Journey to another world in the subway

Chapter 186
The ever-spreading fear made the Serpukhov station look a little gloomy and resentful.

Soldiers in gas masks cut off the station's entrance to the tunnel from both sides, blocking access to the circular metro line.

The entire subway station groaned in pain as if it had a premonition of the impending disaster.

The guards escorted Hunter and Homer through the hall like senior officers, and every resident of Serpukhov Station tried hard to catch a glimpse of them.

Do the residents know what happened and their fate?

Thinking of this, Homer kept looking at the ground—he didn't want to remember the faces of these people.

Hunter will not tell him where the next stop will be. Homer has already guessed it. The next target is Polis Metropolis - composed of 4 stations, connected to many tunnels, and a city with thousands of residents. The real city is the capital of the entire subway system.

Although the metro system is now divided into dozens of rival feudal kingdoms, Polis remains a scientific base and a cultural sanctuary, a sanctuary that no one dares to desecrate.

Nobody but old Homer, the slightly mad plaguebringer.

But the day before he felt a little lighter, no more nausea - just went to the bathroom twice a day.

Before that, due to tuberculosis, he would cough continuously, and the gas mask would often be infected with hemoptysis, and he had to take it off and wash it with cold water frequently, but now the symptoms of tuberculosis have eased.

Perhaps, it is the body that overcomes the disease?
Perhaps, he was not infected at all?
Although he knew he was suspicious, Homer was still terribly worried.

After Serpukhov Station, the tunnel is notoriously dark and lifeless.

Homer understood that there was no way they would see anyone until they reached Polis.

The way station between inhabited Serpukhov and Bolovite always gives pilgrims the creeps.

There are many legends about Woodland Station in the subway. Murder of passers-by is rare at this station, but people will lose their reason here.

Homer had had the opportunity to visit a few times before, but nothing spooky had happened.

Homer knew there were stories about these spooky events, and now he just hoped that this time the station would be forgotten as usual and nothing would happen.

When there was still 100 meters away from the station, Homer suddenly felt uncomfortable.

The white light on the marble wall reflected the first beam of light from a distance, and the intermittent "Oops" sound drifted from the station ahead, Homer had a premonition of something different.

He clearly heard a human voice...

There shouldn't be.

To make matters worse, Hunter, who was 100 meters away from the station, didn't notice anything unusual, and was still completely indifferent.

He ignored Homer's worried eyes and was completely immersed in his own thinking. He seemed not to notice the problem that Homer noticed - this station was actually inhabited!

when did it happen?
Homer had often wondered why the inhabitants of crowded Polis had not merged with the deserted woodland outposts, and he suggested that this might be due to superstitious constraints.

But now it seems that these superstitions are no longer enough to prevent people from breaking the tranquility of this small station.

Before you get over your fear of it and move in, get the lighting installed...

God, what a waste of electricity!

Homer had to cover his eyes with his hands before stepping onto the platform from the subway tunnel—the light from the mercury lamps on the ceiling of the subway station was too harsh.

It was strange that even Pavilets Station was not so neat and solemn - the walls were spotless, without any trace of soot, the marble slabs gleamed, and the ceiling looked as if it had been painted only yesterday.

Homer saw that there was not a single tent behind the tunnel arches—had it not been erected yet, or were people simply not planning to live in the station?

If so, what exactly is it for?
Are you going to turn this place into a museum?
The eccentrics who rule Polis...

There are more and more people on the platform, they don't need to do anything, they don't need to worry about the gangsters with weapons and helmets on their heads, and they don't need to care about the faltering old people in shabby clothes.

Just looking at it like this, Homer felt that he couldn't move a step—his legs were weak...

Everyone on the platform is dressed very brightly, like someone is filming a movie at a woodland station: coats, raincoats, bright tops, sky blue jeans...

But where were the padded vests, the ragged pigskin coats, and the harsh subway lights that kill all colors?

Why does it look so rich here? !

What kind of faces are these...

They belong to people who are not suddenly bereaved, who saw the sun and took a shower earlier today.

Homer believed this.

Also, Homer feels that some people are inexplicably very familiar...

There were more and more of these weird people. They crowded around the platform but did not step off the platform.

Soon the whole station was crowded with people in costumes.

Still no one paid attention to Homer, they were all looking at something casually - the wall, the newspaper, or occasionally looking at each other, whether it was out of familiarity or curiosity, whether the expression was disgust or concern.

But no one pays any attention to Homer, as if he were a ghost.

Why are they here?
What are you waiting for?
Homer came to his senses, where did Hunter go?
How did he explain this strange phenomenon?

Why haven't you said a word yet?
Hunter stood a little further away, not at all interested in the crowds of people who had been photographed years ago.

He stared solemnly ahead, as if there was something obstructing his vision, as if there was something hanging in the air at the same height a few steps away from him.Homer approached Hunter, and carefully looked at Hunter's mask...

Suddenly Hunter started punching.

Clenched fists swung rapidly in the air, following a strange triangular route from left to right, Hunter seemed to be whipping an invisible person with an invisible whip with a blade.

Homer stepped aside, Hunter didn't look at him and kept pumping his fist.

Striking, hacking, chopping, and retreating suddenly, as if trying to clamp someone with iron clamps, after a second he began to breathe hoarsely, and after a short rest, he began to attack again...

Homer always had the feeling that he had seen something like this not long ago.

When did you see it?

Where have you seen it?

What the hell!

What happened to Hunter?
Homer tried to wake Hunter up, but he was completely engulfed in the vision.

The people on the platform didn't pay attention to Hunter at all, as if Hunter and Homer didn't exist in their eyes.

They were clearly concerned about other things: they were looking at their watches with increasing anxiety, pouting their cheeks in displeasure, talking to people nearby, and constantly checking the red numbers on the electronic watches hanging from the subway tunnel entrance.

Homer squinted his eyes and looked at the electronic watch like everyone else...

It's a timer that shows how long it's been since the last subway left.

But the display panel of the timer seems to be stretched: there are 8 numbers in total before the blinking colon, and there are two more, which are stopwatches, at the end.

The red dot is constantly beating, counting the past time, the last amount is surprisingly large, it has exceeded 1200 million
There is a shout...

Then there was a whimper.

Homer looked away from the strange digital watch as Hunter lay face down on the rails, motionless.

Homer pounced on him, barely turning his heavy body over.

Hunter's breathing was normal, and there were no wounds on his body. Although his eyes were staring like a dead man, and his clenched right hand did not loosen.

It was only then that Homer realized that Hunter was not bare-handed in this strange fight, it turned out that he was still holding the handle of a black knife tightly in his fist.

Homer patted Hunter's face, Hunter moaned like drunk, blinked, raised his arms, and looked at Homer blankly.

Suddenly he stood up abruptly, shaking the dust off his body.

The crowds in decent coats and bright tops disappeared, the harsh lights went out, and the dust that had accumulated for a decade reappeared on the walls.

The station was dark and empty and lifeless—exactly as Homer remembered it.

…………

Homer never believed the legends about Woodland Station, but this time fate made him understand that some things cannot be questioned.

Some people call Woodland Station the Station of Destiny and worship it like a god. Some people believe that they need to visit here during the turning point of life, so that they can predict the future.

And some...but all normal people know that the station emanates from the ground a poisonous gas that causes hallucinations.

To hell with these skeptics!

So what was the meaning of the phantom he saw?

Homer felt that he was only one step away from the answer, but his thinking immediately became confused again.

The hunter in front stood up again, letting the black blade in his hand dance wildly.

The price will undoubtedly be high...

If Homer wants to know what exactly Hunter is up against, whom he is fighting, and if the duel fails, what awaits him in the end but death.

"What are you thinking?"

the hunter asked suddenly, which confused Homer.

In the past, hunters generally would not talk to him if they were not forced to. When passing orders, they usually suppressed their throats and spoke in as concise a way as possible.

Having said that, how can you expect to have a heart-to-heart conversation with someone who has no heart?

"No, nothing," Homer stammered.

"What are you thinking, I hear!" said the hunter. "Are you afraid of me?"

"Not yet," Homer answered him.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything to you. You... always remind me of someone."

"Who?" Homer asked cautiously after a moment of silence.

"There are certain characteristics of myself. I forget what characteristics I have in me, and you always remind me of these characteristics of me." His words seemed to be uttered word by word, and when he spoke, his His eyes stared into the darkness ahead.

"Then you brought me out for this reason?" Homer was disappointed and confused. In fact, in his heart, he was expecting something...

"It's important for me to remember that, very important," Hunter replied, "and it's important for other people, so that I can...otherwise, it's like it happened."

"What happened to your memory?" Homer asked nervously as if he had entered a minefield, "What have you experienced?"

"I have a good memory!" Hunter suddenly replied, "I just forgot who I am. I'm afraid I'll forget it all. You still want to help me remember myself, okay?"

"Okay!" Homer nodded to him, although the hunter didn't even look at him.

"Every moment that passes is precious." Hunter said with difficulty, "I mean everything I do - protect the subway, protect people. The mission is very clear, eliminate every threat. This is very meaningful, really! "

"But now..."

"Now? I don't know what's going on now. I hope everything will be the same as before."

"I'm not a bandit, I'm not a murderer. I'm doing this for the people."

"The people at Sevastopol station welcomed me, not just because they need me there, but more importantly because I have a home there."

"I'm going to save the station and help them, whatever the cost."

"I think if I did that -- I cleared all the threats -- that would be a really great and rewarding cause."

"Maybe it will come back then, and it should."

"So I have to hurry, otherwise, the virus will spread faster and faster."

"I must hurry for the rest of the day, hurry to Polis and get the people together, and then come back."

"You have to keep reminding me along the way of who I am, do you hear me?"

"You have to understand that I didn't take Alcorn to action, not only because he has other tasks, but also because he is still young, and there are many things that he can't bear at his current age."

"It's different for us. We who are about to step into the loess don't need to think so much anymore. What's more is to create better conditions for the new generation."

Homer nodded obediently.

He couldn't imagine what it would be like for Hunter to completely forget his words.

When the former hunter falls asleep forever, who remains in the body?
Could it be the thing he had fought and defeated in the vision today?

The Woodland Station lagged far behind: the hunters marched swiftly toward Polis, like a prisoner freed from his shackles, or a wolfhound on the scent of its prey, or a wolf freed from its hunter.

A beam of light appeared at the end of the tunnel.

This place is only a few dozen meters away from the entrance to Polis, the sacred metropolis, the marble tomb of civilization, and the white light of the mercury lamps surrounding Polis is a beautiful omen of rest and prosperity.

People here do not cherish the light, because they believe in the magic of light.

The richness of light reminds human beings of their past lives, of the distant past, when people did not live in darkness and beasts never appeared.

The sentry post on the border of Polis looked less like a fortification than a porter's room in a Soviet ministry: table, chairs, two officers in clean command uniforms and caps, checking papers, checking personal luggage.

Homer fumbled his passport from his pocket.

The visa seems to be abolished, so there shouldn't be much trouble here.

He showed the officer the little green book and squinted at Hunter.

Hunter seemed to be in a trance and did not hear the border guard's question.

At the same time, Homer wondered whether he had a passport.

If he didn't, what was he thinking about at the moment?
Was he going to force his way through here?
"Repeat one last time." The officer put his hand into the shiny pistol holster, "Please show the proof, or leave Polis territory immediately!"

(End of this chapter)