Zone Six: A FATES Novella
Zone Six:
Chapter One
Chapter One:
This was not Dr Esther Sutton's first rodeo.
Oh no.
And she wasn't about to let some snot nosed, straight-out-of-the-academy rookie tell her what to do just because they'd been given a smidgen of emergency authority from ASH!
“I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?” Esther said, forcing a smile.
The official sighed unhappily. “My name is [INSERT WINNER'S NAME].”
“Well, Cadet [NAME], would you mind awfully just checking my very senior pass once more, please?”
The official dutifully scanned Esther's pass for a third time.
There was a sad little beep.
“I'm sorry, Dr Sutton. It's just not being accepted. I can't let you through.”
“Of course,” Esther said tersely. “I completely understand.”
She snatched back the pass and strode back to her team, stomping all the way across the chaotic concourse to the apprehensive faces waiting in the busy transport lounge.
“No good,” Esther admitted.
“Well, plek,” Belek cursed, lightly kicking a heavy bag of camping equipment.
Jahan just nodded stoically, while Amaia chewed her lip.
They were all tired. All worn out with fatigue and anxiety from hours of travel already. The world was literally falling apart and here they were stuck fighting a wall of bureaucracy! Heck, most people were trying to get out of the area. Why did they care so much about a bunch of academics trying to get in?
“So, what now?” said Jahan. “We're not giving up, are we?”
“Of course not,” said Esther.
“Should we call the professor?” said Amaia, making Belek and Jahan suck their teeth at the junior intern's mistake. Amaia's eyes flicked nervously between her colleagues and her boss, whose mouth had taken on a decidedly grim tilt.
“Come,” said Esther, grabbing her bags. “We'll follow the fence round and find a less guarded gate. Maybe we can get through there.”
Esther moved away and Amaia scrambled to collect the rest of their things.
“What... what did I say?” she asked the others.
Jahan sighed as he picked up a bulky transceiver. “Don't be a teacher's – or rather a professor's – pet, little intern.”
Belek effortlessly threw a massive pack of camping gear on his broad shoulders and gave Amaia a sympathetic smile before moving off and saying, “The professor didn't exactly approve this trip.”
Amaia almost tripped over a medevac box. “But.. I thought... I mean... Why wouldn't he approve?”
They were moving through a hastily erected evacuation camp, high up in the mountains. It was on a remote, age-old airfield from before the Expansion even. Cracked concrete all around. Tuffs of hardy, alpine grass sticking out. Abandoned for centuries, now buzzing with life, and urgency.
After the small plane ride and half a day’s hike up from the isolated landing strip, it was a shock to see such activity: dozens of tents; large transport trucks blocking the roads (all emblazoned with the shiny new ASH logo), queues of desperate people waiting for evacuation, and lots of eager new recruits in their disturbingly fresh uniforms. Too fresh.
