The group, which had been traversing the cracked desert roads for over three hours, began to be bathed by the first rays of sun, tinting the dunes orange and pink. Agent Hector observed birds and small animals frightened by the noise of the engines.
The convoy was led by Colin, closely followed by Jesse's purple Skyline and Peter's Beetle, which frequently swapped positions. Right behind them came Val's pickup truck, loaded with a V8 and other items, and finally, a red Fiat acted as lookout.
Charlie broke the silence, expressing the need to eat something, which led to a discussion about where to find supplies in the middle of the desert. Charlie suggested asking Colin to stop at the first available post, despite Agent Hector's initial hesitation.
Discussion about the destination and Sector 7
Hector questioned Charlie about the destination, reminding him that the next citadel was about two days away and required prior scheduling with access officials. Charlie laughed, revealing that the destination was Sector 7, a place he hadn't visited in two years, and mentioned owing money to a bar resident.
Upon learning about Sector 7, Charlie adopted a superior stance, claiming that the game had changed and that he, as the holder of the information, would keep the secret. He then contacted Colin, informing him that they were near Sector 7 and would make a brief stop at the Viaduct.
Hector felt confused, as weeks before he had total control, but now he was in the rear of an unknown group heading to an uncertain location. Upon arriving at the viaduct, Charlie jumped out of the car, eager for any food, offering triple payment for emergency rations.
Jesse advised Charlie to drink water, and he, realizing he had forgotten his hunger, reminded Hector that the Agent had thought they were going to another Citadel.
Jesse questioned Hector about his perception that the world ended at the wall of White City. Exhausted and confused, Hector helped Jesse pour fuel into the Fiat. Upon inhaling the odor, Hector recognized the smell of the blind duct, associating it with Charlie's clandestine workshop and the Disposal Sector.
Val explained that the residents of White City considered the Disposal Sector a place to eliminate battery chemicals without registration, and she only prevented this residue from reaching the water table, indicating that one problem served as a solution to another.
Jesse added, explaining that life outside depended on the surplus that the corporation claimed did not exist, citing the harvest, the water pump, and the generator. Hector realized that after twenty years of patrolling the borders, he believed he was protecting civilization from barbarism, when in fact, barbarism was an organic society fed by the waste discarded by the Manufacturer, and his job was merely Public Relations.
Interrupting the conversation, Hector asked Colin what Sector 7 was. Colin replied that it was the 'real world,' where permission was not needed to start an engine.
White City Operations
In contrast, in an office on the 80th floor, White City maintained a constant temperature of twenty degrees, with the silent landscape visible through a curved glass wall. The Logistics Director and the Planning Executive analyzed the success of the 'risk containment' narrative, which pleased the citizens, making them believe that the Manufacturer kept the desert chaos away from their gardens.
Marcus, the technical manager, confirmed that the blind duct of the Disposal Sector had been sealed with expansive concrete, registering only 'preventive effluent containment maintenance.' He stated that he had cut the raw material at the source, allowing the clandestine chemical reserves in the desert to run out in a few weeks.
The Executive praised Marcus, saying that the external spectacle fulfilled its role in Public Relations. He then presented Project Heritage, which would have free passage once the informal competition of the desert inhabitants decreased, allowing the formula patent to come into effect.
The strategy was to reintroduce the combustion engine into the market, but not as daily transport, but as a luxury item for the upper-level residents, who would pay ten times the cost of electricity for exclusive fuels. Marcus saw this as a natural flow of business: using the desert to test the engines for free and then commercializing that experience.
Finally, Marcus checked a personal alert: AGENT_404_HECTOR – SIGNAL INACTIVE / OUT OF PERIMETER. He felt only a practical annoyance with the rebellion, muttering about the 'stubborn kid.'