The Iron Goose rumbled across the open grasslands, suspension humming smoothly over the uneven ground.
Inside, the cabin buzzed with energy.
The digital dashboard showed a flashing blue marker — the location of the first Vanguard Core.
Kiri sat in the co-pilot's seat, plugging herself into the Goose's systems via a glowing wrist interface.
Tessa lounged in the back, sharpening her arrows with a tiny whetstone, muttering under her breath.
Kai was at the wheel, grinning like a madman.
"I've always wanted a treasure hunt with ancient apocalypse tech," he said. "This is the greatest Tuesday ever."
"It's Thursday," Tessa corrected.
"Not in my heart."
Meanwhile, on the horizon...
Black shapes moved against the distant hills.
Another group was tracking them.
A battered convoy of vehicles — part-tank, part-chariot, and part-nightmare — moved with heavy speed.
Their leader, a gaunt figure in black armor, smiled grimly.
"Bring me the Goose," he rasped to his crew. "And crush the new Custodian before they awaken the Cores."
Back in the Goose:
"Incoming," G.A.I.L. said calmly, popping up as a holographic chibi girl on the center display. "Hostile convoy, approximate arrival: 3 minutes. Recommended action: high-speed irresponsibility."
Kai cracked his knuckles.
"Oh, it's ON."
He slammed the throttle.
The Chase:
The Iron Goose shot forward, wheels tearing up the ground.
Behind them, the enemy convoy accelerated — half a dozen vehicles, each bristling with crude magic cannons and spiked armor.
"They're gaining!" Tessa shouted, grabbing the stabilizer rail.
"G.A.I.L., defensive systems online!" Kai barked.
"Activating turret drones and deploying countermeasures!" G.A.I.L. replied.
Two portable drones shot from the Goose's roof — hovering in formation and firing pulse blasts to keep the enemy at bay.
Kai grinned wildly as a cannon blast barely missed them.
"Tessa, Kiri! Can one of you shoot back?!" he yelled.
"On it!" Tessa stood in the turret hatch, loosing arrows enhanced with fire runes.
Each arrow exploded on impact, throwing enemy riders off course.
Meanwhile, Kiri tapped into the Goose's stealth generator, causing the truck to flicker and blur — briefly throwing off targeting spells.
"Left coming up!" G.A.I.L. warned.
Kai cranked the wheel hard, drifting around a crumbling stone outpost.
One of the enemy trucks wasn't so lucky — it crashed into the rubble, flipping end over end in a glorious mess of metal.
Tessa whooped.
"That's ONE down!"
The First Core Site:
The Goose barreled into a ruined courtyard surrounded by fallen pillars and massive cracked statues.
At the center stood a shimmering obelisk of violet crystal — humming with ancient energy.
Kiri's eyes widened.
"The Core is active! But we must stabilize it — or it will collapse!"
Kai jammed the Goose into park.
"Alright! How do we stabilize it?!" he demanded.
"Insert the Custodian key," Kiri said.
Kai stared blankly.
"WHAT KEY?!"
Kiri calmly pointed at his Goose's dashboard.
A new panel had slid open — revealing a sleek metallic data spike glowing softly.
Kai grabbed it.
"Oh. Cool."
Chaos Breaks Loose:
As Kai sprinted toward the obelisk, the enemy leader leapt from his vehicle, landing with a thud that cracked the stone.
He was tall, wrapped in layered armor that smoked faintly with cursed magic.
A serrated blade hung from his back.
"Hand over the Goose," the figure rasped. "Or die screaming."
"Counter-offer: no," Kai said, jamming the data spike into the obelisk.
Instantly, the ground shook.
Magic surged from the Core, sending out a shockwave that knocked everyone off their feet.
The obelisk lit up — and so did the Goose, its systems glowing brighter, deeper, awakening.
"Core synchronization complete!" G.A.I.L. cheered.
"New upgrades unlocked!"
Barrier shield generatorHeavy pulse cannonTerrain scanning radarInternal auto-repair protocols
Kai blinked at the dashboard.
"...Ohhh we're about to become so stupidly powerful."
The enemy leader roared, charging.
"DEFEND THE CORE!" Tessa yelled.
The Fight:
Tessa rained explosive arrows.
Kiri unleashed shockwaves from her palm emitters.
Kai yanked open the Goose's rear hatch, letting the auto-turrets deploy and pepper the enemies with plasma rounds.
The battle was chaotic — arrows whizzing, magic bolts flying, metal-on-metal screeches echoing in the air.
At one point, Kai tackled an enemy mage into a fountain, shouting, "THIS ISN'T EVEN A GOOD SPELL!"
The enemy leader fought viciously, carving through rubble and drones alike.
But then Kai activated the Goose's new barrier shield — a shimmering dome that deflected attacks like raindrops.
"You can't beat us now," Kai said, panting. "We've got plot armor!"
"What?!" Tessa shouted.
"Nothing!"
The Aftermath:
Beaten and battered, the enemy forces retreated.
The Iron Goose stood proudly by the newly awakened Core, now tethered to the vehicle via a glowing crystal conduit.
Kiri, breathing heavily, gave a small, victorious smile.
"One down," she said. "Many more to go."
Kai slumped against the Goose's tire.
"I'm gonna need so many snacks after this."
Tessa laughed.
"Let's hope the next Core has a vending machine."
Kai pointed dramatically into the distance, where the sun was setting in gorgeous purple and gold over the mountains.
"ONWARD!" he declared.
The Goose's engines revved, ready for the next wild leg of their journey.
And somewhere far away, deep underground...
The Fracture stirred.
Awakening.
Waiting.