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Wren

Wren hadn't been sleeping well. She twisted and groaned before slipping out of bed and into a brown t-shirt and black shorts. She decided to have some fun, at least what she considered her favorite activity.

She scurried through the quiet corridors of the military wing and made her way to the training room. The late hour and the distant location kept most Grounders away.

The great training room, a gaping vault of a cave, held racks of weapons, rolled-up mats, and exercise equipment. The floors were packed with red clay, the ceiling decorated by stalactites.

The crunch of dirt under boots hit her ears before the dim sconces illuminated a presence. As the stranger came closer, she yanked a weapon off the shelf in the training room for defense, something she'd never have done before the note.

The steps stopped, and she could make out a tall shadow.

Wren peered into the darkness. Sweat dripped from her brow, and she swiped it away. When her eyes adjusted, she wasn't surprised by the familiar figure.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Only you would be out in the middle of the night." Mason towered over her.

"Why are you out here?"

"Couldn't sleep." He ran a hand through his dark hair.

"Me either."

His gaze shifted to three large lumps in the corner covered with tarps. "You caught me. The raiders brought in these people movers last week, and I've been dying to try one out."

"People movers?"

Mason waved her over to the machines. The mechanical beasts were propped in a corner. They had two wheels on a sturdy base and a long, narrow handle. A monstrous, motorized scooter, but the wheels were side by side, not front to back.

"What does it do?" Wren tried to lift one, but the machine was too heavy.

"It's got an axel there and balances using a tilt sensor. You ride on them to get places quickly."

"It's dangerous." Wren frowned. "Where do you sit?"

"You don't sit. To ride, you stand on the base, which balances for you. You can use your feet to guide you. Pressure with your toes makes the machine go faster, and heel pressure slows it. Once you get good at it, you don't need the handles for much."

"How did you learn all this?"

"I helped study them when they came in. We took them apart and rebuilt them to study the vehicles and to ensure they didn't have New State trackers."

"Always the overachiever. What's wrong with walking?"

"The machines are faster and more efficient."

"I have feet. I can't imagine what I'd need this people mover for."

"It's a personal motorized transport or PMT. They're fast and get through traffic easy."

"There's not a lot of traffic outside of New State. We're doing fine without them."

"Don't you want to try one just for fun?"

"No thanks."

"Come on." Mason threw a tarp aside and let it fall on the ground. Wren pulled the Segway upright against her better judgment and followed Mason.

He jumped on the vehicle, balancing without problem, and hopped off. "We'll start inside before we take the lower entrance out onto the paths. Let's take them off-road."