Meera walked through the maze of corridors, down to the Tube terminal, readying herself to give the welcome address to the new recruits. She knew from personal experience what a shock this place, this situation, could be.

Her mind travelled back nearly a quarter of a century, then a young girl, plucked from her family, exposed to Society’s greatest secrets, making a new life on the other side of the globe. Yes, she knew full well how daunting that experience would be to the new arrivals.

The pods were close, the arrivals screen indicated 5 minutes.

She let her memories come to her, putting herself back in their frightened, confused shoes.

From the amount of time the pod had been travelling, Meera knew she was far, far from home.

She'd left Area 4 some hours ago. Being told she'd been selected for a special role, her time at the Agency was over, she would receive full instructions and induction upon arrival.

She recalled the map of Areas controlled by Society, red circles showing the vast megacities spreading across the globe.

She mentally calculated the top speed of the Tube and the time travelled so far, ticking off and discounting Areas and Cities that were even now hundreds or thousands of klicks behind her.

By the time the Tube arrived at the rather understated terminal, Meera had simply run out of guesses.

Heavily armed guards patrolled the terminal, strange logos on their stranger uniforms, 'P/P' in red, emblazoned on shoulders and body armour.

A woman in a smart, black, uniform strode towards her, smiling and holding out a gloved hand, 'Ms Sharma, I trust you had a bearable journey, tedious I know! I'm Major Abbot, welcome to Area 7, and welcome to Processing and Procurement.'

Freewayriding

26.06.23 Front Page

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