A Girl In Slatestead

Getting The Machine Started

I was gently walking around in the train's restroom.
The sound of the wheels rolling on the track was loud, but I had to keep the window open.
As the train blowed it's whistle I made my way to the little window. In the distance the vague shape of a city placed itself in the horizon.
Immediatly I tried to climb through the window, the whistle having notified me of the short period of time I had to get out.
As I was having trouble climbing though the window, a sudden sound of someone trying to open the door came from behind me.
"Thank god-", I was just about to thank myself for locking the door, but before I could even finish talking to myself, the door had already opened.
A big guy stood in the doorframe now, obviously being an employee of the train.
For a second we made eye contact before I gave him a crooked grin.
"O-oh, hey sir! Don't mind me! Just a girl enjoying the view!..."
He quickly answered, clearly not believing my story.
"Ma'am, you should get down from the window, otherwise we will have to take yo-"
Okay, it didn't take long before he bored me.
I quickly threw my legs up to the window, pulling an eyelid down and sticking out my tongue.
"ma'am! Get down! It's not safe outside the train!"
Well, that won't keep me from leaving, I've seen what those government people do to scum like me.
"Maybe that works on other girls, but not this time! Catch ya later bacon~".
Before the guy had time to get closer to me, I had already jumped out of the window, climbing up onto the roof.
As I made my way up onto the roofs, I heard the guy yell something else, but that was greatly overmastered by the sound of the tracks and the second flute blowing.
With the wind trying to push me off the train, whistling in my ear, I grabbed a piece of railing to hold onto.
As I held myself down, I could see the city infront of me get clearer.
One thing that I couldn't help but notice, was the intense amount of fog flowing through the air around it, making it hard to see the actual detailing of buildings.
Gently I reached for the pocket on my chest, but as I reached my fingers into it, I felt I wasn't the only person grabbing something.
Around my ankle a hand had closed itself, quickly I rolled onto my back to see what it was, but the moment I looked the feeling had dissappeared, and noone was there.
But while looking around, someone grabbed my shoulders from behind and pushed me down, and immediately I saw a face I recognized.
"ZUKA!?!"
"Rose! I though you weren't going to return?"
I looked at him, haven forgotten what happened the last time I was in this city.
"Ohhh, but that was what I said back then, right? But anyways, can you help me get into the city unnoticed?"
He looked right back at me, his eyes piercing mine before he started laughing sarcastically.
"Don't worry Rose! You're gonna get in unnoticed, trust me."
"sure thing. Weren't you the one who almost got caught because he ran into an officer?"
His smile faded from his face, then he leaned close to me and whispered: "Shhhh, you don't know that!"
The moment he ended that sentence the train blew it's last whistle, indicating that we were at our destination, the train stop.
The wheels of the train screeched as it slowly lost its speed.
The platform was full of people, either waiting for family or waiting to leave.
But this didn't touch me, I see this as an easy solution to sneak away!
"Hey, Zuka, shouldn't you be wearing something less obvious?"
"Awww, but Rose! I got these from Dalia!"
I looked back at him with a confused look.
"Who now?"
"Ohhh! She's my girlfriend! I'll introduce you to her once we get there! But lets bounce!"
Zuka grabbed my wrist and pulled me with him as he jumped of the train's roof, making a gentle landing before running into the city with me.
"So, where are we going?", I asked.
"I'd love to tell you Rose, but I'm not allowed to. Just keep up! Okay?"
"Oh god..."
And I could barely prepare before he took a sharp turn, running through streets which were filled with chatter.
The occasional civilian was pushed away, cursing at us as we continued running.
The building were close together, making the streets small and hard to walk through.
Luckily we didn't run for much longer, because before I knew it he pulled me into a shop and took me behind the counter.
"Okay, Rose, I need to you to listen real carefully, okay?"
"Uhm, sure I guess?"
He sighed softly and pointed to a door at the end of the kitchen.
"Go there, the password is 'tahya althawra', understood?"
I repeated the words in my head as I looked at the door.
"yeah, I think I got, but why can't you just come with me?"
I looked back at Zuka, noticing the hurry in his eyes.
"Okay okay, Zuka, just promise you won't stay away as long as I did? Okay?"
"yeah, I promise, I'll see ya later Rose! Byeeeeee!"
Before I could return the word he had already sprinted out of the small shop, leaving me behind in a kitchen I've never seen before.
Not sure of what exactly he wanted me to do, I stumbled over to the door he sent me to.
For some reason I was feeling shy, even though I'm usually not like that.
As I reached the door I heard a click, and the door slid to the side just a bit.
A gentle, female voice came from behind the door.
"Password please?"
"H-huh? Oh yeah, uhm, something like... 'Taya altawra'?"
"Hmm... Good enough, come in."
The door let another click, and it slid into the wall, revealing the girl that was standing behind it.
She bent over slightly, but then reached her hand out to me.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Dalia! Zuka must've let you in?"
I was surprised by how full of life she was, especially in the quality of this location.
"Yeah, I'm an old friend of his. My name's Rosanna, nice to meet you too."
"Oh my lord! He has told me so much about you! But anyways, let's show you around the resistance base, shall we?"
I wasn't sure what she ment with 'base', but the moment she stepped out of the doorway, I could see that it wasn't just a room or something behind it.
As I slowly walked into the base I quickly noticed a few things.
First of all, this place is like a huge community, they seem to all work together.
Second, they have amazing clothing! The recurring white, green and blue in the clothing emitted an calming aura.
But before I looked around this main room further, Dalia grabbed me by my hand to pull me with her.
"Come on! I'll show you to your room!"
She gave my arm another tug and I sort of gave in, running with her through the halls of this building, people waving and greeting us as we passed by.
"So, what are you guys doing down here?"
"I'll tell you in a moment! Your room is just around the corner!"
And as she said, she pulled me around a corner and not long after we stopped at a door.
"Okay, Rosanna, this is your room!"
She pushed the door, and immediately the cogs started spinning.
The door made it way to the side and revealed the high quality room behind it.
Including a desk, a huge bed with a canopy, and even something that seemed to be a bathroom.
"Well, I'll fill you in on what we are doing here. I'm sure you've heard about the expirements on outlaws? Well, this is where we collect those expiremt-victims, giving them a new chance to live!
But that's all I'll tell you for now, you can go get used to your room and I'll send Zuka over as soon as he returns! Enjoy!"
I barely even registered it or before I was in the room with the door closed behind me, Dalia already far gone.
"I geuss this is where I'm staying. Might aswell make the most of it!"
Without doubting it for a second I dropped myself onto the bed, the mattress feeling soft under me, easily letting me doze off into a deep sleep.