Entropy by M. R. Forbes

Author:M. R. Forbes [Forbes, M. R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-07-13T04:00:00+00:00

36

Grant

Pioneer. Metro. 04.06.2324. 1700 hours.

Tyson paused at the edge of the park, scanning the main thoroughfare of Metro ahead of him. It was a normal evening in the city. The atmospherics had settled on a partly cloudy day, moderate temperature, not too much humidity. The environment was comfortable.

He wasn’t.

Straightening his jacket, he moved away from the edge of the park, vaguely aware of the Guardians tailing him and a plain clothes security detail hanging around nearby to ensure his safety. He had wrestled with the idea of bringing them along for most of the night, turning a good evening’s rest into a prize fight. He didn’t want to feel unsafe in Metro. And he didn’t want the people of the city to feel like he thought he was. At the same time, Pioneer had continued on its course without incident for nearly seven weeks since Joseph had left, and the lack of imminent danger had only bolstered the growing sentiment against his desire to prepare them for any potential threats.

It didn’t help that his plan to create a period of mandatory service time so he could train every resident to defend themselves had leaked out of Governor Nori’s office without the context he and Claire had been so carefully trying to prepare. The message the people had received was that everyone would be required to do military service for an unspecified period of time, as a means for the dictatorial Captain Grant to gain a greater hold on them. While none of the residents of Metro expected the kind of freedoms their ancestors had on Earth—the situation, after all, dictated some degree of structure—making them learn to use weapons, fly Bayonets, and go through physical training was apparently a bridge too far.

Which was the reason Tyson was out here now. Claire had suggested he make himself more visible and better known in Metro weeks ago, to show the population he was a regular person just like them, not some big bad wolf. To show them he was on their side and really was trying to be a good leader. To call him a dictator was unfair. He didn’t get involved in Metro at all outside of recruiting Guardians. What was even more frustrating, most of those who were actively serving had only positive things to say about the experience.

He would have preferred to stay in hibernation until they reached Avalon, as had been the original plan. He would have preferred a lot of things. But the universe didn’t care about Command’s plans, any more than it cared about his. It had its own way of moving things around and making things happen, and more than ever he felt like he was just along for the ride.

Reaching the edge of the city also meant reaching the greater concentration of people. They mostly walked through the strands of Metro, though there were a smattering of scooters and smaller personal transports occupying the center of the roads. He had drawn a little attention making his way from the park, but he started getting more looks now that he was among the blocks.

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