“You’re not suggesting we ride on top of the train are you?” Malinao asked.
“Shhh,” Chong shushed her. In a hushed voice he said, “Lawrence, close the door. The light from the cabin was obliterated and they stood in darkness. “We’ll wait here until we start moving, then investigate,” Chong managed to whisper before they heard the door of the car inside open and Canaan policemen searching the car.
Chong felt a hand slide into his and was pretty sure it was Malinao’s.
The search seemed to last interminably. They could hear conversations but couldn’t make out much of what was said. Eventually the main force left but a sentry was left behind. Everyone began to get very stiff and uncomfotable but nobody moved a muscle lest they make a sound. After what seemed like hours but probably took no more than 20 minutes, a large group of people could be heard entering the car. The commander was very loud and they could hear his voice distinctly through the wall.
“We’re diverting the train back to Cana for further search. Return to the car for disengagement.”
The group left and Chong regretfully let go of Malinao’s hand.
He carefully opened the door. He could just barely see the Commander telling the sentry in the next car the new orders. When they were gone from that car, it was safe to come out, but Chong held them up.
“We have to get off the train. We’ll just have to walk.”
“Is there air in the tube?” asked Malinao.
“Just enough, yes. And there’s a walkway that will keep us safe from another train. Though the MM is the only line here, so the only train we’re likely to see in this Tranquility-bound tube is that one on its way back.”
“Too bad we just couldn’t hail it,” joked Lawrence.
“Well, sound horrible, but if we must,” Malinao walked towards the exit.
“No,” Chong snapped a little more sharply than he meant to.
“If we open the emergency exit, they’ll know. Alight goes on in the engine room. Normally in a sitaution liek this it might not raise a fuss, but while they’re being searched by police, they’re likely to notice. We have to go out through the top portal and climb back down the side.”
“Won’t they notice that?” asked Malinao.
“A chance we’ll have to take,” Ford interjected. “Hopefully they’ll all be headed back to their car and won’t notice. The other folks in the other cars won’t be able to see us until the train moves.”
“Good point Ford,” answered Chong. “We’ll have to stay low until the train is gone.”
The group moved back throught he side door and into the compartment that led out the top. LAwrence held the door open until the top porthole was cracked so they would have enough light. Then he closed the door so they wouldn’t leave an obvious trace that they’d been there.
They climbed out the top and down some handrails a third of the way down the car and plopped back down on the plexiglass tube that carried the train.
“There’s not much air is ther,” Malinao gasped. “I’m not in that bad of shape.”
Chong shook his head. “No not much. It will be slow going.”
“Where are we going to hide?’ asked Lawrence.
The tube was large and there was a cement walkway along the side of the tracks but that didn’t provide much cover. They had to squeeze into a small space between the cement and the curved tube wall and hope nobody looked closely.
“The train will be moving fast enough, they shouldn’t notice us. At least after the first two cars. We’ll just have to press our luck I guess.” said Chong
“Press what?” asked Malinao
“Old Moon saying,” answered Chong
Lawrence spoke up. “Actually it comes from Earth–”
“Quiet, the train’s moving,” snapped Ford.
The squeezed down and Chong found his face centimeters from Malinao’s head. He had the irresistible urge to kiss her hair but he held back. After 10 agonizing minutes, the train passed and they were able to stand up.
“Well, my friends, on with the march,” said Ford cheerily.
Around seven hours later Lawrence was trying to guage their distance from Tranquility. They had been passed by several trains now but had gotten expert at squeezing into the space by the walkway. It seemed like they would be stuck there forever.
“I think we’re a third of the way there,” Lawrence said.
The group sighed. That meant 14 more hours of walking without food or water and minimal oxygen. Ford was already showing signs of fatigue. They decided to take another break and sat down on the walkway.
“How are you doing Ford?” asked Chong.
“I’ll be fine,” he said and waved away the question.
Chong knew it wasn’t good. They would have to find another way to get out of the tube. The phones didn’t work in the tube earlier but he checked again. There were supposed to be repeaters all through the tubes but in the lines to and from Cana they hadn’t been working properly. It was frequent gripe brought before the Moon Colony Association.This time he had a weak signal.
“I’m going to try to call Hashimoto,” Chong said. “I’ve got a weak signal.”
Everyone brightened at the thought of egetting through. The signal was breaking up but he heard the other phone ringing.
“Chong is that you?”
Chong laughed. “Yes sir Rod, it’s me. Listen we’re about halfway down the Cana-Tranquility Tube line. We need a ride.”
“what? I can barely hear you? You’re where?”
“Tranquility-Cana tube line,” Chong shouted.
“What about Tranquility? We’re there. Are you here?” asked Hashimoto
“No we’re in the tube line!” Chong shouted.
Nothing. The call ended.
Chong shook his head. The signal was gone.
“Did he hear you?” asked Malinao.
“I’m not sure. He didn’t seem to be able to understand me.” Maybe he can trace the call.”
The hung their heads and began the steady march. They debated whetehr they should stop hiding from the trains and start waving to see if they could get them to notice. Lawrence figured they were out of Canaan territory by now. They decided it was worth the risk given the shape they were in. The next train they saw coming whipped past them. LAwrence thought he might have caugh the eye of a young girl in a window but couldn’t be sure. The next one 20 minutes later got the same result.
“Here comes another one,”yelled Malinao. She stopped and started waving her arms and whistling.
“Whistling? They’re not going to hear you whistling,” needled Lawrence.
“You never know. Why shouldn’t I try?” rasped back Malinao.
Lawrence grinned
Chong felt an inexplainable pang as he watched the interchange of two people who’d gotten to know each other well on their journey while impersonating him. Had the impersoantion been too good?
Jus then he noticed the train was slowing to s stop.
“See! The whistling worked,” Malinao chuckled.
The train was a short two car emergency version. The kind you’d send on a rescue mission. The crew walked up to the main cabing to talk to the driver. There was only dark glass but they could hear him through it.
“Glad we found you. We got your call. Get on board.”
The passenger loading door opened. It was a little higher than the emergency sidewalk, but Chong was tall enough to boost up and help everyone else in. Malinao treated him to a grateful smile.
The door closed and the trian began to move.
“uh… is it going back to Cana?” lawrence pointed out.
“Yes. Damn. It is.” Chong realized they’d been trapped.
A door opened at the end of the compartment adn Narang walked through.
“I’m so glad I founf you. You would have perished out there. And we wouldn’t want that, would we brother?”
