The Penumbra Paradox - ONC 2023

Chapter-2 The blind one.

Chapter -2, The blind one.

"Sands of time..." Arya remarked, pulling on gyro steering of the vehicle to stop as she scanned the shifting desert, "...slipping away."

Ahead of them stood a shallow rocky terrain which also meant that the vehicle could not take Arya and Benji anymore further into the destination.

"AVAH, reroute the path via valley to the slum." Benji unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the vehicle.

"Yes Dr. Benji. Rerouting complete.
The distance to reach the camp is 3.2 kilometres, approximately 45-50 minutes by walk."

A holographic projection of AVAH came alive from the orb above. She walked along with Benji and Arya as if she were a human, but only a little transparent and with too much blue for a skin tone.

After retrieving some essential equipments from the rear opening, both of them took a thin passageway between the shallow rocky formation. Holographic AVAH followed them closely as the sphere hovered above them.

"Seriously, how are these Zoramaic sinukians anyway?" Arya questioned as she balanced while walking crossway down a loose sandy heap. "Haven't heard much about them, haven't found much of them online either."

"Zoramaic sinukians are strong believers of the faith. Compared to their counterparts in other districts, Zoramaic ones believe that they are the direct descendants of Hayal, the chosen one." AVAH educated them. AVAH mimicked Arya's walk as if she was struggling to go down the sandy heap as well.

"Hayal?" Benji wondered, "never heard of it either."

"Look!" Arya pointed at the shrubbery grown scarcely along the rockey valley. "The Tyrum's beetle."

A bluish -black beetle of a thumb's size circled upon a leaf. "They usually survive on plant sap, but can be very deadly when they decide to feed on flesh."

Benji squinted through the scorching rays of sun, the only thing preventing them from having a heat stroke was the thermal suit and ofcourse the water concentrator attached to their backpacks which was made to extract water from the humidity of any surrounding environment.

Arya made sure to collect 4 of beetles as specimens into a container, it was indeed an integral part of the camp day. 'Survey, collect, supply and save'.

A screeching peal of an eagle trailed off into the sky shuddering both of them, they watched it momentarily and got back to their path.

*********************

According to AVAH, the co-ordinates matched, but there was nothing. No human activity, no houses, no signs of life at all.

"Reconfirming co-ordinates, Arya." AVAH re-assured, as her holographic avatar scanned the surroundings.

"Come on, people can't live inside the sand." Benji exasperated, "the soil seems a little wet around here, air feels different. And the valley is holding off the sunlight and sandy storms too. Where else could they be?"

"Perhaps we need to search within the mountains. It's self explanatory, AVAH scan the mountains and point all the possible doorways."

"No need of that."

Arya and Benji jumped to their feet, pointing the lazer shooter at the source of the voice behind them.

There was nobody. Nothing on the 9 'O' clock, negative on the three and definitely no-one in front of them.

"Benji, pick up anything?"

"Nope."

"Possible hostile weapon detected in between the shrub over the giant rocks on the left side of the valley." AVAH's voice transmission was subtle into both of their ear devices, "stealth mode, activating."