The Tomorrow War {Dan forester}

Part 3

I arrived at the station around 3:00. I walked in and looked around the place. It had a very open lobby with a glass roof. It had two stories in the lobby alone and chairs everywhere. There was a little food area and a whole bunch of plants that corresponded with the light green walls. I looked up and saw three people who were decked out in military gear. I slowly walked up the stairs to where they were standing. One broke from the group and started walking down the hallway. I nervously followed. The hallway was long with lots of rooms up and down it. I kept following him until we came to a room. 217. He opened it and I walked in. There were two women there. I handed them the paperwork that I had in my coat pocket. I heard the door shut behind me. I took a shaky breath and walked up to her.

"Please remove your shirt," she said impatiently. I looked at her in shock but she clearly wasn't joking. I felt my hands start to fiddle but I lifted my shirt up and over my head as well as my coat. She guided me to a chair and I sat in it. The other woman pulled up a screen.

"30 years, she will die in 30 years," she said. I looked at her.

"How do I die in 30 years?" I ask as i feel them pull straps over my chest and stomach. 

"That's classified," she said pushing the computer away. I started getting nervous when they strapped my right arm down. I looked to my left and saw a strange machine being pushed in my direction. I then heard somebody behind me. I feel them pull a strap over my head and tighten it.  I saw the woman come around and grab my left arm. I want to pull it back so bad but it gets inserted into the side of the machine. I feel it locked in there as I hear it turn on. She comes back with something in her hand. 

"Open," she demanded. I squeezed my lips together. "I said Open!" she shouted. Out of fear, I opened my mouth and she shoved the clear plastic thing in it. I grumbled something as I felt my arm turn to fire. I was trying not to scream because I was supposed to be tough. After a few more seconds of torture, it finally let my arm out. I pulled it out to reveal a metal mechanism on it. 

"This is what allows you to travel to and from the future war," she explains shooing me out. I pull my jacket back over my arm. I turned around to say something but she slammed the door in my face. Dammit what am I going into, I thought as I headed back to the lobby. I look over and see Mr. Forester in the corner talking to what I assume to be his wife. I looked over and he turned around and looked back at me. He looked visibly surprised to see me there. He walked over to me with his wife in his tracks.

"Emily! What brings you here," he says with a fake enthusiastic tone. I just shrug and look down at my feet. He rubs my shoulder and I look up at him. I notice a glint of something shiny in his sleeve. I guess he noticed me looking because he pulled his arm away. "Well I need to get going," he said turning around and walking away with his wife. I don't know if he knew why I was there but I knew why he was. I had a draft partner.