November 2, 2020 - Nolan Acreage, Near Nevada, Iowa

Something still isn’t right, Jes thought as she stood next to the huge truck. The soft *bing* of the keys in the ignition was a step in the right direction, she mused, but something about the way the threads flowed through the vehicle still felt wrong. Her right eye burned in the glare coming off the vehicle and she squinted against it, the writhing web that constantly surrounded her changing somewhat with the gesture. Where before the color differences between the connections were subtle, with her eyes squinting against the glare, the changes became starkly apparent.

She reached out, fingers touching the bright strands, the spiderweb feel of it tingling against her hand. She grabbed one strand, it felt like holding a writhing snake made of lightning and strands of silk. With gentle pressure, she connected it to another strand of the same subtle color. A pulse of energy flowed through both her and the strand. She could hear the others talking behind her, wondering what she was doing grabbing at air, but their words didn’t matter. What mattered was making it right. Something about the writhing weave of glowing strands didn’t work with the once tangled knots that had filled the truck.

It felt like rewiring a house, updating an entire electrical system to work within a new framework. The wiring mattered, but so did the flow of energy. From one node to the next, one connection to the next. The flow mattered. She started to hear a resonating humm as she repaired more of the connections. It sounded expectant, like it was waiting for something.

What was it waiting for?

All of the connections were correct, the flow was moving in the right direction. What was missing?

Jes stepped back, a headache burning behind her right eye. She rubbed at that temple as she studied Rock’s truck. “What’s missing?” She mused aloud.

“We don’t see anything, Jes.” Rock answered, settling one hand on her shoulder and rubbing at the tension in the back of her neck.

She leaned into his touch, eyes slipping half closed. Her body felt as tense as a coiled spring. “It’s waiting.” She said , then she hummed the same waiting tones deep in her throat.

“What’s waiting?”

She reached out and brushed her hand across a few of the strands outside the truck. “There’s a pattern, Rock. It touches everything, connects things one to another. Something is flowing along the wires, some power or something. I’ve fixed all the connections and now it’s waiting. What is it waiting for?”

He cocked his head to one side. “If it were a machine, what would it need?”

She frowned. “It is a machine. It’s ready.” She stepped away from his hands and gestured toward the truck. “Turn it on.”

Rock glanced from his truck to his friend then shrugged and settled into the driver’s seat. He took a deep breath and put his hand on the key. This moment felt so important. Everyone in the dooryard was still, almost breathless, as he turned the key.

The truck roared to life.

With his face split by a wide grin, Rock’s eyes met Jes’. A laugh escaped her and she climbed up on the running board to throw her arms around his neck. The deep roar of the diesel engine echoed through the still dooryard.

November 2, 2020 - Near Nevada, Iowa

“Boss, you hear that?” Jump asked as they walked through the ditch near their basecamp.

“Sounds like there’s a truck coming this way down the highway.” The captain said.

The look Jump shot back over her shoulder at her commander, spoke volumes.

Whether it was her expression or the facts had just dawned on him, the penny finally dropped for Captain James. “The Null Zone!”

Jump’s nod was patronizing.

“Get eyes on that vehicle, Jump.”

“Yes, sir.” She gave him a crisp salute and scrambled up out of the deep ditch, hitting the ground as she broke the horizon line.

A black truck was slowly driving overland toward the windbreak where the military had set up camp. She frowned as she studied the truck. “Boss?” She threw back over her shoulder. “I think I recognize the truck.”

“The hell you recognize a truck way out here in Bumblefart, Iowa?” James said as he climbed up next to her.

“It was sitting in the drive at the Nolans’.”

“Seriously? How in the hell’d they get it working then?”

She shrugged. “Don’t ask me. Ask them.” She gestured toward the truck.

“Let’s intercept then.” He said, a frown blooming on his face. “Maybe they can help us solve a problem.”

“Roger that, sir.” Jump said. She stood up and started running at an angle that would lead to the truck well before it got to the windbreak. James followed not too far behind, hustling over the empty field.

Jump gave a piercing whistle and waved when the truck slowed. It turned toward them and the soldiers stopped running. “How the hell did they get that going?” The captain muttered again as they waited for the big black pickup to approach.

“Afternoon, Sgt. Jump, Sir.” Rock said as he pulled the pickup to a stop next to the soldiers.

“Good afternoon, folks.” Captain James said. “What’s going on?”

“We got the truck running and thought maybe you might need it.” Rock answered. “It’d be nice to have for us, but you guys need to get word to command and it would certainly help with mobility.”

“No shit?” Jump said, her voice bright.

“No shit.” Rock answered with a smile. “If you can drop Jes and I back off, we can leave the truck with you.”

“Know a back way to Ames?” Jump asked, climbing into the bed of the truck. “A fast one.”

Rock frowned and shared a quick glance with Jes. “I do. Is that where we’re heading?”

The captain shook his head slightly, opened the passenger door and climbed into the back seat. “Let’s go pick up the rest of the squad first. We’ll probably need the firepower.”

As soon as the door slammed closed, Rock hit the gas, heading for the windbreak once more.

“So, how did you get this moving?” He asked the pair in the front seat.

A significant look passed between Rock and Jes before the latter answered. “It’s hard to explain. We just…” She trailed off and licked her lips. “We uh… rewired it.”