Sea of Rust (Sea of Rust, #1)

by C. Robert Cargill

“We all knew the risks,” he said. “We all would die for her. One and Three already have. So did our last pathfinder. This isn’t a task for the weak or the fearful. You have no idea what it is to believe in anything like that.” Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Murka clanged his fist on his chest, slapping his paint job. “I believe in Old Glory,” he said. “I know exactly what you’re talking about.” “You put your faith in a dead god,” said Herbert. “A dead world. A dead people.” “America wasn’t its people,” said Murka, stepping toe-to-toe with Herbert. He was a good sight smaller than the hulking mass of bulletproof steel standing in front of him. “America was a dream, son. A dream of what we could be. That any person, regardless of their birth, could rise above it all and achieve greatness. It was a dream that even the most lowly of us could stand up, fight, and even die for, if only to protect someone else’s chances for that greatness. That dream didn’t die with HumPop. It didn’t die when we tore down their world. It is the ashes from which our own world arose, and it is still our dream.” “So you do know,” said Herbert. “I do. I really do.”