Sophie knew that the skin sacks of the deceased were probably littered across the highway, and was grateful she couldn’t see them through the darkness. In a way it was a relief, knowing the Organics had already moved on to a different location.

She turned back to the window and watched the dry landscape pass by. The temperature on her HUD read ninety degrees. It was unseasonably high, which could only mean one thing—the Organics were in fact draining the oceans at an alarming rate. There was no way to know how much longer the Earth had left. All she could do was move forward and try to survive.

A deafening boom echoed through the night. She froze, too petrified to look out the rear window, but the blue glow racing toward them was impossible to ignore.

Sure enough, the outline of a drone appeared behind them. In seconds it had reached the Humvee and slowed effortlessly to match the truck’s speed.

“I thought this fucking thing was supposed to keep them away!” Overton shouted.

Sophie clenched her pistol and sank in her seat, as if she could hide from the aliens by making herself smaller.

“Dr. Winston, check the machine!”

Alexia’s voice broke over the channel. “The RVM is operating at 100 percent efficiency. The Organics must be drawn to our movement. If we—”

Overton threw on the brakes before Alexia could finish her statement. The smell of burning rubber quickly filtered through their helmets.

“Quiet,” Sophie whispered, bringing a single finger to her helmet where her lips would be.

The drone hovered over the truck. The blue sides pulsated and rippled. Inside, a bright glow throbbed and the belly of the craft opened, spreading a radiant blue light over the truck.

Sophie cringed, holding her breath. It was scanning them. Days before, during their first ill-fated trip outside, the drone had used a beam to not only disable the electronics of the truck but to capture Saafi and Emanuel. This time was different; the drone kept scanning them, over and over again. It seemed almost confused.

Just when she thought she couldn’t hold her breath any longer, the light vanished and an explosion from the rear of the ship ripped through the night. Sophie gripped the outside of her helmet, her ears pounding with pain. She twisted just in time to watch the craft disappear over a ridgeline.

“Fuck, that was close. I thought we were toast! Guess that thing works after all,” Overton said with a nervous chuckle. His hands loosened their grip on the steering wheel, and he scanned the skyline several times before twisting the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life, and he slowly pressed down on the gas.

“Fifteen minutes and we’ll be at the edge of I-25, where the Wastelands begin. The remains of Denver aren’t far after that,” he said. “Better check our nutrition before we get into the dead zone.”