At night, driving through the brownish-yellow world, drivers found it even easier to lose their bearings. The only thing they could use as a landmark was the stretch of road ahead, barely visible.
But even drivers with some experience were on edge: there were land mines!
The storm kicked up more than just sand and dust. It also sent broken metal parts flying. The wind wasn't the only thing in the air-there were also faint, intermittent screams.
If they wanted to stay safe, all they had to do was drive off the road and wait for the storm to pass.
But the sandstorm made them lose more than their sense of direction. It also dulled their instinct for danger: lurking threats blunted their sensitivity, while wishful thinking hit gamblers right in their sweet spot-
Just a little farther. Just a little more. At least make it through this stretch.
Night City was a city of dreams, the world's greatest stage. They had chosen to appear at the wildest starting point so they could stake their lives and gamble everything.
But as the night grew darker, they began to feel afraid.
Then the radio began to cut through the storm.
Static-
"What a terrible night in Night City. A sandstorm has engulfed us."
A light of hope shone through, and no one wanted to drop out anymore.
Explosions continued to go off in the storm. No one knew what those faint, flickering lights were. It felt like they'd run into ghosts.
The drivers who had survived the ordeal steeled themselves, but the fiends in the storm had already set their sights on them.
"Haha! We're finally getting the hell out!"
The driver slammed a fist against the steering wheel. His companions in the passenger seat and back seat perked up, too.