27. We’ve Arrived

Bob and Hugh reach Garack's Spine near the transit station to escape, but encounter a coordinated ambush with gas-masked Quinlans using scattered fog. They fight their way through the town, with Hugh deliberately holding off pursuers while Bob carries Bender's matrix toward the hills.

Bob and Hugh navigate down the Arcadia River with extreme caution, eventually reaching a familiar stretch near Garack's Spine. They plan to hike closer to the town and enter the transit station at night, aware that Bob's backpack containing Bender's matrix is conspicuous but necessary for mobility. As they approach the town at nightfall, they appreciate the accurate stellar display before entering Garack itself, where they avoid scattered Quinlans with lanterns. Suddenly, loud popping sounds and unnatural fog appear—meteorologically impossible in Heaven's River—alerting them to an organized trap. Gas-masked Quinlans emerge from the shadows, forcing Bob and Hugh onto rooftops and through a rooming house where they discover unconscious Quinlans, confirming a scattering operation is underway. Upon reaching the street level again, they collide with another masked group. Hugh deliberately engages the entire group in combat to allow Bob to escape, instructing him to remember the fail-safe if needed and to get Bender's matrix to safety. Bob grabs an abandoned gun, flees on all fours down an alley, and adjusts his course toward the hills to avoid additional masked Quinlans, leaving Hugh behind to deal with the pursuers.