The Kalliston convoy, with its open-topped, flatbed trains full of people, moved leisurely across the vast, barren wastes of Chemos.
Clear days without radiation sandstorms were previously uncommon in the wasteland of Chemos.
Thanks to Fulgrim's governance, many machines capable of absorbing radiation concentrations had been deployed around Kalliston.
In just a little more time, once the radiation was reduced to a certain level, trees could be replanted on this wasteland to block the wind and sand, and stop the dust.
And then, railways and highways could be built to connect the entire world...
But for now, they could only rely on these simple machines.
As one of the sanctuaries not too far from Kalliston, a sunny day without sandstorms was the perfect time for a personnel transfer.
The transfer team was a diverse and motley crew.
These sanctuaries, almost crushed by the harsh environment, had ordered the transfer of these radiation-mutated individuals with a sense of relief, as if casting off a burden.
After all, this group of deformed mutants was a burden anywhere.
Due to the effects of wasteland radiation, very few of them could even be considered "human."
They had long since resigned themselves to their fate.
Living in this hopeless hell, death was also a form of release.
But they did not die.
In their endless stupor and despair, they received divine guidance.
A goddess named Fulgrim had descended.
She brought them all HOPE.
Hope.
A good medicine to keep people alive.
Even though Fulgrim had repeatedly emphasized that she was not a god, in the eyes of these people who had lost everything, she was no different from the gods of legend who could save humanity.
She brought them the possibility of survival.
And anticipation for the future.
"Brother, the goddess said that beyond the sky is the universe, and the ground is actually a ball... so won't we fall off?"
A young boy and girl, twins, sat on the vehicle, talking.
They were a pair of orphaned twins; no one knew who their parents were.
Even though neither of them had any deformities and both had pale, regular faces, they were still abandoned.
Until the goddess's arrival.
She was leading them to the god's dwelling, Kalliston.
The goddess said that there, not only would no one force them to work, but sick people wouldn't be thrown outside. Instead, they would go to a place called a "hospital."
The hospital was magical.
As long as you stayed in the hospital, you would get better, and you wouldn't die.
And, she even brought them candy!
Candy!
It was a very delicious thing, and the goddess told them that the taste was called sweet.
She also promised them, these children—that in Kalliston, someone would take care of them, the orphans, and they could eat lots and lots of candy, and they would be told many, many interesting stories.
And, the people there would never hit them with a whip.
That was already enough, more than enough.
"Brother, brother!"
"The goddess also said that a starship can take us to the sky, but what's a starship?"
The girl still remembered the stories the approachable, tall deity had told them.
A starship, it was a kind of... ship, like a bird that could soar in the sky?
That's what the goddess had said.
But what was a bird?
The goddess then said that a bird was an animal with wings that could fly in the sky.
Oh, so Uncle Wentz is a bird.
But he was a "mutant freak," and no one else wanted to get near him, saying his hands had turned into wings because he had secretly learned "black magic."
Are wings really a good thing?
A child always has endless questions.
"Hey kids, what are you talking about?"
It wasn't until the officer escorting their convoy approached that she closed her little mouth and curled up.
Her brother, however, stood up with a maturity beyond his years and bowed respectfully to the officer.
"We're sorry, sir. We'll be quiet now."
The other person was the leader of this team; the other messengers of the goddess all called him Commander.
You could tell from his appearance that he had a handsome, unmutated face, and his black hair was a stark contrast to the sparse hair of the other uncles.
"Don't be afraid, I was just asking."
That sir smiled.
The messengers of the goddess were always smiling.
It was an expression rarely seen before.
When other adults met them, they usually had a stern face, contemptuously tossing them some starch crumbs when they begged.
And that was a good situation. Most of the time, they would shout at them to get lost, and the bad-tempered ones would even kick them away.
"Also, you don't have to call me sir. Just call me Brother Kasjia."
Perhaps seeing that Kasjia was not angry, the little sister mustered up her courage after a moment and asked.
"Then, Brother Kasjia, do you know what a starship is?"
"A starship, huh..."
Kasjia sat down beside the children, thinking about how to phrase it. "A starship is like this vehicle you're sitting on, but faster, bigger, and it can fly in the sky."
"When that time comes, we can fly starships all over the world, helping children who are suffering like you, and we'll no longer have to fear the obstruction of storms and radiation."
"Yay! Starship! I want to fly a starship!"
A strange light shone in the girl's eyes.
When the time comes, if she could fly a starship into the sky, she would definitely sprinkle candy on the children below, so they could also experience the taste of sweet.
"You will, little one," Kasjia replied with a smile. "When you grow up, you can become a captain and fly a starship."
Kasjia smiled and patted the girl's head, then turned to the quiet boy beside her.
"And what about you, little one?"
"In the future, what do you want to be?"
"Commander, the scout team's augur readings show dozens of unknown signals approaching at high speed from the right flank of the convoy. It's presumed to be scavenging raiders."
As they were chatting, a patrol officer quickly approached them.
"Alright. I figured they'd come."
Kasjia stood up, dusting himself off.
"Have the scout team fall back. Tell Fire Teams One and Two to be on standby."
"Escort Teams One through Four, with me on the bikes to engage. Team Five on reserve. If the situation becomes critical, notify Fulgrim for support."
It wasn't surprising that scavengers would target them.
Meat, slaves.
These mutants were a bit irradiated, but they were still meat, and they could still work.
For the Sulpha, who lived in the terrifying wasteland, this was the most delicious feast.
Even if there was no harvest, their dead comrades could also be eaten.
This was their way of survival in the wasteland.
"The bad guys are here!"
The two children clung to the iron railing of the vehicle, looking at the dust cloud stirred up in the distance.
-------
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