Patchwork Universe

John Angelis · Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2004 10:23 am Post subject: Exploration #1

A tall, slim young man, with long, sandy hair and pointed but not unhandsome features walks purposefully through the tunnels. He's wearing a biker jacket, jeans, a black t-shirt with some sort of symbol on it, and heavy looking black boots. He is muttering to himself.

"It's changed... I know it has. Nothing goes anywhere..."

He rounds a corner, and spies a busker, a bearded old guy, wearing green army surplus gear, and wielding a violin with intent. He greets him, and throws a coin into the busker's violin case.
"Alright Samo. This place's changed. What's going on?"
"No idea what you mean, mate."
"I was down in Yarrow just now, and it doesn't go anywhere."
"Yarrow's closed. Out of service."
"Out of service? What's that mean?"
The busker just shrugs.
"So are there any platforms in service?"
"Heard that Jot'nheim was open."
"Who told you that?"
The busker shrugs again.
"Ok, thanks Samo. See you around."
The busker grunts, and goes back to scraping out a tune.

The young man heads off down a corridor muttering "Jotunheim" under his breath, over and over. A while later, he arrives at a platform in red livery marked JOTUNHEIM. He waits for a train to arrive, backing gingerly away to the rear of the platform as it arrives. Doors open, crowd gets out, crowd gets in, train leaves.

After it leaves, the young man leaps down between the tracks, and takes a deep breath. He walks into the tunnel, with his breath held, trying to ignore the slithering in the darkness...