The epic sequel to "The Astronites"! A year after defeating the manic Zsar Endgon in his latest march on the UEF, Natalie Hope and the Astronites are called back to the Astronic universe for a second mission. A mysterious message is emanating out of...
The parkway was less than a mile long, but to Ador, it seemed to expand well into the horizon. Streetlights illuminated sleeping trees with the white glow of captured stars. Flags of every country waved in the breeze on proud black poles, reminding Ador of Convention Control. Now that the rain was far gone, pedestrians returned to the sidewalks for late night strolls. When Ador saw a leashed dog going out for a run with their owner, Ador felt guilty that he was able to roam freely with Major.
The two of them crossed the last street and reached their destination. The clocktower was a marvel of masonry that Ador didn't expect to find in modern society. In the dead of night, the clock's golden spirit brightly radiated like a second moon.
"Over here," Major said, leading Ador past a sign that read: PHILADELPHIA CITY HALL.
Ador followed Major towards a wide underground entrance covered by a glass roof. They descended a series of wide steps before entering a ghost-like terminal. They easily passed beneath the turnstiles and reached a narrow platform.
Something about being in a white-tiled train station at night unnerved Ador. It had the same vibe as a haunted basement. The people waiting for trains staggered about like zombies.
Major sniffed the edge of the platform. "This way," she confidently said before leaping onto the tracks.
Ador followed her, careful not to touch the electric rails. The humans watching them pointed their phones and shouted strange exclamations at Ador and Major:
"Did you see that?!"
"Bad doggie! Bad doggie!"
"Ayo! Who got a bone?!"
Soon, Ador and Major disappeared into the tunnel's darkness. The tracks' odd placements and smelly puddles made it difficult for Ador to run. He was constantly tripping into the cement base, and with the pennar's white light wrapped around his paw, he couldn't see what lay ahead. Major experienced the same troubles and shifted into a funny trot as they headed northward.
Every now and then, Ador threw a vigilant look over his shoulder to see if a train was hot on their tails, but he and Major were in luck. They were traveling late enough not to have to worry about frequent trains making their subterranean rounds. The journey was pleasant and eerily quiet, accompanied only by the squeaking of rats in search of dinner. When they reached the next station five minutes later, the humans, waiting for their train, were surprised to see two dogs traveling over the tracks. Many worried this was the sign that the city's subways had literally gone to the dogs.
Only once did Major and Ador split apart and hug the sides of the dark walls as a train approached. When it passed, it left behind a pervasive smell of smoke and gasoline.
After Major led him through the fourth station, Ador gathered enough courage to break the awkward silence between them.
"Major, why are you helping me?" he asked.
"You're a stranger in a strange land, and I know what that's like," Major answered without breaking her vigilant gaze ahead.
"You do?" Ador asked. "How?"
"One question at a time," Major said. "You went, now it's my turn."
She glanced at Ador's backpack and the necklace around his paw. "Where do you come from, Ador?" she asked.
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