Chapter 2

In which Phi discovers a way out of this desert, and they all determine their next destination.

Sigma was lied to at one point in his life: the highway to hell is not paved at all — it's full of so, so many wretched potholes.

Akane doesn't have a driver's license, let alone an international one, and Phi's learner's permit expired two years ago — and though she still offers to drive to the Desert Research Institute, where all participants of the Stimulated Mars Mission are to meet, Sigma insists taking the wheel (getting pulled over by the cops from novice driving, though the least of their worries now, will only set them back from their schedule), even though he hasn't driven in 45 years. He urges both Akane, who is curled up in the backseat with a soft blanket, and Phi, sitting next to him in the passenger seat, to sleep, as the next few days will be restless.

But it's hard to even think about resting when the weight of the lives of six billion rest on their shoulders.

.

After she congratulates Junpei and Akane, and wanders away from the group, Phi circles the DCOM facility, her fingers playing with the key that was with Gab. If the old bastard left a key, then he had to have left us a car, she deduces mentally. She just prays that it has enough room for all of them to comfortably sit in.

Sure enough, on the other side of DCOM, Delta has left them an RV. She quickly runs back to the group, who question her whereabouts for the past few minutes, when she reaches them.

"Hey, what are we all standing around here for?" Phi complains, hands on her hips. "This pale skin of mine doesn't do good in the sun without any sunscreen, and, no offense, but I'm sure the same can be said for some of you guys. Come on, let's get the fuck out of here before we're sucked into some other life-or-death game!" But they're all confused by her words.

"How, Phi? We just checked the facility and there's no way to get in! We won't be able to contact the DCOM staff until they realize something is wrong and just come and get us!"

Phi sighs sadly. "I don't think they're coming back for us, Tenmyouji . . . Zero has already left us a way back to civilization." She holds up the key to the RV. Some stay silent while others gasp.

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Eric shouts. "Let's get the fuck outta here!"

They all agree. Akane gives DCOM one lasting look, and the others follow her example; they do so in parting or relief to be out of here.

But Phi's already running.

"I'm driving!" she breathlessly calls out, her short legs sprinting towards the vehicle, as her hand clenches around the key.

Sigma begins to chase after her, which prompts the others to run, too. Carlos quickly scoops up Gab and follows behind the others as Sigma begins to call out her name. "Wait! Goddammit, Phi!" he exclaims. "Fuck, Akane — someone, stop her!"

"Hey, slow down, guys!"

"Come on, Eric, hurry!" Sean begins running quickly on his robotic legs, speeding ahead of the others, but still lags behind Phi.

"Sean, stop her!" Akane shouts, as she runs, hand-in-hand with her confused fiancé.

"Hey," Mira calls out breathlessly, "what's the big issue if Phi drives?!" Her voice is accusatory, her chest heaving as she hurries to follow Phi. "You've got a thing against letting a girl take over control, Sigma? You like your women submissive?!"

Carlos, with Gab in his arms as he dashes with the rest of them, belts out a laugh at Mira's comment from behind Sigma. "Oh, man!"

"You're referring . . . to Diana, right?" a panting Eric asks Mira.

"H-Hey!" Diana protests.

"Oh, yeah, you still have to explain how you and Diana got hitched and had those monsters that you call your kids, Klim!" Junpei pants as he tries to catch up to Phi. "Dammit, Phi and Sean can run fast!"

If Sigma weren't already red-faced from running after his daughter, the color of his face would resemble a tomato's. "N-N-No, wait! That's not what I mean at all!" He ignores Carlos and Tenmyouji's jabs at his relationship with Diana. He begins to slow down his pace, along with the others, upon seeing the RV a few meters away.

Phi is in front of the vehicle, smirking and teasing Sean — who is struggling to jump and grab the key — by stretching up high on her toes with the key in her hands, which she dangles tauntingly above his helmet head.

"Hey! Come on, Phi! If my helmet weren't on, I'd be able to get it so easily — don't make me take it off!" Sean threatens.

Sigma sighs in resignation, but gives a slight smile while watching their interaction, his walk now almost at a standstill. "Phi has never learned how to properly drive. Furthermore, her learner's permit expired a couple of years ago, so she'd be illegally driving."

"Who cares about illegally driving when you're alive and not playing a life-or-death, arithmetical-grounded game?!" Junpei cheers excitedly, suddenly high on the feeling of freedom. He stops walking and uses the hand that holds Akane's to twirl her around. "We're finally free! No more of those wretched Nonary or Decision Games!"

Over Akane's giggles and Junpei's laughter, Diana sneaks up from behind Sigma and grasps his hand gently. "Hey, at least you'll get the experience of teaching your daughter how to drive," she chimes, her clear blue eyes sparkling in mirth. "That'll be interesting to watch, considering how you and Phi bicker so much." She laughs, playfully nudging Sigma's arm.

"So, I guess that means old Sigma's lame, dad sense of humor is actually viable, now," Sigma hears Phi acknowledges, and turns his gaze toward her to see her lips twitching amusingly, as she leans against the RV and crosses her arms. "Let's see how great you are at teaching me how to drive, old man."

Sigma smirks back, but then his smile falls. "Where are we setting our destination to? Are we dropping everyone back to their respective homes?"

Everyone falls silent. Junpei and Akane stop laughing, Carlos looks up from playing with Gab, Mira and Eric cease their hushed whispers, and Sean and Diana turn to stare at Sigma. No one looks happy at the idea of separating at all.

Finally, Carlos breaks the silence. He grins as he answers, "Well, if it's possible, I need Phi to make a quick stop in Kingman, Arizona."

"Why there?" Phi asks.

Carlos smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, that's where I'm from, and, um . . . I was hoping Akane could meet my sister, Maria, to help cure her Reverie Syndrome — if you don't mind, of course, Akane."

"No, of course I don't. I'd love to help her!" She smiles back at him cheerfully.

"Hold on a moment, please," Sigma speaks, crossing his arms over his chest. "Akane, how are you able to cure Reverie Syndrome? I was under the impression that a cure does not exist."

"I've looked into this, Doctor Kli — er, Sigma," she corrects, since he has told her more than once within the past few days to address him by his first name. "Reverie syndrome happens when an esper can't handle the overload of information he or she is receiving from the morphogenetic field. It could also be a case where the esper is constantly in a state of SHIFTing and is trapped between different timelines. It wouldn't be hard for Maria to be able to get a control of her esper abilities with the presence of another esper, though." She looks up to Carlos, Sigma, Phi, and Diana, and then turns to her fiancée. "But the more espers, the better."

Junpei and Diana nod in understanding.

"Right. We'll help out," Phi agrees.

Sigma is lost in thought until Mira deadpans, "Way to leave Eric, Sean, and I out, guys."

"Hmm, I was actually thinking about that," Sigma responds. "Perhaps, the morphogenetic resonance of the presence of espers allows you and Eric to take on and perhaps have control over esper abilities, instead of just letting you do as we do, Mira."

"So, you're saying that maybe you all . . . activated the SHIFTer in us?" Eric questions hesitantly.

Sigma nods. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."

Mira's eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Wait. Doesn't that imply that we all have, er, SHIFTing genes that are just dormant until awakened by the presence of another SHIFTer? . . . Or is that SHIFTing is just viral?"

"I've been thinking about that. I think it may be more of the first opt — "

"Hey, guys, sorry to interrupt, but you all will have to discuss this later," Phi tells them. "Right now, we need to get out of here." She looks at Carlos. "You said to make a quick stop in your city. Does that mean you already have a destination planned for us?"

"Yeah . . . I'm thinking Grand Canyon National Park."

Phi's eyebrows shoot to her forehead. "The Grand Canyon? Carlos, we just got out of a death game and saved the world from Radical-6 and you want to go see a damn rift in the middle of the earth?" Phi's words are steady in her flat monotone voice, but her surprise is easily evident.

He stares at Phi steadily, his eyes determined. "Trust me. I think we need to go there next. This isn't over, yet."

"What?!" Eric exclaims. "And how the hell do you know that!?"

"I just know! Please, just trust me!" Carlos insists.

Phi exhales in annoyance. "Of course, it isn't over. Alright. We'll go there first." What is that old asshole up to now? Why there?

The others are confused as well, but comment excitedly — none of them have ever been to the National Park — but Akane bits her lip and wrings her fingers nervously.

"Would you mind, then, if I invite my brother? He's really worried for me. He's an esper, too."

"It's only fair. I get to bring my sister along, then you should bring your brother — and, hey, the more espers, the better for Maria, right?"

"And then?" asks Eric.

"We'll see where the journey takes us," Carlos responds, which causes Phi and Junpei to groan at the cheesiness of that statement.

"You mean where Phi takes us," Akane teases. "If she doesn't crash us or land us in a police station because of her driving."

"Well, you never know, With Phi, every thing is a joyride," Sigma teases.

And needless to say, it is going to be one hell of a ride.