The shades of Chicago had claimed an area of the netherzones that was reasonably easy to defend. There were tracks on the ground and low tunnels, tunnels in which Armand could barely stand upright.
Their leader called himself Dennis, defiance in his declaration. Armand called him by his chosen name without discussion, never asking after his number, and knew that the leader was pleased.
Dennis explained to Armand that there had once been a scaled-down train system beneath the city, one that delivered freight to businesses. The trains had been coal-operated, and though they were long gone, the tunnels still existed.
The only trains that still ran were those of the Society of Nuclear Darwinists, the freight trains that brought harvested shades to the Institute. The freed shades avoided tho
