Bridge to Nowhere

De-Railed

After Rick's battle against Captain Kobalt and the Buzz-Bees, he settles into a comfortable seat at the front of the railcar to take a nap. He has a couple of hours to relax before arriving in New Zion. He takes a few drags on Karl's pipe to clear his mind.

The Black Guard will wait for the car at New Zion station. The odds are low that he will make it out of the rail car before being relaxed. He will be captured and confined. Rick knows all this. He also knows he will never stop. He will never give up. Somehow, he will get home to Courtney, his children, and Uncle Rob.

The rail car speeds along, moving nearly as fast as a bullet through the smooth underground tunnel to New Zion. The vibration of the rail car traveling at 720 miles per hour is like a soft massage. He falls into a deep slumber and dreams of battling the Black Guard. 

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The railcar is speeding through the smooth dark tunnel in a near vacuum at seven hundred twenty miles per hour when the car suddenly slams into one side of the tunnel, bounces off and slams into the other side of the tunnel, making horrendous metal screeching sounds. The rail car goes from 720 miles per hour to a grinding halt in seconds.

Rick flies three feet smashing into the metal wall at the front of the car. The bodies of the passengers at the rear of the car cartwheel over rows of seats, breaking bones and slamming into the front wall of the railcar.

Rick lies on the floor. One of the male passengers' smacks headfirst into the wall. The limp body falls on Rick. He pushes the dead weight off him. The power has failed. It is dark and silent. He reaches around in the dark to find the flashlight in his backpack.

Rick checks the wrecked car using his flashlight to locate the other passengers. He spots the husband and wife. Their bodies are twisted, and limbs contorted, most assuredly dead. 

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Kobalt and his Elite Guard arrive at the underground city of New Zion. Maintenance personnel scramble to the jets moving them to large elevator platforms that lower the Scramjets to an underground hangar and maglev launch facility below Front Range Airport.

Lieutenant Astatine is present to greet Captain Kobalt. Astatine is a tall, slender man with dark hair and a thin manicured mustache. He is the leader of the New Zion Black Guard. "Welcome Captain. We will go directly to the Rail Station in my maglev car."

Kobalt and Astatine enter the car. The Elite Guard follows in a levitating troop carrier. The vehicles move briskly through the New Zion corridors passing large caverns filled with cattle and other animals. Kobalt views the cows in large corrals. "Now I know the source of the smell I detected when I arrived. I hope all of New Zion doesn't suffer from this stench."

"Don't worry about the smell. The livestock pens are far from the main city. But, be sure to thank us the next time you enjoy a real beef steak in New Arcadia," Astatine replies.

After several minutes, the maglev car and troop carrier arrive at the Rail Station. Captain Kobalt and Lieutenant Astatine walk smartly through the station as the guard march in formation behind them.

Astatine receives a call on his VUE from City Command. "Lieutenant, we have an alert on the New Arcadia tube."

Lieutenant Astatine relays the news to Kobalt. "There's a problem with the rail tube. I'm touching you in with City Command."

Kobalt reacts. "Commander, what's the problem? Where is Dr. Munday?"

"We're investigating," the commander replies. "We received an alert of sudden pressure loss and power failure in the tube. All traffic has stopped on this line. The railcar Dr. Munday's is on has stopped somewhere between the cities. We've launched inspection drones down the tube from both cities to investigate the mishap. I'm expecting an update at any moment."

Kobalt touches the air, opening a connection to Colonel Cruikshank. "Colonel, we have arrived in New Zion. Dr. Munday's rail car was to arrive in twenty minutes."

The colonel smiles and claps gleefully. "Good, Kobalt. He's all yours now. Don't let him slip past you this time."

Kobalt stands on the platform of the New Arcadia line. He studies the dark tube. "I said, was to arrive. City Command has advised us of a tube failure."

"I'm receiving the update now," reports the City Commander. "The drone sent from New Zion is reporting a cave-in somewhere under Nebraska. A cave-in would explain the vacuum loss and power failure."

"Cave-in? Could the rail line have been hit by a meteor?" Kobalt speaks his thought out loud.

"That would do it," says the commander.

"Don't assume an asteroid has done your job, Kobalt. I want a full report and body count," Cruikshank demands.

"We watched meteors impact somewhere in the mid-west while we flew here." Kobalt pauses in thought. "Derailed by a meteor? Where are you, Dr. Munday?"

"Dead, I hope, sir," Lieutenant Astatine says.

"If he's not, we'll make sure he wishes he was." Kobalt raises his fist as he moves past his men.

The Elite Guards respond with a "Hoo-ah!" and form up behind the captain as he exits the Rail Station.