Steel steam and flame

The temperature was very high, and the fiery red light of the setting sun was reflected dazzlingly by the endless sand sea in front of me.

The wind and sand made everyone who got out of the car squint their eyes slightly. They jumped off the heavy truck one by one, holding their own weapons. The logistics department personnel of the military school did not say a word. They walked into the small and dilapidated station that was burned by the scorching sun, with a thick layer of yellow accumulated inside. The sand submerged the legs of the few wooden tables.

The cracked wood had traces of iron fixings and was covered with fine dust. After Cassia and the others followed the two people from the logistics department in, the powder began to wander in the slightly quiet room. Everything inside was as dry as yellow sand. The inside of the empty glass was filled with fine quicksand. The wine bottle had been there for an unknown period of time, and the moisture inside had already been lost through the gaps on it.

Rather than saying that this is a building in the form of a station, the structure inside is more like a bar. There are also graffiti painted with paint on the walls, but due to dryness, the paint has fallen off eight or nine times, and only a faint shadow remains there.

The logistics staff walked to the cabinets containing cups and jars, and dug open the yellow sand accumulated underneath to reveal the locker doors.

Inside the locker were steel shovels that had lost their maintenance for a long time. Although there were no traces of oxidation or insect infestation, there still seemed to be heat left on them that had been tortured by high temperatures.

"It's work, it's work!" The people from the logistics department pulled out a large bundle of steel shovels bundled inside. They took the steel shovels and walked to the side of the station, where there was an iron box that was almost completely buried by the yellow sand. shaped building, revealing a corner that has been worn away by gravel for a long time.

"Let's dig. The first step in your mission is to obtain these basic supplies in the desert. Otherwise, it's hard to say whether you can take the mission to the next step." The people in the logistics department piled up the supplies with shovels after shovels. Shoveling away the yellow sand, he called to the twenty students behind him, "This is your destination. How you carry out the mission next is your own business. But if you want to survive in the desert, water is necessary. Besides, The heavy truck needs to be replenished with steam and water for power when driving back. Even though we have all undergone surgeries, the temperature is close to 70 or 80 degrees at noon in the desert. If you are wearing these clothes, it will be a damn thing if you don't get roasted into dried meat. .”

"This is a small supply depot that was abandoned by the military. According to the records, there should be some supplies for desert hiking left in it." The yellow sand was flying in the wind, and the two people from the logistics department put on masks. They had been prepared. But among the students, there were only a handful of four people who also took out masks and put them on.

Everyone interprets and prepares for the task differently.

The yellow sand flew up and turned into dust and mist that filled the air. The strong wind caused by the huge temperature difference between day and night was blocked in front of the station, forming small cyclones here, and the dust also persisted for a long time.

The pile of sand didn't look very big, but it wasn't until the stars filled the dark blue sky at night that the iron door was barely dug out.

At this moment, the time on the mechanical watch already pointed at ten o'clock.

Inside the iron door was lifeless air that had been silent for a long time, and the surrounding temperature had now dropped to about minus five degrees. The air sucked into my throat was not only cold, but also dry and completely devoid of moisture. In the dark yellow that cannot be seen in the distance, there will be several hungry wolf howls from time to time.

Under the door is a staircase made of stone steps leading to the basement, with a little gravel gathered on it. Two people from the school's logistics department walked in front with bright lights. There were only dozens of steps, and at the end was a short corridor. When you got out of there, you saw a spacious storage room underground.

The people from the logistics department inserted the password card into the card slot on the edge of the corridor. The various gears and shafts of the differential engine that had not been operated for a long time seemed like old bones that had long since decayed. The harsh friction sounds from the operation were heard in the underground storage room. It echoed for a long time.

The high-voltage mercury lamps on the roof began to flicker like fireflies, and the stored electricity allowed them to regain their vitality after being left there for too long.

A few minutes had passed since all the lights were turned on, and the small appearance of the basement was truly revealed to Cassia's eyes.

Perhaps they were already accustomed to seeing such dilapidated and abandoned bases, so the two people from the logistics department just walked out with water pipes and steam hoses to replenish the source of power for the heavy trucks. The site of the abandoned base was built on an underground river in the desert, so as to ensure that there would be enough sources of life water and steam in such a thirsty desert.

"The supplies prepared for you are in the iron boxes in the corner. You should prepare them early. There is not much time left for you to set off." The two people carried the long tubes out and did not forget to stand aside. The observing Cassia and the others were reminded.

Those boxes were sealed tightly. It might be the last thing left here. When I abandoned this small station, I didn't know how long it would take for these things to be used, so they were all welded into the iron box.

"I'll do it." When everyone was looking at the iron box and worried, Gustin spoke at this time. After the distribution of materials means the formation of a team, it is exactly what he has in mind to show his strength at the right time.

This is an ordinary iron box, one millimeter thick. Gustin pulled out his dagger, stepped forward and stood firm, his steps were very particular, his power was great, and his speed was extremely fast. After four sparks flashed, a square piece of iron sheet fell down. The iron sheet scratched by the dagger revealed a silvery white color, and the scratches were very smooth.

Several iron boxes were all cut open, and the dagger in Gustin's hand still shone with a cold light, without even an obvious trace of friction. This not only means that the workmanship of the dagger is excellent, but also indicates Gustin's precision in swordsmanship and power angle control.

Sure enough, the comprehensive performance ranking was still somewhat convincing, and Cassia stood silently in the crowd.

Inside the box are water bags, wind and sand masks, backpacks, clothes to block out the sun, tents, compasses, small thermometers, detailed maps of the surrounding area, high-top shoes of different sizes, ropes... a lot of them, twenty people Totally more than enough.

Everyone silently searched for something suitable for them, and then changed their clothes as needed.

Time passed quickly, and by the time everyone was fully prepared, it was late at night and the temperature had dropped to minus fifteen degrees. A strong wind blew outside, and the quicksand was rolling under the force of the wind. The sea of ​​sand made a sound like the sleepy murmur of countless ants walking.

The status of the heavy card has been restored. The two people from the logistics department started the heavy truck and finally said, "You have to set off early. You can't reach the Gerun Oasis before the full moon night. That is a very troublesome thing. I wish you good luck!" Then he disappeared into the yellow sand sweeping across the sky with two huge lights.

The atmosphere in the basement suddenly became subtle. Because they discovered that the people in the logistics department had left nothing behind, not even food distribution. After sending the group here, the two of them had no more words to say, except for the last kind reminder.

Everyone thought of the map in their hands. When the map was unfolded, there was a map mark of yellow sand all over it, and a twisting river divided the entire huge desert into two halves like a sharp blue blade. A crescent-shaped inner lake is embedded in the center of the desert, with dots of green surrounding it. The largest piece of green is the green space next to the crescent moon, with "Gerun Oasis" written on it.

The old station where they were located was numbered 7734 on the map. They visually measured the distance between the two on the map and silently multiplied the scale data in their minds.

The actual distance is more than 3,000 kilometers, which is thirteen days on a full moon night. They said silently in their hearts almost at the same time.