Chapter 04 Razor Ridge

"Crazy bastard. Still has that thing for leaving people naked in the desert, huh? Real romantic."

Reed sat in the passenger seat, still replaying her dance moves in his mind. Behind them, Mia leaned against her sniper rifle, glaring at Dune with a look that said she did not like the “striptease distraction” idea.

“Next time, maybe we fight them head-on instead of... whatever that was.”

“Relax, Hawk. We got out alive, didn’t we? And I got Steel Skull so bricked up he didn’t even notice the maggots. Pretty sure I still got it.”

Reed leaned forward with a grin.

 “You definitely still got it. Heheh-yeah boi! I mean, the way that suit hugs you—”

Mia whacked the back of his head. 

“Focus, grease monkey!”

Dune only smirked and gunned the buggy’s engine as the rocky terrain turned familiar. She recognized the faint outline of an old communication tower, half-buried in the shifting sands. They were close now.

The bunker entrance was hidden under overhang of rock, obscured by years of accumulated sand and dust. Dune pulled the buggy into the shadow and hopped out, smacking Reed’s shoulder as she walked past.

 “Alright, grease monkey, grab spyglass from the trunk and keep an eye out. Last thing I need is Skull’s boys showing up.”

“I doubt they go after us so fast, not after that ambush from sand maggots,” Mia said.

“Yeah, I hope,” Dune said, punching in a series of codes on a rusted keypad. The bunker’s door open, a gust of cool air escaping into the scorching desert heat.

The cargo elevator creaked as it descended, the dim lights flickering sporadically. When it finally came to a halt, the heavy steel doors groaned open, revealing underground garage filled with crates of supplies, and stacks of salvaged scrap.

Dune stepped out first.

“Welcome to my humble home. But don’t get too comfortable—we won’t be here long. We grab what we need and hit the road.”

"Reed, grab some fuel and top off the buggy. We’ll need to make sure we have enough for our journey."

Reed nodded, already moving toward buggy parked near a stack of fuel drums. 

“Got it. I’ll make sure it’s good to go.”

Dune pointed to the far corner, where a reinforced door marked Armory stood.

 “Mia, armory’s over there. Stock up on whatever you need for your .50 cal. If it’s not bolted down, it’s fair game.”

Mia smirked, "Well, well, aren't you awfully generous?” 

"Think of it as investment on my part, this will be a hard job. We’ll be a lot better off with you well-stocked."

Dune turned to Sable, who leaned against a rusted pillar with arms crossed, looking unimpressed.

“And you, Sable…” Dune trailed off, giving a half-shrug.

 “Well… just hang tight. This won’t take long.”

 “Right. I’ll just enjoy the ambiance.”

Dune walked up to a big workbench, where someone was working. The man barely looked up as they entered. His gaunt frame was draped in an oversized lab coat, and his wiry gray hair stuck out at odd angles as if he’d been electrocuted one too many times. His hands moved slowly, soldering wires onto a circuit board with intense focus.

“Hey, Tin Man. Miss me? I got some company.” Dune called, leaning casually against the workbench. 

The man paused, his head tilting ever so slightly in her direction. His pale blue eyes, glowing faintly as he scanned her from head to toe.

 “Miss you? I don’t even know what day it is.”

Mia, who had been cautiously surveying the bunker, stepped closer. 

“Who’s this? Another one of your… friends?”

Dune laughed. 

“Nah, this is my secret weapon. Say hi to Tin Man, wasteland’s oldest shut-in and the smartest pain in my ass.”

Sable stumbled from the back with eyes wide and shouted, "The Forgotten One!? You have Forgotten One in your bunker?! And sane one?!"

The Forgotten One finally set down his tools and turned. 

“It’s Dr. Ulrich, actually. But sure, Forgotten One works too. Much more poetic.”

“Wait,” Mia said, squinting. 

“You mean this guy is one of the old-world scientists? How is he even still alive?”

Dune shrugged.

 “Beats me. He’s been holed up here since... forever, reading, tinkering, and doing whatever it is geniuses do when they’ve got too much time on their hands.”

“Research,” Ulrich corrected, standing and brushing metal shavings from his lab coat.

 “And surviving, which is more than I can say for most of your ilk. Speaking of survival—” He squinted at Dune.

 “You’re bleeding. Again.”

Dune wiped at the dried blood on her cheek.

 “Barely a scratch. Steel Skull and his goons got in my way, but you know me—nothing a cold beer won’t fix.”

Ulrich sighed, already reaching for a medical kit.

 “Steel Skull... ah, yes. Your ex. Well, you’re going to get yourself killed one of these days, Vega. And when you do, don’t expect me to resurrect you.”

“Good thing I don’t plan on dying anytime soon."

 Sable’s eyes lit up as he rushed toward Dr. Ulrich. 

“Finally, a man of intellect! A fellow scientist! I was feeling my IQ dropping just being around these buffoons,” he said, throwing a look back at the team.

 He turned to Dune.

 “Go on, get ready. Let me speak with him for a bit; he might know something useful about what I’m searching for.”

 “Suit yourself. Just don’t forget we’re on a clock,” she said, before heading to oversee the loading of the sand buggy.

 Sable and Dr. Ulrich dove into a spirited conversation for almost an hour. Formulas and theories flew between them like rapid-fire, discussions of pre-war tech, chemical compounds, and obscure research papers long forgotten by the rest of the world.

“All right, Sable, time’s up! Are you two done geeking out, or do we need to send an invite to a science fair? Get to the point, Tin Man—do you know anything solid about what Sable’s after?”

Ulrich sighed, casting a sidelong glance at Sable before looking back at Dune. 

“A device capable of growing vegetation in the desert? Unfortunately, no.”

“Okay, you heard the Tin Man, let's go! We are wasting daylight.”

Dune grabbed Sable by the arm and pulled him toward the buggy.

 “Let’s move, professor. Tin Man’s stories can wait until we’re done finding your treasure.” 

They loaded up into the sand buggy, with Reed behind the wheel this time and Mia perched in the back, her rifle resting across her lap. Sable settled in, clutching a handheld GPS device with a faint blue glow illuminating his face.

After hours of rough driving, the silhouette of Razor Ridge finally came into view, the outline of a massive bunker door hidden beneath a cliff face. Sable’s GPS beeped in confirmation, and he gestured toward the base of the mountain.

“There it is. That’s where the entrance is.”

Sable hopped out, clutching his device. He approached the doors, running his hand along the control panel embedded in the blast doors. The surface was corroded, but the faint outline of old-world insignias remained visible.

“This is it! The bunker! Also known as Science Town.”

Dune leaned against the buggy; arms crossed.

 “Looks more like a whole lot of nothing. You sure this is the place?”

“Positive,” Sable replied smiling. He fumbled with his device, connecting it to the control panel via a worn-out cable. Lights flickered faintly on the panel as the device powered it up.

“This system’s ancient,” Sable muttered, his fingers swiping across the touchscreen.

 “But I can crack it. Just… give me a minute.”

Mia hopped out of the buggy, her eyes scanning the cliffs above them.

 “Hope we don’t have to wait too long. This place looks like an ambush waiting to happen.”

 “Just don’t take too long, genius. The last thing I want is for Steel Skull to catch wind of where we’re at.”