(Narwen) THE STORY SO FAR, PART 1: Our four agents responded to a desperate request for assistance locating a missing miner, Linda McKee, with the threat of danger and the promise of no reward. While learning about the disappearance, something like a small earthquake struck the mine... and then again a few minutes later. Those born before P-Day recognised the rumbling noise as coming from a train underground. While the mine was evacuated, they made their way into the old Termite tunnels, with Junes tracking Linda's scent. Ysadora spotted a large and scary-looking Rust Monster napping in a cavern, the group woke it up, and through some clever (and sacrificial) dronework by Pteryx, were able to distract it long enough to get past. With Theia leading the way in the near-darkness, they made it through to the source of the shaking: an apparently new and in-service subway station, complete with train rolling through and its oddly behaved, human-looking passengers. Junes used Counter Nanomagic on one, and it fell in agony and dissolved into goo. The party has no made its way onto the train, found someone matching the description of Linda but very confused.

(Narwen) THE STORY SO FAR, PART 2: Something is definitely strange with this train, with the passengers, and with the woman who looks like Linda too. She seems very much afraid that she'll die after leaving the train -- although the other passengers are getting on and off frequently and don't seem to be dying (not even staying dead when Junes accidentally destroys one with Counter Nanomagic). Junes also tried stepping off the train onto the platform and letting the train leave... and, indeed, the train came right back to the same place, apparently going in a short loop. She also saw that there was nobody in the driver's cabin, and that the LED sign on the front of the train said LIND.

The party built up a rapport with the woman looks like Linda, and also tried some diagnostics on her. She seems to have some of Linda's memories, though faded. There's also something very weird with her biologically -- while she looks human from the outside, she's lacking most basic biological functions and probably isn't technically alive. She for sure isn't breathing and has no pulse -- and neither do the other passengers, Pteryx found out.

The group led her up through the train to the driver's cabin, which looks rather organic. In place of normal mechanical or electronic controls, there's something that looks like a spherical-shaped brain mounted in the console. Ysadora put hands on the brain-ball and got the feeling that not only is this train alive somehow, but that it's conscious in some way. On the other hand, someone just put their hands on its brain, which caused the whole thing to judder, and Linda and the passengers to stumble and gasp in alarm. Theia keeps a close eye on them while Ysadora doubles down, keeping her hands there and trying to communicate with the brain.

(Narwen) Junes tries valiantly to find the train's G-spot. She doesn't succeed (perhaps try the caboose?) but on the plus side she doesn't make it mad either.

Theia stands between the group and the passengers in the next cabin, staring them down. Though, honestly, they don't look as if they need much intimidating right now; they all looked very dazed for a moment there, and it feels a bit like the moment after the "earthquake" before. Linda is shaken too, though recovering a bit faster than the others.

Ysadora is trying to make contact with the brain orb, both with words and by trying to project thoughts at it. That really shouldn't work -- you can't communicate with a brain just by touch -- and yet there's something there. She strains a bit to reach it... and suddenly concepts start chunking into place. Gnawing out a tunnel, building up rails, and travelling on them. The importance of a timetable. The deep satisfaction of breathing in and out at each station. Ysadora feels the nanites beneath her fingertips, and resonates with them. She could join them. Perhaps she should join them; it would be as easy as stretching out, letting her wheels carry her. Yet -- there wouldn't be room for her in here. One train can't fit inside another, after all. She'd have to slip out and let her wheels settle onto the track first before letting the nanites take her.

(For everyone except Ysadora, essentially all of that is internal to her and invisible. All that the rest can see is that the pair of her hands that are touching the train-brain take on an oddly metallic sheen.)

The train begins to brake gently. Are you coming into the station already?

(Junes) Junes had their tails out along the walls pressing into points and rubbing and decided to take a look under the hood using biomonitoring nanomagic "ysa, whats going on with your end?" they said with slowly moving tails while looking at the ghostly hands turning metallic with some concern

(Narwen) Touching the concerningly organic train and letting their nanomagic connect with it, Junes confirms that this train is indeed alive, and underneath the plastic and chrome fittings there are tubes and arteries and organs and more. The train is... more like a train-shaped person. Thinking back to their knowledge of modern-day medicine, Junes notices the similarity to some semi-mechanical forms -- robots, helicopters, and such. Though this one has passengers too.

(Pteryx) As curious as Pteryx would be 'bout bein in an organic construct, as far as he knew alerts would lead ta sum kinda immune respones, and they ain't pretty for them intruders! He looks 'round them train seein veins a pumpin and nerves a frayin! And worst of all Ysadora went extra the spooky and touched a brain! A brain turnin... all metal shiny? Lookin ta Junes and whatever shenanigans they were up ta, tails all 'round them small cart, he didn't know what to think!? The gremlin sized skunk beast finds sum sort of respite with Junes' findins... "Wait organs! Er, does it got lungs separate frum this brain cart!? Could compress them passage 'nough to knock it out like one of em chokeholds, err, heart! Gotta have sum relaxants on me somewhere ta slow em down! Er..." Lookin ta the brain, Pteryx has a dangerous glint in his eyes as Ysadora holds on ta it... "Brains er control centers... if that there shuts down... the whole thing goes with it..." Firin off suggestions fer now, if things don't smooth out Pteryx may actually do one of them suggestions. Life was a hecka lot easier ta get rid off than ta keep 'round!