Patchwork Universe

Jones · Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2004 9:35 am Post subject: A Very Big Adventure

Jones and Jack sat together at the front of the humble donkey cart. The cart's grim cargo lay concealed beneath a tarpaulin under the back.

Both men wore their weapons over leather jerkins studded with mail-rings, travelling cloaks lay in the back of the cart as did a couple of light packs. Jack had taken two small sacks to contain all the worldly possessions of John Angelis and Father Michael. They held little enough but the first of these Jones was locking through thoughtfully as Jack drove the cart.
"Four little cards, one that reads Going Underground, and three that are blank and identicial to the one he gave me," the publican read. "I think this Underground place is his home and these stations..." He looked ahead at the new building they were driving to and shrugged. "We'll know soon enough, I imagine."

ooc: Jones and Jack come from the 'Repairs and Reparations' thread and are heading towards the Station. In order to avoid a timeslip they are unlikely to reach the station before Peri, Violetta and Liason have moved on.

Jones · Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:15 pm Post subject:

Jack leapt down from the cart when they reached the station and went to investigate the swinging sign that said 'Jonestown Station'.
"It's not our kind of building work," he said thoughtfully, turning to look at the one story building that called itself a station. "But it seems to fit, somehow. It'd be a nice idea if someone planted some flowers around here, make it look a bit more friendly, like."
"It's not supposed to be here at all," Jones pointed out, coming down off the cart and holding his axe ready. "And who knows what foul fiend lurks inside."

However, inside the main room was empty of fiends, or indeed of anything save the rows of chairs and the blackboard which read:
UNDERGROUND SERVICE NOW OPERATING TO TERMINUS
Please pardon our appearance while the station is under construction
HAVE A PLEASANT JOURNEY

Jones looked at the stairs leading down with suspicion and said grimly.
"I suppose the monsters are all trapped down there, then."
"I'm not so sure, dad." Jack replied, glancing again at the blackboard. "It sounds more like someone's built a road through the caverns. One that goes to the Terminus place."
Jones snorted.
"They'd have a job of it," he said. "A road through the monster tunnels?"
"If the Gods are involved it makes sense," Jack pressed on. "Anyway whatever's down there can't be worse than the regular tunnels. How about we take the bodies out this way?"
"Take a donkey down there?" Jones looked dubious. "That's no way to treat an animal and the cart won't hardly fit either."
"Let's look anyway," Jack persevered. "Perhaps there's something we can use as a travois, or we can make one... anyway, we can't not look."

Jones nodded, accepting the truth of that, and the two men came down the stairs together. Both were wary and the sight of the long tunnel at the bottom gave them pause for thought.

Peri · God Joined: 29 May 2004 Posts: 70 Location: Terminus

However, no unearthly screeching or howling was issuing from the tunnel, just a rhythmic clanking rumble, and the train that pulled slowly up to the platform a few moments later looked innocent enough - but for the purple scrawled spray along one side which read "THA RATLING MASSIVE 4-EVA".

Further along the platform stood a four-wheeled metal contraption. All four of its wheels were pointing in different directions. "Hmm. That might do," said Jack reflectively.

It turned out that the trolley would always attempt to go the opposite direction to the one you wanted, and that the handy little diagram showing you which way to press the brake lever had been printed backwards, but after ten minutes or so of manhandling the thing, swearing under his breath and running over his own toes, Jack seemed to have got the hang of it.

When he let go of it to turn and speak to his father, the trolley, with a shifty look about it, began to inch of its own accord towards the gap between the train and the platform.

Jones · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 12:14 am Post subject:

Both Joneses had started at the arrival of the train. But when it exhibited no sign of claws or fangs they relaxed. It was fortunate that Jones did not see the trolley's behaviour because he was suspicious enough of it as it was.
"This smells of Gods," he said dubiously. "But we had best investigate it. If that contraption is safe enough to entrust our cargo to."

There followed a pause while the two men carried the boxes of ashes down the stairs, together with their own belongings. They managed to load these on to the trolley and wrestle that in turn on to the train... just in time as the doors threatened to close upon them.

Jack looked wide eyed at the windows as the door snapped shut, enclosing them in the worm-like belly of the vehicle and it began to move.

Jones · Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:26 pm Post subject:

Both men pressed their faces to the windows as the train moved through the darkness, and stared at the doings of the monsters in the catacombs - oblivious of their enemies being carried past in the train.

After that they made uneasy conversation for a while until they were startled once more by a burst of light from the walls of tunnel ahead.

[ooc: Jones and Jack now move to Terminus: 'Amazed and Bewildered']