The Outer Worlds: Tragedy On The Halcyon Hyper-rail!

All Aboard

The next day, after taking a few hours to sober up, the Captain joined by Parvati and Felix, who was dragging their luggage on his back arrived at the platform.

Parvati's face lit up as the Hyper-rail came in to view, she let out a gleeful shriek "Can you believe it Captain? It's a Mohan Eleven, 204-K series! I've only ever seen them in books, y'think they'd let me take a look at the engine? I wanna see how she can get as fast as she can!"

"Ease of that throttle Parvati. Tickets said we stick to our cabin and the coaches listed for guest access. Engine and storage is off limits."

"Right you are... still though could we ask?"

The Captain sighed, "We'll ask later, but don't get your hopes up. Felix you coming?"

"Yup... just..." Felix was carrying to bags on his back with another larger case being dragged behind him "give me... a few more seconds boss!"

The Captain looked at the train, a tad disappointed. It looked exactly like the ones that had been used on Earth to travel intercity. After everything he had seen in Halycon, this seemed to be the most retro.

"Wonder why it's on this and not on one of the newer models? Surely it'd offer more luxury?"

"Still though, mighty nice of you to ask us to come with you Captain."

"Well it was a no-brained to be honest with you" the Captain explained "Nyoka wouldn't have anything to shoot, Ellie would do nothing but brood, Max hates these types of things and SAM is... well SAM."

"You forgot ADA Captain" Felix added as caught up with the pair.

"Well she's sort of attached to the ship Felix, even if I knew how to remove her, I'm fairly certain she'd sooner kill me than let it happen. And besides after everything we saw on Gorgon, I think the three of us could use some R&R."

"You can say that again" Felix dropped the bags on the ground in a heap, leaning backwards to stretch his back out. He let out a grunt when he felt something click into place, "And piggybacking off of the Board's generosity is the best way to do it. Gonna swipe all Zero-gee Brew I can carry."

The Captain sighed, "Well... try and keep your extracurriculars to a minimum. I don't want to get thrown off mid-way around Terra 2, remember when ADA was late on our extraction? I never want anything to do with Primals ever again, no matter how many times Hortense asks me to get her an infant one, she can settle for a Teacup Canid."

"She wanted a Primal... as a pet?!" Parvati exclaimed.

"Either that or use it to refurbish her furniture" Felix suggested "although... would it be enough for a chair?"

"Probably a lamp shade at best" the Captain snickered. His companions gave him a quick glance of concern wondering what a lamp shade was.

Shortly after their arrival, an auto-mechanical came along and collected their bags loading them into the carriage car, when the sound of sharp clicking footsteps grew ever closer, when they finally stopped the one who produced said sounds clear their throat.

The Captain turned to meet the face of a portly fellow, dressed in elegant garb, his hair combed back, and a pair of half lens glasses resting midway on the bridge of his nose. The Captain noted that his attire was like the train, very old world.

"How can I help you?" the Captain asked calmly.

"Name your price"

"My what?"

"Your price. For your ticket, I am in need of once post haste, misplaced mine you see, and now I need a replacement, only they have no more, so sell me yours."

The Captain scratched his head, "Sorry fella, I didn't buy my ticket so I don't even know how much to charge you for it. But I've already settled my mind on going on this trip, so you'll have to ask someone else."

"Didn't buy your ticket?! Did you steal it? How bold! Absolutely reprehensible! Still... I'd like to buy them from you! How's say ten-thousand Bits?" The gentlemen produced a Bit cartridge from his coat pocket, waving it gently underneath the Captain's nose.

"No no, you don't understand. I won them in a contest, well I didn't enter the contest just sort of bumped into the auto-mechanical."

"Won it? I dare to say that cheapens their value a touch. I'll give you three-thousand, just for yours."

"Like I said, I'm not interested in selling my ticket."

"Listen here you lowly dissident, I- "

"Is everything alright over here gentlemen?" another  man said as he exited the carriage car.

"Ah... Mr Aberyon... there's nothing really going on here, just sorting out a deal under the table, you know how it is I'm sure. Now if my good man would sell me his ticket" the man hissed.

"Mr Norton, please, if you've misplaced your ticket just submit all the necessary paperwork to the conductors office and they'll issue you a new one. You'll just need a receipt, proof that the receipt is real, a copy of your Halcyon Holdings Account with the last two years of purchase , proof that you are of course Clarence Norton and- "

"Fine! Fine! I get it, this is going to take a while" Mr Norton grumbled as he stormed down to the opposite end of the platform.

The trio sighed, once again having dealt with the typical self-entitlement of the daily Byzantine.

"Thanks for that uh... sorry didn't catch your name?"

"Aberyon. Terrance Aberyon, heir to the Aberyon fortune and TO of the Halcyon Train Society. I actually own this train in particular."

"I see, got a taste for the old world travel?"

"I suppose you could say that, always loved reading those data-files of the voyages our ancestors took. But you are... hmm let's see..." Terrance began muttering to himself as he scanned through a data-pad "Ah! Captain Alex Hawthorne, our contest winner! And I assume these are your +1s... though they're dressed... well we can fix that later I'm sure."

"Sorry didn't realise it was one of them formal events..." Parvati shuffled her feet retreating within herself.

"I just didn't want to wear a tie" Felix added.

"I'll have something better suited to your cabins later this evening, in the mean time I insist you kick back and relax as the working man says."

"We'll be sure to do so" the Captain held out his hand for Terrance to shake. While a bit apprehensive at first, but reluctantly grasped it firmly. The Captain noted that while he was dressed and spoke as well as the gentleman earlier, there was a roughness to his hands.

"Anyway, I do hope you enjoy your time onboard the Millennium, if you'd like to follow the conductor-droid to your cabin, and make yourselves at home. Ah, Lady Bonabata so good to see you again, here allow me to help you with those!"

Before they could exchange a goodbye, Terrance was already greeting another one of his guests. The Captain and Parvati were the first to board the train leaving Felix on the platform looking a bit dazed.

"Everything alright Felix?" Parvati asked poking her head out of the train.

"Yeah it's just... the Millennium, Aberyon... it all sounds familiar."

"You were joking when you said you were the Chairman's secret love child right?" the Captain asked concernedly also poking his head out of the train.

"Yeah... it's just... never mind. I'm sure it'll come to me later."