring the buggy \u2019round back.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll come help in a few.\u201d\n\nSid stood at a workbench making adjustments to her energy rifle while wearing heavy armor sans helmet, her lucky bandanna holding back her hair. The sight gave Cyrus pause. She\u2019d always worn light armor in their merc days, preferring to be fleet of foot over aggressively armored.\n\nA few years ago, she returned from a shift at the Falling Sky wearing the heavy armor. She scared Immanuelle half to death by confidently striding behind the repair shop counter before identifying herself. Sid claimed someone gave her a good deal on it, and asked Cyrus to work his magic. She said it might come in handy some day. He never expected this to be it.\n\n\u201cGoing with the heavy, huh? You have a chance to field test it?\u201d\n\n\u201cSeems as good a time as any,\u201d she replied.\n\n\u201cThe effect on your speed and stamina might surp\u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cHey . . . I thought you were going to get the quad.\u201d\n\nSid took her eyes off her gun to shoot Cyrus a look. Her face almost appeared to float amidst the massive armor around her.\n\n\u201cFine, but I need to tell you two quick things. One, and I\u2019m just being honest here, you look a little ridiculous,\u201d he said as he headed towards the garage. Sid\u2019s eyes flared with intensity. \u201cAnd two, when you put on your helmet, apply the setting labeled with your name. I\u2019ve already programmed in your preferences.\u201d\n\nA small smile crept across Sid\u2019s face, the first one Cyrus had seen since she arrived home. Before she could respond, Cyrus was out the door. The smile was all the reassurance he needed to know his world wouldn\u2019t completely crumble if this mission ended in the way neither of them dared say.\n\nReis sat on Sid & Cyrus\u2019 six half an hour later. The two shared a look exiting the city\u2019s eastern security checkpoint. This was the first time the two had been out on an assignment since Immanuelle was born.\n\nAs they crossed the Mycale Valley, towering gray mountains loomed on the horizon. Being backlit by the slowly rising sun only made them more ominous and imposing. As Sid drove, Cyrus calculated several potential routes to their daughter\u2019s last known location. Transposing it to the map, he saw that to reach the Platean Plain they would have to navigate one of the many passes that cut through the Harran Mountains. He scanned the list, unsure which one would be the safest.\n\n\u201cThe most direct route is through the Datis Pass,\u201d he noted.\n\n\u201cFeels like someone at the bar is always talking about how that pass is infested with outlaws. Any other options?\u201d\n\nImmanuel had once admitted that crossing this range was often the most harrowing part of her journey.\n\n\u201cHow about the Sargon Pass? That an option? Vinny swears it\u2019s the safest one heading east.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou trust the guy who also swears that asteroid in Nemo actually looks like a space whale?\u201d\n\n\u201cHe can\u2019t be wrong all the time. Just check, ok?\u201d\n\nCyrus smiled. The lightness of their exchange evaporated as the intention of their mission again came front and center. He scanned the list of potential routes until finding one through the Sargon Pass.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019ll add at least an hour to the trip.\u201d He selected the route to examine it in detail. \u201cWait . . . Remember that trip Immanuelle and I took together say about five, six years ago?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou two still laugh about it,\u201d Sid sighed softly.\n\n\u201cReally wish you hadn\u2019t gotten sick the night before we left.\u201d\n\n\u201cMe too.\u201d\n\nSilence sat between them.\n\n\u201cAnyways, I just realized we took the Sargon Pass on that trip.\u201d\n\n\u201cSo at least one of us is familiar with it.\u201d\n\nCyrus nodded. Sid stepped on the accelerator and steered the quad more southward towards the pass. The buggy\u2019s suspension bucked under the rough terrain.\n\nAhead the sun\u2019s rays licked the mountain peaks, finally providing the range some depth and definition. Cyrus took a second to admire the view, then returned to worrying about getting through the pass safely.\n\n\u201cWhy\u2019d you volunteer us for this shite gig again?\u201d Dmitri drew his thin coat closer to insulate against the cold seeping from the rocks that composed his sniper perch.\n\n\u201cStay off comms,\u201d Charlie barked back.\n\nA chilly wind whistled through the Sargon Pass. A shiver worked its way down Dmitri\u2019s spine. When it finally fled, he looked through his sniper rifle scope and scanned the mouth of the pass, which was still shrouded in dark, early morning shadows.\n\nHe defiantly spoke into his comm again, \u201cThis pass is too narrow for any big fish to take. You\u2019re not gonna impress your new friends by catching any of the minnows that come through here.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe hell I just say?\u201d\n\nFor an outlaw, Charlie certainly was a stickler for the rules, a trait that had only intensified after the two decided to crew with the Vucari. Dmitri figured it\u2019d be fun to run with the pack that had come to dominate so much territory. Meanwhile, Charlie quickly became enamored with the Vucari\u2019s master plan to wrest control of Reis away from the UEE. Dmitri merely looked forward to the looting.\n\nDespite their motivational differences, Dmitri and Charlie were now hunkered down on opposite sides of the Sargon Pass, hoping to ambush anyone coming from Reis. Dmitri checked the time, and wondered how much longer it would take the sun to illuminate the mouth of the pass and more importantly, provide him a bit of warmth.\n\nEventually, the sweet lure of a stim felt like his only salvation. Dmitri left the sniper rifle in position and slid down from his perch so Charlie wouldn\u2019t see the vapor. He removed his helmet and plucked a pack of Kings out of his pocket. He savored the flavor as the first pull rushed to his head. It almost made everything all right.\n\nSuddenly, a faint hum filled the air. The sound was subtle but growing closer. Dmitri scanned the sky to discover a small drone hovering no more than ten meters away. Some bugger was spying on him.\n\nDmitri drew his pistol. His free hand frantically felt for his helmet but couldn\u2019t find it. He turned to look for it, then everything suddenly went black.\n\nDistracted by the drone, he never saw Sid slip in close. She lowered her rifle then hit a few buttons on her mobi. The drone zipped to her location and landed safely. After Sid checked the kid\u2019s pulse, she bound his hands and then searched him out of habit, finding only a half pack of Kings. He wore a patchwork of clothes and cheap armor plastered with the Vucari insignia.\n\nClimbing up, Sid snagged the sniper rifle from its perch and hunkered behind a rock formation while inspecting it. The serial number had been filed off and the Vucari emblem crudely etched into its stock. So, the Vucari distributed meager armor but decent weapons. She made a mental note.\n\nConfident the Vucari hadn\u2019t assigned a single guy to guard the pass, Sid quickly scanned the other side through the sniper rifle scope. If anyone else was around, she couldn\u2019t see them. There had to be at least one, maybe two associates staked out elsewhere. Until cleared, driving any closer could be dangerous.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got company. Subdued one of them. Going to flush out anyone left with the drone.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll come help.\u201d\n\n\u201cHold position. Don\u2019t know what we\u2019re up against yet.\u201d\n\nSid launched the drone to survey the pass from above. It looked clear at first glance. Then she spotted a strange shape between two big boulders. She slowly lowered the drone over the location and saw a parked Dragonfly. That thing only seated two, so that must mean there was one outlaw left.\n\nSuddenly, the drone\u2019s video feed died. A gunshot echoed through the pass as the drone fell from the sky. Sid scrambled to spot the shot\u2019s origin but it was too late. Impressive \u2014 the shooter needed only a single round to hit it.\n\nA strange crackling sound startled Sid. She spun, weapon raised, to find no one there. She exhaled, relieved, then tracked the sound to the outlaw\u2019s helmet lying on the ground below. It wouldn\u2019t be long before his compatriot realized this position has been compromised. She had to move soon.\n\nSid slowly lifted her head with the sniper rifle at the ready. Gunfire erupted, spraying bullets all around her. She quickly ducked back to cover, but at least had a bead on the assailant\u2019s location.\n\n\u201cThat you firing?\u201d Cyrus\u2019 voice crackled in Sid\u2019s ear.\n\n\u201cIt will be . . . in a few seconds,\u201d she responded while adjusting her spot behind the rock.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m on my way.\u201d\n\n\u201cI can handle it.\u201d Sid raised up with the sniper rifle trained on the spot where she had seen the muzzle flash. No one was there. More gunshots peppered her location from a slightly different angle. She hit the deck before gauging exactly where they came from.\n\n\u201cYou get him?\u201d\n\n\u201cStill wasn\u2019t me.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s it.\u201d\n\n\u201cI just need\u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cSomething to draw that fire elsewhere.\u201d\n\nCyrus was right. Plus, it had only been small arms fire. That wouldn\u2019t do too much damage to their ride.\n\n\u201cFine. Show yourself but don\u2019t venture too far up. For all we know, the entrance could be lined with explosives.\u201d\n\nHidden not far from the pass, Cyrus stepped on the accelerator. The buggy lurched forward. It felt a bit jumpy to him, and he made a mental note to look at it once home.\n\nMeanwhile, Sid circled to a new firing position further up, hoping her new vantage point combined with Cyrus\u2019 arrival would end this encounter.\n\n\u201cJust cresting the pass,\u201d Cyrus announced.\n\nSid readied her weapon and peered over a rocky embankment toward the other side, waiting for this slippery bastard to show himself again. The vehicle\u2019s rumble echoed through the canyon, announcing its arrival. Sid kept scanning with her finger on the trigger.\n\nA sudden movement drew her attention. She focused on the location then paused. Something didn\u2019t look quite right. It took her a moment to realize what she was seeing. The outlaw had a massive weapon hoisted on his shoulder and aimed at the buggy.\n\n\u201cRocket launcher!\u201d Sid cried over comms.\n\nShe squeezed off a series of shots at the outlaw and saw him stagger. His movement was exaggerated by the massive weapon somehow still on his shoulder. She drew a deep breath and fired off more shots while exhaling. The outlaw finally dropped out of sight.\n\nA moment later, an explosion erupted from the place he had fallen. Sid felt the mountainside shake and heard the distinct rumble of rocks and boulders rolling downhill. The rock formation facing where he had fallen was blasted to bits.\n\nMoments earlier, when Cyrus heard Sid\u2019s warning, he instinctively slammed on the accelerator, concerned that the rocket launcher might be pointed in her direction. The next thing he knew, a boom echoed through the canyon. By the time he realized what was happening, it was unavoidable.\n\nCyrus saw what looked like a tidal wave of rubble roaring toward him. He yanked the steering wheel hard left and the vehicle spun about ninety degrees, exposing the passenger\u2019s side, just as an avalanche slammed into it. The impact knocked the vehicle\u2019s wheels off the ground and blew it downhill. Once at the bottom of the pass, it continued rolling until it lost all momentum.\n\nSid heard the impact and repeated crunch of rock on metal. When the sound mercifully came to a stop, she trained the sniper rifle on the dissipating dust cloud at the bottom of the pass. The vehicle had ended up on its roof, battered and bruised but in one piece. From this angle, though, she couldn\u2019t see inside the cab.\n\n\u201cCyrus! Can you hear me?\u201d she cried over comms.\n\nBefore receiving an answer, she began to run downhill. Sid felt like life was moving in slow motion. Soon she struggled for breath, the heavy armor and heart-stopping anxiety hitting her hard. She stopped to gather herself, then glanced up and across the pass. She sighed with relief at the sight of the Dragonfly still safely tucked between two boulders, its position just above the blast.\n\nSid commandeered the Dragonfly and sped to the crash site. Cyrus was motionless inside the upside-down vehicle. Still secured to the seat by the safety restraints, his arms limply dangled past his head. Sid grabbed his closest arm, pulled out a MedPen, and stabbed it where his undersuit was exposed.\n\nCyrus came back from the brink. His body filled with adrenaline and confusion as to why everything was inverted. He turned to see Sid. Slowly, the preceding series of events came back.\n\n\u201cYou get him?\u201d\n\nSid nodded her head. \u201cYou ready?\u201d\n\nHe nodded in return. She carefully cut away the safety restraints and helped him out of the cab. Finally freed, Cyrus slowly sat up, mind and body still not in sync. Sid felt bad for thinking it, but he looked just like he did when she caught him napping in the shop.\n\n\u201cHey . . . I\u2019m gonna see if I can find where the med kit wound up.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll help.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou sure?\u201d\n\nCyrus sat forward and stood up. \u201cRally back here in five?\u201d\n\nShe gave him a thumbs up. Cyrus wanted to smile but wasn\u2019t sure if he could. He still felt like not all his wires were connected.\n\nSid climbed on the Dragonfly and carefully followed the trail of destruction, searching for anything worth keeping. Cyrus slowly circled the buggy but found nothing. It at least afforded him the chance to get his legs under him. Sid returned faster than expected.\n\n\u201cNo luck. You probably flung it halfway home.\u201d Sid scanned the horizon. \u201cIf we want to expand the search radius, let\u2019s do it fast. No guarantee the previous owner of this bike didn\u2019t inform the entire Vucari clan that we\u2019re trying to get through that pass.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m fine. Let\u2019s go.\u201d\n\nSid eyed him, uncertain.\n\n\u201cThe most important thing is to clear the pass before reinforcements arrive.\u201d Cyrus pulled his custom sniper rifle from its attachment point. His heart dropped. The barrel was battered and slightly bent.\n\n\u201cHere . . .\u201d\n\nCyrus looked up as Sid tossed him the Vucari sniper rifle. He gave it a once over. It wasn\u2019t bad, but it wasn\u2019t his.\n\nHe jumped on the Dragonfly. Cyrus\u2019 back came to rest against Sid\u2019s. He exhaled, laid the sniper rifle across his lap and then strapped in. Sure he was safely aboard, Sid opened up the throttles to max and concentrated on putting distance between themselves and the ambush site.\n\nSid and Cyrus faced no more resistance leaving the Sargon Pass. They raced onto the Platean Plain and were blinded by the morning sun. At various points across the horizon, the land just vanished. These gaps indicated geographical scars that were once strip mines, but were now more and more often hiding outlaw encampments. Sid made sure to give the gaps a wide berth.\n\n\u201cAnyone following us?\u201d\n\n\u201cNot that I can see.\u201d Cyrus scanned for dust clouds or other obvious signs.\n\n\u201cGood. We\u2019re almost there.\u201d\n\nAn unnatural jumble of shapes was silhouetted against the horizon. That must be it. Sid quickly glanced around. She could see for kilometers in all directions. Interesting spot to ambush a convoy.\n\nSid stopped at some distance from the wreckage. Cyrus eyed it with the sniper rifle and saw no one. The scanner on the Dragonfly said the same.\n\nThey approached, then circled the ambush site. Several trucks sat in various states of ruin. One was burnt to a crisp, barely more than a frame. Others were thoroughly riddled with bullet holes and laser blasts. One lay on its side.\n\nSid stopped the Dragonfly at the center of the convoy\u2019s line. The two dismounted and glanced in each direction. Not a single body was anywhere to be seen.\n\n\u201cLeft or right?\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll take left,\u201d replied Cyrus. He headed off in his assigned direction. The closest vehicle had been incinerated by something. There was little left besides its frame and ash. Cyrus still gave it a good once over.\n\nThe utter destruction had to be the work of the Cadejo Crew. The Vucari would\u2019ve been more careful so they could use this equipment for their own purposes. The Cadejo were clearly challenging Vucari for control of the area. Such a gang war would only further destabilize this region and make getting supplies to Behistun that much more dangerous.\n\nCyrus was halfway to the next vehicle when Sid commed him.\n\n\u201cCyrus, on me.\u201d\n\nHe turned and hurried in her direction. Sid stood at the back of a mostly intact truck, its rear doors open wide. Where supplies had once been stored now sat a pile of battered armor. In the middle was the chest piece from Immanuelle\u2019s armor. With the number of times he had repaired it over the years, Cyrus would recognize it anywhere.\n\nAfter scanning for explosives, they pulled Immanuelle\u2019s armor out of the pile and inspected it. He asked, \u201cYou believe the rumors about the Cadejos taking people alive?\u201d\n\nSid slowly walked away from the vehicle, suddenly drawn elsewhere.\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t believe most of what I hear, but I\u2019m not going to let that stop me.\u201d\n\nCyrus looked up to see Sid staring off into the distance. He joined her and then saw it. Tire tracks leading north.\n\nSid and Cyrus locked eyes. Nothing else needed to be said besides, \u201cI\u2019ll go get the bike.\u201d\n\nTO BE CONTINUED\u2026"},"links_count":0,"comment_count":30,"created_at":"2021-01-13T02:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"5 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-07 20:28:39","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":17944,"next_id":17947}}