The convoy did not return.At first, that wasn’t unusual.Delays had become part of the basin’s rhythm—routes rerouted, checkpoints avoided, engines failing under strain. Every convoy now carried uncertainty with it, and people had learned to live in the gaps between expected arrival times and reality.But this one was different.It was overdue by six hours.Then twelve.Then an entire day.And still—Nothing.The convoy had left Garden Metro with a mixed crew—two haulers, three volunteer escorts, one Selene-trained engineer, and a small cargo load of desal components destined for an upland settlement that had recently joined the charter network.It wasn’t a large shipment.Not critical to the basin.But important.Because every convoy now carried more than supplies.It carried proof.Proof that the system still worked.Vincent was the first to say it out loud.“They’re not delayed.”Lena didn’t respond immediately.They stood over the basin map, the convoy route traced in faint blue
Last Updated : 2026-03-25 Read more