Wayfarer - Yaena the corrupted guardian

Chapter XVIII - An eventful station

Chapter XVIII

An eventful station

 The railroad had left the green plains to go along the side of the majestic mountains. The steep slope led us straight to the tunnel, shaded by a large olive tree. The train rushed inside and everything became black. A flash of light greeted us as soon as we were on the other side, dazzling. At the end of the track stood a large metal gate blocking the access to the city. On each side was a fortified station, built upstream and protected by steel ramparts.

The train rushed through and I saw an impressive gathering of soldiers on both sides of the tracks. They stood in long lines with their rifles slung over their shoulders. Groups of mechanics stood back, accompanied by men in white suits. Each man wore a mask covering his entire face, leaving only his eyes visible. Our vehicle stopped, letting out a cloud of smoke.

"We're finally here." Finn said, looking at his watch. "It's taken us a lot longer than we thought, the day is almost over."

The machinists joined us inside the airlock, without a word. They preferred to stay quietly in the corner, at a good distance from us. Finn tilted the outer opening and jumped down. Like a good man, he held out his hand to help us down. A man in a jumpsuit stood proudly in front of us with a device in his hand. Four fierce-looking riflemen escorted him, keeping a safe distance.

Their brown coats were attached to their uniforms by leather straps, revealing the satchels hanging from their belts. A handgun rested in a holster, locked by a clip.

"Commander, it's good to see you back home." said the man in the suit.

"I'm glad to be back in one piece too. It's been a rough ride. We had a little... bump on the road, which is pretty rare."

"It is rare, indeed. Anything to report?"

"No, except that there were some Hybrids on board." he added, lighting a cigarette.

"You had not however left Saintes with such a crew." answered the man astonished, while lighting his scanner. "Hold it right there, please."

He placed his scanner over Finn's forearm, and something seemed to stick into his skin, invisibly. After a few seconds, a beep sounded.

"Healthy. You may pass, Commander."

Fenna approached in turn and this time the manipulation was done in silence. The beep sounded again, indicating that she was not contaminated. It was now my turn. Finn took the time to stand behind the man, watching the screen carefully.

At first I thought nothing was happening. I was watching the scientific tool carefully, when I felt a prick on my arm. I had not perceived the slightest movement before the sensation, although I did not take my eyes off the scanner. I expected to hear the same beeping sound, as it did with Finn and Fenna. Instead, a whole series sounded, deeper than the previous ones. I saw astonishment on the faces of the men facing me and the soldiers suddenly raised their rifles. I feared they would fire without warning.

"Put down your weapons!"shouted the scientist. "Commander, can you justify this to me?"

He raised the scanner to eye level as he shouted. His hand was shaking slightly, reflecting his inability to understand the situation. No change of expression was visible on Finn's face.

"I told you. We carry Hybrids on board. She's one of our surprise guests."

"Why didn't you report it immediately? I can't tell from the scans whether they are infected or not."

"I was simply curious. I was not disappointed however. This number is rather high for a human-looking being."

"Soldiers, quarantine her. If she does any suspicious move, I authorize you to use force."