The train takes me, a few engineers and Professor Loya (The rest are taking the second train) to the mission location in District #7825894 s.e. the farthest away from home I'll ever be. It's a strange feeling but I remind myself that's not where my family will be, they'll be at the 'event'.
I'll be in the same district as my family after all these ages.
Sitting next to me, Professor Loya nudges my arm.
"You alright boy?" He says roughly but concerned like I'm his own son. He must be a father from where he's from. He left his family for this mission just like I did mine. But sadly perhaps.
"Yeah," I wipe my swollen moist eyes, "I'm alright. Just nervous."
He chuckles a little but it quickly turns into a heaving cough. "You and the rest of-of us-us." He continues to cough covering his mouth with one hand as he fumbles for his lab coat pocket with the other. He pulls out a tablet container filled with little black oval tablets. He reads the label, still coughing, before screwing off the top with a single thumb and puts it to his lips leaning back the momentum making all the pills pour into his mouth. He pulls away before they all fall into his mouth. He keeps his lips pursed as he pulls a water bottle out of another pocket of his lab coat and drinks and drinks. His Adam's apple shifts up and down with each gulp. When he finishes, he sighs looking up then looks straight at me with my astonished gaze.
What was that about?
"I'm sorry about that." He puts both the half empty tablet container and bottle into his lab coat pockets then continues to speak. "If you'll forgive me, I've just been a little under the weather these past few days I'll be fine though don't worry. These tablets work wonders." He pats his breast where his discarded the tablets.
When I don't answer he nods then turns his attention to the window. There's not much to see out there except the tunnel lights so it's not completely dark out. His eyes follow each light as we pass through the tunnels to our destination.
I look around the cramped train to see what the other passengers are up to. Most of them are either on the entertainment screens or getting in a few minutes of precious sleep. I'm to anxious for either so I just sit with my hands buried in my hair with my elbows on my knees. Soon I'm to anxious to do even that. I have to distract myself with something to I look around until my eyes settle on the Professor who is still looking out the window eyes chasing the lights. I study his face curiously. He looks young except for the circles around his eyes but they aren't to noticeable under his spectacles. His cheeks are hollow under his piercing cheekbones that almost hurt to look at. For his nose, mouth and chin, well there wasn't anything spectacular about them. A little small compared to the rest of his face I think. Quite the contrary of my large nose and swollen looking lips above my full chin. It looks like they've stopped growing before the rest of his face. But his large dark eyes make up for them. They almost match his hair color perfectly. But what makes them stand out is all the knowledge they hold. Brilliant eyes on a more brilliant man. I sigh feeling calmer just looking at them.
Suddenly his eyes dart to mine, narrowing making me start. He raises a single eyebrow at me.
"Hawk, is there something you need?"
"Uhh... no I'm sorry sir...no,sorry." I look at my hands ashamed unsure of what to say. What kind of jerk stares like that and then gets caught? "I was... was... just wondering do-do you have kids back home?"
Professor Loya smiles dropping his stare to the other passengers. I don't take my eyes off him. He nods to himself. "That I do. Two beautiful girls. Mill and Cass are their names. Just as beautiful as my wife. I couldn't be blessed with better."
