All Aboard, the Zombie Express by Shantnu Tiwari

Author:Shantnu Tiwari [Tiwari, Shantnu]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shantnu Tiwari

25

Bose looked at the train.

It seemed to go on forever.

But where was Shona?

He was going from person to person, asking if they had seen his girl. But all he got were looks of disdain.

Finally, his handler grabbed him by the arm. “The best way to find her is to get on the train. It’ll be easier in there than asking a thousand people out there.”

Bose cursed the train and got on it.

26

Day 1, Hour 1.

Time: 4 pm, local time.

Uninfected: 1000, Infected: 0 + 1

The train finally started. About four hours late.

The sudden motion of the train pushed me back in my seat. I was happy to note that, unlike American trains, this was quite comfortable. I had been expecting hard wooden benches again and was surprised to see comfy sofa-like chairs. Even in third class.

I wondered how first class would be.

There was plenty of leg space too, and I could stretch my legs.

The train reminded me of the trains of my childhood, before steam trains came back into fashion. Two seats on each side, a central aisle between them for walking. The only thing different was that this train was two-decker, so there were seats above as well.

And the carriage we were in was huge.

Really huge.

I could count at least a hundred seats in our carriage. I knew there must be another hundred upstairs. And all were full.

Most of the third class passengers were train employees. In addition to the eight hundred passengers, there were about two hundred staff. Everyone from cooks to waiters to butlers. I know. Who the hell would need a butler on a sixteen-hour train trip?

The same people who needed prostitutes, I guess.

I could just imagine them putting on their monocles and saying, “Ole chap, could I have a lady of low morals for private fun? Underage, if possible. Splendid, ole chap.”

I looked at the people next to me. They were mostly engineers and clerical staff of the train company. They had bought early tickets on the first journey. The company had been happy to sell it to them, as it wasn’t like the local Russians could afford one.

The passengers looked friendly enough. They all seemed to know each other. Within minutes, they had their packed lunches out and started eating. Out of politeness, they offered some of their food to me. I hadn’t eaten since yesterday, as the army plane to Russia really didn’t provide any service other than moving our asses from point A to point B.

Feeling a bit embarrassed about taking their food, I offered to pay them for it, but they just laughed it off.

Talking to a few of them, it seems they were going back to America for holidays. Many would be back in three days when the train returned. The younger ones were really excited to note you could travel between America and Russia in only one day.

Normally, they took a steam ship and public trains, and the journey took months. Many hadn’t seen their families for more than a year.

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