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The Story:
The trains carry trade goods between the colonies scattered throughout the continent. The colonies have an agreement to provide rest, food, and shelter to the engineers, especially because of the danger their work can have. Groups of outcasts roam the continent and often attempt to hijack the trains to steal supplies. I am one such outcast.
“Remember, Benjamin, they have turrets mounted to the train, so…”
“I know, Dad, stay off the sides. I got it.”
“Good. Now…”
My father starts having a coughing fit again, so I address the men for him.
“Now, when the train gets here, we’ll only have about seven minutes before it speeds up again,” I remind them.
“Get stuck on there after seven minutes, and you’ll be at the mercy of the next colony down the line.”
There’s no imagining what the colonists would do if they caught any of us on one of their trains. It would probably be better to leap to your death than get caught when it stops.
The ground begins to quiver. I peer down the track and see a black engine glaring back.
“Get down! Everyone, down!”
We lay our horses down and lie in the ditch with them. If we trip the sensors on the train’s side turrets before we are safely behind it, we’ll all be dead in seconds.
The train brings with it a blast of wind that it shoves to the side with every inch of its journey. Some horses stir but remain on their sides. As soon as the last car passes, my horse and I launch out of the ditch, and the others follow.
I race up the tracks from the rear of the train. I reach the last car and pull myself aboard. My father isn’t far behind me, but the others are far behind him.
Before he reaches my outstretched hand, a compartment opens on the bottom of the train. Two small turrets begin firing their charges, narrowly missing my father. The engineer must know we’re here.
The train lurches forward in an abrupt speed change. As my father is shrinking away, now reaching for me, a charge hits him, causing he and his horse to roll. The train pulls away, leaving my father motionless on the track.
I am alone.
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