Re: Running into the Sun
Sunday 29 May 2094
1908 Hours
Hot, dry.
28 Miles SW of Near Cortez
The trip through the dry, hot mountainous country was relatively uneventful. They had valid permits for passage out of Junkyard-controlled territory, and they saw their last checkpoint in Green River, Deseret, just past noon. It was manned by a militia company. Mostly infantry (similar to but better-armed and equipped than was usual in the Wasted West) supported by a platoon of armoured cars and SUVs, plus an APC with an autocannon and a battery of mortars.
After Green River, they turned south. The terrain was still rugged, dry, and if anything more hotter. And more rugged. They were in Ute territory now, although that wasn't really obvious. What was more noticeable was when they crossed the old former border of Deseret and Colorado, not to far from the "four corners" where Deseret, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico met. The former national border wasn't that elaborate as Deseret and the USA had been allied states, but there had been a cluster of customs and border patrol buildings on both sides of the imaginary line in the desert. Now all the buildings, Deseret and US, were all burned out, concrete shells with landscaping long-dead due to a lack of pumped water.
Just southeast of there, on the Colorado side, was the intersection of Colorado Route 41 (the road they were travelling on) and Route 160. There, some 28 miles southwest of occupied Near Cortez, was where their contact, Jericho, was supposed to meet them. They didn't know what or who they were looking for, but if they found anyone waiting they had a recognition code: "Triceratops". The counter-sign was "Playground".
The sun was setting behind them as they approached the intersection, about two miles ahead of them. Around them was flat desert, the only vegetation were low tufts of tough desert grasses. Visibility to the horizon was excellent, they could see for miles on the flat desert. Parked at the intersection was a motorcylcle. At this range (2 miles distant) it was impossible to tell what kind or where the rider was located.