The electromagnetic rails the UNPD--United Planets Planetary Department--set up in an effort to create a trans-planetary rail system had been there for decades, it never failed, even when directly struck by solar wind, thanks to the field the rails generated to guide the train acting as it's own defense.
The whole system was fail-proof. That's what Passengers thought to themselves, anyways, but they didn't know that a suspected but as yet unconfirmed exoearth had wandered dangerously close to the rails, and caused them to warp, leaving the train to derail and wander through space, traveling at an incredible speed at a trajectory that would see them crashing into Saturn by the weekend, not the way Passengers planned to spend their weekend, but they were panicked.
"Far too much caffeine." One mused. Standing, One shouted that if they were to survive, they would need to remain calm, eventually Passengers calmed enough to give them orders.
"We're near enough to station A.T. Seven-Four to send a distress signal." One advised, trying to use the scant leadership skills learned as a child playing space pirate above the methane mines of Neptune, memories of playgrounds outfitted with plastic wheels and steel rails flooded One's memory, bringing a smile to to the otherwise determined and disciplined expression that they tried to maintain.
Fortunately the smile seemed to keep the Passengers calm, and they easily found a leader in One, "The pilots are to send out a distress signal, and then we will try to find a way to slow the train."
One knew the electromagnetic field would block their signal, but at least no one would panic, if they all believed help was arriving, and on the off chance help did arrive, "Better not get our hopes up."
"One what are we going to do?" Passengers cried out, turning to their leader for some sort of promise of survival.
"Hmm, the exoplanet got us into this mess, we're traveling too fast for it to have an effect on our velocity, but if we could somehow go back far enough, it would catch us in orbit and possibly mean our rescue, assuming the search party doesn't get here first." One said, hoping that, through false confidence, the Passengers might be reassured, "There is only a very slight chance our signal got through...no, I mustn't think that, or else getting sucked into the Second Red Spot might be blessing, rather than a curse...or isn't this whole ordeal a curse?"
After filling the control car with oxygen and leading everyone to the last car in back, One led the hydrogen from the water fusion chamber to the front, using an egg timer to allow a timed release from the second to front car.
One had one minute to get to the twenty-fourth car before the front train exploded, sending them spiraling to the exoplanet, the fact that one One had to wear an emergency vacuum life suit made this even harder, "I cut down the pipes leading to other cars, the explosion may have traveled through, otherwise."
Having had no interest in being a hero, One lead chains running from the chair next to him, to just outside the first docking field, a small room that allowed travel between cars. Moving cautiously, but ever aware of time, One put one foot in front of the other, hand over hand to aid in arriving to the destination in time.
"These ropes really help to pull me along." One thought, closing the third door along the route, "Just got to get a little bit further!"
One heard the sound of ticking, but knew no egg timer would be found in the room, though a few glances across the room were stolen of what precious time remained, "No, you idiot, keep your eyes ahead of you! J-just one foot...in front of the other!"
One lost count of cars at the tenth one, but was sure time was up, so now it was only a question of how many doors could be closed before the train--and One--exploded, "There wasn't really that much oxygen in the room...no, not at all, there was very little...the ninth car would just be a little darkened, and the tenth one untouched at all!"
One thought that for every car passed, the number getting one car further with each door sealed tobuffer against the blast, "They thought I was insane when I proposed this...but controlled explosions have served mankind long and well...but how they change their tune when I said I'd be the one setting off the explosion! Perhaps they're okay with this...I'm not, I still have to keep them from going mad."
One suddenly heard a distant rumble and stopped for a whole before proceeding forward, despite concluding that the door was unreachable, "I wish I was outside...then I wouldn't hear the explosion busting down those doors I set up."
Tears began to form as the suited human began to run, abandoning the ropes set up to prevent a fall, running against the odds of survival as an orange glow grew along the walls further in, "I need to beat the blast to the door, yes, get there and I'll survive!"
One was hopeful that as long as the next door was the last--and it wouldn't be last until the return to the last car--that somehow the strength to keep going would be found, but a sudden fist of heat and pressure launched One through the door, to the next door, tumbling, rolling, now crawling, climbing up the wall and pressing the button, letting out a remorseful cry as the number to the next room read twenty-three, "Please, just one more car, I can make it, I know!"
One pounded the wall, keeping time of the seconds with drumming fists, counting down three beats until falling to darkness, but first, looking back, smiled with tearful eyes as a retreating orange glow burned brightly.
One ran, running further, leaving all doors open this time, never touching the rope, almost reached the last door, and with a press of the button, opened it to see horrified faces, turning around, One saw the inferno that followed the rope, it grinned and taunted, thanked the humans for the rope before burning them all to ashes.
"Reset, try again, I got this! Just one more! Always only one more!" One dashed through the halls, quickly reaching the twenty-fourth room, "Reset, die again." taunted the fire spirit, standing over burnt corpses, making One fall to the floor in mental agony, "No, I can do this! I have this! I-I just need more time! L-less oxygen, next time...m-more time...please?" the fiery beast grinned at One and struck the human's frail forehead, melting through it, roasting the brain.
One ran, this time, certainly, would be the last, it always was, "Open the door, everyone!" the door opened and One ran through the doorway, turned, and shut the door, "Success, all chambers are sealed including this one, if that blast doesn't catch people's attention and send them to our rescue--assuming our message didn't reach them--then I don't know what will."
Suddenly, as though One was above the area, an orange glow expanded past the train, killing everyone on board. Strange thing about dreams, One can see and know all things there.
Someone's hand fell on One's shoulder, stirring the mind to return to the physical world. One looked down to find that wounds had been dressed, yet this person awakening had been unharmed, "So it worked?"
"Yes, Captain, it was a successful mission, all aboard survived, there was actually a team coming down to study the exoplanet, it is a confirmed exoearth, and we...are on it right now. No, don't get up, you were affected by the explosion, incurring minor injuries."
"So, I'm a little underdone?" One joked, despite the searing pain, memories of a hot wave washing over and through the protective suit, into the suit, searing flesh, "Anyways, you called me captain?"
"You have earned that title, and a few medals, and will lead us once the general of the Space Corps is ready to report back." with a swift nod, the presumed doctor left, and One smiled.
"Looks like I didn't fail you, this time, my friends." suddenly three children appeared in the room, smiling at one, covered in varying scars. Startled, One froze and reached for the aching, beating organic pump hiding poorly behind skin and bones, "I-I'm sorry, I thought it was safe!"
The children wordlessly nodded and their wounds vanished, now they wore the colors from the happy days before that incident, and waved before floating upwards, and away. One fell asleep again, this time was not haunted by nightmares, and when One awoke, soon met the general and afterwards led the small band of Passengers across the planet, seeking out resources on the very well insulated planet.
This was only the beginning of a new adventure, a real adventure, with new friends and uncharted territory all thanks to that train, the name of which had not been noted by One or the Passengers.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rq2xubFZZ
A/Ns: Hopefully this was alright, I just thought I'd keep the protagonist unnamed and then that sort of effected...everything. This was fun to write, and hopefully fun for you to read, if not a bit suspenseful and thrilling! That would be a bonus.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7bJ1p1FQMD
