Breathe In Half Stop (Ch. 3b: Day 1, pt. IV)

psikeout · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 8:10 pm

Rock really had nothing to say to that. (He was jocular enough about it all, but still just rolled his eyes and picked up the pace.)

"We need to find our way around first," he explained. Fortunately, he had already been working on that, following the signs to the fast transit station. The stairs were straight ahead; one quick climb, and they were in the functional equivalent of a subway station in space.

Diluss · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:06 pm

The subway station was big, and long, and empty, and very nearly undisturbed except for where grills from the ceiling had fallen down. A heavy bundle of wires slung down out of one of the gaps in the ceiling, but it was undamaged, and apart from that, the station was nearly completely intact.

There was no sign of a train, a pair of enormous mono-rail tracks cut through the station, stretching away on either side through tunnels lined with fluorescing rings. The rings illuminated the tunnels getting smaller and smaller until they vanished into the distance.

Above the mono-rail platform was a large display readout.

Code: Select all

Fast Transit System
Cargo Station 2QI
Preston Station
Next Train Arrival in:
00:00:00

The 00:00:00 blinked on and off, meaninglessly.

Halfway between the stairs and the far wall behind them was a large map display, with a red dot in the middle of it that — even though the text was too far away to read — very clearly meant that YOU WERE HERE.

Further away, on the farthest wall, was a computer console. It was not an emergency console, and was no-where near the level of lowTech that the emergency consoles had mastered; it was a fairly simple touch screen.

psikeout · Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:30 pm

Rock examined the directory, but found it largely useless, as it only detailed the sector they were in. He had already seen one of these; there wasn't a whole lot that interested in him in area 2QI, at least at the moment.

He thus approached the console instead.

"Let's see if the transit system's workin'," he mumbled, and took a first shot at calling a train, while examining the lists of areas, and what "attractions" they had to offer.

Mie · Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 6:03 pm

Jam nodded in acknowledgement, wandering past the console, and sparing only a brief glance to the map with a mumbled, "I'm cool with that." Wandering over toward the end of the boarding platform, she leaned precariously its edge sending searching glances down the illuminated ring sequences; first down one way, then the other. The fast transit station was, like everything else, impersonal, industrial, and clean, without a trace of dust; the same as everywhere else they'd been to, save the barracks. Pursing her lips, she huffed a sigh and set her hands on her hips finding herself maddeningly bored with their surroundings already.Her disappointment with the station's lack of evident intrigue bled though in her tone, as she asked in a hopeful, resonating call, "See anything good?"

psikeout · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 12:44 am

"Maybe," replied Rock. "Digital manufacturing center."

He stepped away from the console, toward where the train would (hopefully) eventually arrive.

"If it's what I think it is, we'd be able to build just about anything," he explained, but then made his statement a bit more accurate with a footnote: "Well, the parts for just about anything. We'd still hafta put it together." ... His voice got a little lower, and more tired sounding. "And... be able to digitally render the individual components with excruciating exactness."

He nonetheless seemed undeterred.

NPC · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 12:55 am

As the pair of Monkeys talked, the timer on the display above the monorail platform spun down a very rapidly diminishing set of numbers. A distant whooshing filled the tunnel, and the monkeys found themselves buffeted by a rough breeze.

The monorail train rushed up to the stop, decelerating with the singing of metal and the humming of electricity. The doors glided out and open on their sliding tracks.

Ding, ding.

"Preston Station is now boarding," spoke a distant female recording, "available extemporaneous stops will include Hydroponics, Observation 1, Gunnery 1, Lateral Service Hall 5, and the Heliotrope Wing."

Mie · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 2:00 pm

"We'd be able to build just about anything."

"Awesome. I'm game--"

"We'd still hafta put it together."

"Oh. Well, you can probably still--"

"And... be able to digitally render the individual components with excruciating exactness."

"O...kay. Um... that sounds-- ...Hm."

Jam's brows flattened over her distant stare, and as the train pulled into the station, opened its doors, and bade them welcome with a chime, she crossed her arms somewhat sullenly over her chest, her tail drooping unenthusiastically behind her.

"This is gonna be boring as hell, isn' it?"

psikeout · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 2:20 pm

"I'll be learning a fifty-year-old CAD program," replied Rock dryly. "S'gonna be a blast."

No, he wasn't serious. No, he didn't sound remotely excited. Still, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up, so, with just a peek (see: thorough, pistol-pointing examination) for any hostiles aboard the train, he boarded and took a seat.

Kythe-X · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 2:26 pm

It wasn't as distinct as one would think it but it was as noticeable as a sore thumb. Above their seat, a faint snoozing could be heard, a mixture of soft purring and slight shuffling about. There was definitely something nestled away above them. If the simians were to take a look in the storage rack above them, they would notice the curled up form of the feline, Animus, from earlier, having found herself an apparently comfortable place to take a nap. She seemed to be a light sleeper though, as the noises produced by the monorail's halt had apparently induced her shuffling about...

psikeout · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 2:36 pm

Rock wasn't really going to miss something bright magenta and accidentally sit under it; in fact, Animus was the first thing he pointed his pistol at when he stepped aboard, but he quickly realized what (or rather, who) he was aiming at, and lowered his gun again.

He quirked a brow and silently glanced at Jam, hesitating in the entryway for a moment. He must have deemed it odd, but nonetheless tapped the button for their destination on the console, and quietly took a seat on the opposite side of the aisle from the little cybernetic bundle of strangeness.

Mie · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 2:55 pm

It was with a wide, shallow frown and accompanying shrugs of her eyebrows and shoulders that Jam indicated her indifference about sharing their ride with the questionably cognizant kitty. With a buoyant spring over the threshold, the punch-colored monkey seamlessly sauntered inside the car just after Rock, spinning showily on the balls of her feet, and dropping neatly onto one of the benches, with her legs pre-crossed.

"So," she broached in a whisper, so as not to wake their excess baggage. "What're we making today? Portable Eclipse Cannon? Fire knife? Or maybe somethin' a little less conventional?"

psikeout · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 3:05 pm

"Helmet," Rock reminded Jam in barren, unimpressed drone.

Okay, so his plans were not yet spectacular. "We'll see about fun stuff after that," he added.

Kythe-X · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 3:13 pm

The young kitten stirred momentarily, mumbling something incoherent before repositioning herself and entering a state of absolute silence. She was rather still now, compared to a moment ago, but her snoozing purr continued to reverberate around her little nestling.

Mie · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 4:32 pm

"Shhhh," chided Jam in complete and total facetiousness, replete with an obnoxiously scandalized play scowl and finger to her lips. "Geeze, Rock, can't you see people're tryna sleep?"

Worth mentioning is that she was speaking above normal volume, herself, as she leapt noisily from her seat, and mounted the opposite one, seizing hold of the overhead rack, and hoisting herself up to scrutinize the slumbering feline at eye level. If Animus had failed to be roused by then... well, that would soon be remedied.

"Hey --"

It took her a moment to recall the name with which she'd bestowed the kitten.

"Hey, Annie."

"Are you awake?"

Kythe-X · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 5:15 pm

The feline's eyes tweaked open with a start, her starry pupils starting large but growing small with a quiet yet still noticeable click. She simply stared at Jam, not knowing what to say in response to her abrupt awakening other than a strong urge to just roll out of her little hidey hole and right atop Jam.

She wasn't particularly good at resisting urges.

Not 3 seconds after opening her eyes did Animus forcefully roll her entire body out of the storage rack and directly towards the peach primate. She had no idea if this would be fun or not but she was sure as hell giving it a shot.

Breathe In Half Stop (Ch. 3b: Day 1, pt. IV)

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