Eureka Subway, Part 3 - RPLOG

Participants

• Junes
• Narwen
• Pteryx
• Theia
• Ysadora

Date

7/8/2023

Log

(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!

(Theia) Looking back over her shoulder for just a moment, Theia calls out to Junes. "Did you say... a train-shaped person? What kind of nightmare have we walked into..." The feline goes back to keeping an eye on the crowd of commuters, keen eyes taking in their vacant expressions, their aimless milling around, the total lack of emotion or signs of true life; until a sudden thought strikes her. She whirls around to where Linda is huddled up against the wall by the cabin door, then turns to the others. "You said this Linda isn't the real Linda, right? But the train *is* a real person, or something close to one at least. What if... what if the train is *Linda*? Somehow messed up by nanites or some prick of a deity or something?" The snow leopardess had dropped her voice low by that point, in the hope that only the other three could pick up her words. "Or have I gone as crazy as that one down there?"

(Ysadora) Ysadora looks to Junes with her eyes half-lidded. "Is it cramped in here? It's kind of cramped in here, isn't it. I'm uh...I'm just going to go outside and get some fresh air. Maybe it'll be easier to talk with this thing from out there, anyway." Without further explanation, the ghost lifts her hands from the console with an audible 'plink' of metal and begins floating toward the cabin's exit. On the way, she stops and twitches once or twice, then flashes a reassuring smile to everyone before proceeding in her attempt to push past Theia and exit.

(Narwen) Through the windows, you can see the lights of the station up ahead coming into view as the train slows down, brakes squealing. The passengers are still looking a bit out of it, but have started shaking their heads, pulling themselves to their feet, straightening their hats, and clearing their throats. Linda is keeping pretty quiet, but staring at Ysadora, one hand slightly outstretched.

(Junes) Junes was a bit surprised this wasn't just a biomechanical train but a fairly hollow mutant that is shaped just like a train as well...but hearing pteryx they gave a slow head shake "no! this is a mutant and its not that dangerous...yet" looking to theia to add "that sounds pretty solid but...why do this to her? and then the what although" taking the shirt up to smell they tried to confirm whether this train smelled anything like linda by comparing the shirt to...the wet console and asked as they smelled "hey linda did you feel anything weird when anything happened?" looking back to catch ysadora about to walk off and they held a hand out but let it down seeing linda reaching out

(Pteryx) Pteryx was use to being spooked out by Ysadora... but that ain't her usual spookiness! "Ya ever heard of not splittin the party!" He hollers over ta the rather unresponsive seemin Ysadora, not a mention of what could scary thing could happen if they did, yeah something was wrong... and that twitchin ain't helpin. The skunk beast tries ta chase after her, one pair of arms spritzin white to weave and entangle, swiftly makin a lasso! Spinnin the thing overhead Pteryx aims ta catch Ysadora and drag her back in them train he hates like cattle! As much as he had just 'bout enough of them... vehicles, he ain't lookin ta file another missin persons report!

(Narwen) The teeny skunk beast tosses a lasso -- somewhat clumsily, on account of not having opposable thumbs -- and it bounces off Ysadora's knee. Possibly for the best; he might well have been dragged along with her.

(Theia) Theia steps aside as Ysa makes her way towards the door, seeing no reason to get in the ghost girl's way... taking another step aside moments later when Pteryx chases her down the carriage. Shaking her head in disbelief at the shennanigans before her, she sidles over the Junes. "No luck on the scent tracking? I'm no good at that, I'm afraid..."

(Ysadora) Ysadora pushes past Theia with mumbled, "Thanks, 'scuse me." She ignores Pteryx's lasso, continues through the crowded car, and then out into the station. With a gasp, she sucks in air. "It was really...really...getting cramped in there." Indeed, Ysadora appears to be a few feet taller than when she left the train. Dazed, she stumbled toward the front of the engine and rolls onto the tracks, the transformation continuing. With a few cracks, pops, and pings of metal, it's quickly obvious that Ysadora is rapidly transforming into another subway train similar to the one she just left. As her features settle into steel and glass, the panel on top flashes into light, reading: "YSADORA"

(Narwen) It was very strange to see, but indeed, Ysadora is now another subway train, stopped just ahead of the first at the station. Apart from the panel on the front, the two trains are also distinguished by the front one being a little more... spooky than the other: flickering lights, cobwebs, and-- well, the passengers now shuffling out of its open doors look to be a little ethereal, some wrapped in shrouds.

(Narwen) When Junes asked her question, moments before Ysadora burst out, Linda looked back at Junes, eyes wide. "Yes. I felt... I felt..." She trails off, turning to continuing to point to Ysadora as the ghost gets out and becomes something else entirely. "That."

(Junes) Junes was busy but with the concern for ysa they looked out at ysadora before linda started to get their attention but then turned soon enough and...now she's a train...this is getting bad. Their throat choking up a bit worried about accidentally getting infected, sure could go...for a drink! bringing out the chimera's favorite drink and thinking as they looked at the ( Z ) labeled bottle and with a sigh "okay, we have soke answers but new problems...and one risky solution so far... although i wonder if we could change them without this...right so" turning to theia, pteryx and linda "i have this chimera serum that can change you entirely but that might be best as a last resort...hmm im going to head to the other train just in case and see if maybe i can find a radio to talk to ysadora but... hopefully there's one in here somewhere or maybe" looking to linda "you're technically her conscious? either way be careful you two" heading out and rushing to the nightmare train ahead to try and hop in

(Pteryx) Havin missed his shot... Pteryx just tries ta rush back ta the front cabin... gettin a full view of what happened ta Ysadora... "Well she ain't a missin person... but if that's how them trains come ta be..." His antennae head set's Z glows a bright green as them drones 'round Pteryx swirl about and out of them Linda train and inta the new Ysadora one... "Just... need ta see if there's a Ysadora remnant in them train like in here, if them symptoms repeat then tinkerin with Patient Zero over could help with... that,,," They cycle shifts as Pteryx tries ta get a full picture of whatever was inside them train without settin foot in it. lookin ta Linda as whatever pictures the drones take could make things a little clearer...