22,804 words, FAIL

The pursuit had entered a stretch of empty tunnel devoid of stalled trains. Silently, Venn passed a set of instructions to Bede, and the truck began to decelerate. The remaining patroller swept in close behind the truck, decelerating in tandem, and aimed its EM beam at the rear motor well. Fixing velocity for less than a second, the truck accelerated again, opening a broadening space between the truck and the patroller – at that moment a catch field sprang up between the two vehicles. The patroller was caught as if by a rubber tether, decelerating to a standstill and then accelerating back to a point before the catch field origin. As the truck sped away, the patroller drifted to a stop at an oblique angle to the side of the main maglev track.

“That was dangerous,” said the truck. “Catch fields are made for low-velocity runaways, not for high-velocity low-mass vehicles. The occupants are injured.”

Venn nodded. “Not severely. They will recover. Continue following my instructions.”

The truck approached a flying junction, taking the lower track, descending into the third underspace level. Soon the tunnel bifurcated again, and then again, the truck bearing left each time. Ahead, another flying junction – this time the lower track was blocked by a closed gate. The truck slowed to a stop a dozen meters away.