As we journeyed halfway to the mothership, the atmosphere was surprisingly peaceful. Sam, Hannah, and Juliette engaged in conversation, sharing their thoughts about the mothership.
Curiosity sparkled on Hannah's face as she asked, "So, how long have you been with these people?"
As I focused on the road ahead, I remained vigilant, knowing that the chaos at the fleshling base might have drawn the attention of other cryptids. The once-busy jets were absent, and only a few fixed-wing drones were left to survey the city's situation. The silence around us added an eerie touch to our expedition.
"A few days," Sam replied, recalling the initial impression of the person she referred to as "big bro" which is me. "At first, I thought he was a bad guy, but I was wrong. He turned out to be really nice."
Intrigued, Hannah's eyes filled with curiosity as she delved deeper, asking, "And how did they treat Sandra?"
"Well, Gustav made Sandra cry when she tried to steal a rover from him," Sam explained, shedding light on their past interactions. "But I think they've become friends now."
Reflecting on Sandra's actions, Sam added, "Hmmm, big sis Sandra did try to mess with the rover. She thought it would work, but Gustav told her it wouldn't since it was new tech."
"Damn... Sandra really did that for my sake," Hannah muttered, her reaction showing that she had come to realize Sandra's actions were driven by the intention to save her.
As I pondered Sam's knowledge about Sandra's attempt with the rover, I wondered if Gustav had shared the details with them both while I was asleep. Gustav had always been secretive about his inventions, rarely disclosing how they worked. It struck me that everything within the mothership had been created after the Rapture, with the exception of the mothership itself. The mystery surrounding its origins only deepened my curiosity.
As we arrived at the front, Sandra was already waiting in front of the camper. Her excitement bubbled over as she exclaimed, "OH MY GOD!" However, her voice was muffled by the camper's sound suppression. Hannah then emerged from the camper, and the two friends embraced tightly, both shedding tears of joy. They eventually moved to the side, allowing me to drive the vehicle into the mothership. The wheels skidded slightly before finally entering the dispatch bay, and I turned off the ignition.
Juliette kindly offered to help Sam with her guncase, expressing concern about its size and weight. Nevertheless, Sam confidently declined the offer, stating that she had carried heavier objects before.
"But are you sure? It's much bigger than both of us," Juliette persisted, gesturing to the stark size difference between them.
Ignoring Juliette's concerns, Sam defiantly hoisted the gun case, which was twice her size, and bravely disembarked from the camper. Despite Juliette's attempts to assist, Sam displayed an unexpected level of independence and determination, proving that she could handle the task on her own.
The sight of Sam accomplishing tasks that would challenge many teenagers made me question whether I had underestimated her capabilities or if she had undergone a drastic transformation, despite being just a seven-year-old girl. It was truly remarkable.
As Gustav came into view, he addressed me with his usual brashness, "Just sitting on your ass there, huh? You look like a truck driver in his forties."
I couldn't help but smirk, replying, "Your muffled voice reminds me of your old AI." Standing up from the driver's seat, I got ready to join the conversation.
"I can't hear a damn thing from inside. Maybe I am getting old," Gustav said sarcastically.
After disembarking from the camper with Russ following behind, I noticed that the two sisters were still talking, and Sam had already gone, probably heading to the armory to drop off the equipment. As Gustav approached me, he appeared worn out, like a withered plant.
"You look gassed," I remarked.
"Now you noticed," Gustav replied. "I taught Sandra about the AI of the jets. It took my heart and soul just to drill it into her head." His exhaustion was evident, and it seemed he had invested a lot in Sandra's training.
"That's why the sorties of those jets were weird," I pointed out, connecting the dots.
"Yeah, I wanted her to grasp how to efficiently command the AI," Gustav snorted, recalling the incident. "But she got carried away, and the entire fleshling base practically came to a standstill."
"It took my heart and soul just to hammer that information into her stubborn skull," Gustav pretended to be saddened by the effort.
"So, you saw what I saw?" I said, acknowledging Sandra's interest in technology.
"Nah, more like computers. If she were in the modern world," Gustav paused, contemplating, "she'd probably be an Egirl."
Curiosity piqued, I inquired, "So, what does the crate contain?" I gave him a suspicious look but maintained a smile.
"You got me... I thought we should," Gustav yawned, "move closer to our goal."
"So, we're finally-" I began to say.
"Hey, thanks for the rescue, gramps," Hannah interjected, her face glowing with gratitude.
"Gramps? I'm only in my damn forties," Gustav chuckled, finding the nickname amusing. "Anyway, where's that demon?"
I returned to the Camper and picked up the sleeping beauty. Venidith hadn't changed a bit, still sleeping peacefully with her legs twisted like pretzels.