Scene 04: Phantom Train
Slipping onto the subway just before the doors closed, Seraph immediately dropped to the floor. The car was completely empty, but at this moment he had every reason to be cautious. His enemies had eyes everywhere, and one never knew when another was watching.
With the human population of the city almost entirely eliminated, only a select few subways still ran, for the sake of the machines. This particular circuit, Seraph had learned, was controlled by the Marovingian. It was not, however, for this reason that Seraph was following this train. He was after another path.
The car began to move, and Seraph judged it safe to crawl along the floor to the next car. One thought remained in his mind, leaving him no peace. Why had the Agents destroyed the door to the Marovingian's lair? In the past they had always adopted a policy of salutary neglect, allowing him to exist because he served as a haven for outcast programs. It did not appear, however, that they were attempting to destroy him this time.
And they had destroyed the back entrance, not the front. Even Agents would not be so foolish as to attempt to take the well-guarded entrance, but unless they destroyed it the Marovingian would persist. Which meant they intended something else entirely. But who would they want to prevent from entering the back entrance? For that matter, why would they want to protect the Marovingian?
Undoubtedly, he had something they did not want anyone else to possess. Was it information? In that case, Seraph realized he was most likely their target. A better question was if he could pass as an Agent if necessary, if they were looking for his encryption alone. In any case, it became irrelevant the next moment, as Seraph spied in the next car the grizzled, unsanitary visage of the Trainman.
Keeping a careful eye on him while remaining out of sight, Seraph waited for the subway to slow, hoping it would be soon. It was inevitable he would reach the Trainman, but Seraph was short on time. Those in Zion were probably under more dire timetables. Despite such pressing matters, Seraph had been forced to take time to consider this confrontation. Tracking down the Trainman was a difficult task, and it had not been easy to find him in this subway.
As it turned out, the next stop was the one in which the Trainman got off. Seraph got off immediately after he did.
"Trainman!"
Revolting hair flying, the program in question turned. For a second his face was horrified at the sight of Seraph, then it twisted to a visage of rage. Swiftly he pulled a gun from his ragged coat and fired at Seraph. Easily weaving out of the way using his new code, Seraph gave chase after the fleeing program.
They made several sharp turns around corners, the Trainman attempting to lose him in the twisting corridors. It was a hopeless effort, both of them knew, but both equally knew that the Trainman was not attempting to get away. All he had to do was stall Seraph long enough to reach the link to the Train Station program. Once within, the Trainman would be safe.
Taking a corner at full speed, Seraph merely took the wall running. For a few moments he was running sideways on the wall, then he returned to the floor again as he continued his chase. The Trainman occasionally fired backward, but stood no chance of actually hitting Seraph, even without his new dodging abilities.
A slight ripple went through reality as the Trainman passed through a large doorway, and into the pure white tile of the Train Station. Seconds later, Seraph burst through the same archway. There was a slight snap as he linked from one program to another, but it was soon over. Pulling a gun from his coat, Seraph aimed it at the Trainman.
"You fool!" the Trainman hissed, showing crooked, yellowing teeth. "I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to do it! You came here?"
Seraph said nothing, keeping the gun leveled at his opponent's forehead.
"Oh, do you think you're going to hurt me with that little gun? Don't you understand? I wrote this place!" With a slight gesture, the Trainman pulled Seraph's gun from his fingers. It spun through the air, coming to rest perfectly in the Trainman's hand. Cocking the gun, the Trainman smiled disgustingly. "You really don't get it. Here, I'm God!"
Without another word the Trainman fired. The bullet flew forward toward Seraph's temple with unnatural speed, beyond that of any normal bullet. When it struck, a ripple expanded out from the point of impact.
A look of shock slowly came over the Trainman's face. Seraph still stood before him, completely unharmed.
"That is an interesting statement. I had always thought God was omnipotent."
With a crazed cry, the Trainman opened fire on Seraph. He emptied the entire clip as Seraph continued to calmly walk forward, ripples expanding from him every time a bullet struck his flesh. Eventually reaching the Trainman, Seraph calmly pulled the gun from his hands.
Whimpering, the Trainman moved backward, up against the wall.
"It's not possible," he whined. "I'm supposed to be unstoppable. You can't do that. It's not fair."
"Perhaps you would be unstoppable," Seraph paused momentarily, a ghost of a smile on his face, "if we were in the Train Station."
Slowly the Trainman realized, his mind fighting against the truth. Glancing at the room around them, the Trainman noticed subtle differences in the code. It had been changed, no, it had never been. Unwillingly, the Trainman realized that this was nothing more than a clever copy of his own Train Station.
"You..." he gasped. "You did this?"
"I did," Seraph answered, slowly walking forward toward him. "I wish to enter the Marovingian's territory. Will you take me to him?"
"No way in h***," the Trainman hissed. "What are you going to do, kill me? Without me, the trains will not come to the Train Station! You'll never get it from me!"
"Very well," Seraph responded simply. He placed a hand on the Trainman's shoulder. Something abruptly took place, the Trainman could feel that something had changed. Glancing down at the code that was his program, the Trainman gaped as he realized it was being taken apart. Line by line, his being was stripped down to raw code flowing into Seraph's hand.
It was over very soon. The putrid clothes of the Trainman collapsed to the ground. For a moment Seraph closed his eyes, carefully restructuring himself and obtaining balance once again. Eventually he glanced up, at peace. In the distance a whistle faintly sounded. A train was coming.
