Soul Census - War of Shadows - Book 1

Chapter 6.4 - The Mission

Earth Date: 16th of August 1939 CE
Location: Soul Sphere, Earth

Maddock packed some warm clothes into his bag and went to the Atrium, where he joined a large group of other agents and wizards. Director Black stood in front of the Census Monolith and gave a terse mission briefing to everyone.

Supposedly they would be taking a train to Bicester Aerodrome and then flying from there to Germany. No mention of how they were getting from the Soul Sphere to that train. Maddock guessed he would finally discover how people got in and out of the Sphere—having been drugged and out cold the first time he’d left with Wolfe.

The mission objective was to disrupt the CLOG event at this Castle Wewelsburg. Individual mission assignments would not be given until arrival, which meant Maddock had no idea what he was expected to do. He observed the sighs from other agents at that revelation. At least he was not the only one in the dark.

“You may proceed to the disembarking terminal,” Black said at the end. “Good luck, Agents. Dismissed.”

With that, Maddock followed the crowd of agents to whatever the disembarking terminal was. He came to discover the terminal was a train station that was the only way in or out of the Soul Sphere. Every hour a train or streamliner would arrive to transport agents, wizards, and other workers.

Security around the terminal was tight, with armed guards forming checkpoints to validate credentials of all passengers. Maddock tried to picture the Blemmyes getting through this mess to deliver his unconscious body to Black. Maybe they have a different way of getting here, he surmised.

A transparent section of wall, made of a glass-like material, afforded a view of the rail tunnels. A standard rail trailed off into one of the tunnels, while a different sort of rail ran off into the other. The latter rail was something they called a magnetic track, and it carried the high-speed streamliner that would take them to Europe.

An opening in the wall formed the only doorway. On its side was a lamppost with a loudspeaker. He waited in line with about a dozen other suits, each carrying a standard-issue duffel bag. There was no sign of Black anywhere. He was going to be on his own.

“Hello,” someone said, bumping in next to him—white jacket, curly dark hair, and thick-rimmed glasses.

Maddock nodded a greeting to him. “You a wizard?” he said.

“Ralph,” he said as he extended a hand. “Ralph Weiss.”

Maddock shook his hand. “Maddock.”

Ralph nodded. “Yeah, I know. You’re the agent that summoned the Furies. Wolfe’s partner, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” he said.

There was a buzz from the lamppost, signifying the streamliner’s arrival. Everyone peeked down at the tunnel.

Maddock could hear the train’s approach. Although he could see the transparent wall rumble, there was no vibration from the ground. Perplexed, he knelt down to touch the floor.

“I wondered the same thing,” Ralph said. “The transparent wall was constructed by us. The floor, however, is part of the Soul Sphere, so it’s much stronger and won’t vibrate. Pretty much indestructible.”

“What’s it made of? What makes it so strong?” Maddock said.

“Ethereal membranes,” Ralph said, then paused. “You know… spirit stuff.”

Maddock looked up at the construction of the chamber’s ceiling and walls. It appeared to be made of the same black, shell-like material.

“Probably be a good place to hide if the Huns ever bomb us.”

Ralph gave him a perplexed look, then chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Maddock said.

The streamliner erupted out of the tunnel, slowing to a stop as it reached the terminal. It was a sleek-looking train, painted silver with thin, red cheat stripes. Its shape resembled an airplane, with a bullet-shaped nose and metal fuselage. There were no visible windows anywhere on it, so sightseeing was out of the question. Maddock also saw no wheels, as it seemed to float on the track.

“Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Ralph said. “Electromagnetic rail, it’s called. No steam or diesel engine. Or windows for that matter.”

Maddock had wondered why the lack of smoke. On the train’s side he saw its name: Lady Dane.

“Why no windows?” he said.

Ralph shrugged. “Not much to see for most of the ride. Unless black goo gets you excited.”

“You mean like the Styx?” Maddock said, thinking back to his baptism.

“Of course not,” Ralph said. “We wouldn’t want a living train, now would we? Got enough mouths to feed as it is.”

“What do you mean, a living train?” Maddock said.

Ralph seemed to become distracted, looking toward the ahead of the line for someone. “Excuse me,” he said and darted off.

Maddock sighed and walked on ahead. He followed a group of agents passing through the checkpoint and making their way onto the train. As he entered, he was greeted with elegant Victorian decor, wood flooring, soft lighting from sconces, and paintings where windows would normally be.

Maddock got a look at the other passengers as they walked to the room section. Ralph was the only wizard he could spot. All the rest were a bunch of rough-looking bimbos, all plenty rugged. Maddock hoped that their mettle matched their looks for whatever they were facing.

He went to his assigned stateroom. It was tight quarters, but he had the luxury of a private bathroom. A pair of bunk beds made up the remainder of the space. Maddock hoped that despite the twin bunks, he was sleeping alone.

He slapped his duffel bag on the top bunk, taking the heater and sword out and placing it on the bottom bunk with him. It did not matter to him that he was in the company of a train full of fellow Census agents; he needed the comfort of his armaments.

Letting himself sink into the bed, he felt the screams of aching muscles. It had been a rough couple of days, and the unconscious nap he’d gotten on the solid floors of the Soul Sphere had only made him feel worse.

There was a tone from the intercom, followed by a message warning that the train was about to start moving. Maddock put his hand on his sword next to him and closed his eyes. He had to grab some rest while he had the chance. Once they got to their mission site, he knew sleep would be a memory.