"Sierraaa…are we seriously just walking in circles?"
Ikade shot her a flat look, glancing up at the chocolate bar dangling from Sierra's mouth before eyeing the black cap sitting crooked on the librei's head. They strolled through the busy corridor, people around them fully absorbed in their own thoughts.
"Yeh…'lessh we…ffhn somethin.'"
A vein twitched on Ikade's forehead. She snatched the half eaten bar right out of Sierra's mouth who lurched forward, refusing to let go until the chocolate snapped in half.
"I keep telling you—stop talking with your mouth full."
She tossed the remaining chunk into her mouth, savoring the sweet taste of a woman who had just lost a treat she clearly treasured.
Sierra shot her a frustrated glare, scarfing down whatever crumbs she still had before chewing enough to speak. She jabbed a finger toward a poster on the wall——featuring an enormous vehicle barreling over a pile of fallen logs with a dense forest looming behind it, the misty background blanketing both the trunk and greenery alike.
Each of its ten tires stood taller than either of them.
"See? I told you we'd find something."
Her smug tone gave Ikade every reason to roll her eyes, turning her head away and muttering something under her breath while the feathered woman put the address in her bracelet, following the nodded path.
Sierra grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her along, walking backward—and nearly tripping in the process. Her cropped T-shirt rode lightly with each step, the jacket draped over her shoulders slipping down to her elbows every few seconds, only for her to tug it back up again.
Light blue denim jeans finished the look, paired with a simple pair of sneakers tapping softly against the metal floor for many minutes.
With every step, the corridor became crowded, their conversation dissolving into the stream that was the vessel's hum.
Soon enough, the two of them stared from the entrance at the banner draped above them—Construction & Outdoor Equipment Exposition.
A light flickered on behind Ikade's eyes.
"Do you…think we should try camping? Just for a while?" They looked at each other. Sierra lifted both hands to her cheeks—a grin spread itself across her face before she shook her head dramatically, muffling her voice between her palms.
"Huaaah—! Camping? You? And where exactly would this grand adventure take us, hmm~?"
Ikade visibly cringed, painfully aware of the nearby stares. She pushed the embarrassment down and forced the words out anyway.
"…w-well since we're already here, maybe we could buy a truck or something like that. We won't be back for months, a change of pace—If you want."
She hurried through the last part, stealing quick side glances at Sierra as they moved deeper into the expo.
"It'll be good for you too. You really can't keep blowing off what the doctor said."
Ikade bobbed her head, tracing little shapes in the air with her finger—until she felt Sierra's gaze drilling straight through her skull.
A bead of sweat slid down her brow. She swallowed nothing and stiffened, refusing to turn her head, suddenly interested by the backs of the people ahead.
Her hand dropped back to her side.
The silence stretched to an uncomfortable degree, one could almost hear her beating heart through her chest.
"Fine..."
Sierra finally relented, easing back and giving her space. Then, without warning, she reached out again and grabbed Ikade's hand, tugging her toward a section packed with camping gear.
Where a person was explaining to anyone who was interested.
"Eh? For real?!"
Even though the surprising, perhaps she could be somewhere else than in a block of concrete.
The surprise slipped out before Ikade could stop it. Maybe, just maybe—she wouldn't have to stay trapped in concrete and steel the entire time.
Sierra took a few steps ahead, then turned back, letting go of Ikade's hand and propping her cheek against her palm.
"But tell me this—" She said lightly, eyes sparkling with their bean like color. "—Could you kill a coneygryph? That's the real question."
She put on a look of exaggerated sorrow and wonder, cracking an eye open to peek at the feline's frozen expression.
"I could—! I could totally kill it, okay?!"
"Pfft. As if."
They bickered back and forth like always, drawing a weary side glance from the presenter—a perro man with a full head of thick hair, a heavy beard, and sharp canine ears that twitched with every raised voice.
He reached behind the stand and pulled out a few backpacks, laying them out while explaining their different features and sizes. Each had its own trade offs—some distributed their load across a wider surface, and some could be opened from the front.
They weren't the only ones testing the gear. Other potential buyers clustered around the displays, some clearly experienced, others…less so. A young man nearby struggled visibly while trying to pull back a crossbow cable, needing guidance from the presenter.
"Um...can I try that?"
Ikade realized she'd said it a second too late. Sierra shot her an amused look and reached for a slightly smaller crossbow from a rack a short distance away.
Unlike Sierra's own, this one didn't have a magazine.
"Here, try this one instead." Ikade pouted but followed along to Sierra's guide and placed her foot into the stirrup.
"Put all your weight on that foot—hard. Yeah, like that."
Fortunate for Ikade, the crossbow she was trying to cock back had somewhere to grab. She looked back at Sierra curiously for guidance that was quickly given to her.
"Use your arms and shoulders—don't use your back, okay?"
Ikade tried, managing only halfway before her face flushed with effort. Sierra let out a soft laugh and helped pull it the rest of the way, locking it into place.
"How do you...huff...make this look easy…?"
Her arms and hands complained at her, protesting at the sudden request to do more than normal.
"Haha. For one, I actually exercise—and use telekinesis. remember?"
"Wait—isn't your crossbow way bigger than this?" She lifted her gaze back at Sierra who was putting it back on its display.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Mine has...cough—had to punch through armor."
Ikade only hummed and ignored the slip without comment, looking at another part of the expo and wandered to some place else.
Which was the main attraction, because it was quite literally the same vehicle from the poster they saw not to long ago.
Both of them felt small standing next to it. The only way into the cab—if it could even be called that, was by climbing a ladder bolted to the side. The lower half of the vehicle was coated in a dirty tan plating, its paint scratched and scuffed but surprisingly free of rust.
Its sheer size alone would scare off most beasts. And even if something foolish enough did attack it, the body looked more than capable of surviving the scuffle.
Sierra grabbed Ikade head and nudged her toward the small kiosk positioned in front pf the vehicle, the two wandered over. Curiosity won out, and they each pressed the same button with a finger.
A screen slid down from the top and began playing a video, it's subtitles appearing shortly after.
Which, in the end, boiled down to a few simple ideas.
"Wait—so a small group bought up old construction equipment and refurbished it for outland adventures?" Ikade's ears flopped to one side as she reread the transcript, then read it again just to be sure.
"I guess, its not entirely impossible." She spotted a man nearby dressed in comfortable outland gear, his relaxed pacing giving him away immediately. Sierra waved him over like she was calling a kid from across a park.
His pointed ears and tail making him as a lacerti.
"Nice to meet ya." They shook hands, his smile never faltering.
"I'm guessing you're interested in this little truck?"
"…That's putting it lightly." Ikade cut in, staring up at the driver's window. From the ground level, it looked like only one person could barely even fit inside.
"That's true, yes. These were used to build the TriC transmitters for many years. They're still in use, but these models are much older—and pretty outdated."
"But, and i mean this—" He cusped his hands lightly. "They still work. We only removed the cranes, the fifth wheel, or anything else that wasn't being used anymore. Everything was replaced with safer equipment—like the fire suppression system you see up front."
They stepped beneath the guard rail and got closer to look up at the mounted fire extinguishers.
He guided them along the side of the vehicle, explaining the storage compartments built into either side. They were part of the original design, meant to haul spare parts and tools. The outback generator mounted on the bed had been upgraded for harsher operations.
"And speaking of upgrades." He added. "It's sitting at about sixteen hundred horsepower now. Only two hundred more than before, but it adds up."
"Mind your footing. The stairs can be a bit steep. There's a short lift on the opposite side rated for two-fifty."
It took him a couple of hard yanks to pull the heavy metal door open. They climbed the short but steep stairway on the passenger side and stepped inside.
The lights flicked on, flooding the interior with a soft warm glow, revealing a space far larger than either of them expected. Ikade muttered something under her breath while Sierra took it in. The man hopped up and sat casually on the slim desk anchored in the center.
"It's pretty spacious in here. To your right and my left—you've got the water filtration system. It can hold up to seven hundred gallons."
The cylindrical unit was hard to miss, rigged with racks for supplies or even weapons. On their opposite side stretched an open area that could serve as both storage and a workstation. A compact metal sink was built into one wall, a locker bolted beside it.
Toward the front were two swivel chairs. The rightmost one faced a wide and modern monitor with controls but nothing overly fancy.
The wall behind had a bulletin board bolted on, any window that it could have have had was replaced with a mini blast door.
Farther to the right sat the driver's seat.
Sierra dropped into it, glancing down at the oversized steering wheel and the dense cluster of buttons and gauges surrounding it. Three monitors near the ceiling, but even so, the space felt far roomier than any vehicle she'd ever driven.
"It might look empty, but once it's outfitted, you'd be surprised how much you can fit in here."
"What if we need to sleep?"
Both looked at Ikade, who asked the age old question. "Good question."
When Sierra blinked, she found herself staring back at the kiosk.
"The only real option we have right now is the habitation module, which is a little under half the length of the truck. Check it out."
He tapped the screen a few more times. It briefly went dark before switching to a clean overview of the module.
The entrance sat at the center of the rear section. Just inside was the bathroom—nothing fancy really. A sink, a decently sized cabinet, and a standing shower. At least there was enough space to move without feeling boxed in.
On the opposite side sat a simple washer—just by its lonesome. A storage rack was place on the wall separating it and the rest of the habitat.
Beyond that was the living and kitchen space, the largest section of the module. It was practical and stripped down. Just an L-shaped counter with some cabinets, two chest freezers, and a small table set closer to the center.
The habitat even had a carpet near the entrance and another in the living area. It came furnished just enough to avoid feeling empty—posters mounted along the walls, a slim phonograph resting on a small table among other amenities.
"This is just our normal setup." He added. "Most people hang things from the ceiling to save space, or swap in their own furniture."
At the far end was the bedroom. Just a bed tucked behind a wall and curtain along . In one corner sat what could generously be called a small gym.
"How badly is this about to hurt my account?"
The two looked back at him, who proceeded to tap a few things on the kiosk before it showed another screen.
Three Hundred Fifty-One Thousand
Thought its lettering was small, its amount was anything but small. A tiny explosion rippled through Ikade mind, leaving her frozen in place.
She stopped hearing the conversation entirely, only catching the man walking away in her peripheral vision. The useless thoughts lasted barely a second before something stung her back.
"You okay?" Her head sagged forward like a deflated balloon, looking and sounding dejected. Sierra threw her a soft gaze and massaged her limp tail.
"Sierra…that's so much money…"
A response never arrive, instead, Ikade's ears twitched at the unmistakable sound of a transaction completing. She lifted her head just in time to see a receipt displayed on the kiosk screen.
"See? Its fine, I can pay for it." Sierra puffed her chest out with pride, stepping closer and grabbing Ikade's cheeks, tugging them outward.
"You're gonna stretch them—!"
Ikade grabbed Sierra's wrist, trying to pull her hands away while pain radiated across her face, the tail between her legs flicking wildly in protest.
They moved on from the kiosk, drifting deeper into the expo as the noise shifted around them. Rows of generators hummed quietly behind safety rails, their casings opened for the public. Sierra paused long enough to snap a picture or two while Ikade crouched to read the placards, nodding like she understood half of it.
A little farther in, game traps lined a long wall—simple steel snares, pressure plates, and folding cages of most sizes.
They passed tables stacked with mundane necessities—water filters, cookware, portable heaters, repair kits. Things that didn't look impressive until you didn't have any of them.
And without realizing it—
Casting devices lined the walls behind reinforced glass. Body armor hung on racks all spread open, plates labeled with impact ratings. Suppressants of every type, plate carriers, and sealed cases filled the counters between them.
"What's this?"
Sierra stepped up beside her, both their eyes dropped to the glossy black object resting on the table. It reminded her of the truck's grille—only much smaller and flattened on one side. At most, it was a quarter inch thick and no larger than an ID card.
Beside it sat a second device, thin and slightly larger than a toothpick, barely half the length of her finger.
"Oh, wow… didn't think they'd be here too."
"What is it. Tell me!" Ikade snatched the flat piece up, turning it over and tapping it repeatedly, trying to coax some kind of reaction out of it.
The flat surface flickered to life. A screen lit up, displaying a date at its center.
"—Oh."
Ikade made a small sound, now holding the thin device delicately between two fingers. Sierra turned slightly and swept her hair aside, exposing the left side of her neck—right where the base of her hairline began, her nape.
Her gaze flicked back to the table, landing on a small placard. Its name far too gone to read.
Her eyes drifted back to the neural driver embedded at the nape of Sierra's neck. One of the three slots was occupied, blinking a steady green—its shape vaguely reminiscent of a single corn standing in a field.
"Just find the little hole in the center."
Even with the instructions, Ikade leaned in closer and squinting until she finally spotted it.
Without warning, she pushed it in.
A sharp click echoed—and Ikade nearly jumped out of her skin, stumbling back a step, clutching her chest.
On one side that was barely visible, a thin green bar glowed like an LED.
"Is it in yet? I cant feel anything." They paused. Then both of them broke into quiet laughter. Ikade leaned in again, confirming it was seated properly.
Sierra handed her the flat card.
Its once empty screen lit up, filling up partly with three categories.
The first listed two entries, each paired with short descriptions. The other two categories held only one entry a piece. Everything was displayed in white text against a dark background—like a phone in night mode.
At the very top sat a number.
2197 | 522 Mq/L
The numbers fluctuated constantly, ticking up and down in jittery movements—almost like the display was glitching.
"So…this thing just shows skills? Like a game?" Ikade tilted her head and tapped the screen again. It flickered, then shut off a moment later.
"Pretty much." Sierra said. "The descriptions aren't totally accurate, so it's more of a reference than anything. It's niche. I only grabbed it cause of a sale."
"I barely use it, honestly."
The two went on about, chatting about the various pieces of gear. Ikade occasionally tried them on, finding them to bulky and uncomfortable for her.
Instead, they chose to simply wander, letting curiosity guide them while they poked at anything that caught their interest. Sierra strode toward anything stave related—buying a couple of things on a whim. Ikade, on the other hand, found herself circling back a bow resting on a table.
By this point, the two had split up and regrouped more times than they could count.
"We've been here way too long, don't you think?"
The two of them leaned back against each other, settling onto the floor with their backs touching. Both held drinks they'd grabbed from a booth somewhere inside, parched from all the walking.
The only sound bouncing around them was a long sip coming from Sierra. She paused halfway through, hissing softly when her brain was hit by a cold flash—her head tipping back and bumping lightly against Ikade's.
Their legs throbbed in complaint, pulsing every few seconds as the fatigue finally caught up with them.
Then something shifted beside them.
They turned their heads just in time to see a poster sagging against a wall, no longer able to support its own weight. It tilted, wobbled—
And, slid down their way.