We tore out of there, blasting all the way back to New Jurong. The ride back was a blur, but as we rolled into the motor pool, Jess was waiting. She had her arms folded and her brow was furrowed, looking like she was ready to have a word. The way she looked at us, disapproving but not surprised, immediately transported me back to being a kid again, waiting for my parents to lecture me after I’d gotten into trouble.

  Jess had already heard about everything, likely from Shah, who’d probably filled in Farah, and Farah had passed the message along. We parked the bike and approached Jess, bracing ourselves for the inevitable. She shot us a scowl first but then, to our surprise, pulled each of us into a quick, tight hug.

  “I don’t want to hear it,” she said, her voice a little muffled. “I’m just glad you’re all okay.”

  I opened my mouth to explain, to tell her that we didn’t have a choice but to fight, but she held up a hand, stopping me. "I know. But listen, keep it to self-defense, alright?” She gave me a pointed look, the kind of look that said she knew the cost of survival but was still holding out hope for something better.

  And that was all she said about it. For now.

  We made our way over to the Grave Digger, parked a little further down. Jess filled us in on the latest updates as we walked. There had been more attacks, more skirmishes. Farah had found a way to initiate external chat without needing to join a party. Apparently, there was a hidden setting buried deep in the HUD, like agreeing to some kind of digital contract.

  It was ridiculous, honestly. The system tossed us into life-or-death situations on a daily basis, forcing us to kill or be killed, and now we had to give permission to talk to people outside the party?

  Farah had people going around showing others how to access it, and soon enough, we’d be able to communicate freely. Until then, the only thing we were hearing was about Temple adherents attacking rebels, and vice versa. The Rebels had also started targeting smaller Temple patrols.

  As I was about to ask Jess something, she cut me off, her voice flat and full of grim realization.

  “There are mobs being thrown into the fights now,” she said, pausing as we rounded the corner. “Whenever two or more groups are fighting, mobs are appearing and joining in.”

  Siva furrowed his brow. “What’s the point of adding more groups?”

  “Because this is still an experiment,” I replied, my voice low. “The system wants to see if we’ll work together against a common enemy, or if our own needs will take precedence.”

  I added the thought into my private chat with Eva.

  Chris: I’m right, aren’t I?

  Eva: I believe you are, Chris.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Fuck. This wasn’t going to end well unless we did something about it, and this was where we would start.

  We reached the truck, and Eric gave me a small nod as a greeting before stepping away. I looked inside. There, sitting in the center of the dashboard, was a small rectangular screen, glowing faintly. It reminded me of the activation panels at the 7-Eleven, only this one was sleeker.

  Eric walked over, explaining that the hardware was installed. He’d hooked up the upgrade module along with an onboard computer from one of the ambulances, running off the truck’s power. He’d somehow converted it into a hybrid vehicle, all in the time we’d been gone.

  “I’m not the only Technomancer here,” he added with a wry smile when I asked how he had done it so fast.

  I glanced at the glowing screen, waiting for the next step. “What now?”

  Eric gave a small shrug. “It’s all ready for the OS...”

  I opened the chat with Eva just as the tablet in the truck came to life. A full interface menu popped up on the screen, and Eva pinged me in chat right after.

  Eva: It’s done. I’ve installed myself in the vehicle, Chris. I have control.

  I stared at the screen for a moment, trying to process it. That was… anticlimactic. I had expected some grand ceremony or tech process, but Eric had been right. I only needed to be touching the truck for Eva to install herself. My hands were still on the door when the engine roared to life, and the floodlights flared on.

  We jumped back in surprise. The truck hummed with power as Eva updated me, explaining she was testing the system, exploring what she could do. I explained that to the team and Shawn shot me a glance, one that clearly said, “We’re fucked.”

  I didn’t disagree. The memory of her purchasing that scroll for me, without asking, still fresh in my mind, unsettled me. We were treading on thin ice, but as usual, we didn’t have the luxury of time.

  "I turned to Eric. 'Get in. Start working. We need to find how the Temple’s getting their enhancements and sever the connection.'

  I didn’t add, just like how we’d done it with Erjun already.

  We’d cut them off, then deal with the Rebels. I had a plan for that too but that’s for later.

  Eric hesitated, eyeing the truck and us warily. Siva stepped forward and coaxed him into the driver’s seat before getting into the passenger seat himself. Once Eric was inside, we left him to it, as Jess signaled for us to gather around, tapping the side of her head.

  Jess: There’s something else. The Temple are disguising themselves.

  Shawn: What?

  Jess: I’m hearing that the reason we’ve been ambushed at other sites is because we thought they were Rebel friendlies. They’re covering up their augmentations with clothing. Some groups got caught unawares.

  A cloud settled over Shawn, his [Soul Gem] flashing briefly. I knew exactly what that meant. It might not have been the Rebels who killed Jess and Shawn’s families. Shawn, especially, had never been happy about working with the Rebels, and now this new complication was going to set him over the edge.

  Siva: Any other news?

  Jess: I’m sorry, Siva. As far as we know, even with the expanded network, your sister isn’t in the west unless she’s with the Temple. She’s not with the Rebels, at least. That much we know for sure.

  “She wouldn’t do that,” Siva muttered, stepping out of the truck, his face tight. “Nothing more I can do in there. Let the man work. He’ll let us know.” He motioned toward Eric, who was already hunched over, typing rapidly on the tablet.

  "Okay, so what do we do in the meantime?" Shawn asked, his eyes scanning the mostly empty settlement. The people who had just activated their systems were paired with Rebel members, grinding and occasionally clashing with the Temple.

  "We go out. Help whoever we can. We move, we fight, and when Eric’s done, we stop this," Jess said, stepping forward and raising her fist.

  Shawn was the first to place his fist against Jess's, his grin returning, amusement dancing in his eyes. Siva shrugged and joined in, adding his fist to the circle. I couldn’t help but smile at how cheesy it all was. Shaking my head, I completed the four-cornered fist bump. We all broke into laughter at the same time.

  "Alright," I said, still grinning. "Say it, Shawn. I know you’re waiting for it."

  "Four Horsemen!" Shawn shouted, voice full of theatrics. "Roll out!"