Kol returned to his office, Arlene Greco’s photo album stowed in the glove compartment of his newly-assigned rover. He considered the old woman’s life and the strong likelihood that he’d never see her or hear of her again. He found the rest of his convoy parked outside, two more rovers and an armored supply truck, …
Kol Maros arrived at the front desk of the suburban office complex-turned-shelter that the Liberty Corps used to house displaced individuals. It was a plain building that still sported the old signs from its days as an analytics firm. The Wilson Analytics headquarters showed no exterior damage, but the waiting room was strewn with mismatched …
Orson gave Enoa and Jaleel the armored raincoats before they trekked into the fake forest. Enoa adjusted her coat. It didn’t fell well over her cloak, which kept bunching up at her shoulders. She should’ve stayed behind with Kash. She’d been a spectator since they’d walked in the building, and she hated it. She had …
Orson had to act. The smoldering corner where he hid would soon burst fully aflame. He was running out of time. One-on-one, Orson could outmaneuver any of the armored Sabres, but their weaponry and numbers presented a unique problem. Just the force of the repeating blasters would keep him off of his feet, even if …
Orson led the Milo animatronic into the Age of the Dinosaurs attraction. The interior was dark, but he didn’t bother with the lights. That could wait until Kash and Jaleel arrived to support him. He kept his visor lights lit and entered a foyer, with fossil-design carpeting and chandeliers manufactured to look like they were …
“I own my body. I rule my mind. I command Iron.” Kol Maros knelt in a Liberty Corps private training chamber. As Captain, he had the right to use such spaces. The walls and floor were tiled and soundproofed. He had gone too long without working on his Shaping – almost a month. He had …
Kolben Maros, new Captain in the Liberty Corps Recovery Division, was assigned a team of ten troopers, a well-supplied but ultimately defense-focused squad for his new mission. Unlike his former command, these were soldiers, formally-trained. Most had credentials dating back to service before Thunderworks, service while Kol was still a child. He hadn’t yet learned …
For all its bulk, the gargantuan Solar Saver crawler was usually driven by only two people – a pilot and a copilot. In fact, the cab only had two seats. The navigators and coordinating technicians who aided the drivers – now that the former aerospace transport operated on roadways – had to be positioned in …
After distressed good-byes between Nozomi and Jaime, he and Camron offered her and Enoa help climbing into the access ladder chute, the ladder that could take them to any level of the crawler’s structure. The ladder was built into the back starboard corner of the crawler, stretching from a loose panel near the ground, all …
“Enoa,” Nozomi Morita said. “I’ve been meaning to ask you all afternoon, what is the – I don’t know quite how to say it – the meaning of the staff you brought with you? Is it religious?” “My staff?” Enoa sat in the small heated pavilion, looking on the ice sculptures outside. A woman, dressed …
