The Train

By JCRogers

About fifty miles north of Johnston, Joe had been waiting for a half-hour, and nobody had shown up yet. He was preparing his train to leave when he heard the horns.

To his left, two vehicles were approaching: A jet black military Hummer, and a light blue bus. On the front of the bus Joe could make out the symbol for his friend’s clan: A downward-pointing arrow with a horizontal line at the top and an “X” through the center. He wasn’t sure of the meaning, and called it “Tee-Vee-Ex” when Mallik wasn’t around.

“ ’Bout time,” he muttered to himself as the two vehicles came to a stop near his train. He stepped down at the same time as Mallik exited his Hummer. Mallik’s son, Nerrik, got out of the passenger side, and three more got out of the bus: first the lizard-man–Raptor, he was called; then the short, balding guy who didn’t talk much (but Joe suspected there was a lot going on under the hood, nonetheless); and lastly the driver of the bus, the big black guy with the shiny prosthetics, stepped out.

“What can I do for you today, sir?” Joe said.

“Knock that off, Joe,” Mallik shot back. Joe felt a smirk curl the corners of his mouth.

“Nice of you to show up on time, man.”

“I slept in.” Now Mallik was the one smirking. “First of all, we’ll be needing some kind of big boat.”

“Right down to business,” Joe said as he reached up into his cab for an order form. “Any particular kind?”

“It’s gotta be big enough to hold at least ten cars, including that bus, and hold enough fuel to get us halfway around the world.”

“Not this again,” Joe said. “You’ve been telling me the end of the world’s coming for the last five years, and we’re all still here.”

“Not this time, Joe. And it’s not the end of the world so much as… A change. Big change. And I advise you to be far away when it happens.”

“But you told me before you don’t even know what’s going to happen.” Joe handed Mallik the order form.

“I don’t know specifics, no. But I do know that lots of people are going to be killed,” Mallik replied without looking at Joe. He was filling out the order form while they talked. “Something big’s going to happen. Maybe another war, maybe some kind of geological thing, or even a comet—I don’t know. But I do know that the center of it is going to be North America, and I intend to be far away when it happens. I hope you are, too.”

“How far would you recommend?” Joe asked, almost sounding defeated.

“I’d recommend the other side of the globe, but I know you. No matter what I tell you, you’ll stay right here. At least stay to the eastern coast. Take next week off, stay home.”

“No, Mallik, I’ll do it. I could use a bit of vacation, anyway.”

“Thanks, Joe,” Mallik said as he handed back the order form (with nearly everything ordered).

“Damn!” Joe said as he looked at it. “I can blame a few things on raiders, Mak, but this one could get me fired.”

“All the better for your vacation,” Mallik said, smiling again.

~ ~ ~

After the black Hummer and the blue bus were out of sight, Joe started up the big diesel of his train. He headed west to finish his delivery run. And after he’d delivered Mallik’s goods, he intended to return east and do as he’d promised Mallik.

And if nothing happened, he’d come back here, leave his train, go to Johnston and wait for Mallik’s return. He’d have a good laugh with (at) his friend.

But if something did happen…

~ ~ ~