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

Naked to the Human Eye

Chapter 3 – Naked to the Human Eye

"So then" Felix began before spooning another mouthful of Tripicale Pasta into his mouth, "Boss whacked the guy around the head, and then he whistles me over and gave me that look. So I dropped my Tossball stick, took a long running start and kicked the jackass straight in the chest!"

"How exciting!" squeaked the young woman sitting next to him, she leaned in closer wrapping her arm around his "And then what happened?"

"Well" he chewed a bit more and swallowed "turns out I might've kicked him a bit to hard. Stumbled back and went over the cliff, fell into his own nest of hungry Raptidon's below and they tore him limb from limb. Couldn't even find the... the..." he clicked his fingers frustratingly, he turned his head "Hey Boss, what was that thing we got sent to look for on Monarch?"

"The Temporary Black Hole Generator?"

"Yeah yeah, but what was the name the scientist gave it?"

The Captain scratched the back of his head pondering, "Singularity Inducing... Computer... K – something like that?"

"Yeah the "SICK"! This mental scientist made this thing that made small black holes, hired us to retrieve it from his ex-protégé who went spare himself and ran off with it, so he got ate by these Raptidons he had trained, we couldn't find the "SICK" in the remains, and then all of a sudden THWARP! This Raptidon let's one loose and then got turned inside out. Guys everywhere. Lived up to its name, had Parvati and Ellie blowing chunks everywhere. None of us wanted touch it, so we called SAM to clean it off, but he melted it, so we tried to put it back together. Didn't work but it fooled the scientist, Boss talked him into giving us a bonus too."

"Ooo, how wondrously... charming?" the woman withdrew herself, "Well I must be on my way, have to get ready for this evening, save some time for me won't you?" She gave him a playful smile and turned to leave. Felix's head dropped sideward as he watched her hips sway from side to side with a cheeky smirk appearing on his face. He returned back to the table where the Captain and Parvati were sat and poured himself a glass of Red Spectrum Vodka.

"So got yourself a little date this evening?" Parvati asked "I thought you and Nell had something going?"

"Yeah well, we had a fight. Tossball game a few nights ago, Rizzo's Rangers versus Auntie Cleo's Darlings, and well... she's a Darlings fan this season, and they beat my Rangers, so I got a little heated."

"And here I was thinking that love looked past sporting team love" the Captain commented.

"Yeah well, she'll be a Ranger's fan next season, maybe I'll swing by Stellar Bay around then... maybe I'll send her a message tonight."

"Probably for the best, but if you ask me, I don't think it's too wrong to dip your feet in someone else's pool from time to time."

"Captain!" Parvati exclaimed going beet red.

"So she was asking about going for a swim? Didn't think one could fit on the train."

"No Felix it's an idiom."

"What's an idiom?"

"Oh boy, well..."

As the Captain began to educate his dimwit companion on language fundamentals, an angry looking steward with a waitress carrying multiple bottles in her arms walked hurriedly down the isle. He was listing off a number of things that needed to be done before departure picking up his pace with each word.

The waitress couldn't keep up with her superior; she slipped back on a raised bit of carpet and released the bottles into the air.

In that instant the Captain jumped into action. Tactical Time Dilation was the name Phineas Welles gave it after a thorough and terrified explanation. The Captain's vision was surrounded with a purplish hue, but not as purple as the bottle and contents of a Rizzo's Purpleberry Punch, the world began to slow around him and his mind went to work.

Standing up, he gathered the bottles quickly in a table cloth he removed from a nearby table, holding it like a sack he then swooped in to rescue the falling damsel.

And then the world returned to normal speed.

"My... my word!" the waitress muttered breathless. The Captain set her upright and handed her the temporary sack, removing a bottle for his services.

"Mhm. Rizzo's Spectrum Vodka, Ultraviolet? Didn't think they released this yet, looks like we're drinking good tonight, don't mind do you?"

"Of- of course not" she stuttered "Oh right erm... Rizzo's Spectrum Vodka! A glass for every class! Woah woah woah, it's Rizzo's!"

"Law!" the steward stormed toward the Captain and snatched the bottle out of his hand, "I'm not sure how a dissident like you got on board, but I will not allow you, nay, I will lay my life down on the good name of our journey's sponsor, before I let a single drop of Rizzo's Spectrum Vodka: Ultraviolet slip through your chapped lips!"

"Chapped?!" the Captain drew his his hand to his mouth to cover it, he glanced to Parvati and Felix, "My lips aren't chapped are they?"

The two shrugged nervously.

"Frankly I should report you to the organiser, but I'm giving you the chance to remove yourself willingly."

"Report what to me?" Terrance leaned into the steward's ear startling him.

"K- Master Aberyon, I was just dealing with an undesirable- "

"I'm going to stop you there" Terrance placed his finger on the stewards lips, "Captain Hawthorne is our contest winner, and honoured guest for our excursion. He may not be of Byzantium birth, but I expect you to treat him no lesser than you would myself."

The steward opened his mouth to protest, but paused. His mouth still agape, he glanced around, a single bead of sweat dripped down his forehead, "I..."

The waitress stepped forward and gave a curtsy, "It was my fault to begin with sir, please accept my earnest apologies."

Terrance was taken aback for a moment, as was everyone else in the train car at the time, a mutter and a whisper here and there. He cleared his throat and straightened the lapels of his jacket, "Well in the future Ms Merrill, please conduct yourself more... appropriately."

She bowed forward "Yes sir."

"Well then" he cleared his throat again, pulling at his collar "why don't you get the Captain and his friends something to drink, our Ultraviolet stock is only for tonight."

He gave a quick smile to the Captain and made his exit at the opposite end of the car, the steward and Ms Merrill following after.

"Well that was... I don't know what that was... awkward?" Parvati broke the silence in the car, "I know I'm not really one to talk, but that steward really seemed to crack under pressure."

The Captain was rubbing his lips, he felt a crack and clicked his tongue, "Could've done without the personal attack, he's lucky we had to check our weapons at the station." He made a gun with his fingers "Pew pew."

Slumping down in to his seat again, he reached for his glass and took a long swig.

"It was see-through" Felix said.

"Huh?"

"Well Spectrum Vodka is made from Spectrum Potatoes right? All colours of the spectrum, including black."

"And...?"

"So they found a way to make a see-through potato?! Ain't that stellar?"

The Captain and Parvati shared a glance with each other. They turned back to Felix and both agreed, "Kinda, yeah."

Shortly after this exchange the announcer reminded the passengers of Rizzo's involvement with the sponsor of their journey around Terra 2:

"We thank you once again, and would like to reassure that all bumps, hums and clacks are all simulated to offer you a the most aesthetic train ride experience. If you do experience any motion sickness, we advise you take a breather between the cars or take a dose of your complimentary Level Head found in your cabins, generously provided by our friends at Auntie Cleo; Auntie Cleo, it's better than nature."

The Millennium pulled away from the station and began its long trip around the planet.