abel [https://imgur.com/gfZpXk6.png]

This can’t actually be happening.

Abel listened to the voice, staring up at the ceiling as the words floated unwanted into his ears. It was impossible. Even in the high-tech and revolutionary city of Agona, it wasn’t possible to trap so many people, not for long at least. Supposing the rest of what had been said was true, and they were all being forced into some strange city-wide game, someone would come to free them in a few days.

There was the matter of the missing trains, and all of the people on them. The government and other authorities would be notified and tasked with their rescue. Then it would be over, nothing but a bad dream.

Nagging at the back of his mind, a reminder that Agona had the most advanced technology on the planet.

In the quiet of the train car, he whispered the word Inspect. Nothing happened. He turned to the middle-aged man, who was sitting with his head in his hands, and whispered it again. Bernard Osborn. Kara 0. Bara 0.

The man looked up just then, meeting Abel’s glance. His own mouth moved. He had just Inspected Abel as well. The slightest flicker in the corner of the man’s eye told him his HUD had activated.

“CheckSelf,” Abel whispered. Level zero in both categories.

This is actually happening, isn’t it?

“Abel,” the man said, dropping his arms to his side as he stood. It was discomforting, hearing the man use his name despite never being introduced. He stared at him with a dejected look. “You think all of this is for real? Do you actually think we’ll-”

The train shook with a loud crash. Screams came from a few cars down.

“What the hell was that?” Bernard asked, pressing himself to one of the windows. “Did you see that flash?”

A moment later, three more booms. This time, Abel saw the flashes, the night sky flashing bright white.

“Lightning?” Abel asked quietly.

“Abel.” Another person using his name despite no introduction. He turned and saw one of the girls looking over to him. She was kneeling beside one of the other girls who was still laying on the floor. “I’m Lyssa. You look strong, do you think you could carry my friend?”

The girl in question seemed to be having trouble breathing, her eyes were wide, chest rising and falling with a dry rasp. “Is she-”

“She’ll be fine,” Lyssa said, “She just has asthma. She’s Annie by the way.” She pointed to the other girl kneeling beside her. “And this is Sarah. I’m sorry to ask you to help, but I don’t think we can lift her ourselves.”

“I...can...” the girl Annie began to wheeze, starting to pull herself up.

“Right, right,” Sarah said, holding her in place. “You can complain all about it later.”

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Bernard interposed himself between Abel and the girls. “It’s the least I can do,” he assured everyone, loading her up onto his back. “But the question is where were you planning on taking her?”

“Well...” Lyssa began, looking towards the directions the booms and flashes had shook the ground. “Off the train for starters. Does anyone know anything about this city?”

None spoke.

“We’ll figure something out,” Abel said. The others nodded as Bernard led the way off the train.

All around them, skyscrapers stretched high. The streets were teeming with noise, people talking, yelling. The city blocks were even squares, roads straight and flat.

“We want to go north,” Abel said, remembering his grandfather’s words. “It’s more like a normal city up there.”

“A normal city?” Lyssa asked at his side.

“The buildings aren’t so massive and intimidating, and the roads aren’t so straight. It was built to look like a residential area of any other city, instead of being so clean cut.”

“How do you know so much?” Bernard asked without looking over his shoulder.

“Just something I overheard.”

“Hm.” A single unbelieving sound from the man.

“Do you know which way is north, Abel?” Lyssa asked.

“Well, we were on the southern line, so we were heading north,” Sarah said next, looking back to the train. “We would’ve wanted to follow the tracks, but...”

But those booming flashes had come from the north. They continued along the road amidst a small crowd of people. They stayed in a small group, not mingling with others.

“We need to stay together, all five of us,” Lyssa said after a minute of walking. “We need to trust one another. None of us have any levels in Bara, so we can’t be that bad of people, and none of us want to be alone.”

“What meaning do those levels have?” Bernard asked, shooting her a look.

“Do you not believe what the voice was saying?”

“I believe most of it. But the numbers for the passengers must have been given out at random.”

“Why is that?”

“What is the alternative?” He asked, turning ahead once more.

They were quiet again. The alternative was that somehow, their lives up until that point had been monitored and analyzed and judged, just like everyone else within the city.

“You’re right,” Lyssa said finally. “But I still say we stick together. I know the three of us aren’t parting,” she motioned to her two friends. “You two should join us as well. Unless you have somewhere else to go?”

Things were happening too fast to think through them logically. He couldn’t think of any other possibility. Abel agreed with a nod of his head.

Bernard said nothing. A few moments later he dropped to a knee. “She’s choking me,” he rasped as Sarah and Lyssa walked over to help their friend off his back. Her face was pale, lips blue.

“She needs her inhaler,” Sarah said to Lyssa.

“Don’t you have it?” Lyssa asked.

“I thought...”

They looked at one another for a long moment. Lyssa held Annie’s head in her hands. “Annie. Do you have your inhaler on you?”

A weak shake of her head.

“What do we do?” Sarah’s voice was quiet.

“We need to go back and grab her inhaler.”

A distant crash from the train, punctuating the words. The train was far away, but still within sight.

“I can run and grab it,” Abel said, getting a few sets of eyes on him. He tried a smile. “I was on the track team. I’ll be quick, no worries.”

“You don’t have to-” Sarah began.

“You don’t know what you’re looking for.” Lyssa broke in. “She keeps her medicine in a small colored purse. I’ll go with you. Two sets of eyes are better than one.”

“Lyssa,” Sarah said with a frown.

“Just keep her company,” her friend said, looking towards Annie, “We’ll be back with your purse before you know it, okay? Just relax.” She gave Abel a look and the two started back the way they had come, heading back towards the train.