The man’s brows knit together as he leaned forward. “Really. And how would crossing the Great Blight, a span of a thousand miles, achieve this aim?”
Samuel explained what the xenovirus was and how it worked. He said that we were all scientists (more than a slight exaggeration) trying to discover a way to stop it, and that we thought Bunker One contained information that might help us. The man listened the entire time, not saying a word, his expression switching from incredulity to curiosity.
When Samuel was done, the man nodded slowly. “You certainly don’t look like Raiders.” He looked at the women. “These three do. They have their dress.”
“I am their security and guide,” Anna said. “Along with Lisa here. Char of Raider Bluff sanctioned this mission.”
“Char,” the man said, with a low, threatening growl.
“You know him?” Makara asked.
“Yes,” the man said. “What has become of him?”
“He has his plate full, that is for sure,” Samuel said. “There will be war with the Empire soon.”
The man gave a soft, grim laugh. “I hope my brother can survive their onslaught.”
My eyes widened in surprise. At first I was skeptical — but I saw that the man and Char were around the same age and shared many of the same features — broad chin, dimples, a solid frame.
“Char has never mentioned having a brother,” Makara said.
“That does not surprise me,” the man said. “I am Marcus, and we are the Exiles. Twelve years ago, we split from the Raiders over a disagreement. We were the loser of that controversy, so we were exiled to the Boundless. We were much greater in number, once. Now we are only thirty-two. I am surprised we are that many. This is a harsh land, and there is no mercy for the weak.”
“What was the disagreement about?” Samuel asked.
“It was long ago, but it changed Raider Bluff forever, into what it is today. Twelve years ago the Raiders blew up Hoover Dam, causing a flood. It wiped out many settlements along the river.”
“Why did they do that?” I asked.
“There was a rival city of Raider Bluff, across the water on the Colorado’s western shore,” Marcus said. “It was called Rivertown. The Raiders believed blowing up the dam was the easiest way to destroy them. What they didn’t foresee, however, was just how much death there would be. Char was young at the time, and brash. He was for the plan, and was chosen to lead the group that destroyed the dam. I fought with him to keep him from going. We fought, and in my rage, I threw him into the fireplace. He landed face first.”
No one said anything in the silence that followed. Char had received his burn from his own brother, no less.
“It is no wonder that we are out here,” Marcus went on. “I was exiled. But I did not go alone. Fifty Raiders followed me into the desert. It was our intent to cross the country and begin a new city. We wanted to settle on the Mississippi, far to the east.
“We never made it that far. We were attacked by crawlers halfway there. Many died in the attack, and there was nothing we could do but turn back. We tried to cross, once more, years later, but the Blights barred our path. In the north, we were locked in by cold and snow; in the south, by the Empire, who promised us passage in exchange for military service.” Marcus shook his head. “They did not keep their word.”
“Raider Bluff is different,” Makara said.
“I swore a time would come in which they would need us. And I still believe that. I am too proud to return. We are the Exiles.” Marcus paused. “Raider Bluff will lose against the Empire. Anyone who stands against them will fall. Their army numbers in the thousands. They already control much of Mexico, and are extending their way north.”
“Where did they come from?” Makara asked.
“When Ragnarok fell, the world became colder, as you know. The people went south. Mexican, American, it didn’t matter anymore. What few survived banded together. The climate changes were kinder to Mexico than the United States. The land there is temperate, good for crops, and there are still many untapped resources and plenty of water. It is not like here. For the decade after Meteor, hundreds of city-states flourished, on the coasts, on the rivers, in the forests. They warred and fought, their wealth fueled by slavery, guns, and bullets. When one city lost, they became the thrall of another.
“But then the Empire came, based in the city of Nova Roma. It was once a collection of huts on a series of hills, like the Rome of old. Perhaps by borrowing their name, they hoped to capture some of the magic. But their people were strong, and they subjugated their neighbors, led by a man calling himself Augustus. Instead of enslaving their neighbors, they annexed them, upsetting the normal balance. More people flocked to the Empire as they gained wealth and power. The Empire offered safety, comfort, law in a land of lawlessness. Soon, half of Mexico was theirs, and any who challenged them faced slavery, or worse.
“And now, with most of former Mexico in their sure grip, they are turning their eye north.”
“Why?” Samuel asked, intent on Marcus’s answer.
“Do you not know? They seek the Bunkers.”
“The Bunkers?” I asked. “Why would they want them?”
“The Empire is very interested in any technology they can acquire. And not just technology, but information. There are weapons, vehicles, fuel, supplies, medicines, all of which can simply no longer be made. And it’s all for the taking, whether or not covered by Blights. They’ve already raided the Bunkers close to home, but their main prize is Bunker One…and if it weren’t for the hostility of the environment, they would have raided it long ago.”
“How do you know all this?” Makara asked.
“Like I said, we Exiles wander where we please,” Marcus said. “We have on occasion hired ourselves out as mercenaries. We keep our ears open, wherever we travel.”
The Empire’s wanting to find Bunker One put them in direct competition with us. Did they know about the Black Files? If they did, would they want to keep them? My gut intuition said almost certainly.
“So you really think Raider Bluff will lose?” I asked.
It was hard to imagine that city falling to anything. They had all those people, plus those walls on top of the bluff. A giant army would be needed to crush that.
“Raider Bluff is only a few thousand,” Marcus said. “The Empire is many thousands. Their lands are still green and warm. They call this the Wasteland for a reason. They see you as barbarians.”
Here I was, thinking that the entire world was a desert. Just hearing that there were trees growing somewhere made me want to check this Empire place out. I still had a hundred questions — after all, how often was it that you met someone who had traveled outside the Wasteland?
“So — we can pass your lands in peace?” Samuel asked.
Marcus nodded. “I would normally exact tribute, but I believe in the importance of your mission. The Blights have not yet touched the Empire, but they will one day, soon. Maybe the time of the Raiders is over, but at least others might be saved for a future age.”
“Hopefully, everyone can be saved,” Samuel said. “But only if we make it.”
“The Great Blight is dangerous,” Marcus said. “You will travel upward into the mountains to the east, past the ruins of Flagstaff. It will only be another hundred miles to the border. You will not be attacked by us or anyone else on the way there. But once you cross that line, no one can help you. There are only the countless monsters that call that land their home. Crawlers will be the least of your worries.”
“We fought one of them, yesterday,” I said. “It was a giant.”
Marcus nodded. “Yes, you speak of the Behemoth. Nasty, those. All you can hope is that you are faster, or have a weapon powerful enough to pierce their skin. They make their home in the mountains and canyons of the Boundless. Even here, Blights crop up seemingly overnight. We burn them where we can. It’s possible to kill them if you get them early enough. But there is little we can do but run and find somewhere untainted.” He looked hard at Samuel. “We must be off soon, but before I go, a warning: don’t think that Bunker One isn’t on the top of the Novans’ list. I’m telling you this, so that you are not surprised if they beat you there.”