"The dreams returned last night." "Stranger, more vivid than ever." "I dreamt of his world, the world that used to be, before the Votans arrived." "Come on, let's go!" "Let's go!" "I was born into the world that came after, after the vessels that carried my people were destroyed," "after the Arkfalls began," "after the terraformers changed his planet forever." "The Earth he once knew was gone." "Dead is the star system my people left behind." "When I was a child, Nolan liked to tell me," ""This world has no natives."" "Which means it belongs to everyone." "He says Antarctica will be paradise." "I want to believe him, but I've been disappointed too many times." "I love my father, but his promises usually turn to shtako." "So, is this the silent treatment or is this just a little more silent than usual?" "Confused." "Maybe you could give me a little hint." "You know, a nod, a twitch, breathe?" "Yep, yep, yep." "Matching approach vector." "I see it." "Look, how was I supposed to know she was married?" "It's not like they wear rings or anything." "It's all weird alien pheromones and quite frankly, I wasn't born with a nose for it." "Never again." "I will never again involve you in a compromising situation like that." "I promise." "Projected impact in 20 clicks." "Finally, a guaranteed payday." "Let's see what we can salvage." "We're clear." "Hundreds of years in space, only to die in their sleep." "Come on." "Oh, yeah, look at that terra-spire there, not even a dent." "Looks intact." "You got the whatsit?" "Let's see if we can jump-start this sucker." "Bingo." "What's it worth?" "Earth Republic pays top jaja for Votan Tech." "Pristine terra-sphere like this, three million, easy." " So we're rich?" " I think we're rich." "We can pay off Varus!" "With enough left over for passage to Antarctica." "It's gonna be you and me, kiddo, lying on a beach from now until the Arks rise again." "Spirit Riders." "You better stay..." "At ease, friends." "We don't want trouble." "Little one." "Why do you partner with this human?" "Why not ride with your own kind?" "Because you people smell like shtako." "Such fire." "You are Irathient to be sure." "She's just this human's pet." "Does he feed you little treats?" "We're cannibals." "Why don't you stay for dinner?" "Enough!" "You." "Outside." "Okay." "Go!" "Go!" "Easy." "Hey!" "Hey!" "Come on, guys." "Ah." "Very nice." "Come on." "Do you know what we went through to get that?" "Oh, pretty, pretty." "Hey!" "Hey!" "You don't need my roller to survive, do you?" "It's a piece of crap anyway." "Lousy mileage." "Heater never worked." "See?" "Worthless." "Worthless!" "Empty your pack." "Good stuff's still inside the Ark." "Empty it." "Irisa!" "Let's go!" "Go!" "What about our roller?" "Forget the roller!" "An Irathient to be sure." "Come on, keep moving." "There's things in these woods we don't wanna meet." "Okay, there's a settlement in this direction, all right?" "I saw it on the scanner, but I don't know how far." "We should rest." "No, keep going." "Irisa, what's wrong?" "I was shot." "Oh, come on!" "Now, this is gonna hurt, okay?" "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "That's my girl." "Come on." "All right, big boy." "Come on." "Fuck me." "Be gentle with her." "You're safe with us." "Drop the net." "We're coming in." "Roger that." "Stand by for entry protocol." "That arch?" " Is this St Louis?" " Once." "Now we call it "Defiance."" "The end of the Pale Wars had a beginning." "We all know the story." "As the fort burned down around them, members of the human and Votan armies laid down their weapons." "Their various commanding officers ordered them to keep fighting, but those soldiers, those Defiant Few, refused." "Instead, they banded together to rescue trapped civilians from the wreckage." "The power of that one seminal event galvanized the eight races." "Word spread around the globe, others refused to fight." "Fifteen years ago today, armistice was declared and the Pale Wars ended." "In celebration of this event," "I am proud to dedicate this statue and commence this year's Armistice Day celebration!" "Yes!" "That's what we want!" "That's what we want!" "Now, I have to thank some people." "We all know this is only my third week on the job." "This project was commissioned by my beloved predecessor," "Mayor Nicolette Riordan." "Ex-Mayor!" "Ex-Mayor!" "It took me eight years to quit this lousy job." "You're welcome to it." "I also have to thank two benefactors whose generous financial support made today's festivities possible." "On my right, Mr Datak Tarr, his wife, Stahma, and their son, Alak." "And on my left, the owner of McCawley Mines," "Rafe McCawley, and his children, Luke, Quentin and Christie." "Applause means that much to you, does it?" "You want applause, Datak?" "Pack up and leave town." "You'll get a standing ovation." " Defiance!" " Defiance!" "Defiance!" "Yeah!" "Yeah!" "Uh, okay, I might throw up." "That was the worst, stilted..." "Oh, balls." "You were great." "No, no." "I am genetically incapable of inspiring people." "Oh, balls." "No balls." "I've been your assistant long enough to make the trains run on time, but that's about it." "Trust me, when I tell you that you're a natural." "I have an eye for talent, I do." " Hey, ladies?" " Thank you." " All right." " Thank you." "How long you gonna be in Cedars?" "Oh, well, unfortunately I have a niece who insists on living there." "Oh, Earth Republic has drained all the colour out of that place." "It's so regimented." "People walk around like robots." "There's an E-Rep that's been snooping around, willing to share resources." "Oh, don't buy it." "Once they get their hooks into you, they never let go." "Remember, grasshopper, around here, we value our freedom." ""Grasshopper"?" "Make me feel old, why don't you?" " How are the patients?" " They'll be fine." "I'm prepping the Irathient for surgery." "And the human is trying to make us think that he's unconscious." "Ow!" "Drink." "You're dehydrated." "Thanks." "Tommy." "I told you to watch him, not cuff him." "He was armed." "Well, now he's unarmed." "See that patch on his shoulder?" "If he really wanted to hurt you, those cuffs wouldn't stop him." "Come on, give me your wrist." "Yeah." "You took too long." "I got bored." "Ahem." "My name's Garret Clancy." "I'm the town lawkeeper." "The kid is my deputy, Tommy LaSalle." "That's Doc Yewll over there." "Nolan." "My travelling companion there is Irisa." "You served." "Yeah. 31 st Division, Yellow Jackets." "Jackets." "You boys stayed in it 'til the end." "Yeah." "You were with the 9th, the Defiant Few." "Defiance, yeah." "Yeah, I know." "This town is named after that battle." "Every damn thing was named for that battle." "Too true." "Come on, the Mayor wants to see you." " My travelling companion." " Go." "She'll be fine, but I'm gonna have to clean and close this wound." "Whoa!" "Okay, bitch." "Hand me that charge-blade or I will toss you out into the street." "Now!" "This is quite the party town you've got here." "Today's a celebration day." "The Mayor's office is right up there." "That smug shtako." "He packed that audience with his own miners so he'd get louder applause than me." "What kind of a man does that, I ask you?" "It's juvenile." "Petty." "It's beneath my contempt, really." "You're annoyed you didn't think of it first." "Well, that was unkind." "You know what I noticed?" "Despite Rafe McCawley's efforts, the volume of his applause barely exceeded your own." "That says something." "It says my wife indulges in empty flattery." "No, my flattery is filled with implied promise." "Once we get home." "Our son is out for the evening." "Out?" "Out where?" "Alak's not running with that gang." "I warned him." "He's young." "He's pushing boundaries." "Do not handle me, Stahma." "Alak running wild reflects badly on this family." "I've worked too hard, done too many unpleasant things to achieve legitimacy and respect." "I co-sponsored this event today." "Datak Tarr of the Hollows, on stage next to the great Rafe McCawley, presented to these..." "These humans as his peer." "I do this so Alak can aspire to a better life than was available to me." "I'm not late!" "Mr Tarr!" "I don't want you to think I'm late!" "Gelik hasn't come to collect!" "Daddy!" "Daddy!" "Dear young ones..." "I have so much of this..." "Do you think you could possibly help me eat some?" "Ah!" "Someone will come." "You approach me personally like this again and I'll break more than your hand." "You see?" "I do these things, endure these painful encounters, so our son never has to." "This is my gift." "When Alak rebuffs it, he breaks his father's heart." " I will talk to him." " See that you do." "I don't want to have to speak of this again." "Mayor Nicky departed on the ground coach as scheduled and a driver dropped off a proposal from Ambassador Tenetty." " And?" " Apparently, Earth Republic is offering to replenish our anti-viral meds, along with the fuel rods for our Vo-Tech weapons, in exchange for a mutual securities pact that she says would..." "Denied." "Okay." "The Ark hunter who came in with the wounded I-rath is still outside." "Any idea where she came from?" "If she was abducted we could have some trouble with the Spirit Riders." "Now, Yewll didn't see any tribal markings." "Apparently he fought with the 9th." "He's one of the Defiant Few." "That was a long time ago." "I'm more interested in what he's been up to lately." "Send him in." "She's ready for you." "Madame Mayor." "We're not that formal around here." "Please, call me Amanda." "Single malt?" "Where'd you find that?" "Traded with some scavengers." "They were using it to strip paint or something." "Mmm." "So, my lawkeepers told me that they found you and the Irathient girl outside the stasis net, nearly dead." "Is she some sort of bounty?" "Your partner?" "Your lover?" "We're just two people passing through." "Irathients and humans, they don't have the best relations in this area." "I don't want any trouble with the Spirit Riders." " If she was abducted, then..." " She's my daughter." "Your daughter?" "She seems pureblood." "War orphan." "Found her abandoned in what used to be Denver." "She was in a bad situation." "I rescued her and raised her, she's a good girl." "That's why she nearly cut my doctor's throat?" "Like I said, she's a good girl." "Now, your lawkeeper, he took away my weapon." "Just doing his job." "Yeah." "Nevertheless," "I'd really like it back now." " You feel me?" " Hmm." "You don't look like the kind of guy to put down roots." "Are you looking to put down roots?" "I am not." "Well, then, this becomes an easy conversation." "Doc Yewll will patch up your daughter." "Grab a drink at the NeedWant while you wait." "One you pay for." "When she's healed, our lawkeepers will escort you to the nets." "They'll give you back your gun and send you both on your way." "Yeah." "The Spirit Riders cleaned us out, got our roller, our heavy weapons, all our supplies." "We were lucky to get away with the scrip in our pockets." "So, in order to leave, we need to earn." "And you're saying you're incapable of earning without a weapon." " It does present a challenge." " Hmm." "You know, the brothel is always looking for fresh faces." "And a big handsome guy like you," "I bet you'd clean up." "You feel me?" "You want to dance?" "I dance like a human." "I'm better off just watching." ""Life is coy and must be firmly embraced.'" "It's an old Casti proverb." "It means..." ""Seize the day.'" "Fine." "Better not laugh at my moves." "I would never do that." "What the fuck?" "I don't let haints touch my sister." "I don't remember asking." "Luke, leave him alone!" "You're a dead man." "Alak, don't." "He's drunk." "This'll be over quick." "Don't do this, Luke." "Not here." "Uh!" "Stop it!" "Both of you!" "Alak, stop, don't do this!" "Put it down!" "Quentin, get him out of here." "Now!" "Don't cut yourself with that knife!" "You're the one I'm gonna cut!" "Alak." "I don't believe you're dumb enough to mix it up with that kid." "You know who his dad is." "Those people are dangerous." "Doesn't it piss you off?" "Our sister is hanging out with these haints!" " If Dad found out..." " Dad's not gonna find out." "Now give me the tag, I'll drive." "Catch a ride with Christie, okay?" "I've gotta be somewhere." "Where you going?" "I have an appointment." "What's going on, Luke?" "You keep disappearing at all hours." "What have you got going?" "I'll be home for dinner, okay?" "You do nice work, Doc." "Appreciate the compliment." "Also appreciate prompt payment." "Yeah." "Uh." "See, we were robbed." "I know I've got something around here." "Keep it in your pants." "Buy the girl a meal." "You'll pay me when you can." "Thanks, Doc." "Thanks." "Can we go?" "Friggin' deadbeats." "I don't like towns." "We should leave." "We're not headed into the Storm Divide on foot." "We need wheels." "So we sell the terra-sphere." "No, no." "Not here." "That thing is like a loose nuke." "If they catch us with it, they'll string us up." "So, what's your plan?" "We quietly earn, buy a new roller and dig up the sphere on the way out of town." "Hey, big boy." "Yeah, maybe later." "You sure?" " Come on, Kenya." "Let's go." " "Let's go"?" "Rupert, what do I look like to you?" "I work hard to make this brothel a warm and inviting environment for my employees and my clientele." "I look after the Dig-baa tree, I've painted the walls and I even taught myself how to sew so I could make those curtains over there." "And you come in, stinking of the mine." "Sorry." "Well, it's insulting and disrespectful." "So, come here." "Why don't you go back to your quarters." "I want you to shower and shave and then you can put on a decent shirt." "And then in the unlikely event that I'm not otherwise engaged, we can revisit your desire to conduct some sex business." "Go." "Get the hell out of here." "Gulanite miners." "You gotta train 'em, ya know?" "You're new in town?" "How can you tell?" "Because I haven't seen you before, and if I haven't seen you before, it means that you are new in town." "Lucky you!" "You just walked into the NeedWant, which is the best party on this side of the Storm Divide." "My name's Kenya." "Nolan." "And this is Irisa." " Umm." " Um." "So, Kenya, where can a fella go around here to earn some money?" "Slow money or fast money?" " Fast money." " Go to the Hollows." "What's in the Hollows?" "You'll see." "I'm starting to like this place." "This is a bad idea." "Relax, it'll be just like Kansas City." "You got knifed in Kansas City." "This is a completely different situation." "Ah!" "Oh!" "Winner!" "Who's next?" "Which one of you have the skills and the stones to take on our house champion, at 10-to-1 odds?" "I'm in." "You're on!" "10-to-1 odds for the stranger with the gyaan-du-ra!" "You get some side bets going." "I'll carry this bum as long as I can." "You're an idiot." " I know." " He's dead!" "The house exercises its right to substitute a new champion." "You want me to fight a Bio-man?" "And if you quit, you forfeit your stake." "Let's do it." "Yeah!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "Good boy, Tito." "Ah!" "No!" "Please!" "Tito!" "Come back!" "Tito?" "Oh, no." "Oh, no." "I just need your signature on the plans for the new well there and there." "Generations come and go, but paperwork abides." " There you go." " Thank you." "You okay?" "Yeah." "Uh, there's a reason why Indogenes shouldn't play Casti 12-ball." "Tried running up a wall." "Now I got a cramp that won't quit." "Madame Mayor." "Clancy, how long have we known each other?" "Please, it's Amanda." "You better come with me, Amanda." "Okay, folks, you heard the man." "10-to-1 on the new guy." "Oh!" "How much longer are you gonna carry him?" "Oh, I'm just getting warmed up." "Oh." "Oh!" "Oh." "Ooh." "Nothing personal." "Ah!" "Ooh." "Winner!" "So, what took you so long?" "Oh, I forgot where they put the off switch on the 2037 models." "All right, I'll go find us a decent roller." "You get us some supplies and I'll meet you at the NeedWant." "Congratulations on an exciting match." "My pleasure." "I am Datak Tarr." "I have an interest in this establishment, along with many others here in the Hollows." "You've deactivated my Bio-man." "Temporarily." "Put a few thousand volts through him, he'll be right as rain." "I'm afraid your actions amount to what you humans once called a "low blow."" "As such, it's a violation of our house rules." "You mean your rules." "We Castithans have a saying," ""The fruit of a misdeed leaves a sour taste."" "Easy." "For your trouble." "Not enough for a roller, is it?" "Nope." "But it is enough for a bath and a change of clothes." "Now that I've got that new hopper online, we'll be able to increase our capacity by 60 cubic yards a minute." "Good." "Lord knows we need all we can get." "Very impressive, Quentin." "You're late, little one." "Sorry." "I was at the festival." "I lost track of time." "Yeah." "Have you seen your brother?" "No." "I haven't." "Wonder where the hell he is." "Well, he said he'd be home for dinner." "He's a grown man." "Just eat." "Looks good, Bertie." "Is it a relative of yours?" "Dad." "Hey, Dad, look at this." "Check out the new specs on this hopper." "All you guys ever do is talk about work." "We should take a vacation." "Vacation?" "What would I do on a vacation?" "Don't everyone get up at once." "That's why you get the big bucks." "He suffered a puncture to the right kidney, probably from a knife." "But what killed him was a Votan weapon." "These are cold-fire burns." "He was murdered." "Whoever did this, we'll find him." "No!" "I'll find him." "Dad." "You know something?" "Talk to me, son." "There was a fight." "Luke and..." "Who?" "He threatened to kill him." "I said who?" "Alak Tarr." "Rafe, I'll handle this." "Let Clancy do his job." "If it's the Tarr boy, he'll be tried and punished." "Clancy, I love you like a brother, but do not get in my way." "Find the Tarr boy first." "That was so fantastic." " Hmm." " I kinda hate to charge you for it." "I kinda hate to pay for it." "You!" "Get up." "Why would I go anywhere with you," "Grandpa?" "Don't make me repeat myself." "Up." "Now!" "Who's the kid?" "That is Datak's son, Alak." "You gonna sit there and pretend like you don't know?" "You murdered Luke!" "I gotta get down there." "Luke's dead?" "Yes." "Look, we got in a fight, but Luke left right after." "I came inside to gamble." "My crew has been with me this whole time." " I can't believe anything..." " Rafe!" "...these little peckerheads say." "Now get up before I drag your narrow ass outta that chair." "You have to let Clancy handle this." "Back off, Kenya." "Out of the chair!" " Look, if you touch me, my father..." " Ah!" "Your father will get the same." "Hey, kid, thanks for keeping my seat warm." "Who the hell are you?" "I've just been gambling with this young Casti bonehead here." "He's into me for 200 scrip and I'd just as soon not break up a winning streak." "So if you can postpone your lynching till after I collect my money, I'd appreciate it." "Sorry." "He startled me." "Nobody's getting lynched, friend." "We just want to ask this kid some questions." "Yeah, well, it seems to me you've got everything here except the rope." "Or is that holding up your pants?" "Hak, get rid of him." "My friend here, she's got a thing for edged weapons." "Bottles, knives." "Your broken teeth would do in a pinch." "Stop!" " Daddy, don't do anything stupid!" " You've got the wrong guy." "Like hell I do." "Alak didn't hurt Luke!" "He couldn't have!" "Go on, tell him what you told me." "Christie, don't do this." "Alak was with me all night, right until I came home for dinner." "Daddy, no!" "Daddy, no!" "Ah!" "Oh!" "No!" "He's dead." "The lawkeeper's dead." "I want to know what you plan to do about this animal!" "Datak, let me handle this." "He tried to murder my son!" "Your son's been screwing my daughter!" "I'll screw you with my knife!" "Stop it, both of you!" "If you'd hurt Alak, it would be you lying on that floor." "Datak, go home to your wife and son." "I'd never get his stink off my blade anyway." "Oh, sure, them, you let carry weapons." "Shut up." "You're responsible for this, too." "We need to concentrate on finding Luke's killer before the trail goes cold." "What trail?" "Who'd follow it anyway now that Clancy's dead?" "I'll do it." "You?" "Yeah, me." "I gotta be honest with you, son, you're no Clancy." "You don't have the skills or the balls to do what's gotta be done." " I'll find the bastard myself." " No." "No way." "You almost killed an innocent kid." " We need a professional." " We don't have a professional!" "Yeah, you do." "I'm a tracker by trade." "Are you now?" "Yeah, I am." "You're looking at the guy who brought in the Miami bomber, and presented Starren Dahrti with the head of his sister's murderer." "I'll find your killer for the right price." "It's not a bad idea, Rafe." "Starren Dahrti's sister is alive and hates your guts." "Details." "Shh." "He's one of the Defiant Few." "All right, tracker." "You find my son's killer, with proof, mind you, and I'll pay you" "20 K." "Twenty-five." "I don't believe I heard you right." " Twenty's good." " On one condition." "If you do find the killer, he stays alive so he can stand trial." "Are we clear?" "Agreed." "All right." "Your companion stays with my deputy." " What?" "You don't trust me?" " I am fresh out of trust tonight." "Lock her up." "I wouldn't recommend the handcuffs." "He's not getting away with this." "Of course not." "I'm going to gather up some chang-o and pay Rafe McCawley a visit, pay his whole family a visit." "Datak." "Our son is in love with the McCawley girl." "Well, we'll see how he loves a corpse." "She's innocent in all this." "I remind you, she risked her father's wrath to clear Alak's name." "I will have justice." "There are many roads to justice." "Would it not be something, when all this has blown over, of course, if Alak and Christie actually got married?" "Are you trying to ruin my bath?" "I have little interest in being in-law to Rafe McCawley." "If Christie were in the family, she would feel comfortable coming to us for anything." "Dear, her father can give her anything she wants." " You're right." " Hmm." "He works very hard." "It's such a dangerous job, don't you think?" "God forbid anything should ever happen to Rafe or Quentin." "Christie's already lost so much." "She'd be left with so much to take care of." " The mines." " Yes." "The mines." "If she were family, we'd be forced to help her." "Well, it is our job to help our family." "I appreciate how you see things." "Do you appreciate when I do this?" "I think a wedding is exactly what this town needs." "You're just gonna sit there all day without talking?" "You know what you are?" "You are very, very disconcerting." "You know that?" "Okay, whatever." "As long as we're both trapped here, we might as well eat something." "I'm not trapped in here." "If I wanted, I could have grabbed your wrist, broken every finger on your hand, taken the key card to this cell which you left hanging from your belt." "Before you knew what was happening, I'd already be out of this cage and separating your head from the rest of you with one of my blades." "What is wrong with you?" "You wanted conversation." "That's conversation?" "You know, I think you're mad and you're taking out your anger on me." "I'm not mad." "I don't believe you." "I think you're angry that your scavenger friend left you here." "What is it with you and that Nolan guy anyway?" "Fine." "He saved me." "What?" "You heard." "Yeah." "You know, it was kinda like that with me and Clancy." "I was on a bad path, but Clancy saw something in me." "He gave me a second chance." "How about you?" "What did Nolan do to save you?" "Something I couldn't do for myself." "Which was?" "He murdered my parents." "This is good." "What's taking so long?" "Hey, Nolan?" "When are you gonna show us why you're such a famous tracker?" "Well, before we try and figure out where he went, it might help to figure out what happened here." "The site's been pretty badly trampled down." "But it appears that we got two separate sets of prints arriving from two different directions, which suggests that Luke and his killer didn't come out here together to duke it out." "They arrived separately, maybe for a meeting, one they didn't want to have in town." "Well, that's a whole lot of assumptions." "It's more like deductions, but I don't wanna quibble." "Now, an argument breaks out, like our dog walker says he heard." "Then a fight." "Excuse me." "Luke is stabbed." "Maybe then the killer loses the knife, which is why he pulls out the cold-fire weapon." "Only now, Luke's got a weapon, too." "That's not human blood." "No!" "Wait!" "Okay, all right." "So, this is the trail he left when he ran off, right?" "Now, you see?" "The prints on the right are crisp." "We can almost read the boot prints." "But the ones on the left are dragging." "They never quite break the ground." "So, if he was cut, but he didn't bleed..." "Cybernetic implant." "We're looking for an Indogene, one with a bad left leg." "Ben, my assistant." "He is Indogene, and last night, he told me he had hurt his leg." "Where's Ben now?" "Hey, Ben." "The Mayor wanted me to run some diagnostics past the big brains up top." "Here, check this out." "Do you have a visual on the heat signature over the next ridge?" "Arkfall?" "Bigger." "Much bigger." "Tell them to check it out." "Volge!" "Holy fuck." "Volge!" "Ah!" "Turn around!" "Go!" "Go!" "Hey, boss." "What can I do for you?" "Where are you?" "Oh, just handling a few personal errands." "You at the office?" "I'm on my way." "I've got to prepare for the vidcon with Ara Shondu." "Yeah." "The revised specs for the Mag-Lev are on the side table under the geo reports." "Great." "Thanks." "Amanda?" "Do you hear that humming?" "He's at the stasis net." "Amanda?" "Sorry, my hailer slipped." "You know." "What are you talking about?" "It's in your voice." "I know you better than anybody." "I didn't have a choice." "The town is finished." "All you can do now is run." "Rafe?" "Rafe, get your men to the stasis net now!" "Rafe!" "Shtako." " Uh!" "Come on, you're losing him!" " No, I'm not." " Hurry up!" " You're welcome to walk, sweetheart." "Did you just call me sweetheart?" "It was my second choice." "Ah!" "Get down!" " Is that son of a bitch still alive?" " Wait!" "Wait, wait!" "No!" "Hey, stop!" "No!" "Hey, we need him alive." "All right?" "Why did you kill Luke?" "No choice." "He was gonna talk, ruin everything." " You're lying!" " Hey!" "You see this cold-fire gun?" "I recognise the design." "It's an Omac alloy." "There's only one Votan race that uses these, and it's not Indogene, is it, Ben?" "Now, I know that you're in a lot of pain, but I need you to focus." "Speak!" "Everybody needs to leave." "All of you." "They're coming, now." "They're planning to attack right after dark." "What kind of attack?" "What are you talking about?" " Hey!" " Ah!" "Stay with me." "Is it them?" "Are you talking about the..." "What the hell is going on?" "The Volge." "I fought 'em during the Pale Wars." "Without the stasis net, Defiance doesn't stand a chance." "All townspeople gather at Darby Square in 10 minutes for an important address from Mayor Rosewater." "All townspeople gather at Darby Square in 10 minutes for an important address from Mayor Rosewater." "He's already gone!" "Hi." "Um." "You should come by, before you leave town, for one last visit, okay?" "And I'll give you a discount." "Half price." "She's still packin' up." "Don't start." "You need to eat." "Oh, I can't." "I've got to go out there and convince people to fight an enemy bred to wipe out planets." "We have no idea why they're attacking, and the guy with the answers is in a coma." "I'm in over my head." "You can do this." "You always rise to the occasion, no matter how tough the odds are." "You're sweet." "I'm right." "Well, right now all I've got is a bunch of words on a page that sound like a bunch of words on a page." "Look, Nicky would've..." "No!" "You are not Nicky." "Don't give a speech." "Just talk to them." "Amanda?" "The town's waiting." "Hey." "I'm proud to be your sister." "You two are sisters?" "Yeah, why?" "No reason." "By now, you all know a saboteur has destroyed the stasis nets." "What about the Volge?" "Yeah, what about the Volge?" "There's an army coming, Paul." "I'm not going to pretend there isn't." "Where's Mayor Nicky?" "The question is, what are we gonna..." "Yeah, where's the real Mayor?" " We need somebody with experience here!" " Your assistant tried to kill us!" "Please, folks, just let the Mayor speak." "Please!" "Just let the Mayor speak!" "We're all gonna die!" "That's right." "That's what you believe, isn't it?" "So why not just pack up all your belongings and take a chance in the Badlands?" "Because this town is done." "Paul." "Three years ago, you lost two sons and half your farm to razor rain." "It was a terrible tragedy, and yet, you're still here." "Rupert." "How many good men did you lose when the 99'ers collapsed the South Tunnel?" "Six." "And have you ever once thought of quitting, leaving town, finding a safer job?" "No, ma'am." "We all have our stories." "And we've endured a lot." "Raiders, epidemics, floods." "But we're still standing." "Just like that big-ass arch up there." "We live in a great place, a town where human and Votan races live together as equals." "We strive for the best, but sometimes, we fall short, sometimes we forget ourselves." "And occasionally, this new world rears up and kicks us in the teeth." "But we stay." "We fight." "Because this town is worth fighting for." "And if necessary, it's worth dying for." "Now, I'm gonna stand up to what's coming, and I'm gonna drive them out." "And I hope that each and every one of you stands with me, because we are stronger together!" "The McCawleys stand with you!" "So does the house of Tarr." "The vig on all debts is forgiven for every man who fights in the battle!" " Yeah!" " Yeah!" "These people are brave." "So they'll die with honour." "You know, sometimes, you can be very cold." "You're still here, I see." "Thought you would have taken the reward money and run." "Not without that." "Not to worry, though." "We'll be out of your hair in no time." "Guess you've got a lot to do out there in the Badlands." "I promised my companion we'd head south, to the beaches in Antarctica." " They say it's paradise." " Mmm." "I'm pretty sure that's a myth." "Still, I'd like to see for myself." "Yeah, I never did get a chance to ask you about the big battle, what it was like being a hero, one of the Defiant Few." "It was what it was." "I wish you strength, Amanda." "Enjoy your reward." "Let's get out of here." "Yeah." "Good idea." "Stay close together, everyone." "Come on, guys." "Right inside." "Single file." "Now let's go." "Keep walking." "Keep walking." "Kids, come on, hurry up." "Let's go." "Okay, hold on." "We got out of there just in time." "Oh, shtako." "They're headed straight for Defiance." "I make it about seven clicks." "They should hit Bissel Pass just after sunset." "Let's put some distance between us." "We could make a difference." "They've got Indogenes in that town." "They could work up a Burkus rig for this sphere, focus the energy, create a weapon the Volge wouldn't even see coming." "We'd burn out the sphere." "We'd be left with nothing." "Yeah, I know." "I'm sorry." "But some things, they just need to be done." " You're doing it again." " No, kiddo." "Don't!" "Every time we get ahead, you blow it for us." "This is different." " There are kids in this town." " I don't care." "Little kids." "And, yes, you do care!" "Don't you say that to me, okay?" "I know you better than that, and I raised you better than that." "Go ahead." "Get killed." "Hey, I've got no intention of dying today." "Most people don't." "It still happens." "Well, where are you gonna go?" "Antarctica." "I'd send you a postcard, but I know you've already got one." " What does it look like?" " A nightmare." "Who's that down there?" "Nolan!" "What are you doing here?" "Saving your ass, sweetheart!" "The terra-sphere has enough energy to wipe out the Volge." "Doc Yewll will need to configure it to focus the blast." "Once it's online, we've got to hold the Volge in the pass until we can blow the terra-sphere." "How hard can that be?" "My thought exactly." "Nolan." "Yeah." "Thanks for coming back." "Hey, Doc, how are you doing up there?" "If you rush me, we all go boom." "If you yell at me, we all go boom." "Now you know how I'm doing up here." "You all know what you need to do." "Hold your fire until you get the order." "We have a superior position up here." "But the Volge are climbers." "So just keep pushing them to the centre of the pass." "That's where the blast will be focused, at the bottom of the canyon." "The terra-sphere will obliterate anything in its path." "When you get the signal, take cover or you'll get caught in the blast." "Ten minutes!" "Ten minutes." " You ready?" " Mmm-hmm." "Fire!" "Up to the ridges!" "Don't let 'em climb!" "Don't let 'em climb!" "I don't like the look of that scaffolding!" "Knock it down!" "I need more time!" "Ah!" "You shtako-coward!" "Amanda!" "Clear the area!" "Go!" "Get back!" "Move!" "Move!" "Move!" "Get back!" "Come on!" "Back!" "Everybody back!" "Yeah!" "Yeah!" "Yes!" "Medic!" " The Mayor's been shot." " Get a stretcher." "Dress her wound." "I see you made some new friends." "I figured they hate the Volge more than they hate humans." "I'm still mad about the sphere." " I'll make it up to you." " I've heard that before." " I have to get up." " No." " Yes." " No, no, no, no." "You don't feel well." "You have to stay here." "You have to stay here." "Doc, can you please talk some sense into her?" " Bed rest." " I know you mean well, but I have a few thousand things that I need to take care..." "Bed rest." "Good human." "I'm gonna check in with you later, okay?" " Okay." "Bye." " Bye." " So, you're gonna make it?" " I think so." "How many dead?" "Forty-one." "Someone tried to wipe this town off the map last night." "They tried hard." "We need to figure out who sent the Volge and what they were trying to accomplish." "Look, in the desk, in the drawer." "There's a cloth bag." "What do you think?" " I'm no lawkeeper." " Maybe not." "But you happen to be all I have available." "Way to sell a guy." "Think about it." "This town, it's a nice place to live." "Yep." "So I keep hearing." ""Life is coy and must be firmly embraced.'" "It's gorgeous." "The ring signifies a pledge of betrothal?" "It is the human custom." "The actual wedding comes later." "That's when they will swear vows before Shigustak." "This will kill Rafe McCawley." "Eventually, yes." "If we're clever and patient." "I married well." "You flatter a poor woman." "Nolan used to say the two of us are children of the Badlands." "The wild, open spaces where the weak are afraid to go." "It's towns that scare me." "All the people jostling for space." "Sucking up the air until there's nothing left to breathe." "Will we stay here?" "I don't know." "My people have a god called Irzu." "He has a path for each of us." "Where it takes us is not always where we imagined." "But there is a reason." "Nolan's people call it fate." "So while you were away, everything went to hell." "Your new mayor is tougher than anyone expected." "Ben Daris is comatose." "But if he wakes up, he can tie us to the Volge attack and to Luke McCawley's murder." "And with McCawley dead, we have no idea where the Kaziri is buried or where he may have hidden the key." "I don't know what to do next." "Relax, Mr Birch." "Don't lose heart." "When the town is empty," "we'll be free to resume our search." "The backup plan?" "It's brutal." "We're trying to change the world, Mr Birch." "Mark my words, one day, the survivors will thank us."