Ethan and Aria followed Leander down the long, dimly lit corridor, Ethan remaining wary of Leander’s true intentions. The corridor seemed to stretch endlessly, filled with an eerie silence that only heightened their anxiety. Aria couldn't shake the image of the doppelgänger she had seen, and her mind was troubled with unsettling thoughts.

“This isn’t the time for this, Aria,” she sternly reminded herself. “Focus on the escape plan.”

Any mistake could be fatal. The pressure of their situation weighed heavily on her. After two minutes of walking, they entered a lavish golden hall. The opulence of the hall starkly contrasted with the fortress’s stark interiors. Luxurious sofas, attentive waitstaff, and a gleaming reception desk greeted them, creating an almost normal atmosphere. Some guests lounged on the sofas, eyes glued to a large screen playing a video about cloning technology. This was a reception area for visitors.

They quickly discarded their cleaning uniforms into a nearby trash bin, attempting to blend in with the ordinary guests. A waitress in a short skirt approached, carrying a tray of fruit and drinks. Despite their anxiety, she seemed oblivious to anything out of the ordinary. They focused their attention on the screen, trying to calm their nerves.

The screen’s narrator said, “Since the last century, cloning technology was first applied to plants, followed by asexual reproduction using somatic cells for bacterial cloning. In 1979, fish were cloned, and in 1996, the first cloned sheep, Dolly, was created. Over the next 40 years, cloning technology developed in secrecy and ultimately advanced to human cloning. This means humans can use clones to replace old or damaged organs, just like car parts.”

As Aria listened, a sinking feeling filled her, and she struggled to control her emotions.

Noticing her distress, Ethan gave her a reassuring look. They stood up, pretending to be just another group of departing guests. As they exited, Ethan couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

“Why are there no guards? Is it really this easy?” he wondered, feeling an unsettling anxiety.

Their surprise turned to shock as they saw a line of helicopters on the runway outside. The sight of the empty helipad and the helicopters descending from the sky was breathtaking. “Does anyone know how to fly these?” Ethan asked, his voice tinged with desperation.

“So even if we escape, we won’t get out of here,”Leandersaid, shaking his head in resignation.

“Well, let’s leave the airport and see what we can find outside,” Ethan decided, trying to mask his growing anxiety with determination.

They began running across the vast airport, the scorching sun beating down on them. The expansive land seemed endless and mercilessly hot. About fifteen minutes later, they finally reached the edge of the airport. The initial excitement quickly faded as they faced the daunting sight of the endless desert before them.

The Mojave and Colorado deserts stretched out before them, a harsh, arid landscape on the border between California and Nevada. The desolation was intimidating, the vast, empty expanse appearing as a natural barrier to their escape. Death Valley National Park lay before them, one of the lowest, driest, and hottest places in North America. With temperatures reaching 56 degrees Celsius, survival seemed nearly impossible.

They descended from a rock and began trekking into the desert. The ground was parched and cracked, the sun unforgiving, each step fraught with difficulty.

“No wonder there are no guards. Who would want to escape from here?” Ethan muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.

“If we don’t find water soon, we’re done for,” Leander said, his voice hoarse.

Ethan tried to stay calm, speaking firmly, “We know, Leander. Keep moving.”

The heat quickly took its toll on them. Aria’s lips were cracked, and she showed severe signs of dehydration. “If we don’t find water soon, Aria will die,” Leander said, helping Aria to lessen her burden.

Ethan looked at Aria, her face pale and drenched in sweat. He could see the despair in her eyes. “Just a little further,” he urged, though he wasn’t sure how much farther they could go.

The trio trudged through the endless desert, the sun scorching them as if determined to melt the fleeing outlaws.

Aria nearly collapsed from exhaustion, falling to the ground. Ethan shielded her from the sun, trying to provide some shade. He scanned the horizon, searching for any sign of hope.

Suddenly, something glinted in the blinding sunlight. Although faint, it gave him a sliver of hope. “Look,” Ethan pointed out.

“There seems to be something ahead. Let’s check it out.”

They moved toward the gleaming object, their steps faltering but determined. As they drew closer, the shape of the object became clearer. It looked like the wreckage of an old, abandoned aircraft.

“What is that?” Aria asked, her voice barely more than a whisper, her previous confidence completely drained by the sun’s torture.

“It looks like discarded aircraft wreckage,” Ethan replied, a new sense of hope filling him.

As they approached, they saw the large wings of the aircraft partially buried in quicksand. Aria and Leander sat by the wreckage, while Ethan examined the wings, thinking of a solution. The wings were as hot as metal plates, but there was no time to wait for them to cool down.

“Ethan, come over here. This can provide us some shade. Though not much, it can protect us from the intense sun,” Leander suggested.

“I need to find anything useful,” Ethan said, digging vigorously in the surrounding sand with his dry, rough hands, searching through the debris.

Ethan quickly found a rusty knife, followed by a pair of sunglasses and a length of rope. “Guys,” he shouted, “I might have found a way out.”

“What’s the plan?” Leander asked, sensing a glimmer of hope amidst the crisis.

“We can use these tools to dig the wings out of the sand. The desert wind is strong. Once we get on this metal plate, we can use the wings as a sail, like a makeshift sled. The wind will push us forward,” Ethan explained, his mind racing with possibilities.

Ethan shielded his forehead with his hand, staring out at the vast desert. “We need to clear the sand from under the wings quickly. The wind will come soon.”

The three of them began clearing the sand from the plane wreckage. Ethan used the rusty knife to cut the rope and tied the wings to the metal plate. The weather remained scorching, and their bodies were pushed to the limit. Every muscle protested.

Ethan used his last bit of strength to secure the final tie. Finally, everything was ready. They climbed onto the metal plate, with Ethan at the front, gripping the wings, Aria in the middle, and Leander at the back. They waited for the wind, clinging to their last hope for survival.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed when the hot wind blew some sand into Ethan’s face. “It’s the wind, it’s coming,” Ethan shouted, using his remaining energy.

Sure enough, soon the desert wind began to pick up. With the wings facing the wind, they started to glide forward, the metal plate sliding across the sand like a makeshift vehicle. The sensation was surreal.

“God, we’re saved,” Ethan said, a relieved smile spreading across his face.

As they glided to a new area, they spotted signs of life—camels and some cacti. They stopped near the cacti.

“Look, those are cacti. Cacti contain water,” Ethan said, breaking off a piece of cactus and carefully removing the thorns. He squeezed the fresh cactus juice onto his cracked lips, then used the knife to collect more juice, handing it to Aria. She eagerly drank the precious liquid.

Leander continued collecting more cactus, drinking some of the juice himself, then pouring the rest on the sand, exhausted but relieved. The cactus juice tasted bitter, but it was a lifeline.

As night fell, temperatures dropped, revealing the extreme climate of the desert. The scorching heat of the day gave way to a freezing cold night, turning the vast sandy expanse into a cold, barren wasteland.

“We’ll rest here tonight, but we need to keep moving tomorrow,” Ethan said, despite his exhaustion. When he looked up, the vast sky was filled with twinkling stars, as if winking at them.

“Is this the human world?” Ethan’s eyes reflected a yearning for freedom.

As night enveloped them, they huddled together for comfort and warmth. The vast desert stretched before them, their stomachs growling. The cactus was not enough to fill their hunger, so they endured the discomfort and tried to sleep.