Dead Cities and Deader Men (Operative Title) Day 27 of 30 12/17/2020

 Dead Cities and Deader Men (Operative Title)

Day 27 of 30

12/17/2020

No idea what it might have been. Strange things happen all the time out here. New creatures, new sights, landscape changing all too often. Stuff like this happens all the time. Hopefully it was real and was recorded to be analyzed once we get to the City.

I have the kid pull up the secondary Driver panel and go over a few more functions of it. How to look into the onboard systems, check status on primary and secondary systems. Things like that. All intended to help the Driver run and maintain the Track.

I leave him to it and head to the third chair, letting him essentially drive while I sit back and make sure nothing really happens. Drizzle some more water into my eyes, keep them moist, since I cannot close them at all right now.

All scopes and cameras are clear right now. The route looks clear, even better than I had hoped it would be based on the plots and what maps exist for this part of the area. We are going to be back a good half day sooner than required for us to be.

I slot a couple more stim drinks and chew on chunks from the open ration sitting up here with us. I pull up the main panel using the panel here in front of me. All we need to do is drive as fast as I can get us to, straight back to our home just like we were told to do so.

The dancing lights seem to be all over the inside of the compartment. Mostly all white little pinpricks of dancing reflections of somewhere else. Not really sure how it all gets the way it is.

I keep focused as best I can on the panel in front of me. The little spots in front of my eyes finally start to fade. I drizzle some more of the water into my eyes. It helps out a bit more. I should pull the wires, but then I could fall asleep and I have to ensure we are back in time.

Do I dare to pull them out? I would have to just make sure I keep awake. If I fall asleep the kid can vent me out the track. Have to maintain focus, keep awake, keep driving back. Only thing I have to do is get us back.

Check the internals again. Looks like all of the crew is back there.

Do I dare trust the kid at all? Instinct says not to. Doctrine has no guidance at all save to complete the recons and return the Track to The City. Beyond that there is no other overriding concern. The stims are wearing off faster and faster. Soon they will do nothing and then even if I am awake, eyes pinned open, they could get rid of me. Cannot leave the compartment, cannot stop the Track, cannot be late back to the City.

“Hey kid, you want to head back, rest a little while. Then be up here the rest of the way in>”
He grunts something, like a yes. Looking a bit tired, worn out. Not sure how long he was up here, was it twelve or sixteen hours this time. A good double turn it would feel like. No combat, makes it easier to cope at times I think.

He slides out the hatch separating and as I take back over the primary chair, I watch him go straight back and grab a spot to sleep. He totally speaks to no one. No working against me in that. Will leave the vents closed for now. Looks like as many are racked out as is possible. Will drive the rest of the way in myself.

Still dark, I look ahead, wanting to see the lights off the top of the City, to finish guiding me back into the Garage.