Leoric pulled over, bringing the V1 to a sudden stop. He could feel a throbbing pain in his head, and his throat was parched. It was clear that he needed to take a break from driving and quench his thirst with a refreshing sip of water.
Angel gazed at Gavin Reeves, her eyes conveying her intentions. Understanding her unspoken request, Gavin picked up his towel and doused it in water. He handed the damp cloth to Angel and repeated the process for his towel. They both wrapped the towels around their heads, providing some relief from the scorching heat of the desert sun. Mario Diaz brought his vehicle to a stop beside the V1. The last vehicle contained their precious water supply. They had wisely anticipated the desert's extreme heat and took precautions to insulate their water supply, ensuring that it remained cool despite the external heat.
Gavin cautiously made his way up the makeshift ladder that had been haphazardly propped up against the side of the vehicle. The ladder was crafted from the sturdy wooden legs of the few tables that had once adorned the dining area of the yacht's restaurant. Despite its improvised nature, the ladder appeared to be holding up well, and Gavin ascended with relative ease. As he reached out to touch the aluminum covering the hole on top of the vehicle, he quickly retracted his hand due to its intense heat. Not one to give up easily, Gavin retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and used it as padding before carefully gripping the aluminum cover. With the added protection of the handkerchief, Gavin was able to successfully remove the cover, revealing the water inside.
He finally managed to scoop water and fill the container. Angel handed her another container while she passed the filled one to Brian, a crew member.
Gavin and Angel hurried back to their vehicle. Even though they were covered from head to toe, they did not dare stay in the sun for too long.
The water they took from their 'water tank' turned warm in a short while, but it still provided them with relief from the scorching heat. All the twenty-plus remaining people followed Gavin and Angel's example. They wet their towels and placed them over their heads, then continued their journey.
Whenever they see a cactus on their way, they cut it and place it on the roof of their vehicle to block the glaring sun.
Around 1:00 p.m., the heat became unbearable, causing Emily to complain of headaches and cry. This added tension to an already tense environment. Angel and Mary, a female crew member, took out all the blankets and the tablecloth. They placed some of the blankets on the roof of their vehicle as a makeshift ceiling. They also distributed the rest of the blankets to the other vehicles, who followed suit. This helped to reduce the heat, which had become oppressive.
On the previous night, Leoric had assigned numbers to the vehicles to make it easier for everyone to identify them. Specifically, their vehicle was labeled V1. The vehicle carrying the water was called the water tank, while the remaining vehicles were named V2, V3, and V4.
Both Leoric and Dr. Gavin Reeves had been driving for a long time, and the heat had taken a toll on them, causing splitting headaches and leaving them in an unfit state of mind to continue driving. Angel volunteered to take over the wheel because they couldn't stop. If they did, they knew that they would feel the heat even more.
Angel traveled at 15 kilometers per hour. They had shifted to solar power, and they could only travel at such speed. During the hottest time of the day, they took a 15-minute break for every hour of travel
Around 4:00 pm, the heat had significantly reduced, but to stay hydrated and cool their vehicle, they had consumed a lot of water. They had covered a distance of approximately 400 kilometers, but upon checking, they still couldn't see the end of the desert.
Angel urged everyone to continue. She let Leoric and Gavin rest as she continued to drive.
Suddenly, Angel stopped V1, and the rest of the vehicles stopped as well. She took the telescope with her and walked to where V2 parked, as it was driven by Captain Niel.
"I think I spotted sand dunes ahead, but I am not really sure. Do you want to check it?" Before Captain Niel could reply, Mario Diaz took the telescope from her. He climbed over the 'water tank', the tallest vehicle, and used the telescope to scan the area.
"There are indeed dunes ahead, but they are not tall, so our vehicles should be able to climb them."
Angel took the telescope and went back to the V1. She hesitated and asked if Leoric or Gavin wanted to drive.
Leoric felt better after taking his bath. Bathing involved wetting his hair with very little water and sponging his body with a wet face towel.
He took the wheel from Angel. Angel decided to sit beside him to assist him. Angel was looking at the first three undulating sand dunes in front of them. She had an ominous feeling about the sand dunes, but if they do not go over it, their only option is to go back. She told Leoric about what she felt and Leoric did not take it lightly.
Leoric maneuvered the V1 over the first dune. It was not too high—the peak should be two meters—so the vehicle crossed over smoothly.
Angel used the telescope to scan the area, and it appeared that the dunes stretched more than five kilometers in all directions.
When they were about to cross the last few dunes, something happened. Leoric felt the sand shift under the vehicle. He stepped on the gas to accelerate but he forgot that they had moved to solar power.
Screams filled the air as their vehicle lifted into the air and was thrown forward.
"Everyone, calm down and try to hold on to something to keep yourself from being thrown around." Angel's voice was calm.
Leoric struggled with the vehicle as they continued to rise into the air. What kind of monster burrowed under the sand?
No matter how expert Leoric was, he could not save their vehicle from the impending trouble. Their vehicle rose to a height of about two stories. It stayed suspended in the air for a full minute.
Leoric and Angel felt the thing beneath that supported their vehicle jerked, and V1 was thrown forward and spiraled out of control. The shrill screams from the back almost ruptured her ear drums.
Angel's eyes widened as V1 was about to crash onto the ground upside down.