I awoke to the swaying of a wagon. Its wheels roughly dipped in and out of the well-worn ruts in the road. Somber clouds spotted the blue sky with nary a sign of anything familiar.

Without turning my head, I could see the edges of the wagon. Its sand-colored wood was dusted with darker dirt that was probably the color of the trail. I wasn't in a position to tell while lying on my back.

The wood was smooth from sanding, and the joints were expertly fitted together and nailed for security. Compared to my dad's rickety wagon, the one I was in might as well have been built for a king. Canvas-covered boxes were interspersed between the visible parts of the wagon. The packages were clearly tied securely since they hadn't tumbled on me from the jostling.

My head pounded, and my vision swam as I glanced at the head of the wagon to see who was driving. I couldn't suppress a groan from the pain spreading around. Sitting on the raised, front portion, the driver turned at the sound. He had a calming yet gruff voice as he talked.

"Glad to see you stayed among the living.

I could only stare into the sky, not really understanding the depth of his statement. I was having trouble thinking about what happened. The pain made it hard to think, and I was beginning to notice my throat dry with the desire to be quenched. Yet, for some reason, I felt I had enough water to last me a lifetime.

"We're almost to the post; you should just relax 'til then," the driver said.

Without straining myself too much, I sat up in the back of the wagon. Not knowing where we were going or what was around stressed me out. My muscles protested slightly at the action, but I figured it was better for them anyway.

Once I was sitting up, I saw that it wasn't just my wagon's driver. Six other people were on the road, although the driver and I were the only ones not walking. The men were walking behind the wagon, three on each side of the road.

Each had a Martial Class with a Guard subclass robot walking beside them. Their tripod legs had no issue navigating the ruts in the road. For a brief moment, I worried that I was in the hands of kingdom guards and they knew who I was, but I dismissed it once I noticed what the men were wearing.

Kingdom guards all wore matching uniforms befitting the military. The men guarding the wagon were in a hodgepodge of clothing and armor. I also noticed that one of the guards was a woman. She had been in the back of the line.

The road, which was a generous name for it, smoothed out after a small bend. The rough wood on my back stopped rubbing so aggressively, and I could lean a bit more into it. I peered around the driver to see what type of robot was pulling the cart.

It, too, was a basic Martial Class with a Guard subclass. Its three legs made soft metallic sounds as it pulled the wagon: its cup-shaped feet caused red dust to swirl in a puff like a cyclone. The steps of everyone's robots and the creaking of the wagon pervaded the area; only the occasional rustling of the wind and word by the guards broke the monotony.

The area was slowly rolling hills covered in dry, brown grass. Although it looked half-dead, the grass grew tall on the hills and even in the ditches, giving everything in the area a dirty look.

I wondered how far I was carried by the river and how long I had been unconscious. I could see the peaks of mountains, and I thought I recognized them from those I was watching on the train. I needed to check my map but decided to hold off while in the present company.

I could see a small wooden wall crossing the road we were traveling on. Behind the wall, there looked to be a singular building peeking over the top. The wall wasn't wide enough for anyone to stand on, nor were there towers to provide overwatch. Off to the side of the road, a dozen or so paces from the wall were the remains of a large fire pit. Charred logs looked like skeletons emerging from the deep. Another dozen paces from the pit was a stack of tightly packed logs waiting their turn in the flames once night fell.

The entrance to the area had two people standing on either side. When we arrived, they nodded to the driver and didn't give me a second glance. As everyone passed, the gates were closed while those guarding them stayed outside.

Beyond the gate was a smattering of smaller buildings that were invisible from the outside. They were squat and long, probably meant as housing for those working in the fort. Everything was made of dark, rough timber. The only thing out of place from the rustic cabin vibe I was used to was the prominent De collector sitting on top of the larger building in the middle of the fort.

The collector had wires protruding from the base that led into the large building, as well as all the smaller ones. While the whole fort couldn't be considered upscale, the fact that it apparently had the power to run lights and other modern comforts filled me with relief. Sure, I wasn't a stranger to living without modern convenience, but I was quickly getting used to it ever since I was exposed.

The wagon rolled smoothly in front of the large building in the middle of the fort. There was a large porch where the second story hung over. Resting against the wall just under a window was a wide bench made out of the same wood as the entire fort. Above the window was a large sign edged in black. The words were painted with a rough hand and read: Fort Bad Decisions.

Before the wagon stopped completely, a man followed by the only Fighter Subclass robot I had seen so far walked out the door. He had a large wide-brimmed hat held in his hand that he promptly adjusted on his head once outside. The man looked at the driver and then back to the guards trailing behind.

"A little light this time, ay, Angus?" The driver, Angus, chuckled at the comment.

"Well, the pay we're offering isn't too enticing. That and the turnout this time around wasn't too high."

Angus set down the reins he was holding to guide his robot. At the cart's edge, he flipped a contraption over the side, which banged loudly. Angus stood on the device, which was just a rectangular steel plate. Then, he stepped all the way off the wagon. He patted himself down to get the dust from the road off his clothes. The motion created small clouds of red dirt to drift off and disperse in the wind.

"Come on over and help with the equipment," Angus yelled to the trailing guards while walking to the rear of the wagon.

Angus unlatched some bolts on the end of the cart, and the back fell away. I used that as a cue to finally get up and out. My legs felt like dew-covered grass as I stood. My body weighed them down, and I could barely stay up. I used the wagon's side momentarily until I felt slightly steadier. When I gained my feet, the others in our little convoy made it to the wagon and were busy unloading everything. They set up an efficient line to hand everything off and set it next to the building, off the dirt.

"What's going on with this guy?" inquired the man in the large-brimmed hat. "What are you waiting for, son? Get to helpin'. We ain't going to pay you for being lazy." Even though I wasn't obligated to do as he said, his tone compelled me to move. Yet, when I let go of the wagon to find a place in line, I found it still difficult to do much more than stand.

"He ain't no new hire, Bill," Angus said.

"Well then, where in the hell did he come from, and why is he here?"

"We found him two days past, face down next to the river. No telling how far he drifted before that." Angus leaned with his arm on a wooden pillar on the porch. "I thought he was dead at first."

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I was unconscious for two days?

Bill turned to him with a questioning look. "Well, son, where did ya come from?"

"I was on a train," I said haltingly. I was surprised at how gravelly my voice sounded. When I talked, it also felt raw and tough to get out. "We were going to the capital." Angus whistled slow and long.

"Orbs," he exclaimed. "The only place the tracks meet the river is ten miles from where we picked you up. That doesn't explain how you ended up off the train and in the water. The tracks are high up on a bridge. Did it stop, and you decided to swim?"

I floated for ten miles before they picked me up?

I remembered my breakfast and the talk with Arthur. Then I followed it up to the cars because he wanted to show me something. Then, the pain was in my side as I flew off the train and over the bridge. I could also recall the fleeting face of Arthur as I sailed away.

"I think I was kicked off while it was still moving."

Angus and Bill looked at each other incredulously.

"I don't think I want to get too far into that right now," Bill said. "However, just so you know, we aren't running no charity. I don't care what you did, but while you're here, you work. That, or you can leave."

I nodded in understanding, but just nodding caused me to be nauseous.

"I don't think he's in any condition to work, Bill. He may be a tough bastard, but he just woke up from being unconscious for at least two days."

"I ain't no bastard," Bill spat. "I just want him to know he ain't getting' a free ride. He can head into the HQ and get some food and a bed assigned."

"That sound alright to you, son?" Angus asked.

I thought about it for a moment. I didn't feel that I had much of a choice. I was lucky that I was found and even luckier that Angus was a good enough person to not leave me to die. I could barely stand as it was, so leaving was out of the question. My best course of action would be to at least get the food and bed they were offering and revisit the question later. Although, I did have a question.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate it," I said with a nod. "I'd just like to know…I guess. What is this place? What is it that you do here?"

"This here is the forward operating base of Danvers Inc.," Bill said. "We're an independent contracting company for Capital City Rail Line. We're in the process of clearing out infestations for a proposed line in this area."

I nodded again at the information. I wanted to make sure I wasn't being hired to perform an illegal activity or become a part of a nefarious organization. I didn't have the mental faculty to consider anything else at the time.

Angus pointed to the door of the building. "Go ahead inside. There's someone in there to help."

I slowly began shuffling to the door. Just before I was about to walk in, I could hear a should coming from the gate.

"Scouts approaching."

"Orbs, what are they doing back so soon," Bill said. He pulled his hat lower on his head, then walked out of the porch's shade. Angus followed him a few paces behind. The others were still diligently working on unloading and stacking the supply crates from the wagon, but they were almost done in the short time my conversation lasted.

I stepped fully into the building and closed the door behind me. The yellow lights hung from the ceiling. The bulbs were covered by powdery half globes that muted the intensity. A small mahogany desk sat to the left of the entrance. Two seats covered in a red cloth were placed haphazardly in front of it. To the right, three more chairs of the same make were lined up against the wall. The wall stretched to the back of the building. Multiple doors and a few off-shooting hallways were interspersed all the way down.

A female was sitting behind the desk, facing parallel to the width and looking away from me. She was leaning over the interface panel of her robot, engrossed in reading whatever was displayed. She looked like she wasn't aware I was there, but when I pulled out the chair and sat down, she didn't move away from her robot. After a minute, she tapped something on the screen, then turned to me.

"What do you want?" she asked disdainfully. Her brown eyes bored into me with a piercing squint. Clearly, she wasn't one for niceties.

"Bill sent me in here to get a bed and some food."

"Food's in the first cabin." She jerked her thumb behind her. "You should've already been assigned a bunk when you signed up. Go talk to Angus if you forgot it."

"I didn't sign up with Angus." She gave me a questioning look while she tried to figure out how I was there. I decided to fill her in before her brain exploded. "They picked me up on the way. I was injured – I am injured, actually. Bill said I had to work if I wanted to stay."

The woman let out a long and annoyed groan. She then opened a drawer and pulled out some paper and a pen.

"Fill this out, so we can get you registered. Once you're done, you can go next door to get some food. I've got to get the registrar from Angus before I can assign you a bunk. I'll find you in the Mess when I do."

The woman walked out the door with her three-legged robot trailing her to presumedly find Angus and get the registrar. I set about filling the paperwork out as quickly as possible. At the prospect of food, my stomach began screaming at me.

It only took me a moment to fill out the paperwork. It was all just basic information about myself, but it wasn't too invasive. I filled out what I could and left the rest blank. I didn't really care if they were upset. My mind was wholly on the food they promised me in the next building.

Across the dusty field, I saw the woman talking to Angus off to the side. Bill was speaking to two people who I assumed were the scouts. He was very animated as he spoke to them, which was incongruous with the image he portrayed when I first met him. I wondered if the scouts did something wrong, but they didn't look kowtowed or perturbed as Bill was, so I didn't give it much more thought.

Outside the next building, hanging next to the door, was a sign similar to that on the HQ that read: MESS. The door didn't even have a handle, so I pushed it in and entered. Long tables with chairs were lined toward the back of the squat building. A few people were sitting down, but they ignored me for their food.

In the back, I could see another table perpendicular to the ones for sitting. That table was laden with large pans, which I assumed were filled with food. I could also see bowls and utensils stacked up in piles.

My assumption was correct, but there wasn't any variety between the dishes. Both were filled with a spicy stew filled with beans and other vegetables. There was a dish with bread rolls next to that, and I grabbed a couple to sop up all the juices. I didn't want to waste anything. I made a beeline to the nearest seat and dug into the food with gusto.

I had seconds, and I didn't regret it at all. By the time I was done, the woman still hadn't made her way into the Mess to tell me where I could sleep. A large sink was in the corner for washing the provided bowls and utensils, and a rack was above to hang them. I cleaned up as I saw others do while I ate, and then I headed out.

"Took you long enough," said the woman.

"I thought you were going to come in," I said.

"After talking to Angus, I figured you probably needed some extra time to eat." She had been leaning on the wall next to the door, but she lifted herself off and started to walk back to the HQ. She waved me to follow as she walked. "You said that you got picked up on the way, but I didn't realize how crazy your story is. Anyway, Angus told me that you probably needed some basic necessities."

I followed him to the HQ, but we didn't go into the front. We walked around to the back, where an extended portion was hanging off the building. She took off a large lock on the door and stepped in. Inside was a small storage room with all types of items sitting on shelves.

I got a basic set of traveling clothes, nothing fancy, just thick linen pants and a travel shirt. I received a towel for the showers, which I was told was behind the other buildings. They also had some undergarments that I was extremely embarrassed to receive, but it didn't seem to bother the woman.

"Thank you, Miss…?"

"Miss? You make me sound old; I'm only twenty-six. Call me Anne."

I thanked her, and after getting some directions, primarily to the place where I could rest and get cleaned up, we parted. Even though she was cold when we first met, she turned out to be friendly. She was shorter than me by at least a foot, but she stood tall and proud, which made her seem taller in my mind.

I went three buildings over from the Mess to find where I could sleep. It was the last in the line of squat buildings. Inside, I was confronted with a long hallway with multiple doors down each side. It also had another doorway at the other end. Anne said she put me in cabin ten. I walked more than halfway down the hallway to a door on the left side with the prescribed number etched into it.

I expected the building to be full of double bunks and absolutely no privacy. Praise the Orbs; I was wrong. Anne had slipped me a key for the room while I was gathering supplies, and I used it to open the door. The room was bare to the extreme. It had a thin bed resting against the right side of the wall and a small nightstand with a lamp. A small window was built into the far wall, barely larger than my head. I glanced through it as I entered, but I could only see the inside wall of the camp.

I dropped my gear, pulled the blanket I received from the bag and set it aside. I stripped off my clothes with barely a mind for what I was doing. Even though I had slept for multiple days and had just woken up, I struggled desperately to stay awake. The need for food was probably the only reason I had woken up. Since that need was fulfilled, my body was shutting down again. I had every intention of opening my CoreLink and searching for the company I was working for, checking the date to see how long I had been unconscious and the map for where in the kingdom I was, but as soon as I laid down, sleep took me. I didn't even manage to grab the blanket.