Kara leapt down from the rooftop, cradling her sniper rifle. Behind the steam car, the ground was slick with coagulated blood, and the faint, involuntary groans of the fallen echoed like the rustle of insects.
Kasiah stepped forward, bending to pick up the dropped revolvers and scattered bullets. In the dim, pre-dawn light—before the sun's harsh rays reached them—he systematically delivered finishing shots to the heads of those still clinging to life.
"You really have a soft spot for them," Kara commented, walking over. "Just leaving them there would have been enough; they wouldn't last long anyway. Plus, the desert sun is unforgiving." In her hand, she held a password card—the first extracted from one of the fallen enemies.
"Come help me. I don't want to wait for the sun to rise," she added, firing up a steam car and pushing weapons and animal carcasses onto its deck. The vehicle headed toward a row of buildings, one of which was specifically set up for steam machine repairs. Though the tools were somewhat worn, they were still serviceable.
They had only this short stretch of daylight to mix several steam cars with steel from the storage room, and fashion an off-road vehicle capable of dominating the deep desert.
Kasiah found two more password cards among the still-warm bodies. As the blood-red light of the newborn sun reflected off the bloodstains soaked into the sand, they began the retrofit work inside the coolest open space available.
They selected the steam vehicle with the most powerful transmission as the base. The plan: widen and lengthen the chassis, converting a standard off-roader into a dual-drive behemoth. If possible, they would add a second cargo layer. Both were strong enough that dismantling other vehicles for parts and hauling steel sheets was effortless.
Kasiah took the lead, employing his past experience with welding in steam factories and the steam transmission knowledge he had memorized from books. Their sole requirement: the vehicle had to carry them safely to the Grün Oasis. Aesthetic considerations and long-term durability were secondary—they only needed it to survive the desert trek.
When a gust of sand-laden wind kicked up again, the sun had begun its descent on the far horizon. Their patchwork creation stood assembled in the supply station, its grotesque silhouette now fully formed.
"This really suits your style," Kara commented, surveying the crude but functional machine as she organized the supplies. Kasiah made the final adjustments.
Exhaling sharply, he grabbed a spray can and coated the vehicle with a layer of white paint. They had four days to make the journey, and with the desert sun looming, heat management would be crucial.
Sliding into the seat and inserting the password card, Kasiah fired up the steam engine. The exhaust at the rear hissed thick steam, which quickly dissipated into the dry heat of the desert. He parked the vehicle in the sun, hoping the fresh white paint would dry quickly.
Meanwhile, Kara prepared the remaining supplies in the storage room, including a giant makeshift tarp fashioned from sun-resistant clothing—a protective cover for the modified vehicle. Steel alone offered no insulation; the reflective white paint only mitigated so much heat.
"So this is our disguise?" Kasiah asked, eyeing the neatly bundled furs and carefully selected weapons. The golden shells of the cartridges gleamed in the waning sunlight.
"Exactly. The hunters were skilled; the furs are practically pristine, top-grade material. We'll need some credibility when we reach the Grün Oasis. Besides, these furs can serve as funds—no more staring at empty pockets," Kara explained, hoisting her bundle.
"By the way, I covered your lodging fees. Don't forget to pay me back when we get to the military academy," she added casually.
"You already searched the entire station. The money should've gone back into your pocket," Kasiah said, slightly bemused.
"Sure, but that's between me and me. What you owe me is separate," Kara replied with a shrug, gathering her gear and bundled furs to head out.