The Morningstar Brigade

Chapter 46

XXXXVI

ELI

152 A.E.F.

Brigade Supply Convoy, Outskirts of Asylum

"It's just incredible, isn't it?" a man in his late twenties said excitedly as he adjusted his glasses and turned another page. "The things we've left on Earth, I mean."

"Mmhm," the supply truck driver grunted in response, feathering the accelerator as the vehicle drove along the rocky path.

The bespectacled man stroked his lip thoughtfully as he took in every detail on the page before him. The edges of the paper were frayed and the ink was faded, but the words "The Modern Assembly Line" could still be read at the top. Below the text was a washed-out photograph of a half-constructed car, robotic limbs surrounding it. The cables leading to the machines were meticulously knitted across the ground, each in its proper place. As he studied the image, the man could almost see the arms in motions, their powerful joints whirring with energy as they brought the iron nest to life.

"Just think: We have one or two supply trucks like these, and of course the transport system underground, but before the Penumbra arrived on Earth? The streets were filled with steel frames of every shape and size, each of them barreling down the roads powered by explosions. Explosions!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "Can you even imagine what that must have been like?"

"Mmhm," the driver repeated as they coasted around the crumbled remnants of a rockslide.

The man shut his book and gently placed it next to his feet. "I know I probably shouldn't say this, but I really do hope I get to see Earth in my lifetime," he said with a wistful sigh. "Even if it means a battle, I know it'll be worth it. It has to be. And there are more than just the things that our ancestors have made there, of course! The Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, the Amazon Rainforest... I'm going to see them all. There's something in humanity that just pulls us back to Earth. It's where we're meant to be. It's our home."

"Mmhm."

The man wiped his lenses quickly, picked at his carefully gelled light-brown hair and then leaned forward to look over at the driver. "But I'm sorry, I'm gushing. I'm just excited. It's going to be my first day on the job and I'm a little nervous," he apologized. "I haven't even let you talk. So, what are you most looking forward to on Earth?"

The driver narrowed his eyes. "The quiet."

"Oh," the man said quietly, sitting back in his seat as the supply truck rumbled into the Asylum crevice. He fumbled with the hilt of his blade and brushed the lint off his Brigade garb for a few moments while the silence hung heavy in the air. Still unused to the silver stole draped around his neck, the man tugged on it constantly. "I just really wasn't expecting to get a promotion. I mean, I like to think I do good work, but I've never been much of a leader." He slumped over at the thought. "I don't know, do you think I'm really cut out for this?" he asked, turning to the driver.

The driver sighed as he pulled to a stop just outside of Asylum. "Listen, son. What's your name?"

"Eli, sir," he answered with a smile.

"Eli, you seem like a nice kid. You talk a lot, but you seem nice," he said, scratching his unkempt salt and pepper beard. "Now, I don't know everything, but I do know this: If you've got a good heart and a good cause and you try your very best, Morningstar will fill in what you don't have."

"You really think so?" Eli asked, his eyes shining brightly.

"No, of course not. Don't be an idiot," the driver replied. "We've got to fight for every last thing we've got, or it'll get ripped away from us the second we aren't looking. Now get out of the truck, we're here."