Fade (Walker #74033 fanfiction) Book 1

Chapter 4

Jevden followed Margrethe up a large spiral staircase leading to the third floor of the compound. They passed multiple Walkers along the way, some talking in small groups, while others were typing on what looked like digital message electronics. Most of them barely paid any attention to him, but Jevden glanced at them as he walked by. Small numbers were stitched on their sweatshirts, just above the chest area, and he managed to catch a glimpse of some. 79755, 55698, 96643, 856... Margrethe was right, there were definitely over 90,000 Walkers here.

Eventually, they got to the top, which Jevden saw wasn't overlooking the ground floor. Not as many Walkers were up here, and he found the reduced noise to be a relief. They turned left and continued down a hallway that was painted completely white with blue compliments. On one wall, a large block of text stood out in black, demanding the attention of anyone who came by.

W41k3rs_j01n.

He glanced at it curiously before they reached their destination. Margrethe turned left again into a large room that was set up like an office. A circular wooden table spanned around the center, with multiple Walkers on the inside, helping other Walkers who needed assistance. Margrethe steered him in the direction of one in particular, who sat just to the right of the entrance. He had dark brown hair and eyes and wore a sweatshirt that was a deep gray instead of the standard black. A golden card sitting on the table in front of him said "#2 - Registration." He was typing on the computer in front of him, focused on what he was doing, but looked up in surprise as Margrethe approached him.

"#88888, it's good to see you again," he said warmly, pushing his chair to the side to see them both clearly. He had a heavy Norwegian accent and bore a slight resemblance to #0. "How can I help you?"

"Good to see you as well, #2," she responded evenly. "But it's not me I'm here for, it's him." She gestured to Jevden. Walker #2's eyes flickered to him. "I found a new Walker. This is Jevden."

"That's great news. I was beginning to worry when we went this entire week without getting any more." He extended his hand to him. "What's up, Jevden?"

"Hi." He shook his hand, slightly embarrassed. For whatever reason, he felt as if the whole world was watching him.

#2 turned back to Margrethe. "Did he choose a role yet?"

"Didn't need to," she replied confidently. "I request for him to be entered as an Explorer."

Jevden looked at her, taken aback. "What? But I want to be a Fighter, like you."

Margrethe shook her head. "It's too dangerous, especially for someone who's never controlled a drone before. As an Explorer, you'll be less likely to accidently blast someone's head off."

"Hold on, I can learn how to use an AVI-8 to battle. You can teach me. Even if it's dangerous, I should learn how to fight against Red Nexus."

"The Walker's Unity Force isn't like the other divisions among the Walker community. It's not just something that a new person can join. The Fighters are hand picked from the staff for their experience and ability to handle complex weaponry. You haven't even learned the basics yet. So trust me on this one, please. The Explorers are safer and relatively easy to be a part of. Maybe in the future, you can become a part of the WUF, but not now." She gave him an earnest look, and Jevden found that he had no more arguments. He sighed and turned back to #2. He had been quiet the whole time, hands folded on the desk, patiently waiting for their conversation to end.

"I'll go as an Explorer," Jevden said.

#2 nodded, "Alright, let's get your ID." He went back to his computer and began scrolling through something that they couldn't see.