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Erik Berkeley Lecture to his son Lance

***

Their vehicle raged against the rocky terrain, weaving through the cacophony of dead forest. Damian showcased his Specialist experience again with the blind turns, sudden shifts, and the familiarity of challenging roads.

There was still a glimpse of daylight against the heaving dust, fingering through the branches of the dead trees. Luckily, the forest was dead which allowed the daylight to invade the forest bed.

"Kid," Handsome spoke while the two beside him in the backseat had gripped ferociously at the side doors of the Jeep. "Don’t tell anyone about Jasper. This is important, Kid. When we arrive in Axiom, it is dangerous out there. People there have an agenda darker than what it seems. Secrets filled the streets.

But you can handle them, kid. Just be with Damian’s side, and you’ll be fine."

"Why? What is in Axiom Trench nowadays?" George asked.

"This is the new Axiom Trench. The Axiom Trench known by the Corporation and even the citizens was run down by Abominants just a mile away from this new location. The Outsiders kept the operations alive, as the Trench is actually how we survived for so many years. Without the Trench, and us being fugitives of any Surviving Cities, we will be killed or jail time.

We chose to live even amongst the reach of the Abominants without the luxury of walls. This is a fight or flight situation for all of the Outsiders."

"So what makes you safe from Abominant attacks?" George continued his inquisition.

"Thick doors." Handsome responded.

After a vast array of comically chaotic ranges of dead trees, they succeeded beyond the tree line and were greeted by a strong breeze. Probably because of the vastness of the empty barren land once again.

But to the far end where their eyesight could reach, were silhouettes of mountain ranges. Damian floored the pedal racing against daylight to not completely retreat behind the ranges.

Otherwise, they would encounter creatures that lurked behind the ominous large boulders occasionally laid on the barren.

"Can you go faster?" Joe’s voice was shaking.

"This is the fastest it can get," Damian answered. "Load your weapons, ready for a gunfight."

"Sure encounter?" Lance asked. He loaded his handgun too.

"Just being ready, kiddo," Damian said. "Besides, the Outsiders already killed the high-level Abominants in this place so we will encounter maybe some level 1 or 2 creatures."

"Movement, four o’clock," Handsome reported.

A flock of dogs pursuing their flanks. It must be the shadow of a high mountain peak that masked the daylight of a setting sun, almost kissing the mountain ranges, that enabled the dogs to expose themselves.

"Jasper, scan," Lance commanded.

"Don’t bother, lad," Handsome said. "They are level 1 Groundlings, as what we name them. Dog-like creatures may be a cross-type with cats. Furry little annoying beasts."

"Let’s blast them," George suggested.

"No need. You’ll be wasting your bullets," Handsome held George’s barrel as if the latter was trying to aim at the pursuing party. "They can only run up to 70 Kilometers per hour. Our vehicle is running at almost a hundred. So catching up is when our vehicle will stop for a prayer."

The growls emerged from random places but faded away in every waking second. The pack started to decelerate as they felt hopeless for a sumptuous meal of Outsiders and Insiders. Until they were gone with the dark and dusty atmosphere.

"Surprising though, there are only a few Abominants," Lance mused.

"You’ll know when you arrive in the Trench," Handsome said, he winked at the kid.

As they reached a sinuous narrow road between large boulders like hills, after the flat bends of barren land, their vehicle decelerated. The road’s entry was so inconspicuously located that one would assume a dead end.

"We are lucky. We arrive on time," Handsome sighed.

"Thank you, Handsome. I am sorry for Fatso and Lanky," Lance portrayed gratitude.

"Don’t worry, kid. I’m fine. It’s part of their job and they know the risks in every mission. I am still hopeful though that Fatso has survived the fall."

"Then why aren’t we driving back?" Lance asked.

"Don’t be silly, kid. You are priority one, remember. Fatso instructed me that you should reach the trench alive."

Even to his superior’s deathbed, Handsome followed the directions to the letter.

Their vehicle stopped upon reaching a large circular metallic door. The colossal door reached about six meters in diameter, enclosed by a large whole of stony wall. Nobody would dare to linger upon narrow dark roads and between towering boulders.

Strategic, Lance admired.

Handsome waved at the closed door and it hissed, releasing a thick pressurized air from the inside. They could feel the burst of wind caressing their bodies.

The hinges creaked loudly, battling rust and dust as metallic surfaces had friction with each other. The circular metal slab opened, thick and heavy looking, like the one they used with large ships’ structures.

Damian drove inside slowly and was halted by two heavily armed Outsiders. Handsome had a way with people, maybe he spoke with authority and calmness that people would easily believe in whatever he preached.

Handsome waved at the Outsiders, and proceeded without further question. The large door closed behind them.

"Decompression in five, four..." A female AI voice loomed inside the enclosed four-walled chamber. The vents hissed, absorbing the contaminated air from the outside.

"Decompression complete," The AI said after five seconds. Then the second large door opened with the same dimension as the first door behind them.

Damian drove inside and a vibrant atmosphere greeted the visitors with a discord of people and variety of market stalls. The guffaws of various people were deafening, similar to Axe Market.

But it was livelier. The lights surprised them with colorful strobes, blinding them with delight.

"Welcome to Axiom Trench Trading Market!" Damian announced.

Flabbergasted, the sprawling rocky figures, mountain ranges, and deathly threats at the opposite side of the door greatly contradicted the festivities inside.

The lights were bright and multi-colored, people of various skins and clothes heaved the streets, and unkempt stalls were established alongside the roads. Such festivity was never witnessed before by the Insiders, especially the first-timers.

"You can take off your masks," Damian said. "Let’s head to the Seer." They drove their jeep along the heaving population. Most of the onlookers had a stare that would punch holes in one’s soul. Making eye contact with the locals was absolute stupidity.

They took off their masks and inhaled deep surprisingly fresh filtered air.

Lance followed suit. He was surprised to have filtered air outside the walls, way beyond the reach of the MAFs. Lance surveyed the high ceilings, about six stories high, enclosed, surprisingly, they had an MAF on their own. Two of them were mounted at the centermost part of the cave.

But instead of hovering in mid-air, they were embedded against the ceiling, upside down to where the exhaust fans were facing downwards and the sides were sealed by rocky ceiling. The filtration chambers opposite the fan’s body seemed to access the external environment to absorb oxygen to supply filtered air inside the cave.

Axiom Trench was a man-made cave, hidden perfectly from the police scans.

’Prototypes. Somehow they managed to steal the functional prototypes made by Levi Menks,’ Lance thought.

"I know what you’re thinking, kiddo," Handsome said. "Maybe there is a lapse in the filtration by the prototypes."

"Yeah. I think so." Lance responded. "These designs were amended countless times just to perfect the air cycle between the filtration chambers. They tweak the motors inside to create a continuous flow of air through various filtration levels. It needs intricate calculations to arrive at the needed motor sizes and capacity. We may be inhaling a bit of contaminated air here."

"Not according to the contamination readers," Handsome pointed at the large digital display, reading the current radiation states in the atmosphere. It was placed way above the stalls and conspicuous to all marketgoers.

The air was filtered as the display suggested.

"How so?" Lance asked.

"A brilliant scientist came to these parts of the land and did what you said. We did not catch his name. He just came to help without asking in return. Some religious sects here say he’s an angel in disguise."

’The Lost Engineers probably,’ Lance thought.