• (A note before you begin reading: Nightfall is an actual book-length book, so the chapters are real chapters. I put this warning as people complained chapter one was too long.)


    Two: Siren of the Sands

    He was gone.
    Jessica had gone to the back lot of the arena, but it had been sealed off. The police weren’t giving out any information. She then ran back home, to check Alastor’s house, which, in hindsight, would have been easier to do first. The place had been looted. Almost anything of value had been taken, and the door had been left swinging open in the wind. Even the drawers had been left open.
    He was gone.
    She went back to her home, zombie-like. She couldn’t even remember going to bed, for her it just suddenly became morning. Like a zombie, she got ready to head to the arena.
    The traffic isn’t bad…
    Only after she thought this did she realize that was because she had left and hour an a half early. And she didn’t really care, either. So she waited.
    The second person to arrive at the arena was Daniel, with some notes in tow. He apparently hadn’t watched the news the night before, as he was surprised to find the employee lot blocked off.
    “Hey, Jess, what’s going on here?” He parked his vehicle next to Jessica’s, then walked over to her at the front of the arena.
    “Hey, you see the lot? What’s up with that?” She didn’t know how to answer.
    “Dan…it’s Alastor…”
    “Oh, don’t tell me he broke the lot or something!” Dan frowned at the thought.
    The lot. Yeah, right. At this moment, Jason drove up, almost speeding. He came to a quick stop and got out of the car. He immediately ran to the back lot, but, of course, there was nothing there besides a shell casing or two that had been left behind. He turned, walked perhaps two steps, then collapsed against the wall, sitting on the ground with a blank look on his face. He and Alastor had been close.
    “Okay, what’s with you guys?” Daniel was beginning to get concerned.
    “You don’t watch the news, do you Dan.” It wasn’t a question. Jason looked over at the arena manger, and Jessica just remained in the background, quiet.
    “What are you…?”
    “There was a shooting here last night. If you still don’t get it, see who doesn’t show up to work today.” Jason turned away again, staring through the ground. Daniel looked at Jessica, then at Jason. Slowly, the realization hit.
    “You don’t mean…Alastor?”
    “Yeah, Al.” Everyone turned to find Brian walking towards them, his hands in his pockets. If he didn’t have a grim look on his face, he would have appeared unconcerned.
    “Oh, s**t. Is he-?” Daniel’s question was met with looks from the other three.
    “It was Tony Bones,” answered Jessica. “I recognized the patches on their uniforms.”
    “And you just let him go?!” Jason was on his feet, his rage finally having some target to aim at. Jessica looked him in the eye, looking as though she may cry. Jason quickly realized he couldn’t blame her. Alastor was one of the best fighters in the city, which was why he’d been such a great pilot.
    “I…I’m sorry, Jess…I know you an Al were close…” And the tears fell. Jessica finally broke down, right there at the side of the arena. The others flashed Jason dirty looks, then attempted to comfort Jessica. She would not be consoled.
    “I-I-I keep thinking, what if I hadn’t gone? W-would he st-still be here?” Nose dripping, and looking a complete mess, she looked at the members of the arena crew. They were unable to give her an answer. At that moment, the last member of the crew, the man who ran the betting booth, Gregory, turned the corner.
    “Hey, guys, I don’t mind waiting out here for a bit, but I’ve gotta know who’s fighting to…Is Jess alright?” Apparently he didn’t watch the news either. When the situation was explained to him, his face slowly changed to a mask of horror.
    “Oh, s**t, what do we do? I mean, you want to close the arena for the day, or what?” Jessica shook her head and got to her feet. She’d somewhat pulled herself together.
    “No. We’re going through as though nothing happened. Show must go on and all that, right, Dan?” She flashed him a look. Her face was blank, emotionless. Empty.
    “It’s okay, Jess. This is something big-”
    “Doesn’t matter, go on through. That’s the motto, right?” Daniel was uneasy. It WAS his motto: No matter what, the show goes on.
    “Besides, I’ve got work to do.”
    “Jessica, take the day off. You-”
    “Don’t tell me what to do!” She finally showed emotion: rage. Daniel instinctively backed up.
    “Someone needs to decommission the Zeus, and it’s gonna be me! You got that? And when I’m done, I quit.”
    “W-wait a minute…You really shouldn’t wor-wait, quit?” Jessica’s quick rage subsided.
    “There’s nothing I want to do with this building when I’m done. I’m leaving.” And with that, she shuffled slowly towards the entrance to the arena. The three other members of the arena crew looked at Dan and nodded. He lowered his head and headed after Jessica to unlock the front door. He supposed it would be a sort of closure to allow her to do this. She headed silently down into the green pit, finding the Zeus to be exactly where it had been left the day before. The machine, which once looked so proud, now seemed full of sorrow. She slowly climbed the loading stairs and strapped herself in to the mech. It felt cold and unnatural to her. No one but Alastor had ever piloted the Zeus. She closed her eyes and smelled him in the seat cushion, and in the different parts of the machine. She imagined he was there beside her, though they’d never both fit. Strapped in, she walked it over to a large door in the side of the pit to a room that sat under the back of the arena. She stood the Zeus on a platform that stood between the two pits, and got out of the HTBS. Piloting the Zeus was a short-lived experience she would never have again. She activated a terminal near the platform.
    [Choose Command]
    [Decommission Human Transport and Battle System. Confirm?]
    [Command Confirmed. Select HTBS Model.]
    [Wolf Type Seven, Custom. Confirm?]
    [Confirmed. Decommissioning.]
    And with that, the platform raised, and the massive machine under the arena proceeded to take the Zeus apart, piece by piece, keeping each part intact for recycling later. Except the custom pieces. Any parts that didn’t fit the factory standard model were destroyed, thereby keeping all custom models unique. Jessica sat and watched the whole process silently. For her, it was as if it was her friend himself were being silently deconstructed. The last symbol of him was gone. Except her photos. She always had those. She smiled weakly at this thought. By the time she entered the green pit again, a new pit crew had arrived and was working on a mech. She’d hadn’t been down in the pit with another crew for a long time, as such activity was almost considered spying by many. Indeed, the crew there flashed her some dirty looks, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t a mechanic anymore. She wouldn’t be a fighter, either. She emerged to the surface to find the daily crowd had started to populate the arena. She looked left to Brian, and the two shared a silent nod. And she left. As she walked out the door, she could here Daniel.
    “Hello ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the arena. Today’s match…” He didn’t have his usually snappy banter, and from the chatter of the crowd, many of the people guessed why. It would be common knowledge in a day or two. She got into her hover and drove home. The traffic was quite light, as many people were now at work. She arrived home and walked through her door. She looked around. Everything seemed empty. She picked up a photo she had on a cabinet in the front hall. It was of her an Alastor from a few years ago. They were teens in the shot, and her dad was still alive. Third time fishing. Last time. They’d stopped going once her dad was gone. The picture was of the two kids holding up a fish, with their dad’s in the background laughing. Her mom had taken the photo. The two of them had been arguing over who had claim to the fish because she’d let Alastor watch her rod when she went to help her dad begin to pack up. During that time, Al caught a fish. The argument had been resolved when Al’s dad suggested they both lay claim to it. The picture fell from her hands, the glass shattering when it struck the ground. Everyone was dead. Everyone.
    “I’ll leave.” She nodded and repeated the line to herself once more. She’d leave the city, go somewhere new. But where? She knew no one…but that wasn’t entirely true. She went to a drawer in her room and dug around in it, looking for something deep inside it. The holiday cards from last year. She pulled them out and flipped through them. Finally, she found it. A card from an uncle she hardly knew, her father’s brother. Ace Jones. Well, family was family. She quickly packed and left her home and hailed a cab. On the way to the airport, she thought about what she knew of him. He lived in the desert in Sangretto City. He was a writer. Or was it an artist? She couldn’t remember. She paid the cabby and entered the airport.
    “Hey there, ma’am. May I help you?” The person behind the airport counter seemed a little too cheerful. Slightly creepy.
    “Yes, please. One ticket to Sangretto. Next open flight.”
    “Oh, well not many people are headed there before the week starts! We have a flight leaving in an hour. Would you like that?” Jessica nodded silently and took her ticket. Her bags were checked. She headed for the gate, beginning to wonder what she’d do when she got there. Who knew? She reached he gate ten minutes before the flight took off; her pace had been slow. She boarded the jet and took her seat. As the flight crew went over the different safety features of the plane, she just leaned back and closed her eyes.
    “Hey, sorry! S’cuse me! Sorry, was a bit late!” Heh. Poor guy had been later than she was. He’d almost missed the flight. And that’s when Jessica felt the ‘plop’ of someone sitting down next to her. She opened her eyes and glanced at the person who’d sat down next to her. He wasn’t human. He had pointed ears, reddish-orange skin, and dark golden hair, and blue eyes. A phantom. Not many of those in Future City. He looked athletic. His hair was short and spiked up, and he had a fang shaped stud in one ear. His wide, friendly grin revealed slightly longer than human canines. His mouth was strangely large to see on someone who looked almost human. She didn’t return the smile, and he awkwardly looked away.
    “Ma’am, would you like to order a meal for the flight?”
    “No thanks.”
    “A drink, then?”
    “No…well, I’ll take some water. Thanks.”
    “You’re welcome. And you sir?” Jessica turned and looked out the window as the phantom placed his order. She didn’t pay much attention, but noted it had a large amount of meat in it. The flight took off silently, and in a few minutes their orders came. Jessica swirled her cup gently, watching her home shrink gently away in the distance. The giant city looked so small from the sky. Only from here could one appreciate truly how small we all really were.
    “So, ‘ey, what ‘choo headed to Sangretto for?” Jessica glanced at the phantom, who looked rather comical speaking through a mouthful of steak. She just shook her head and glanced back out the window.
    “Oh. Somting bad, ‘den…” He swallowed loudly, and continued, “I’m sorry.” The flight continued in silence for a few more minutes. Surprisingly, it was Jessica who broke it.
    “So, then, Mr. Carnivore, what are you headed there for?” Jessica almost smiled when the phantom flashed her a surprised look, face frozen mid-chew. He swallowed.
    “Hey, no need to get species-al here.”
    “Sorry, I’ve never met a phantom before. I thought you just liked meat.”
    “Nah, phantoms are naturally more inclined towards being carnivores. You seriously never met one?”
    “Nope. But, anyway, my question still stands.”
    “Ah. Well, you see, I’m headed down to meet my cousin. Job hunting, ya know? Anyways, he works at this big department store, and he said his boss was lookin’ for someone to work in a pet shop down there, ya know? I like animals, so yeah.” Jessica pointedly looked at his plate, where there still sat an untouched slab of meat. The phantom looked down, then back at her with a raised eyebrow. She cracked a smile.
    “Oh, come on, I was kidding! Kidding!”
    “Yeah, yeah, whatever. So anyways, what’cha gonna do down in the desert? You don’t hafta tell me why you’re moving or anything.”
    “Well, I figure I’m going to meet a relative of mine. Haven’t seen him for years. I think he’s a writer…you hear of Ace Jones?” The phantom snorted when she finished her sentence. Eyes watering, he looked at her. Some of his drink must have gotten up there.
    “You really mustn’t have seen him for some time…He’s the guy running that store I was talkin’ about! The One Stop shopping center!” Whoa. Small world.
    “So, you’re related to him? He like you?” Jessica raised an eyebrow.
    “I don’t see why he wouldn’t.”
    “Perfect! Then it wouldn’t hurt my chances to know you. I’m Si. Si Delek.” Si put his hand out, and Jessica shook it.
    “Jessica. Jessica Jones.” The two continued to chat until the sun had set outside. Flight attendants wandered around, passing out pillows. Jessica took one, and Si pulled out a book. She looked out the window and listened to the steady drone of the engines. She already had a new friend. That was nice. She fell asleep in a few minutes. Jessica was eventually woken by Si.
    “Hey, Miss Jones! We’re gonna be landing soon. Check it out.” He pointed out of the window as the jet slowly circled a medium-sized city next to a large oasis in the sands. The sun had not yet risen on the Sangretto Desert, nor the city that had been named for it. Jessica noted that the buildings were very light colors, almost looking like bleached sand.
    “Yeah, you see that oasis? Lifeblood of the city. Wouldn’t survive without it. And in the distance you can see the ocean! Crazy how it’s so close to a desert, huh?” Jessica looked, and indeed there was some sparkling in the distance.
    “Kinda like a giant beach, then, huh, Mr. Delek?” The two chuckled. This might become a running joke.
    “Could be. Anyway, I hear the Sangretto Oasis grows some of the best chunaberries in the world. You know, the same guy who found those found chuna birds.”
    “Yeah, maybe he found them eating. They make cute pets, chunas. I used to have one that we taught how to cheer with us when we watched racing on TV.” Si smiled.
    [Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to land. Please buckle up.]
    The plane thudded to the ground and rolled towards the gate as the wings folded up to the sides of the plane. The airport wasn’t large, not even two stories. The plane eventually stopped, and mobile stairs much like the kind used to load HTBS pilots into their mechs rolled up to the plane. No. The stairs had been in use longer for planes than mechs. As people began to disembark, Si pulled his bag from the overhead bins. It was plain in color, and emblazoned with a large silvery-blue JB. Jenson Brothers. So, he was a rock fan. The two headed down the stairs and into the airport.
    “So Si, you gonna go see Ace today?”
    “Nah, my appointment’s tomorrow. Well, actually, I suppose today COULD be considered Sunday night still…eh, whatever. I’m getting a motel room until then. They’re pretty cheap around here, if I remember correctly. Catch you around, Miss Jones!”
    “Hey, call me Jessica!” she called after him as he walked away. He had a good idea. It was too late tonight to see her uncle, so she should probably rent a room as well. She hailed a cab.
    “Where to, lady?”
    “Whatever the nearest motel is.” The cabby nodded and shot off. Less than five minutes later, the cab stopped. Jessica paid him and walked into the building.
    “A room for one night, please.” The man behind the desk raised an eyebrow and handed her a key. The rate was pretty cheap, only fifty bits. She fell asleep as soon as she touched the bed.
    Almost too soon, Jessica woke up to a blaring alarm. What the hell…She slammed the off button and tried to fall asleep again. She couldn’t, due to much noise in the background. She looked out the window and found the streets busy, shops open, and people talking, even though the sun hadn’t risen yet.
    “What in the…?” Jessica picked up her bag and went to the front desk. A new person was behind the desk, seeming bright and chipper in the early morning.
    “Hey there, miss! May I help you with anything?”
    “Uh, yeah. What’s going on out there? Special event?” The desk man noticed her bloodshot eyes.
    “You’re new in town, huh? Well, you see, the sun heats the sands up a lot during the day, making it really too hot to be out for long periods.” Jessica groaned.
    “Great, so everyone gets up early…”
    “Yes. Before the sun rises and after it sets are the busiest times of day.” It made sense. Jessica shuffled outside, and the cool morning air helped a lot to wake her up. She hailed another cab. Funnily enough, it was the same driver as before.
    “Hello again, miss. Where to?”
    “Wherever Ace Jones works. Uh, the One Stop.” The cabby nodded and shot off, expertly navigating the busy streets.
    “So, you remember all your customers or what?”
    “Oh, no, but you got in twice in a row, you know?” The cabby chuckled. They soon arrived in front of a large multi-story building. The sign over the door read, ‘Ace’s One Stop! One stop shopping for all your needs!’ Jessica thanked the cab driver, and stepped out.
    “Oh, miss, if you ever need a quick lift, here’s the company card. I’m Marco. Fastest wheel in the city!” He handed her a card and she pocketed it, thanking him. She then entered the massive store. It was packed inside, so many people talking that it was impossible to make out one conversation from another. She saw a burly-looking phantom in a security guard’s uniform, and wondered if it was Si’s cousin. There was a sign nearby the entrance, next to a few lifts.
    Top Floor: Corporate Offices
    Fourth Floor: Toys, Tools, Books, Pets
    Third Floor: Furniture and Appliances
    Second Floor: Clothing Dept.
    First Floor: Food Market
    Jessica looked around, and indeed the many shops on this floor sold nothing but foods. There were homegrown and imported foods, even from the other continents. Ace was running his business well if he was able to import exotic delicacies. She called the lift, and noticed the options only went to the fourth floor. She couldn’t access the offices from here, though that made sense. She got off at the fourth floor and looked around. There were a lot of children running around, looking at the different toys and pets. As she walked, she noted that there were a lot of men fawning over toys of a different kind in the tools department. She laughed to herself on what their reactions might be if she joined them. She knew more about tools then most, or even al of them probably did. In the back, there was another security guard, this one not quite as buff, but still not a human. He had a jutting lower jaw and moss-colored skin, and was rather tall. His thick bones could be seen to be pressing against his uniform, and he had small eyes, farther apart from his nose that a human’s. Jessica hadn’t ever seen anyone like him before. The guard lowered a pair of round sunglasses and stared at her.
    “What, never sheen an ogre before, ma’am?”
    “Actually, no. Is Ace Jones in? I’d like to speak to him.”
    “You got an appointment?”
    “Well, no…”
    “Shorry, but you need an appointment to shee mishter Jonesh.” Jessica was about to ask if she could be told how to get an appointment when a round head popped out of a room behind the ogre.
    “Somebody say my name?”
    “Oh, mishter Jonesh, I was jusht telling thish lady she needs and appointment to meet with you.” The man stepped fully out of the room now, hand holding a cup of coffee. He had a receding hairline, dark blue eyes, and a straight moustache. He was dressed informally, wearing a t-shirt with sweatpants. He was also slightly pudgy.
    “Oh, it’s alright, my appointment for this morning finished rather early. Something came up, and he couldn’t come. Come on, miss, in here.” He gestured into the room he’d just left. Jessica went in, and found it to be a sort of rec room. The coffee Ace had been holding had come from a pot on the counter, freshly brewed.
    “Care for a cup?” Jessica nodded, and her uncle poured another coffee out for her. He sat down across the table, and the two of them looked at each other for about a minute.
    “Well, I DO have time, but it would be helpful if you told me what you were here about, miss,” Ace said, breaking the silence. Jessica felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her.
    “Oh, I’m sorry, it’s just been a very long time since we last met. I’m Jessica, your niece.” Ace looked her over for a moment.
    “Well, not that I don’t believe you, you do look like we could be related, but just to make sure…which side of your family am I your uncle from?” Jessica grinned.
    “My dad’s.”
    “His full name?”
    “Rex Antonio Jones.”
    “His favorite color?”
    “The ocean.” Ace laughed and stood up.
    “Ha, Jess, come here and give me a hug!” She obliged, and noticed he was actually quite muscular under his pudge.
    “Wow, it HAS been a long time! Last time I saw you, you were so small!” He held his hands about a foot apart for emphasis. “So what brings you to Sangretto?”
    “Decided to move here, actually. Spend some time with the family we’ve got left, right?” Ace nodded slowly, his cheerfulness gone. It returned in a few seconds, though, and he patted her on the back again. The two of them continued to chat and to catch up on things for a while, eventually getting to why Jessica left Future City. At this she fell silent. Ace didn’t press her.
    “So, you were a mechanic up there…I don’t suppose you’d still want to do that?”
    “I don’t think I want to work with HTBSes for a while. But…I guess it’s all I know…” Ace thought for a moment.
    “Well, we DO have something down here you didn’t have up in the city.” He grinned, and Jessica raised an eyebrow.
    “You know about the Desert Gran Prix, right?” Ah, that’s what he meant.
    “I dunno, Ace, I haven’t worked on hovers for a while, and never on racer.”
    “Well, it’s sort of a cross between the two.”
    “You mean the battles?” She remembered seeing the races over the last years. Some of the racers couldn’t win by driving skill alone, and so resorted to disabling the vehicles of faster opponents. No rules had existed against the tactic at the time, and the viewers had found it to be intense and so more tuned in. Because of this, no rules had ever been made, and most of the hovers now were equipped with offensive and defensive capabilities.
    “Yes, the battles. Way I see it, having someone on the team who knows a little something about fighting in machines, at least more than the others do, would be very helpful to our team.”
    “So I wouldn’t be the sole mechanic?”
    “No. Your work would revolve specifically around your area of expertise, the fighting element of the race. Think you could design the offence and defense for our man?” Jessica thought it over. It seemed like a good deal. And she’d have a backup in case there were any problems she didn’t foresee or know how to deal with.
    “I think it’s a good deal, Ace. I think I’ll give it a try.” They shook hands.
    “Welcome to the Vipers. Nice doing business with you, Jessica.”
    “Nice doing business with you, Ace.” The first of the ten prix races would begin in a month.