Page 38 of The Hollowed
“It should be just up ahead,” Alex said as he folded the worn map back into its creases and reached for the door handle.
Luci exhaled, frustration and fatigue weighing heavily on her shoulders as she followed him out onto the road. “Do we take everything? If we find fuel, we can always come back to the car right?”
Alex shook his head, already pulling open the back passenger door for Luna who leapt out and shook her limbs. “Let’s not take any chances. We bring everything just in case.”
Luci tugged her backpack onto her shoulders and shut the car door. Her hand brushed against the grip of the handgun at her side. The plains stretched endlessly before them, flat and bright under the relentless sun. Out here there were no alleys, no corners or anywhere else to hide. If the Hollowed appeared, they’d see them coming from miles away.
For once, that was almost a comfort.
They walked in silence for some time, letting Luna trot a few paces ahead. Eventually, Luci gave in to the need to hear something —anything— other than the sound of their own footsteps. “Have you ever been to Arizona?” she asked, her voice sounding small against the vast emptiness of the road.
“A few times,” Alex answered, squinting at the horizon. “It’shot as hell, but the food’s good.”
A smile tugged at Luci’s lips, weak but genuine. “Good, because you still owe me dinner.” She nudged his arm lightly, teasing, though they both knew the world they were in held no restaurants or candlelit meals. Still, it was worth the smile that curved on Alex’s mouth in return.
For a few precious minutes, their banter continued until a towering sign came into view. At first it was just a blotch of color against the pale sky, but soon the red letters came into focus, spelling outRoy’s Truck Stop. For a moment, she let herself feel some relief, but the closer they got, the more she saw.
The lot was filled with a few abandoned semi trucks out and what looked to be a small abandoned RV. It made sense. When the outbreak hit, people had scrambled to escape, but as far as Luci knew, there had never been anywhere safe to run to.
“Holy shit,” Alex whispered barely above his breath.
She followed his gaze, and the moment her eyes landed on it, her stomach dropped. There were machines stretched along the truck stop’s edge, each one fed by thick lines running into a metal processor marked with a symbol she recognized instantly.
Plasma reserves.
A few decades back a handful of brilliant scientists from the Institute had discovered how harvested plasma could be converted into an energy source. The blend of glucose, lipids, and electrolytes was potent enough to power more than just bodies. With the right engineering, it could light up entire cities.
At first, the concept had sparked outrage. The idea of giving plasma without a monetary incentive hadn’t sat well with the public but indignation was easy to smother. The government twisted the narrative into a call to duty, a patriotic sacrifice for the survival of civilization. Propaganda posters lined city walls, plastered with slogans that promised nobility in donation, guiltin refusal.
Give plasma, give hope, and fuel the future.
Out of fear, pride, and desperation, people answered the call.
Now Luci couldn’t look away from the plasma terminals. Each one was a reminder that survival had a price, that Prometheus had found a way to make sure everyone was paying their dues.
“If we can get into the reserve we won’t need to stop for gas again,” Luci said, quickening her pace as Alex started jogging to get closer to the building.
“I know,” Alex responded. “That RV over there could take us all the way to Arizona.”
For a moment, it almost sounded too perfect.
Luna ran ahead but the instant she reached the doors of the truck stop she stopped and let out a furious growl. As they drew closer, they realized why. There were heavy chains wrapped around the door handles, rattling under the pounding fists of the Hollowed trapped inside. Their shrieks carried through the glass. Someone had taken the time to smear the wordsOpen only in the case of an emergency, across the windows.
Alex’s hands curled into fists before he let out a scream born from frustration.
“Hey — hey, look at me.” She reached to touch his arm soothingly. “It’s okay. Maybe we don’t have to go inside. The pumps could still be working.”
Alex turned to her, and his gaze softened some. But he shook his head anyway. “Even if they are, it won’t matter. The RV won’t take plasma from the pumps. It’ll need a vessel,” he explained.
Luci followed his gaze toward the RV baking under the sun. The air shimmered around it from the heat, and the metal sides reflected the light like a mirror. She lifted her hand to shade her eyes, searching until she spotted it. Near the back there was asmall, circular hatch not meant to pump plasma or gasoline.
They’d need to find a vessel for the RV or just accept that they needed to keep searching for gasoline to fuel the car they’d abandoned a few miles back.
When Luci turned back to Alex, he was standing at the entrance with his face pressed against the glass. Her pulse raced at the sight, terrified at the thought that the infected might break through, but he pulled back before she could speak.
“The vessel kiosk is inside,” Alex said, “but the place is crawling with them.” He turned to her and the defeat in his expression was obvious. “We could clear it if there were more of us.”
For a second, grief took hold of his eyes, and he quickly looked away.