Chapter 6: Invisible Numbers
"How come I didn't see these before?" Theron exclaimed.
"They are Invisible Numbers," Gerald said. "Written in a special kind of pen that can only be revealed under a certain type of light."
"Like this?" Bobbie said pointing down at the Control Point.
"Exactly," Gerald nodded.
"So what does it say?" Theron asked, turning the map around. "I understand Numeric Code pretty well, but I can't make out a word of this."
"That's because it's written in Aborigines, which the Snipers in the Badlands know quite fluently," Saxton explained. "Fortunately, I know enough Aborigines to translate the message for you."
So reluctantly, Theron gave Saxton the map who spread it onto the table and said, "It says, 'Stand by the water-tower where the Compatriot will land and wait for the last light of Dell's Day to shine upon the hidden door.'"
"Dell's Day?" Bobbie looked to the Engineers who seemed grim. "What's that?"
Brian cleared his throat. "It was a holiday Thorsen made up to commemorate the Engineer we're all cloned from, which falls on a day when the sun and moon are in the sky at the same time."
"And there's no way of telling when that'll happen," Thorsen said folding his arms. Then he glared at Saxton. "Unless one of yer Snipers is an astronomer or somethin'."
"We do have a telescope here in Mountain Lab," Saxton said assuredly. "I can probably get someone to calculate the approximate date of Dell's Day if you like."
"Fine, but make it quick," Theron responded as he left the table. "We don't plan to stay here for too long, anyway."
"Before you go, Theron, you might want this back," Gerald said holding up a wrench that had a sharp head and a barbed handle.
"Blimey!" Saxton exclaimed looking at the wrench. "Where did you get that?"
"From a nest belonging to three Bird-Headed men that had taken up residence in Granary," Gerald said plainly.
Saxton's eyes widened. "Did you encounter them?"
"They captured all of us and were planning to eat us," Finley said.
"But then Bobbie here distracted them long enough for Gerald to show up and smite 'em!" Kinley finished.
"I merely turned the Bird-Headed men to stone," Gerald clarified. "Then we found their nest which held several items that we decided to take for our own interests."
Laying the wrench down on the table, Gerald took out a saw with a white cross on it and a short sword with runes carved into it.
"Quite the collection of Melee Weapons you got there," Saxton remarked. "Those Bird-Headed men must've raided the fallen at Double Cross and took these weapons with them when they escaped. I recognize the saw, also known as the Amputator, since it was last seen in the hands of Marcellus the Blue."
Gerald's grip on the saw tightened. "So that's why I haven't heard from him in a long time."
"As for the wrench, it's officially called the—
"Southern Hospitality," Theron interrupted as he took the wrench from the table. "My grandpappy wielded such a weapon before he died."
"Then that wrench is rightfully yours," Saxton said and turned his attention to the sword. "Now the sword is a little baffling. It's too short to be a Demoman's, but definitely not a Spy's Knife."
"Maybe a Scout wielded it," Bobbie suggested causing everyone's heads to turn to him. "I mean, it's about the same length as a bat."
To test this, Bobbie picked up the bat he brought with him from Harvest and put it next to the sword. They matched each other in length perfectly, which surprised everyone including Theron.
"Perhaps the Scout is onto something here," Saxton observed. "Though I don't recall any Scouts being hired by the Engineers at Double Cross, so the more likely explanation is that this sword belonged to a Scout from the Days of RED and BLU which happened to be at Double Cross when the Cyborgs and Bird-Headed men attacked."
"Does this sword have a name?" Bobbie asked as he picked it up.
"I believe its kind was referred to as a Three-Rune Blade," Saxton replied.
"Sweet!" Bobbie said tucking the sword into his backpack along with the bat.
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The next morning Gerald, Bobbie, Theron, and the other Engineers made preparations to leave Mountain Lab. Saxton had found a Sniper who knew enough astronomy to predict when Dell's Day would come, and it happened to fall on the last day of summer which was a month from now. So with their provisions fully stocked, Saxton gave the Engineers the option of a van escort with an accompanying driver to get them to Thunder Mountain quicker.
"We appreciate the offer, but I'd rather risk going through Coldfront than be in a rolling tin can with possibly more Robots out there," Theron said firmly.
"But we defeated the ones that were pursuing us," Neylan said.
"True, though the ones who followed Rüdiger are probably retracing their steps as we speak and there's the Robot Soldier who's most likely leading them that we haven't encountered yet."
Neylan made an audible gulp and said nothing further.
"Yet we'd have more protection inside a van as opposed to running several miles across an open valley," Bobbie intervened.
"We're not going into the valley, string-bean," Brian said. "We'll taking the mountain route to 5Gorge which will lead us to Coldfront through a cave."
"I've heard of such a cave as well," Saxton said cutting in. "Though there are rumors of Cyborgs being spotted around those parts."
"Then the boys and I'll be on our toes," Theron said confidently.
With that final word, Theron marched away from Saxton along with the other Engineers while Bobbie and Gerald brought up the rear. They followed the dirt path till they were out of Mountain Lab altogether and then made their way in the general direction of the mountain where Coldfront was located while enduring high winds and frequent storms that blew over. This made their trek a lot longer than anticipated, but by nightfall they saw the outline of the buildings that made up 5Gorge Base.
To be continued…