The Gloomhog, the armoured and weaponised hover truck that Marana had inherited from her foster father, wobbled precariously as it made its way uphill through the overgrown woods of Urumoi. 

Nervously punching buttons on the truck’s console within the cabin, Marana cried, ‘Come on, girl. Ya gotta stay steady!’ 

‘Gloomy is a girl?’ Sinovan asked in an attempt to lighten the mood. 

‘I was talkin’ ta Honeymuffin!’ Marana shot a furtive glance at the Calcar who was sitting in the co-driver’s seat. He was wearing the spy hat that On’jar had given him, and it being so dear to him, he had rarely taken it off.

During their journey from Urgator, Sinovan had told Marana that when he had connected with her operating system to save her, he had interacted with a little girl, who was possibly a projection of Marana’s childhood psyche. 

Marana, being a curious cat, ventured into the deep sections of her part-cybernated mind, found this personality, and coaxed it out of its “shell” into the higher levels of her programming to serve her as a digital assistant. Sinovan commended her effort even though he was concerned for her safety. Her eccentricity truly knew no bounds.  

Chuffed with this upgrade, Marana had implemented the base code of “Honeymuffin” throughout the truck’s system, which had proved beneficial in aiding them in all technical matters. They even managed to connect Honeymuffin to Sinovan’s fancy spy hat.   

‘Distance to target less than one kilometre,’ came the digital assistant’s childish voice from the truck’s system. ‘Please do not attempt to stop Gloomy while on the slope. Precise speed has been calculated to match the incline. Deceleration will lead to certain death.’

‘I trust ya, Muffin,’ Marana said over the sound of crushing trees. ‘But a li’l heads up woulda been nice!’ 

‘Sorry, Marana,’ Honeymuffin voiced, sounding genuinely apologetic. ‘Your concern has been saved to my auto-command-sequencer.’ 

The truck rocked mercilessly, sending Mr Murderclawz, who was sliding comically over the dashboard, hurling to the back of the truck. His yowl frightened Marana, but seeing that he was alright, she resumed staring out the windshield, which was a blur of green and sky blue. 

On the mesa, Zov’ha and Subeya stood alert, ready to fend off an attack from whatever was coming their way. The gigantic Poban had even armed herself with a hefty chunk of log. 

An explosion of shattered wood forced them to back away towards the shallow pool. A massive hover truck broke through the trees with such force and speed that its inertia sent it flying over them, showcasing a magnificent array of neon-blue terra-magnetic turbines underneath it. 

Within seconds it landed beyond the far end of the pool, hovering a few metres above the ground. Skidding to a halt, the back engines hissed and sputtered, throwing out sparks that fell into the pool water below and fizzled into plumes of black smoke. The sound of an alarm was silenced from within and the side doors slid open. 

Subeya recovered first, slapping her ears that were ringing. Noticing someone alight from the vehicle, she crouched and made her way cautiously. 

‘Zovhara?’ came the voice of a man from the other end of the pool. 

Squinting, she could make out a hunched Calcar, wearing a curious looking hat. A haze of black, yellow, and white whizzed past her — Zov’ha dashed towards the stranger with such haste that Subeya would not have been able to stop her. 

Carelessly splashing water as she ran, Zov’ha cavorted and laughed. Surprisingly, her horrendous claws and fangs had vanished. Approaching the man, she vehemently picked him up and embraced him.

‘Sin, how did you find me?’ Zov’ha purred. ‘I thought you were done for!’ 

‘We searched everywhere,’ Sinovan replied overjoyed, stifling a burst of mirthful tears. His face was buried in the bowl of Zov’ha’s left shoulder and he tapped her back with both hands. Subeya did not approach; she was perfectly content standing knee-deep in the pool, arms-crossed and grinning at the display of affection. Sinovan continued, ‘At Neva we met a group of monks. They were kind enough to tell us your whereabouts. So we came with all haste!’ 

‘I’m glad you did!’ Zov’ha replied, her eyes wide open and teary. ‘But… where’s Segran? Your brother?’ When Sinovan did not reply, she let go of him and glared wearily into his mournful eyes. ‘Sin?’ 

‘They took him away,’ he managed. ‘The raiders… I don’t know where he is or if he’s even alive!’ 

Zov’ha embraced him again, but this time softly, ‘We’ll find him, Sin. We’ll find him!’ 

When a movement caught her eye, she let go of the Calcar and stood up straight — Marana had hopped out of the truck, a ludicrous grin plastered on her face. Zov’ha was taken aback with the change in her body, especially the way she nonchalantly floated towards Zov’ha on hover-boots. What happened next would have been less catastrophic if Subeya had been closer, or if Sinovan had not backed away, or if Marana hadn’t been so dramatic in her entrance — Zov’ha delivered a punch square across Marana’s face as she approached. So forceful was the strike that the gliding Mechanov found herself spinning ridiculously mid air before the ground came up to meet her face. 

Everything that had happened at the Nightflame festival suddenly aroused a conflagration of hate and fear in Zov’ha — the confusion about how she survived after falling off the gargantuan Gloomhog, Lint’s sudden appearance and interference, Marana invading her privacy by stealing her biochip, and then her own shame by running away into the wilderness…

She realised how much better she understood herself now — how valuable life was with people who could help her and understand her! Despite her agony, despite the seemingly impossible challenges that awaited her in the future, they were there — Abbess Anandil Homa, Subeya, Sinovan, even Marana! She suddenly felt… better. 

‘Zov’ha!’ Subeya barked, taken aback by her inimical behaviour. The Poban came stomping towards them through the pool. ‘What’s wrong with you?’

‘It’s fine!’ Marana cried, spitting dust and blood. ‘I’m fine! I totally deserved that!’ 

The Mechanov looked up at her assailant, squinting against the brightening sky. Rather than feeling contrite, Zov’ha was smiling, but she did not hold out her hand to help Marana up. Instead she shook her head and turned around, ‘I’m going to look for Efiros,’ she declared. 

‘Alright,’ Subeya said placatingly. ‘Let me…’

‘Alone!’ Zov’ha shot back before walking away. 

In a cave nearby, Aekis began his day meditating. His view, from the mouth of the cave, was the floating inverted obelisk of Neva’ar’s Dagger. He had spent hours staring at the symbol drawn repetitively on various faces of the structure — a triangle whose corners ended in tiny circles — a representation of the three orbital cities that once were the symbol of humankind’s greatest achievements. 

Now, only half a city remained in ruins, floating hauntingly in orbit. The Astraleid’s last abode. His home. 

‘Aekis,’ Certificate’s booming voice resonated within the cave. It materialised nearby, a concerned expression on its shadowy countenance. ‘They don’t stand a chance against the rogue Sentinel!’ 

‘There is nothing we can do about it.’ Aekis replied curtly. 

‘Why not?’ The Replicant saw no difference between itself and the Sentinel. They were both made of Autoichorium, they were both programmed by Astraleids. ‘What are you afraid of? We can take control of it! Dispel its very being!’ 

‘No!’ Aekis commanded obstinately. ‘The very nature of a Sentinel is to kill! It is violent! Astraleids are pacifists. Creating Sentinels was a mistake! Our ancestors should never have retaliated with such brutality and impel a war that ended in utter disaster!’ 

‘You are afraid that the Sentinel’s Autoichorium may affect our algorithms…’ Certificate concluded.

Aekis preferred not to reply. His colourless skin made golden by a sudden flash of sunlight, obscured the darkened veins around his eyes. He blinked and drank in the warmth of morning freshness. ‘Zov’ha will have to take the Sentinel down on her own.’ 

‘But how?’ 

‘I don’t know!’ Aekis growled apoplectically. ‘I’m not an expert in the way Omnichorium works!’ 

A thrush flew into the cave landing beside Certificate. The Replicant dug its shadowy fingers into the soil and exposed seeds and bugs, which the bird gleefully pecked at. Once it was satisfied with its meal, it pulled out an earthworm to take back to its nest, flew around Certificate as a gesture of gratitude and took off into the dawn. 

‘There is one way she can deal with the Sentinel,’ Certificate bellowed. ‘The way you made me.’ 

The campsite on the mesa, now extended, sported two hoverbikes, a truck, and a small tent. Sinovan had even fashioned a cooking grill from the scraps in the truck’s storage. 

Marana was able to set up a direct connection to Anandil Homa with Subeya’s help. The Abbess had enough information on the Ghost’s whereabouts now and had given them a bit of fright by saying that the Ghost had been circling their area but had refrained from entering the mesa. 

‘You’re on ground zero,’ she had said. ‘But there’s something stopping it from carrying out a direct assault. This pattern was recorded when Astraleids were around. Sentinels would try to stay away from them; they feared being dispelled. Starchild Zov’ha may be the reason. But I suspect an impending battle at your camp. Be prepared! The monks will arrive before the sun sets.’  

But there had been no sign of the monks, and by nightfall Marana began panicking, not just because of the threat from the Ghost, but also, they had no news from Zov’ha. 

‘Calm down,’ Subeya bellowed. Grooming her long straight hair in front of a large mirror within The Gloomhog. She was glad that the truck had a shower and a toilet in the rear — the last time she used any facilities was at Neva’ar Drift. Marana had been fumbling about in the cabin, while Sinovan was already fast asleep by the fire outside. ‘Look, Anandil said that the Ghost is afraid to come this way. Plus Zov’ha will surely turn up soon… she’s got our backs!’ 

‘Our backs’ll be pulpy Ghost-dinner if she hightails outta Urumoi like she did in Pilopia!’ Marana cursed. ‘What’re we gonna do if she ‘bandons us, ay?’ 

Subeya turned towards her with a straight face, ‘She won’t do that. Trust!’ Marana looked at her sideways and gave her a nod. Tying her hair up in a bun, Subeya said, ‘I’m going to use the toilet. No more squatting in the grass and rubbing leaves for me. Almost set myself up for a rash from picking an itchy frond last night.’ 

‘Spare the deets!’ Marana threw up her hands, her expression showing that she was amused as well as disgusted. 

There was no gale from the mountains that night, and so, the weather remained warm and musty. The moon was a waning crescent, a thin sliver of light in the sky, birthing anew after its brief disappearance the night before. It peaked out from behind the clouds every now and then, blinking on and off like a broken light in a shady alleyway. 

The incessant chitter of night insects had begun at dusk. The campers had gotten so used to the din that when it suddenly died out, and there was complete silence, Sinovan woke up. Something did not seem right. 

His hat that he had placed beside his bedroll, started beeping. Its circumference lit up in red, blinking in harmony with the alarm. ‘What… what is it?’ He mumbled, yawning and putting on the hat. 

‘Strange signals coming from the South,’ came Honeymuffin’s voice from the sound-emitter within the hat. ‘Unknown origin.’

Fearing the worst, Sinovan fled to the truck and shut the doors. Once safely ensconced within the vehicle, he yelled, ‘Marana replay the transmissions sent by Homa for a match!’ 

Marana feverishly swiped and tapped at her screens, accessing everything that the Abbess had shared with them. ‘Sendin’ it all to your brain sock… now!’ 

Sinovan adjusted his hat and tensely said, ‘Honeymuffin: Detect presence.’ 

‘Analysing,’ came the little girl’s voice from every sound-emitter in the truck. 

‘What’s happening out there?’ Subeya called from within the toilet. ‘Can’t even take a shite in peace these days!’ 

‘Ghost confirmed,’ Honeymuffin declared. ‘Heading towards the camp at twenty-five kph. Time until contact, twelve minutes.’