The Rise of the Cyborgs

Interlude/In the silence

Brooklyn's POV

Brooklyn looked out. He was sitting on a wooden station platform under the summer sun. It Next to him was an old man. The man's face didn't fit his head properly. It was leathery like a worn purse.

"Where am I ?" Brooklyn said. The place felt familiar and totally alien.

The old man pointed to the horizon. Brooklyn followed the man's pointing finger. He pointed at the rod straight rail road track which lead straight into the desert beyond.

"See there" the man said "that's some where. That's where the train begins. "

He pointed in the opposite direction "see over yonder?"

Brooklyn nodded.

"That, That's were the darn thing is going. That's were it ends. You and I. Well we are in the middle. You might call this no where."

"I was driving." Brooklyn said feeling the wood "What happened to me?"

"I drove once" the man said. " I turned this corner and there was a fertile valley. Greenest thing I ever did see in my life. Looking back on it I should have got out. Stretched around. It's painful to me now. Easy to regret something you never did."

"Have I died?" Brooklyn said. It was very bright but he didn't feel hot.

"I know how you feel. Waiting will do that to you." The old man reached into a pocket and pulled out an old battered silver pocket watch. He tapped it. "darn things late."

Brooklyn got up and wondered around the station. It was little more than a shack. The rough wood board became darker inside. There wasn't much indoors. Brooklyn could hear a fly orbiting an old oil lamp. The old man ignored him and chewed on something in his mouth.

"You got to ask your self what you're going to do when the money has gone." The old man said. "here she comes."

Brooklyn put his fingers in his jeans pockets.

"Where am I ?" Brooklyn said.

"You know all those places with all those names?" The old man said on his seat.

"Yeah" Brooklyn said he was half in the nearly empty waiting room and staring at a badly driven nail in the wood.

"This isn't one of those places. I like it though. It's like reading some old letter from a lost love." The old man said.

Brooklyn strode out and noticed the tiny train the distance. It was hard to see but the air melted around the track.

"I was driving" Brooklyn announced. It was like he was trying to remember a dream.

"Yeah" the old man began "but were you driving that way" he said pointing to the train. "or that way" he said pointing in the destination of the train. "cos it's like life. Either you're going back to where you came from or riding forwards to where you got to be. So where you going son?"

Brooklyn looked out. The train was still far away but you could just feel the track sing at the distance touch of metal on wheels. He didn't say anything.

"Where are you going ?" Brooklyn asked the old man.

"ME?" The old man said smiling and getting up looking at the train "I'm going towards a glamours death. Can't you tell ?"

The train was getting close enough to hear it.

The old man got out his pocket watch then handed it to Brooklyn.

"Guess I won't be needing this. If your going back you will."

Brooklyn took the watch he felt the weight in his hands. The old brass worn and surface scratched with age. Brooklyn looked a the watch. If this was a dream how could he dream in such detail?

"When is the next train?" Brooklyn asked wondering why the old man was handing him such a time piece.

"Tomorrow." The old man said "the train back is always tomorrow."

"The train back is always tomorrow." Brooklyn said. "so why are you going ?"

The train began to slow down as it lumbered into the station. Brooklyn could see passengers and a conductor hanging out of a door. The train came to a squeaking stop. The conductor got down and put a wooden step on the ground and moved aside. The old man produced a ticket from his pocket and handed it to the conductor who bowed slightly while taking it. Standing on the first rung of the steps leading into the train the old man turned round. He pointed back to the rear of the train.

"That way. See that." The old man said pointing with one snarled finger "That way, lies safety."

Brooklyn nodded.

"But that way," the old man said pointing to the front of the train "that way lies hope son."

At those words the conductor picked up the wooden step then blew his whistle. The old man stepped up one rung deeper into the train.

Brooklyn down at his shoes. "Toes" he said to him self and smiled.

"I'm coming with you" Brooklyn said to the man on the train.

The old man smiled reached his hand out to Brooklyn and pulled him up as the train pulled out.

"Welcome aboard son" the old man said.

Brooklyn handed the old man his pocket watch. The old man held his palm up.

"You keep it. You'll need it later. To get back." The old man said as the station drifted out of site.

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