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Ch30 Xin IX: Dressage

  07:15, February 23, 2295

  Near Danforth, Interstate 57 (I-57), IL 60930, Terra Alliance territory

  The first light of dawn pierced the horizon as Xin and Lorna pulled up to a deserted stretch of I-57. The highway stretched out beneath a cold morning sky, its cracked pavement amplifying the desolation. Lorna barely spoke as they got out of the vehicle. He sensed her impatience even before they began.

  Xin’s eyes trailed over the Space Rover, its hulking frame glinting faintly under the pale light of Midwest dawn. Its massive tires looked like they could crush the cracked pavement beneath them with ease. The armored plating, a pristine white marred by battle scars, hugged the Rover’s muscular body, every dent and scratch a testament to the hell it had survived. A Gauss Machine Gun sat perched on top, its sleek barrel angled skyward like a sentinel. Even dormant, the Rover exuded menace, its cockpit windows tinted dark.

  "We only have another day before the Osram mission begins. Get yourself familiar with the controls," Lorna said, her voice almost emotionless as she gestured towards the Space Rover. The scar on her left cheek from their ordeal in Taiwan only added to her serious demeanor. Xin wondered if it still pained her.

  Swallowing hard, Xin climbed into the driver's seat and began adjusting the harness. The instrument panel was an intimidating array of buttons, switches, and dials.

  "These Rovers were used in off-world missions. They've survived harsh conditions that could kill a man in seconds. Osram, Mars, Venus, Io. You name it," Lorna’s tone was distant. The scent of her German Lavender perfume, though pleasant, did little to ease his mind.

  As he finally took the wheel, the vehicle lurched awkwardly, and Xin could feel the crushing pressure of Lorna's gaze on him. His hands shook slightly on the controls.

  Every mistake he made felt magnified by the silence between them, and Xin couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn’t just physically small in comparison to her.

  "Focus," Lorna snapped, her patience wearing thin. "We don't have all day."

  "Right," Xin clenched his jaw and took a deep breath, determined to regain control of both the vehicle and his emotions.

  "More throttle control," Lorna’s gaze drilled into him as she ordered, her tone sharp but informative. "You need to feel the engine beneath you — balance the weight distribution between the front and rear tires. Remember, everything out there wants to kill you, even the gravity."

  "That’s what people on the Extranet say, yeah," Xin felt the weight of her words pressing on him.

  "In ‘91, on Osram, we were in a canyon. Threw one of these into a tight corner too fast, and we lost half the Vanguard marines. The Rover flipped, sent them crashing into a rock wall."

  Xin's heart pounded in his chest as he drove through the deteriorating highway. This training wasn't just for show; it was a test to see if he could handle her world of razor-thin margins. He gripped the wheel tighter. The Rover responded sluggishly to his touch.

  "Switch seats, now," Lorna commanded, her voice sharp and cutting. As they exchanged places, Xin couldn't help but notice the darkness that flickered behind her eyes.

  The moment Lorna took the controls, it moved effortlessly under her touch, gliding across the battered highway at breakneck speeds. Her movements were fluid and controlled, but there was something almost reckless about the way she pushed the machine to its limits.

  Watching her, Xin felt a mix of admiration and discomfort — he wanted to understand her, to bridge the gap between them, but it now seemed an impossible task.

  "Driving on Earth is nothing compared to Osram," Lorna said as her hands moved with ease over the controls. "Notice how I put in half the effort you did, but the rover feels lighter," she rose from her seat, exchanging with Xin once more. "Now, do it again."

  Xin swallowed hard, his heart thudding in his chest as he took the wheel once more. He was determined to prove himself, but the pressure had reached a breaking point. His hands felt heavy, sluggish, and when the Rover skidded wildly to the side, Lorna's frustration boiled over.

  "Do you even understand what the fuck you're doing?" she snapped, her voice cold and biting.

  The words struck Xin like a physical blow. It wasn't just about his driving anymore — this felt personal. Humiliated and angry at himself, he bit back the urge to lash out, allowing the shame to sink in.

  "This isn’t your civilian Fusion Car, Xin," Lorna continued, her tone icy.

  Xin's heart hammered in his chest, the echoes of Lorna's scorn still ringing in his ears. He felt the weight of her gaze on him, a palpable force that threatened to crush him beneath its intensity. But instead of crumbling beneath it, he drew in a slow, steadying breath and found his voice.

  "Tell me how to fix it," he said, the words steady despite the emotions churning within him. There was a flicker of surprise in her ice-blue eyes betraying her shock.

  Lorna's anger seemed to wane for a moment as they switched seats to let her take the wheel again. His gaze lingered on the scar on her left cheek for a moment too long.

  Her hands moved with practiced precision. The Rover responded immediately to her touch, as if the machine itself respected her. "You’re gripping the wheel too tight," she commented, her voice clipped. "It’s not about forcing it. Feel it — let the machine guide you. You fight the Rover, and you’ll lose."

  "I see," Xin watched her in awe as the Rover seemed to glide under her control. Every motion was deliberate, every adjustment calculated.

  "Try steering this thing when the ground’s breaking apart under you. Venus quakes, massive fissures opening beneath us — and I was still driving at 60 clicks. You don’t win that fight by muscling through. You win by feeling the feedback." There was more to Lorna’s cold demeanor than impatience as they switched seats back. "Alright. Do it."

  When Xin took the controls again, his heart raced, but this time, Lorna’s advice echoed in his mind. He loosened his grip, trying to sense the weight of the Rover beneath him, just as she’d said. The vehicle responded more smoothly, its massive wheels crunching over the cracked pavement without the awkward lurches from before.

  "Now, ease into the turns — don’t fight them." Lorna murmured, her tone softer now, though still commanding. "In low-gravity environments, it’s even more important."

  Xin's hands trembled slightly on the controls, but he refused to let it show. Instead, he trusted himself, allowing his movements to become more intuitive, more fluid.

  And as the Rover glided effortlessly through the desolate landscape, he could feel the gap between them narrowing, Lorna's approval drawing closer like a beacon in the darkness.

  "Good," Lorna murmured, her voice a mix of satisfaction and something else — something that made Xin's heart race. "This thing’s built to handle rough terrain. Trust the suspension system; it’ll do the work for you."

  A small smile that tugged at Xin’s lips as he rode the Rover with newfound confidence. The cold morning sky stretched out over the deteriorating stretch of I-57, a canvas of grays and blues that mirrored his growing trepidation.

  Suddenly, the Rover's sensors flashed red, casting a glow on Lorna's pale face. Her eyes darkened as she checked the readings, her tone even. "Helionite dumps ahead. Just another day in the Midwest wilderness."

  Xin's heart rate increased at the mention of the byproduct from cold fusion reactors. Although it was harmless to the human body, he knew that Helionite always attracted Radi-Mons like moths to a flame. In the distance, they could see a mound of tightly sealed steel yellow barrels haphazardly stacked together like ruins.

  "Is this common out here? Unorganized Helionite dumps?" Xin asked, trying to sound calm.

  Lorna's tone was laced with bitterness, "Most of these were dumped by lazy Mega Corps who don't want to pay for their own nuclear waste storage. But since those fat cats are also financial backers of the Alliance Armed Forces, no one cares. It sucks to be a local resident."

  Ahead, they spotted another mound of barrels crawling with creatures resembling chestnut-colored giant mutated ants, each the size of a hoverbike, eagerly tearing apart old barrels leaking sickly green sludge with their mouths and insectoid limbs.

  "Maurs. You don’t see them often because they're mindless collectors for the Fenris Horde. Usually too busy harvesting Helionite or Zephyrium to bother humans," Lorna commented as she switched the Gauss Machine Gun into active mode, her fingers deftly adjusting the controls.

  The Maurs' feeding frenzy had torn open dozens of Helionite containers, their corrosive saliva breaking down the industrial-grade seals as easily as paper. Behind their feeding ground, a partially exposed Zephyrium processor lay dormant, its crystalline structure still occasionally flickering with residual power.

  Lorna seemed unfazed, but Xin noticed how she unconsciously touched the scar on her cheek whenever they passed particularly dense clusters of radiation. The Space Rover's own fusion core hummed in response to the surrounding energy, its shielding automatically adjusting to compensate for the chaotic readings.

  "In the Imperium, we’d let our fusion waste flow through those fancy green columns to demonstrate power," Xin muttered. "But this..." He gestured at the sprawling yard of leaking barrels and corrupted processors.

  "Welcome to the Terra Alliance, where corporate profits matter more than — everything," Lorna replied grimly. Her words cut off as the sensors screamed a warning. The Maurs had stopped feeding, their bodies now crackling with stolen fusion energy as they turned their attention toward the Rover. "But since we’re SIMU, we’ll exterminate these pests just the same."

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  Lorna’s hands moved with mechanical precision as she activated the Gauss Machine Gun perched on the Rover’s top. The sleek barrel whirred to life, its energy core thrumming with an electric hum that Xin felt deep in his chest. A low glow emanated from the weapon, casting a faint blue light across the Rover’s control panel, making Lorna’s pale features look otherworldly, almost angelic.

  "Wait for it," she whispered calmly. As the spinning came to an end, the first shot exploded into the air with a sharp crack, slicing through the chilly morning air.

  The Gauss Machine Gun released its payload in a precise burst, its projectiles tearing through the closest Maurs with ease. In a flash, Xin watched the creatures reduced to shattered shells, their exoskeletons splitting apart, spraying black ichor in every direction. The remnants of their insectoid limbs thudded against the ground, the barrels they’d been feasting on now drenched in alien gore.

  Lorna’s expression remained calm, almost serene. She was like a Valkyrie presiding over the battlefield, her beauty magnified by the ruthless efficiency with which she dispatched the Maurs. The subtle curve of her peach-hued lips hinted at satisfaction, but her cerulean eyes were cold, calculating, every shot fired with the intent to annihilate. The dim early morning light cast a halo-like effect around her head, accentuating the loose blonde strands of her hair. Even the scar on her cheek seemed to add to her allure, like a stroke of red silk against the smooth ivory of her countenance, a symbol of her unwavering strength.

  Another series of shots echoed, a streak of quantum blue light flashing across the desolate highway, and more Maurs fell. Xin’s heart raced in sync with the rhythmic fire of the Gauss Machine Gun.

  The last Maur fell with a crunch, its segmented body twitching in death throes before going still. The silence that followed was deafening, punctuated only by the soft hum of the Gauss Machine Gun powering down.

  Lorna sat back in her seat, her hand resting lightly on the console, fingers still poised over the weapon’s control. The hard lines of her expression softened slightly, but the glint of steel remained in her eyes. "I usually handle the shooting while guys do the driving," she said. "You'll see what I can do when we meet monsters that fight back."

  As if on cue, the sensors picked up incoming Radi-Mon signatures, sharp emergency sirens firing off in the rover. A pack of Skuggrs had been drawn to them, their brown chitinous exoskeletons glistening as they chased after the Space Rover.

  "Drive, don't stop!" Lorna commanded, her voice steely but reassuring.

  "As you wish!" Xin's hands gripped the wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white as he focused on navigating through the chaos unfolding before them.

  "Skuggrs are clever fuckers. They know there are humans inside vehicles like ours," Lorna commented, her aim precise and cold as she targeted the approaching monsters and fired. The sound of gunfire mixed with metal sizzling filled the air as acidic bile splashed onto the Rover's side, sending shivers down Xin's spine. "But today, we’re hunters and they’re prey."

  A surge of panic threatened to overwhelm him, but Lorna’s aura anchored him to the present moment. He pushed the Rover harder as they now got on a straight road, trying to ignore the sensation caused by the Skuggrs' acid on the Rover’s chassis. "Let’s kick this hunt into overdrive, then."

  "Keep at this speed. I'll cover us," Lorna's voice was firm as she focused on gun control. More gunfire followed as two of the Skuggrs exploded into piles of flesh and bile.

  "I’m on it," Xin's chest tightened at the thought. He couldn't afford to let his fear get the better of him, not now. Not when Lorna depended on him to keep them both alive.

  It was then that a pack of mutated hounds appeared around them, no less than a dozen. Agile and hungry, they growled as they attempted to surround the Space Rover.

  "Bone Fiends are almost on us!" Lorna’s voice cut through the chaos like a knife, her focus unwavering as she fired another volley from the Gauss Machine Gun. The piercing shots tore through the first few Bone Fiends, their twisted forms exploding into a spray of flesh and bone, but the others were relentless. Several evaded her precision fire, darting into blind spots and clinging to the Rover’s side, their claws digging into the armored frame as they attempted to tear it apart.

  Xin's heart hammered in his chest, but amidst the noise of the battlefield, an idea sparked. His hands tightened on the wheel, knuckles white as he calculated the maneuver in his head.

  The Rover’s advanced suspension, Lorna’s instructions about the weight distribution — he could use it.

  Without warning, Xin slammed the Rover into a sharp, unexpected turn, the massive vehicle veering off the road at a precarious angle. The force of the movement jolted through the frame, and Xin gritted his teeth as the tires screeched against the cracked asphalt.

  For a split second, it felt like the world tilted on its axis, the Rover threatening to tip. But Xin held fast, trusting the machine and everything Lorna had taught him. The Bone Fiends weren’t so lucky.

  The sudden shift in momentum sent the creatures flying from the Rover’s side, their claws scraping futilely as they lost their grip. The centrifugal force hurled them away, their skeletal forms slamming into the concrete barriers lining the road with bone-crushing impact.

  Lorna’s eyes widened, caught off guard by the unexpected move. But as the last Bone Fiend was thrown clear, her lips curled into an approving smirk.

  "Not bad. Now it’s my turn!" she muttered as her fingers danced across the control panel, unleashing another burst from the Gauss Machine Gun. The rapid fire prevented the remaining Bone Fiends from regrouping and took down any that dared to approach as Xin maneuvered the Rover back onto the crumbling highway.

  He took a deep breath, inhaling a mixture of Lorna's lavender perfume and sweat emanating from both of their bodies. The rawness of her scent only invigorated him more.

  Suddenly, four Skuggrs unburrowed from the sides to launch acidic bile, their attacks growing increasingly precise and ruthless. A well-aimed shot melted part of the rear plating, filling the cabin with the stench of burning metal. Xin could feel the heat and tension mounting; the Rover was taking serious damage.

  "Damn it," Lorna muttered, her icy blue eyes narrowed in focus as she fired controlled bursts from the Gauss Machine Gun. She was methodical, picking off the Skuggrs one by one, but even she knew they were outnumbered. The Rover screeched and swerved hard to avoid another incoming bile stream, narrowly avoiding the hit. In the chaos, Xin found an odd sense of calm - Lorna's cold, confident demeanor acted as an anchor amidst the storm.

  "Need to clear a path, Lorna," Xin said, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through him. "I'm going to punch it."

  Lorna glanced over at him, her gaze locked onto his for a brief moment before she nodded, a flicker of approval in her eyes that sent a shiver down Xin's spine. She adjusted her aim, focusing on the Bone Fiends blocking their escape route.

  "Go!" she said simply, and Xin didn't hesitate.

  With a deep breath, he slammed the accelerator, pushing the Rover to its limit. The vehicle surged forward, a wild beast charging through the remnants of the Bone Fiend pack. Lorna's gunfire tore through their ranks as the Rover burst free of the ambush. The Skuggrs retreated into the shadows, their acidic bile still sizzling in the distance.

  "We did it," Xin exhaled slowly, his body finally relaxing as the immediate threat passed. His hands were still shaking, but they had kept each other alive.

  "Good job," Lorna said, powering down the gun. Her face was expressionless, but there was warmth in her eyes as she looked over at him - something rare and precious. "You did good, Xin."

  The moment of triumph was shattered by a piercing alarm from the Rover's sensors. A massive bio-signature appeared on their radar, moving at impossible speeds. Through the cracked windshield, Xin caught a glimpse of something that made his blood run cold - a monstrous shape emerging from the tree line, easily three times the size of the regular Bone Fiends. Its dark, rippling form was adorned with pulsing, organic tubes that connected from its gaping maw to its spine, throbbing with each thunderous step.

  "Fuck," Lorna's voice carried an edge he'd never heard before. "Mao Dakai."

  The creature's presence seemed to make the air itself grow heavy. More Bone Fiends emerged behind it, but they were mere shadows compared to their master's hulking frame. Xin watched in horror as Dakai's massive jaws opened, revealing rows of serrated teeth still dripping with fresh gore.

  "Drive. Now." Lorna's command was razor-sharp as she swung the Gauss Machine Gun around. "That bastard's taken down entire SIMU squads. Rachel, Sarah, Monica - he didn't just kill them. He..." Her voice cracked slightly before hardening again. "He turned them. The ones he doesn't eat, he breeds. And the gun won't stop him."

  Xin slammed the accelerator, but Dakai matched their pace with terrifying ease.

  The regular Bone Fiends fell behind, unable to keep up with their alpha's inhuman speed.

  “Who’s in that Space Rover, now? Sarah’s sister? Monica’s long lost cousin?” The massive Radi-Mon's thundering footfalls shook the ground as it pursued them, its bestial frame moving with an agility that defied its size.

  “Shut the fuck up, you dritt!” Lorna opened fire, the Gauss Machine Gun's rounds tearing into Dakai's flesh. Where such hits had shredded the other Radi-Mons, they merely seemed to irritate the monster. Dark ichor sprayed from the wounds, but Dakai barely slowed, his muscled form regenerating almost as quickly as the bullets could tear into it.

  "He's not stopping," Xin's voice was tight with tension as he wrestled with the controls, pushing the Rover to its limits. The wound on Dakai's hide sealed themselves shut, leaving only dark stains that traced patterns across his grotesque form.

  "Kneecap the fucker!" Lorna shouted, adjusting her aim. A burst of concentrated fire struck Dakai's leg joint, finally drawing a roar of pain from the beast. The monster stumbled, its massive frame faltering for just a moment - but a moment was all they needed.

  Xin seized the opportunity, yanking the wheel hard. The Rover screamed as he pushed it into a tight turn that would have flipped a lesser vehicle, using every bit of skill Lorna had taught him. They shot down a narrow side road, buying precious seconds as Dakai's bulk worked against him, forcing him to slow and turn.

  "He won't give up," Lorna's voice was grim as she kept the gun trained behind them. "I've seen him chase prey for days. He's...as persistent as those creeps in subways. Enjoys the hunt. Likes to wear them down until-" She cut herself off, but Xin could hear the personal edge in her voice.

  The beast's roar echoed behind them, a sound of frustrated hunger and promise.

  Through the rear camera, Xin could see Dakai already regaining speed, his powerful legs carrying his massive frame with terrible purpose. The organic tubes along his body pulsed faster, as if excited by the chase. “I can smell you through the chassis, little younglings! One man in his thirties, and one woman nearing the end of her — twenties, is it?”

  "The old quarry!" Lorna pointed ahead. "The rocks will slow him down. He's too big to maneuver well there."

  Xin nodded, understanding immediately. He guided the Rover off-road, the suspension groaning as they hit the rougher terrain. His earlier lessons proved vital now - every bump and dip could mean the difference between escape and becoming another of Dakai's victims.

  Behind them, Dakai's frustrated roars grew more distant as they threaded through the narrow paths between the quarry's rock formations. The massive Radi-Mon was forced to slow, his bulk preventing him from following their exact route.

  When they finally emerged on the other side, Dakai's form was just a dark shape in the distance, his bestial cry carrying a promise of future encounters. Xin's hands were shaking on the wheel, the full weight of what they'd escaped finally hitting him.

  "We got lucky," Lorna's voice was quiet, her eyes still fixed on the rear view. "He'll remember us now. Remember you." She turned to face him, her expression deadly serious. "Next time we meet him, it won't be about escape."

  The Space Rover's battered frame endured, the scent of burnt metal and melted plastic lingering in the air.

  A rare, soft smile graced Lorna’s lips as she spoke, her voice teasing but gentle. "Up for more? Pistol training, touring the brig, all that."

  The challenge hung between them, her eyes daring him to accept.

  Xin's heart swelled with newfound confidence, and he met her gaze with a grin of his own. "Bring it on," he replied, his voice steady and playful.

  Lorna's vibrant blue eyes sparkled with something akin to pride, and Xin felt a warmth inside him that he hadn't known he'd been craving.

  As the morning sun began to rise higher in the sky, Lorna leaned back in her seat with a half-smile. "Drive us back to Evanston HQ and have the Space Rover repaired. We’ll grab a quick bite along the way."

  "Roger that!" Xin's fingers danced over the Rover's controls, guiding the damaged vehicle smoothly through the barren landscape.

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