Metro 2034

devil was going on with the brigadier? Homer yelled his name but he seemed to be possessed by something and didn’t react to his loud screams.

The people on the platform didn’t react to hunter; he didn’t exist for them and they didn’t exist for him. They reacted to something else, they looked at their watches, talked to their neighbors and exchanged the time with the red numbers on the electrical clock at the tunnel entrance.

Homer closed his eyes a bit and followed the looks of the people… The stations clock showed the time where the train had departed. But the display got bigger, it now had place for ten numbers: Eight before the blinking double point and another two for the seconds. Also small red dots surrounded the seconds and only the last number of this incredible long number; it was more than twelve million, changed…

A scream and crying.

Homer turned away from the strange clock. Hunter was laying face down on the tracks and wasn’t moving.

Homer ran to him and turned the heavy and lifeless body on its back. No, the brigadier was still breathing. He couldn’t see any injuries but his eyes were the ones of a dead man. His right hand was still a fist and now Homer realized that hunter hadn’t been unarmed in this strange duel. In his hand was the black knife.

Homer slapped the brigadier a few times and he started to moan like if he was drunk. He blinked with his eyes, leaned on his elbow and looked at the old man with an unclear look.

The picture of his dream had disappeared: The people in their colorful coats had disappeared without a trace, the bright light was gone and the dust of centuries was on the walls. The station was black and lifeless as always, like Homer had been used to on his earlier expeditions.

Till the Oktyabrskaya the two didn’t exchange a single word. She could only hear how their guards exchanged a few whispers and breathed in sharp when they stumbled over a threshold. Sasha was angry, not so much at the musician but at herself. This… Well what? He had acted like she had thought of him. Now everything he was doing was embarrassing her a bit, but hadn’t she been too strict with him?

At the Oktyabrskaya the wind changed and when Sasha saw the station she forgot everything else. In the last days she had been at many places which she hadn’t thought could even exist. But the glory of the Oktyabrskaya overshadowed everything. On the granite floor were rugs and you could still see their original pattern even though they were very old. The burning heads for torches, polished chandeliers plunged the room into a steady and milky light.

Here and there were tables were people with bright faces where sitting, talking to each other tiered and exchanging papers. Sasha stretched her neck to see more of it.

Then she said shy:” Everything here is so… luxurious”

“The ring stations are like pork on stick over a fire.”

Whispered Leonid. “They are just dripping because of the fat… Oh and before I forget, how about a snack?”

“No time.” She shook her head and hoped that he couldn’t hear her growling stomach.

“Come on.” The musician pulled her hand. “There’s a place here, everything you’ve eaten before doesn’t even come close to it… Boys, you don’t have anything against a good meal, or do you?” He asked their guards. “Don’t worry Sasha, in two hours we’re there. And I didn’t just mention that with the pork on the stick out of fun. Because here they are making…”

He talked about the meat until Sasha agreed. If it was just two hours to their goal, then there was enough time for an half hour meal. They still had the entire day and who knew when she would get something to eat again?

The stew had earned all its praise. But it hadn’t been enough, Leonid had ordered a whole bottle of sweet wine.

Sasha was curious and drank a small glass, the guards and the musicians shared the rest.

Suddenly she rose of her chair and ordered Leonid to do the same thing. The hardness of her voice came from her being angry at herself. Angry that she, exhausted from the food and the hot alcohol, had pushed away his hand from her knee a little bit too late. His fingers had been soft and sinful. Outrageous!

Leonid raised his hands immediately as if he wanted to say: “I give up!” But she could still feel his touch on her skin. Why did I push it away so fast, she asked herself confused? She wanted to get this sticky sweet scene out of her memory as fast as possible, to cover it up with a conversation.

“The people here are strange.” She said to Leonid.

“Why?” He emptied the glass with one sip and came slowly forth from behind the table. “There is something missing in their eyes…”

“Hunger?”

“No, not just… They don’t seem to need anything”

“That’s because they do not need anything.” Leonid smiled. “They are full. Queen Hanza feeds them. And the eyes? Normal, dull eyes…”

Sasha was serious again. “What we left over today could have fed me and my father for three days. Shouldn’t we have taken it with us, to give it to someone else?”

“No.” Answered the musician. “They give it to their dogs. There are no poor people here.”

“But they could give it to the neighboring stations! There were people are hungry…”

“Hanza is no charity.” Said one of the guards they called crutch. ”They can see how they get their own food. That’s the last thing… feeding all those no goods.”

“Are you from Hanza?” Asked Leonid.

“I’ve always lived here. As long as I can think.”

“You won’t believe it put past the ring line people need to eat too.”

“They can eat themselves for all I care!” Answered the guard angrily. “Or should we let it happen that in the end they divide everything like the reds?”

“Well if all happens like it has happened before…,” started Leonid.

“Then what? Shut up boy! What you’re talking here is enough for a deportation!”

“I’ve already earned my deportation.” Said the musician. “But I’m willing to work on it a bit more.”

“I can deport you to somewhere else.” Thundered the guard. “Because you’re spy of the reds!”

“And I you because you’re drinking while on duty…”

“Well you… You did too… Come here you…”

“No! Sorry, please excuse him. It’s all just a misunderstanding.” Said Sasha, pulled the musician away from crutch on his sleeve. Crutch was breathing heavily.

Almost violent she dragged Leonid to the tracks, looked at the clock and sighed. Because of the meal and them arguing two hours had passed, Hunter on the other hand had probably not stood still for one second.

The musician was laughing behind her drunkenly.

The whole way to the Park Kultury both guards were complaining heavily. Leonid had wanted to answer them but Sasha had talked him out of it every time. He was still drunk, with his arrogance his insolence grew and the girl turned away to escape his intrusive hands.

“Don’t you think I look good at all?” He said hurt. “I am not your type, yes? You don’t like the likes of me, I would need muscles and sc-a-a-rs… Why did you even come with me?”

“Because you promised!” She pushed him away.

“Not because…”

“That old song: I am not like that.” He sighed.

“If I would’ve know that you’re such a mimosa…”

“How dare you? There are still people alive there.”

“They are all going to die if we don’t make it!”

“And what can I do to prevent that? I almost can’t lift my feet. Do you know how heavy they are? Here see…”

Leonid tried to raise his foot and knee while he was walking. It looked very absurd. “And the people are going to die anyways. Tomorrow or in ten years. Just like you and I. So what’s the hurry?”

“So you lied to me? Yes, you lied to me! Homer knew immediately… He had warned me…. Where are we going?”