Post by Lawnmower Joe on Aug 28, 2014 6:16:17 GMT -5
No posting order!
Bolormaa tried hard not to sigh while the guards searched Kublai Khan. The bored sergeant in front of her made a show of examining her passport, his lips pursed in thought and his green eyes darting from her faded picture to her face. Around them the people of Theatralnaya cast curious glances at the Eurasian woman and her locomotive.
"Comrade Sergeant!" called one of the guards. Bolormaa let out a slow sigh and rolled her eyes towards Kublai Khan.
"-What is it?" said the sergeant, snapping the passport shut. Two of the guards were looking suspiciously at the golden Buddha nestled next to the driver's compartment.
"Religious propaganda!" Said one of them, "And reactionary items forbidden in the Red Line!"
"So what? I'm a Buddhist" said Bolormaa, "I didn't come here to convert anyone."
The Sergeant stepped up to the locomotive and gave the Buddha a bored look. Bolormaa remained unphased by the scrutiny her faith attracted. The Red Line considered her a precious trading asset despite her shifting allegiances, and thus she was mostly safe from the Communists' paranoia.
"It's all right" said the Sergeant, "She's not a Red Line citizen and is here only to trade."
The guards left Kublai Khan and returned to the station's platform. The Sergeant gratified her with a warm smile, and Bolormaa suddenly realised how young he actually was. As her cargo was yet to be approved and unloaded, she decided to engage him in conversation.
"So comrade" she said, "After this shipment I'm going off to Bieloruskaya. Any news on the tunnel ahead?"
"-The tunnel between Okhotny Ryad and Tverskaya is closed. The Nazis have been taking too many liberties with the Polis Peace Treaty."
Bolormaa sighed and shook her head. Of course the tunnel between the Reds and the Nazis would be closed again. The fighting had officially stopped about a year ago, but the two factions were still like wild cats in a cage.
"Oh well" she said with a shrug, "I guess I'll just have to go back to Revolution Square. My current trading pass won't allow me to pass through the rest of the Red Line."
"You could stay here for a few days" said the Sergeant in a hopeful tone, "I, ah, I'm on leave tomorrow and I could show you around, see some of the shows..."
Bolormaa smiled softly. The Sergeant seemed like a nice young man, and Theatralnaya's shows were famous throughout the Metro. Moskvin had given the station's artists a surprising amount of freedom, so they could still show pre-war pieces in exchange of the occasional pro-Communist show.
"That sounds nice" she said and almost chuckled when she saw the Sergeant blush. "Just hang around the platform while I unload my cargo, yeah? I'll be back in a few minutes."
She left the beaming Sergeant and went back to Kublai Khan, who was now surrounded by platform workers. She unfasted the crates on the wagons and let the burly men carry them onto the platform. Most of the crates contained dried mushrooms from Hansa shroomeries as well as supplies of pre-war tinned foods, although a few of the heavier ones were weapons and parts from Baumanskaya. The Baumanski Alliance had realised many years ago that keeping the Metro's more dangerous factions armed and at each others' throats was far more beneficial than a durable and uneasy peace.
Bolormaa tried hard not to sigh while the guards searched Kublai Khan. The bored sergeant in front of her made a show of examining her passport, his lips pursed in thought and his green eyes darting from her faded picture to her face. Around them the people of Theatralnaya cast curious glances at the Eurasian woman and her locomotive.
"Comrade Sergeant!" called one of the guards. Bolormaa let out a slow sigh and rolled her eyes towards Kublai Khan.
"-What is it?" said the sergeant, snapping the passport shut. Two of the guards were looking suspiciously at the golden Buddha nestled next to the driver's compartment.
"Religious propaganda!" Said one of them, "And reactionary items forbidden in the Red Line!"
"So what? I'm a Buddhist" said Bolormaa, "I didn't come here to convert anyone."
The Sergeant stepped up to the locomotive and gave the Buddha a bored look. Bolormaa remained unphased by the scrutiny her faith attracted. The Red Line considered her a precious trading asset despite her shifting allegiances, and thus she was mostly safe from the Communists' paranoia.
"It's all right" said the Sergeant, "She's not a Red Line citizen and is here only to trade."
The guards left Kublai Khan and returned to the station's platform. The Sergeant gratified her with a warm smile, and Bolormaa suddenly realised how young he actually was. As her cargo was yet to be approved and unloaded, she decided to engage him in conversation.
"So comrade" she said, "After this shipment I'm going off to Bieloruskaya. Any news on the tunnel ahead?"
"-The tunnel between Okhotny Ryad and Tverskaya is closed. The Nazis have been taking too many liberties with the Polis Peace Treaty."
Bolormaa sighed and shook her head. Of course the tunnel between the Reds and the Nazis would be closed again. The fighting had officially stopped about a year ago, but the two factions were still like wild cats in a cage.
"Oh well" she said with a shrug, "I guess I'll just have to go back to Revolution Square. My current trading pass won't allow me to pass through the rest of the Red Line."
"You could stay here for a few days" said the Sergeant in a hopeful tone, "I, ah, I'm on leave tomorrow and I could show you around, see some of the shows..."
Bolormaa smiled softly. The Sergeant seemed like a nice young man, and Theatralnaya's shows were famous throughout the Metro. Moskvin had given the station's artists a surprising amount of freedom, so they could still show pre-war pieces in exchange of the occasional pro-Communist show.
"That sounds nice" she said and almost chuckled when she saw the Sergeant blush. "Just hang around the platform while I unload my cargo, yeah? I'll be back in a few minutes."
She left the beaming Sergeant and went back to Kublai Khan, who was now surrounded by platform workers. She unfasted the crates on the wagons and let the burly men carry them onto the platform. Most of the crates contained dried mushrooms from Hansa shroomeries as well as supplies of pre-war tinned foods, although a few of the heavier ones were weapons and parts from Baumanskaya. The Baumanski Alliance had realised many years ago that keeping the Metro's more dangerous factions armed and at each others' throats was far more beneficial than a durable and uneasy peace.