Chapter 10 -- Team Spirit

 Chapter 10

Team Spirit

The five-person group—three robots and two humans—returned to the vehicle they had arrived in after the simulation operation. Once they stowed their gear, weapons, and heavy equipment inside, they climbed in one by one.

Arch took the driver’s seat. Gideon sat beside him in the front. In the back, Nathan and Salih sat next to each other, while Neil took the seat behind Arch, quiet as usual.

The vehicle started moving. As the ruined scenery of the abandoned industrial zone slid past the windows, the atmosphere inside gradually calmed.

Keeping his eyes on the road ahead, Gideon spoke:

“Nathan… Salih… how long are you staying this time? Fifteen days again?”

Salih kept watching the outside. Nathan let out a light breath.

“Yeah,” he said. “We’re here for fifteen days. But next time might be a bit later. I don’t know about Salih, but for me it’s getting a little tight financially.”

Salih turned his head toward Nathan. He paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

“What happened, buddy?” he said mockingly.

“Did the stock market crash on you or something?”

A soft ripple of laughter spread through the vehicle. The mood instantly felt lighter.

Nathan shrugged.

“Oh, don’t joke. The global economy isn’t what it used to be. We signed a deal with a new logistics company. Things are going to be busy.”

Without taking his eyes off the road, Gideon continued:

“The world economy, huh…” he said flatly.

“Ours is limited to just this place. You… talk about the world.”

His words created a brief silence inside the vehicle.

For a moment, Gideon’s sentence made the invisible line between their worlds painfully clear.

Salih responded after a beat:

“The world isn’t what it used to be. A lot of countries are radiation zones now—no entry, no life. The only ones who can go in are Tetria’s robots. And even they’re dual-system units. They collect clean minerals. If it were possible, I’d take you everywhere that’s still accessible, my friend.”

The short, heavy silence that followed Salih’s words was suddenly broken by Neil’s voice from the back seat.

“Yeah!” he shouted cheerfully.

“So who’s buying the drinks at the bar tonight?”

The frozen atmosphere shattered instantly.

Arch chuckled at the wheel. Salih lifted his head and looked back at Neil. Then, all at once—perfectly in sync, as if repeating a well-known ritual—they shouted together:

“Nathan!”

Nathan rolled his eyes.

“Oh, come on… no, don’t do this,” he said defensively.

“That was just a small mistake. I just—just enjoyed the moment. I shot the guy and then—”

“Alright, alright, don’t drag it out,” Salih cut in with a faint grin.

“We get it.”

The vehicle filled with light laughter.

The tension of having come out of the same operation faded, replaced by sarcastic warmth and genuine team energy.

It was obvious:

This was a real unit.

A tight team with its own language, rituals, jokes, and bonds.

Gideon’s transparent tablet lit up. A new game invitation had arrived.

“Gentlemen,” he said,

“a 30-minute hostage rescue operation in two hours. What do you say—should we accept?”

Nathan suddenly leaned forward.

“Yes! Let’s go wreck them!”

Salih laughed.

“You damn masochist!”

Laughter echoed through the vehicle.

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