Fugitives (The Silent Wars Book 2) by Adrian J. Smith

Author:Adrian J. Smith [Smith, Adrian J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aethon Books
Published: 2024-05-28T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

Port of San Francisco.

United Countries of America.

Lines of people filed into a massive sorting area, funnelled by fences to be loaded onto the various ships. Large haloscreens hovered above each line, announcing the destinations.

Moray

Anderson

Anvil

Clyde

Guam

Marshall

Grant

King

Lewis

Uniformed guards watched everything with cold, hard eyes. The workers all wore the same red coveralls as Kora, and when she looked closer, she saw they wore the wrist device too.

“Observe what they do,” Rose said. “Do the same, and don’t look the guards in the eye.”

“Got it.” A flutter of panic passed through her. Even saying the words turned her anxiety up to twenty.

Agnes led them down a wide flight of stairs and into the line for Lewis. She filed in behind the last worker, and Kora followed her every move. She desperately wanted to look around and get a real sense of the operation. It seemed to her that most of the workers were Gnats. Their skin was different, somehow. Like it was natural. It had blemishes. Freckles and scars. Lived in.

Shuffling forwards, Kora concentrated on keeping her breath calm and eyes focused on Agnes’ back. No one talked. Everyone kept their eyes down.

Despite the number of people, the line moved quickly. Kora watched as the worker in front of Agnes had his turn. He waited until a green light flashed, then strode forwards to stand on two yellow feet shapes painted on the ground. He lifted his head and looked directly into a bright light. Once it flashed green, he held the watch up to a small screen. It beeped, and the gates blocking his path folded back.

A commotion broke out in the next line just as Agnes moved forwards. Voices rose as a woman started screaming. “I’m fit to work! Let me through!”

“Get out of the line and assume the position,” the line’s guard ordered.

“I’m fit!”

“Assume the position. I’m not going to warn you again.”

Drones whizzed out from the ceiling and circled over the woman’s head.

“I’m fit, you daft wee kint!”

One drone nipped in and zapped the woman. She instantly went rigid and collapsed. A group of white coverall-wearing workers raced over and dragged the unconscious woman away. The line moved up and carried on as if nothing had happened.

When Kora turned around, she realised the guard was talking to her. “You. Hurry up!” Moving forwards, Kora got flustered and held up her watch first.

“Face recognition first. Stupid fucking Gnat. Goddamn, I swear you get dumber every generation.”

Kora stepped onto the yellow feet shapes and lifted her head. Nothing happened. No green flash or beep. She risked glancing at the guard. He was frowning at something only he could see. Before Kora could comprehend what was going on, another guard joined the first. Together, they stood in front of her.

“Follow me,” the new guard said.

Kora wanted to fire a hundred questions at the guard, but after what she had seen happen to the woman in the other line, she decided to comply. Agnes and Rose both ignored her and carried on.

The new guard led her to a long corridor with several doors leading off it.

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