Harris: Wait... I can see a light?
Gage: Forward, full speed.
Harris then increases the speed towards the light, at first they were skeptical considering it was really dark and for a few hours they didn't see anything remotely bright. Suddenly, everyone in the team heard a loud male yelling.
Mysterious Stranger: HALT RIGHT THERE!
Harris quickily decelerate the railcar, making the most terrible screeching train-track friction sound. Gage observes in front of the railcar to see a checkpoint of reinforced metal barricade and a catwalk as some sort of watchtower to avoid collision with the railcars just in case if they need to go through the checkpoint. There are also machine guns placed in the checkpoint along with a few men wearing what looks to be painted military body armor along with a few assault rifles. All of them wearing nightvision goggles pointing their rifles and machine guns attached with laser sights.
Stranger: Hey, you in the railcar! Stop the engine! Do not move! Show yourself!
Gage: Look, we are part of an exploration team part of the US military, we are here looking for a battalion that were supposedly missing here.
Stranger: Wait... You are part of the military? Let them in.
A huge metal hermetic gate opened, allowing the railcar to enter. After a minute of entering through the gate, they met another stranger and a place that looks like it was used to store trains. This is the carriage depot for the station.
Stranger 2: Okay, park your railcar there. It will be in safe hands, and then come out. We need to talk.
Gage and Campbell was the first to get out of the railcar, then some other members of the team including Harris and Neil. Gage then speaks with the second stranger to ask him what is this place.
Gage: Okay, we been through a rough journey. We need to know what place is thi-
Stranger 2: Save your conversation here, we need you guys to wait here or sit at the waiting area until we are authorized to let you guys in.
The second stranger then notices David being helped carried by another member of the team.
Stranger 2: Okay, medic! We need medical assistance for our guests!
2 men from the entrance to the gate ran down with a stretcher that would help David to get transported to a nearby medical bay.
Campbell: Where are you guys taking him?
Stranger 2: He will be fine, we will help him get back on his feet in no time. But first, I need to talk with the faction leader first.
Campbell: Faction leader?
The second stranger then quickily walks to the station guarded by two men wearing what seems to be heavy armor reminiscent of juggernaut suits where one of them are wielding an M249 and another a makeshift shotgun that seems to be automatic.
The team then sits in the railcar where the back of it opened to let some fresh air in.
Harris: Sir, I have a strange feeling.
Gage: Whats that?
Harris: The air seems fresher than it would normally be in a dark and dank place. It seems as if we were walking in a rainforest or a taiga.
Gage then takes in a deep breath that can heal anyone that would have pneumonia or other lung disease that would reside in their bodies.
Gage: You're right, it seems strange.
Gage looks around the parking garage, there are 4 ways to enter the garage, either the way in from before with the checkpoint with the hermetic seal gate, or the other hermetic door that leads further into another tunnel. Another to the entrance to the station consisting of the bulky men from earlier and a single metal door at the corner that seems to be like a workshop for the garage. A single man then goes from the station entrance back to the outer checkpoint. Here comes the stranger from earlier that was yelling at them, coming to the team in a friendly manner.
Stranger: Hey, sorry about what happened earlier. But still, its strange to recieve strangers from that tunnel.
Gage: What's wrong about that tunnel anyways?
Stranger: Me and a scouting team ventured about a kilometer into that tunnel and we only met a central station infested with moles walking on two legs that appears during a specific time. Only a few venture through and from there, nothing much known about that central station.
Gage: Central station?
Stranger: Oh yeah, interchange stations. They are this huge room that can fit a 5 storey building in it with hydraulics and other complex systems that help transport a train to another tunnel line. Many tunnels would connect to the central station. Also, please call me Austin. Thats my name after all.
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Gage: Okay, Austin....
Austin recieves a radio transmission from the second stranger to allow them to enter the station.
Austin: Alright boys, lets go.
The two guards allowed them along with the team into the station, before that comes what looks to be an airlock room featuring another guard with a table and desks that checks for any identification papers if these guys have one.
Austin: Its okay, these guys are authorized to come in. Once they enter the station, they met a huge complex that is bustling. Full of markets, gun shops, butchers. All sorts of traders that comes in to trade with the locals. There are also bars that serves beverages ranging from alcohol to local brewed ones like shroomshine or mushroom vodka. Anything that would grow in lets say that particular environment like a cave.
Austin: This way.
The team along with Austin arrives in a moderately sized tavern with a bar. With some other clients that looks like they are part of the US military or were part of them before their arrival to The Metro.
Austin: Okay, the schnapps are on me.
Austin brings a bottle of vodka from the bar, then pours them into some rock glass.
Austin: Welcome to Arlington, thats what we call our station here.
Neil: Looks clean, the floors are still smooth with all the marble.
Austin: Of course, we treat our hygiene seriously. We have to appeal to our guests somehow, so you guys told me you are part of the military?
Campbell: Of course we are, you guys are part of the military?
Austin: We are the Military! Even the station is part of the military. Though we use the association loosely here, we meant that we are part of the bigger military faction but we are a sub-faction. We are basically our thing, we call ourselves The Providence Battalion. Named after for the sub-faction's capital station of Providence that is five times the size of this one too. But the thing here is to make it there you still need to pass Brockton first, but Brockton is basically the same thing as Arlington anyways. We are a minor sub-faction anyways so our numbers are not as big as the major ones like Washington's Rangers or even New Russia.
Gage: Wait theres russians in The Metro?
Austin: Of course, we mostly get our vodka from there. They are friendly but currently they're fighting a war against the communists of the same race.
Gage: Okay look, we need a way to get out of here.
Austin: Sorry to tell you guys but there is no escape from The Metro, you are bound to stay here for the rest of your lives.
Gage: Wait what the fuck?!
The whole team starts panicking, Austin had to calm them down and tell them the most important thing.
Austin: Okay listen, earlier you guys told me that around 300 soldiers was missing in the tunnels correct? About a hundred of them settled down here, but the rest went to Washington. Its been like a month I seen them, but those who stayed actually adjusted well to our living conditions. As a matter of fact, some of them became our station's blacksmiths in making ammunition. They made their mind about staying here permanently, but you guys can continue your mission of reaching Washington.
Gage: Alright, fine. But how we going to reach there?
Austin: Right, theres a trading convoy that is just about to leave in a matter of days. About 3 or more. You guys have to use your APC railcar to escort them to Providence, pick up the remaining traders and head straight for Hartford-Haven. It's a sub-faction of the military that is friendly and will let you guys enter the new line to Washington. Just make sure you guys go into the correct line, otherwise you guys gonna head straight to Albany and you guys gonna head west.
Campbell: Any new supplies we can get to make sure we can actually survive?
Austin: We will actually give you supplies and requisition a flamethrower for you guys. The only threats you be facing were those moles your friend who got mauled earlier and some occasional bandits. Also, ask someone named Hawk. He will give you something we need for Washington.
Gage: Okay, we will help you guys with the traders.
Austin: Yes, it will be a win-win situation of all of us. For right now, enjoy being in Arlington. You are our guests, so you guys are better than the tourists we get aka the bandits that hit and run our station all the time. Hell, if you guys help the locals here, they would be more than happy to supply you guys. If you gain a popular status here, then I will give you guys a treat.
After Austin leaves to finish up his duty, the team walks through the market. Theres everything that can be bought in the market. As soon as they reach the arms store, they felt like they just entered a candy shop. Almost all the guns, attachments and even exotic weaponry can be found there. Including railguns, miniguns, flamethrowers and grenade launchers ect. They even found things that are banned by the UN to be used in combat including white phosphorus.