Three armored vehicles were running parallel to each other in the desolate wilderness. The distinctive emblem of Gray Fox shone on the side armor of each car. Dry winds from the plains rolled up the dust and beat on the car’s body as the silhouette of the city slowly disappeared into the horizon behind the convoy.
There were no visible signs of human life, only strange crags, and potholes in the wasteland. The dusty, grayish yellow sky hung low, almost touching the same grayish land below. It gave the illusion that the world was a mass of yellow sand. Theoretically, the convoy was hustling on an intercontinental highway. However, the concrete surface by the roadside was barely recognizable as nature had wiped out the last traces of civilization, which once existed there. After more than 60 years of weathering, nature had reclaimed the concrete road.
The mercenary team, led by Nolan, would soon reach the ruins of the north. After departing from Black Street, they were heading west to the Gray River. Hao Ren was in the convoy that had set off yesterday afternoon and been traveling for nearly twenty hours without stopping. The city’s ruins that had just disappeared in the horizon behind them was the last district in Broken Valley. From this point onwards, they would not see any urban ruins until they reached the Gray River. The desolate wilderness would be the only landscape for the next three days.
Hao Ren and Nolan were in the second armored vehicle, modified to carry personnel. The middle car in convoy was the most closely guarded one because Gray Fox clients were in it.
Two stone-faced men were sitting at the back of the carriage wearing uniforms different from those of the mercenaries. They were said to be researchers from White River Consortium. Another two senior guards from White Water Consortium sat on both sides, were responsible for protecting the researchers and monitoring the work of Gray Fox. Nolan’s mission was to escort these four people safely across to Northern Ring Tower—and then to ensure at least one of the researchers would make it back alive.
The last sentence was the original wording of the Letter of Order of White River Consortium.
The four ‘clients’ hardly talked with the mercenaries. They occasionally spoke in a low voice among themselves to avoid others from hearing what they said. Paying attention to them was pointless. So Hao Ren turned around and looked at the monitor screen mounted on the carriage. He could see the outside scenery, which was only an endless wasteland, on the monitor. Ulyanov whispered, “Not even rangers would survive in this hellish place.”
“Relax, we are now in the safest place of the world,” said Nolan who was sitting across the carriage. Her hands behind her head, eyes slightly shut, and feet resting on the steel armrest before her. “There is no human in this place. The only danger is nothing but highly toxic soil and water.”
Carl hugged his large rifle and curled up in the corner. Hearing Nolan’s words, he sniffled. “Gee, that’s safe.”
Hao Ren looked at the four men from White Water Consortium at the end of the carriage. He then sat down next to Nolan. “Do you know what they are going to do there?”
“I don’t know,” Nolan said, appearing indifferent. “I don’t poke my nose into my client’s business. That’s why I could live until today. You shouldn’t know beyond what you should know.”
She then paused and noticed the curiosity on his face. She shrugged and lowered her voice. “Probably they are after the Master Computers, the pre-war Nanomachine Swarm program, and the next-generation Nanomachine Swarm technical draft inside the Northern Ring Tower. Those who could get their hands on any one of those things will be rich. Those who went to the North all these years were basically after those things.”
“Pre-war technology…” Hao Ren whispered. “Does it still work now?”
“Why do you want to go there?” Nolan raised one of her eyebrows. “I heard that you buried your wife in the wilderness outside Black Street in the morning. It looks like you’re not giving up your life just yet by going to the North.”
Hao Ren twisted the corner of his mouth, feeling hapless. “My mind is sound all this while, mind you. I need to confirm something in the Northern Ring Tower. And I’m only taking a ride and not going to ruin your interest in any way.”
Nolan suddenly stared at Hao Ren, looking dead serious. “To be honest, I always thought something was wrong with you since the first meeting.”
Hao Ren smiled. “What’s wrong with me?”
“Too optimistic, too calm, and too devil-may-care,” said Nolan, turning her head away. “I thought at first these were the cause of your insanity. But now they seem not. You remind me of those people who grew up in a peaceful era, but those people couldn’t keep your kind of state of mind for very long in this scorched land.”
“You look young, but is very observant.” Hao Ren said inadvertently.
“I look young?” Nolan said softly and looked up at the monitor in the carriage. Then she pressed the intercom button next to her and said to the soldier in the cab. “Kim, have we crossed the old Route 17?”
The soldier in the cab replied, “Just passed a few minutes ago.”
“Take a rest. Let the car run in autopilot mode. There is no need for a driver for the next two days.”
“Roger that, boss.”
Though Black Street and Zero City were the closest human settlements to the ruins of the North, there was still a long distance from there to the Northern Ring Tower. This life-forbidden area was impenetrable for ordinary people. Even professional mercenaries need the support of modern equipment and the best physical and mental state to go there. For two days, the convoy was slowly approaching the ruins of the North under the guidance of the autopilot system. As the destination drew near, everyone became anxious. The mercenaries that Nolan brought out were the most courageous and loyal group of people of Gray Fox, but now they still could not help feeling uneasy.
“Being killed by the Nanomachine Swarm is a very horrifying experience,” Ulyanov said to Hao Ren on their fourth day of the journey. “The dying feels like an eternity, and it usually begins with your internal organs. As your body dissolves, there comes the illusion of extreme burning and tearing sensations. The greater pressure is psychological. You will feel that you are turning into some weird substance and the feeling will linger on for several minutes.”
Hao Ren was gazing at the scenery outside. Ulyanov’s words gave him a strange feeling. “Are you demoralizing your fellow mercenaries?”
Ulyanov laughed hoarsely. The laughter seemed to have a naughty meaning in it. “I just wanted to remind those that are attracted by the seemingly dormant Nanomachine Swarm. The Nanomachine might suddenly wake up without warning.”
The two researchers from White Water Consortium glanced at Ulyanov with a disgruntled look on their faces.
Suddenly, the voice of the driver sounded through the intercom speaker. “The Gray River! The Gray River is right in front! Boss, we have arrived at the Gray River!”
The words ‘Gray River’ seemed to possess magical of some sort; the mercenaries bounced up, raised their heads, and clenched their weapons. They were anxious and excited at the same time. Nolan grabbed her equipment and got to her feet. “Everyone, bring your electromagnetic hibernator and follow me!”
The mercenaries jumped out from the carriages as the armored vehicles ground to a halt. Before Ulyanov got up, he shoved a palm-sized device that looked like an old radio into Hao Ren’s arms. “Take this; it’s an electromagnetic hibernator.”
Hao Ren took over the gadget, feeling bizarre. Hurried by those from behind, he jumped off the car.
An endless barren land spread out in front of his eyes. A hundred meters away, he saw the leading armored vehicle had stopped beside a river. On the bank of the river, there was a continuous, neat flow of metallic luster.
Hao Ren followed the mercenaries and ran over. He then looked at the scene in awe. “This is the Gray River?”
All he saw was an endless gray, viscous, weird liquid flowing in the river. The texture looked like asphalt with bone-like color. The liquid flew very slowly, almost like a slow-motion film. The ever surging, sticky gray ‘river surface’ gave people a bizarre feeling. In this black-and-white-movie-like place, at the edge of the Gray River, a layer of seemingly plated armor was covering the rock on the riverbanks, as if naturally formed riverbanks, holding back the dangerous ‘water’ in the riverbed.
It was the Gray River.