Each of the lockers contains a plain white suit made of plastic, boots and breathing apparatus.
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Napalm blinks several times as he looks at the suits in the lockers. "We might actually be right. These look like bio or chem suits." He looks at the door to the next compartment and shakes his head.
"Whatever is in there, we won't be able to fight in these things. But if we don't put them one, we could risk contamination or...I don't know what. Maybe just one or two of us should put these on and go in. If it turns out to be nothing, then we come back out and no harm done. But if there's a bio toxin or chemical in there, we won't expose everyone."
these suits aren’t going to hamper my abilities Sterne says as he takes one of the hazmat type suits out of the locker then again if we come up against any more of these damn robots then my abilities will count for nothing he says as he begins to don the suit, making sure the seals are all secure.
ok who’s coming ?
"I...shouldn't," Spore says tentatively, with disappointment clear in his voice. Picking up the suit and holding it in front of himself, it's clear that his 7'6" frame wouldn't fit even a little bit.
"But I would if I could."
"I'm coming with, I won't take a suit. It will only slow me down, it can't be that bad in there." He steps forward to the next door. "We should at least try the door first." He takes a look at the door and see's the keypad. "Can anyone get this door open?" He turns back to the group.
"If there is a biological in there, I need to be there to see how to deal with it.
He shakes his head at Ebon. "You're not going in without a suit. I dont care what mystical powers your dragon gave you. If its nothing, you can take it off later."
"I'll, uh, stay here with Spore... to protect him."
Spore smiles a big green grin, feeling a bit better. "Thanks," he rumbles.
"Yell if you need something, we'll watch as best we can," he tells Napalm.
Sterne shakes his head as he secures his suit.
Ebon please put on a suit. Napalm is right, we have no idea what is in there. Do you know what Anthrax is? Or Ebola? Trust me you don’t want to be messing around with anything remotely like them he says gravely as he moves to take a look at the door
"If there is a biological in there, I need to be there to see how to deal with it.
He shakes his head at Ebon. "You're not going in without a suit. I dont care what mystical powers your dragon gave you. If its nothing, you can take it off later."
Napalm and Sterne don the hazmat suits with some trepidation, not knowing what may lie behind that innocuous-looking white steel door.
Napalm moves to look at cracking the keypad when he realises it is a simple hexidecimal code which surprises him given how advanced the robots were in the previous car.
After 5 minutes of trying, he is able to bypass it and the door slides open.
Beyond is another room much like the first except it is clearly closely monitored by a range of ceiling mounted equipment and sensors that regulate everything from temperature to it's own CCTV system. Sterne notes the infra-red cameras mounted in the ceiling also.
There are 7 small containers bolted to the floor with reinforced glass lids. Inside there are dozens of tiny vials filled with a pale blue liquid. They are labelled as GH381
As the others figure out the suit situation, Trystt starts a side conversation with Spore. "Sooo, we're all basically insane, right?"
"Well...maybe, yeah. Good that we're here though," he replies. "Somebody needs to do this work. It's important."
"This planet: it's a powerful place. I could see my people living again here, maybe. The spirits are strong enough, I think. But there's evil here, too. And so we push back on it. For the future. It can be better if we try."
Ebon moves in quickly to the other door, making sure to hold it in case anyone opens it on them. "I'll hold the door and you two can take a look at those containers. Maybe we should take some?"
whatever this stuff is, I don’t really want to be carrying it around with me. If it is a biological weapon and the vial cracks....it doesn’t bear thinking about Sterne says as he peers at the pale blue liquid
are there any logs or notes to indicate what this stuff may be ? See if you can find anything, I am going to see if I can pick up any past resonances of what went on here
He says and leaning lightly on the glass case he opens his mind, searching the area With his unique talents, as he pierced the veil of the past his own eyes cloud over and he becomes lost in a kaleidoscope of images .
Napalm kneels down at one canister, but then points upward to one of the cameras. "Sterne, maybe you can figure out who might be watching."
He returns his attention to the canister. GH381. Generic naming convention. He peers into the canisters at the vials, trying to read any labels or imprints. "Likely these are our units A through G. Now I'm glad I couldn't mess with the temperature. Who knows what these are. I agree with Sterne, we ought to leave them for the time being."
In spite of the mystery unravelling on board, the train rumbles on at breakneck speed
Sterne shakes his head , trying to clear the mass of sensory input that flooded his mind and as he comes back to himself he turns to Napalm
I don’t know who or what they are Napalm, I tried to look into the recent past and heard snatches of conversation but the languages were ...well alien I would guess though I did hear some talk that could have been Russian. It was confusing. he says straightening up what I do know is this is the secret this train carries, whatever else may be aboard this is the important stuff, the lack of documentation is obviously deliberate. We need to secure this cargo, work out what it is and get it out of here, though I have no idea how we are going to achieve that
"Well, that gives us one advantage. We know these are the precious cargo. Whoever else is here will not want to risk these samples or will know how dangerous they are. That might give us leverage if needed."
He looks at the far door. "These seem stable for now. Shall we get the others and see what's in the next compartment?"
Trystt chuckles. "So, crazy is a good thing? I hope you're right and we're making things better. Was it like this on your home planet?," she asks as she cleans herself with a gesture.
"We were never perfect, and always strived to be better. But once the Brood came... They don't discriminate, they just take everyone. It's sad, but some of us still exist, and we might be able to rebuild— someday. Gotta have hope, right?" he smiles, sadly.
...
"...maybe we could check on the others....they've been gone a long time, Spore says, walking over to the door and pounding on it.
yeah we need to move on, or this train will arrive at it’s destination and we’ll be in trouble then he says as he moves to call the others inside
we’ve found the cargo they are transporting, vials containing a liquid of some kind. It should be safe enough for now unless they gat damaged. We still have no idea what’s in then Sterne says to Spore and Trysst
Ebon opens the opposite door in the clean room. He did not choose to suit up and, though a little chilly, has felt no ill effects from being in the clean room so far.
The opposite door opens into another area identical to the first, with lockers and monitoring equipment for the crates in the clean room.
Another door sits at the end of the car and you know there can only be two left and possibly the engine unit.
Ebon pushes onto the door holding at it again like the last lot. "If this was so important why are there no guards?" He shouts back looking up at the cameras.
"Let's just keep moving, I've got to know what all this is about and there is only one way to go." He says the inaction finally getting to him.
Pushing ahead and keen to finally know what's going on, Ebon pushes into the next car.
His question about the guards seems oddly appropriate.
The next one seems like a catering car. There are benches and tables and even a small bar behind which there is refrigerated units full of grab and go food and drink. It seems odd until you consider that this is a cross-country train and may have already been on a journey of 10 hours or more.
But what is odd is that it is completely empty. There is one overturned chair and a few crumbs on the tables and at the bar is a still steaming cup of coffee.
Happy no one is going to push themselves into the cart with them Ebon moves around quickly scanning the room. "A quick search then we move."
"Let's move then!" Ebon shouts heading to the door and flinging it open.
Knowing they are almost at the front of the train, and hearing the sudden scream Sterne thinks that maybe the hardes fight is yetbto come.
Focusing his thoughts he projects his mind outward, and suddenly his image splits and multiplied all around him as he projects this illusion to protect himself.
Right behind you Ebon, be careful. They may have more of those robots in there he says as he follows the martial artist.
Ebon pulls open the door to the next car.
This final one is empty. Straps and buckles line the walls where cargo could be secured but it doens't look like it has been used on this journey.
Up ahead is the door to the engine unit and you notice it is slightly ajar.
As you step between the cars, the wind rips at you as the train speeds along. Something catches your eye and you look behind, seeing two guards writhing on the ground in pain some several hundreds feet back. A third, limps over and tries to help them to their feet
Napalm is still in the bio suit, but has shut off the ventilator. He moves into the next car, looking at the straps. He looks at the open door. "Someone might have just left."
Ebon looks back as Trystt points out the guards. "This isn't good, did they jump?" He then claps his hands and the subtle vibrations his body gave off seem to expand and you now see multiple images of ebon that all seem to follow after him as he moves. "It doesn't matter, We move now!" He doesn't wait for anyone to respond sprinting off to open the door to next cart.
Ebon yanks open the door to the final car although this isn't a car at all, it is the cab.
The entire front of the train is made from reinforced glass that affords a 180 degree view for the driver. Light streams in and Ebon blinks once or twice at the sudden sunlight having grown accustomed to the dimmer, unnatural light of the windowless cars.
A single leather seat sits before a complicated console of switches and levers with a heads up display showing route and current speed.
The seat is empty, rotating very slowly with the vibrations of the train.
Out of the windows Ebon can see the rolling countryside, the majestic mountains and, not far away, a magnificent wooden bridge spans the river that glitters below.
The readout currently flashes with the message:
AUTO CONTROL
A voice once again crackles through the train-wide comm system.
I don't know who you are, but you have caused me enough problems today to make me personally intervene. That is something you will regret. Briefly.
"Get in here now!" Ebon shouts moving forward looking over the control but having no idea where to start. "We have to stop this train."
Napalm hurries to the controls. "They jumped off?" He tries to find the speed control and throttle back. "Look for the emergency brakes!"
Spore follows the others in frantically, and looks around, unsure what he can do to help...