The gleaming silver train looked like a science fiction monster. Its sleek body stretched out far along the tunnel. Bent strolled over to the gigantic train. He touched the door. It slid open. He turned and beckoned for them to follow him inside. Kurl ran a hand through his blonde hair. His expression was a mix of utter shock and disbelief. He cautiously approached the train, and, sticking his head through the open doors, seemed to check that it was, in fact, real. Satisfied, he spun around to face Bent. “Man, this is the COOLEST!” He punched Bent in the arm. “You HAVE to show me how you operate this thing!” Bent helped the girls aboard, making sure they didn’t trip on the step in their heels. “It’s pretty straightforward. At least, this one is. And, guess what? No traffic lights!” He and Kurl guffawed loudly. Sarah and Elly exchanged curious glances as they stepped onto the train. Elly leaned over and whispered into Sarah’s ear. “Are the guys…bonding? This can’t be happening!” Sarah didn’t know what to say, so she kept quiet. The atmosphere inside the train felt very business-like. About ten stately-looking armchairs were fastened securely to the floor on one side. The chairs faced a large digital monitor that hung on the opposite wall. In the center of the train was a large table. Various cushioned seats were fastened to the floor around it. The wall to the left had what appeared to be a secret compartment where, no doubt, the controls were located. “Have a seat, ladies,” Bent said. He couldn’t hide the glee in his eyes. Kurl was practically bouncing around. He ran up and down the compartment, feeling the leather seats and trying to peek out the windows. “You know we’re still inside the tunnel, right? There’s nothing to see out there,” Elly laughed. Kurl’s eyes were popping out of his head. “I know that! I was trying to check out the window frames. I think they’re made of some kind of white gold.” Sarah sighed. Why did that not surprise her? “Yo, Kurl. Get in here! Let’s start this baby up!” Bent called, sticking his head out of the compartment door. He beamed at the girls. “We’ll be there soon enough.” Elly and Sarah flopped down into the huge leather chairs. They were way more comfortable than they looked. “How are we supposed to get to the city on time? It’s over thirty miles away!” Elly said. Bent tapped his fingers against the compartment door. “This isn’t an ordinary train. It’s a bullet train. We’ll be going approximately three-hundred miles per hour.”