Migration

The Raid

Zoe couldn't believe that only two days after finding her way to the Lifers, she was heading back to the Metropolis. The blisters on her feet were only just drying out, the pain in her muscles had only just begun to ease off and she had barely even begun to feel that her life with them might be a reality. She had hardly had the chance to feel homesick, to crave toast and pancakes, to dream of a Sunday spent gaming with Sarah, to miss the boulevards and tech stores. She could still smell the Vactrain on her clothes. Worst of all, she knew that some of her friends wouldn't have known that she had even gone yet. Her personal rebellion, her singular leap from AarBee into the unknown, would be lost in the crowds of refugees and clouds of turmoil that were now the norm.

After Matthew's announcement the night before, she and a few others – old hands and newer arrivals – had talked long into the night about the raid. Although nobody came right out and said it, they all shared their fear and uncertainty, secretly bundled up with their annoyance at the inconvenient arrival of the refugees, the arguments about the best way back to the Metropolis and the bravado of how to kill. Apparently, there was a secret way back that only Matthew knew about. This would spare them the four or five-day journey through the forest and instead get them there in a day, if they walked at speed. Zoe was happy about that. Although she had enjoyed her solo wander through the maze of trees and thickets and hidden streams, her feet still felt swollen and sore, and the need to climb back into her travel pod in this weather was one she'd avoid at any cost. The rain would surely pile on the discomfort, even during the shorter journey, but her outdoor gear was almost new and she could deal with the wet weather if she was zipped and clipped up.

Yesterday's downpour had continued relentlessly through the night and was still drumming down in the clearing this morning. Zoe shuffled silently over to the cave entrance, picking up a mug of chocolate as she passed the kitchen and wrapping her fingers tightly around its warm curves, before staring out at the waterlogged scene. The sky was brighter today, with slim peels of lemon and crystal light cutting through the deep grey cover. Zoe thought the rain might even be slightly lighter, although she wasn't sure whether she was just being optimistic.

She glanced to her left, following the trees as they climbed gently away towards the distant mountains, and spotted a dozen or so tiny figures shrinking with distance on the dark brown forest path as it cut in and out of the emerald and black hillside. Max must have gotten away early. She wondered who had gone with him and strained her eyes to make out some recognisable features on the silhouettes as they moved at speed along the track. But they were already too far in the distance to give themselves away. She marvelled at how fast they were moving, almost sprinting away from her, crouched down low and moving like a pack, before they disappeared into the deep and dense foliage that swallowed the path for good.

She wished he had picked her for the trek up to the Outpost, and thought how exciting it would have been to be running with them through the forest, carrying just enough provisions to get there, foraging what they could along the way. It was exactly what she had dreamed of from the safety and comfort of her bed back in the Metropolis. For a moment, she was tempted to grab her things and race off after them, but she thought better of it, she would never catch them now and didn't want the rest of the group to think she was running away from their march to Echo Farm.

As she stared up at the distant mountains, lost in her thoughts of wild freedom and camaraderie, she forgot about the hot chocolate in her hands and it fell suddenly with a crack onto the floor, spraying chocolate onto her feet and legs as it did.

"Clumsy," came a voice from behind her. It was Jennifer, already dressed with an open pack slung untidily across one shoulder.

"I hope you're better with a gun, otherwise we'll all be dead before we get there."