Tales of the Courier – The Silent Dart Chill
They are seconds away from silent destruction. The ride is chewing up road rapidly, more craters appear from nowhere, forming, in a shimmer of disturbed air. The heavy freighter ahead appears to implode, spewing debris in a maelstrom of silence.
1courier drops down a gear and quickly avoids the resulting crater, from the impact of the…of the what? Chaos is erupting all around and it’s silence is deafening. The senses refuse the input. He grins anyway, they might be late to that pickup, by a small margin.
Cheeky has been silent as well. There are changes, subtle, yet there. He wonders what went on while he was out of phase in the boondocks. If they made it without becoming craters, he would have to include these questions, in that heart to heart.
New Boss
The ride bears down on the road, and more craters form in the road behind them, as they flee. Deciding to abandon the road for the hard packed quartz soil of the shoulder, he switches on the A.s.t.e.c. system, and the ride steadies, immediately.
“We’ve been locked on, 1courier, impact imminent!” Her voice is calm and matter of fact, as if merely reporting a stat. Her internal link with AI, becoming even more of an advantage.
It’s damn sure time to go. He’s been thinking of those desert highways of 2universe, and sees that ethereal light glimmer across them, as they arrive within a blink, hauling some serious ass. It’s sunny, and the heat is an immediate effect. The road runs away into the distance, a never ending trip to the horizon. There are no craters.
“Our cargo is ahead 1courier, HQ has handed this one to a private contractor. Further details are need to know only.”
“What the hell was that back there at Nalphia?” The imploding heavy freighter, is still fresh in his mind. That display was beyond anything he had ever encountered, and he had encountered some strange shit. He thinks of the lost couriers, wondering who may be left.
The Deal
“Dimensional warfare.” Her response is brief, but nowhere near matter of fact. In fact, her voice sounds foreboding. She turns, facing him, her eyes have changed color again. The effect is mesmerizing, and he sets the autodrive, so he can pay some attention.
“We are on a tight schedule. Much has happened in a short time. Forces are at play, that go beyond conventional understanding. The scales have been tipped, there is a need to balance them. It must play out this way. Now drive 1courier.” She returns to looking out at the road, and appears to be hearing that inner AI voice again.
He toggles off the autodrive, and drives. It isn’t lost on him that his random choice of universes, was spot on. Must be some of those forces. The cargo is ahead, and there’s a new boss, time to get to work. Wondering if he’ll miss old stuffy, he pushes the ride for all it’s worth, through the sweltering heat of the highway.
One hour later, to the second, Cheeky issues an urgent ‘all stop’ command. He slams on the brakes, bringing the ride to a screeching halt. In the middle of nowhere. Naught but desert, and more desert, runs to every horizon. Strange place for a heart to heart, but he was down for it. And decides maybe not, when she firmly says “Get out!”
He gets out, in the middle of nowhere, and shuts the door. Nothing but desert as far as the eye can see. He turns to ask the why, of this little pit stop, and finds more desert, and lots of empty road. Shit. Here we go again.
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