“You’re… coming to the market?”
“I am. I just need the coordinates.”
“Jude. You know it’s not a good idea… Not after the last time. He’ll kill you.”
“He won’t if he doesn’t know I’m here. I’ll come tonight, under the cover of darkness. Tell Stellan to keep the hangar open. I’ll fly in.”
“Fly?”
“You’ll see.”
“Okay… But Stellan will fucking kill you, too.”
“I know. But the grump can get in line.”
It sounds like Jude has many enemies. I can’t say I’m surprised.
As we get closer to the coordinates, Jude asks Fyfe to land in the ruins of a small town called Eureka. He doesn’t try to feed me again. He has no reason to waste food now that we’re reaching the market. It took us less than two days.
“We should seek assistance, Mr. President,” says Fyfe. “Your injuries look serious.”
It’s not the first time since our departure that the AI brought up my health, to Jude’s irritation.
“He deserves it,” says Jude, eyeing me.
I smile to rile him. “Why, holding a grudge for a few burns?”
The fern-like burns—the Lichtenberg figures—on his face and arms, are elegant. I always wondered why my electricity left such pretty scars.
“No. Because you’re a rapey motherfucker, an abuser, and a slaver.” He leans toward me. “And when I have no more use for you, I’ll take great pleasure in killing you for what you did to Helios.” He smiles at that.
I say nothing as his words rattle my bones. Helios told him things about me… Terrible things, it seems.
We spend the next few hours waiting inside theFirefly. Jude doesn’t dare to go far from his new shining toy, and rightly so. An aircraft like this is worth killing for. Maybe I should have left a long time ago with it. I should have spent my life traveling alone instead of trying to build fruitless dreams after dreams. I took the wrong path when I decided to give my heart to a wretched teenager I found in the wastelands. I saw my salvation in Helios. He was so kind and sweet. I thought he saw right through me, to my bones. But ultimately, he only saw the monster.
It’s around four in the morning that Jude flies us to the Traveling Market. He makes sure that Fyfe flies low, informing me that they keep a watchful eye over the sky. They know most of the threats coming from the wastelands thanks to their wide network of radio communications. There are patrols circling around the market for miles, but they are easily avoided with theFirefly’s radar.
As we reach the top of a hill, the market appears. At this hour, most of the lights have been turned off, but the structure is still breathtaking. I knew it was huge; I’ve seen the pictures. Butknowingis entirely different fromseeingit. The nine arms are connected by long rope bridges, swinging in the desert wind. They have built stalls and structures in every free space on the giant vehicles. Some are even hanging from the arms. A beautiful and practical mess.
I’m glad that I can see it before kicking the bucket.
3
The Traveling Market.
“The RWE Bagger was first crowned the largest land vehicle in the world at the end of the twentieth century. The first one ever used was in Germany. A few decades later, the US ordered three of those to be used on their excavation sites. They improved the technology and made them easier to operate. They had been excavating tons of earth for a few years when the Rise happened. They stayed unused for a few more years, until four men had the idea to build the Traveling Market on top of them. Their insane idea, against all odds, has survived for almost twenty years now.”
Extract fromThe Traveling Market and its Kingby Nolan Sigmond, published in 2062.
Jude guides Fyfe to the open hangar on the lower side of one of the Baggers. There is a huge ramp connecting it to the ground, allowing vehicles to climb. The ramp is held by massive chains, the links as big as a human’s head.
TheFireflyis stealthy as it gets, and yet a man is standing at the end of the hangar, gun in hand. The artificial light reveals his serious face. As soon as we land, he aims the gun at us.
“Hey now,” says Jude, coming out of theFirefly. “That’s no way to greet an old friend, Stellan.” Fyfe has opened both doors simultaneously.
“You’re not a friend of mine,” says Stellan. “I only tolerate you because of Perri.”
Stellan is tall and well-built, with blonde hair and a sharp jawline. He’s wearing a blue overall tied at the waist. There are other vehicles in the hangar. It looks like they’re being repaired. He must be a mechanic. Another extremely prized skill in the world after the Rise.
