Chapter Thirty-One: Onwards

[Thursday, May 17th, 2103]

[08:39] [Cicada: Good morning!]

[08:39] [The Conductor: … Morning.]

[08:45] [The Conductor: Goddamn it, Jun.]

[08:46] [Cicada: In my defence, she was emotionally in need, and it fixes problems.]

[08:46] [The Conductor: That really doesn’t make it better. Do you realize how much fucking extra work this is going to make me do now?]

[08:55] [Absinthe: Did she fuck a corpo baby or something?]

[08:56] [Sigerson: Probably Minea…]

[12:22] [dogged: sorry]

[08:57] [Absinthe: Fucking seriously??]

[09:00] [Cicada: Once again, I reiterate it was for the greater good.]

[09:01] [Absinthe: I’m tired of this shit. Both of you can go eat dicks.]

[09:02] [Cicada: Ew no.]

[10:22] [Cicada: I miss David…]

[Friday, May 19th, 2103]

[12:22] [dogged: sorry again]

[22:35] [The Conductor: You’re fine, rest well.]

[Saturday, May 20th, 2103]

[14:22] [The Conductor: Update for everyone. I’ve got a temp Engine coming in to fill in for David until Chicago, where we should get two permanent replacements.]

[14:23] [Absinthe: Good fucking riddance]

[14:30] [Sigerson: You’re starting to tick me off with this stupid posturing.]

[14:30] [Sigerson: Everything that happened with Minea wasn’t particularly her fault.]

[14:31] [Sigerson: It’s literally her first trip, mistakes are to be expected, even if it’s rare for this many to be made all at once.]

[14:32] [Sigerson: I seem to remember us both getting our mentor killed on our first trip as well, so I don’t think we have the right to speak.]

[14:32] [Absinthe: Hold up, that was different!]

[14:32] [Sigerson: Was it? I seem to remember our damn childish desire to prove ourselves against a strong foe causing him to have to step in and sacrifice himself to save us!]

[14:33] [Absinthe: We couldn’t have possibly prevented that! He was attacking the train!]

[14:33] [Sigerson: Our lives are more important than the mission, full stop.]

[14:34] [Sigerson: We could have stepped aside when he offered us mercy, but we were stubborn in our strength.]

[14:35] [Absinthe: Fine, I’ll give you that, but every single thing that happened during the first half of the trip was preventable and caused by Minea.]

[14:36] [Sigerson: Let’s go over them then, and see what she truly caused. First was the burst of her power, caused by the factory setting of the Doberman that she had never piloted before being max for some reason. Not her fault. Second was her running into an extradimensional and getting chased until she tried to kill herself to avoid capture. It was on her route, so not her fault. The third, the bandit attack, is self explanatory if you forgot about it. The fourth, David dying due to her power erupting during a second ignition, was something that we should have seen coming. We knew she was close, and didn’t consider that the strange Extradimensional dreams she was having could be a side effect of that. If anything, David’s death is on me for not being the one to volunteer to watch her.]

[14:37] [Absinthe: MESSAGE DELETED BY MODERATOR]

[14:37] [Brion: Let’s talk, Adonis.]

[15:31] [Absinthe: sorry, I got heated. You’re right, and I was trying to avoid admitting I was wrong.]

[15:32] [Sigerson: It’s all good.]

[Sunday May 21th, 2103]

[04:22] [dogged: I want to give an apology for a mistake I made in Kansas City earlier in the week.]

[04:22] [dogged: The idiots watching the train that had a confrontation with the depot workers atm are my fault from when I went to a casino. I met someone that I have a history with and it didn’t turn out pretty.]

[05:40] [The Conductor: I’m very disappointed in you, for multiple reasons.]

[05:40] [dogged: In my defence, I only spent any money on a crap ton of clothes from Melody’s All-Inclusive. The casino gave me money to play with for some reason.]

[05:42] [The Conductor: To be honest, that doesn’t make it better for me. If you hadn’t met that person and had a falling out you would have probably ended up spending at least a bit. That’s the entire point of the free play they gave you.]

[05:45] [dogged: And the free drink…]

[05:50] [The Conductor: I can’t usually get mad at you for getting drunk, but in those circumstances? Fucking hell Minea, what were you thinking?]

[06:00] [dogged: sorry. My best friend gave me this lecture and grounded me for the foreseeable future so it shouldn’t happen again]

[06:40] [Sigerson: Wait, that was you??? The casino thing has been all over the local ESN!]

[07:00] [Brion: It’s at this moment, I seriously have issues with the fact that I cannot join that social network.]

[07:01] [dogged: and that I haven’t been checking it. What are the rumors saying?]

[07:02] [Sigerson: That a new Engine got into a fight with some upstart Texans and absolutely destroyed them. The details are pretty sparse judging by how I can’t even tell it’s you, but when an Engine kills five others and shuts down a casino for a few days it’s pretty hot gossip.]

[07:03] [dogged: I’m sorry? Five? I only remember three…]

[07:04] [Sigerson: Maybe the alcohol and adrenaline hit you harder than you thought?]

[07:05] [dogged: No, seriously! I remember nearly perfectly that I crushed one guys head, shot two with his gun, then ran! How did two extra die?]

[07:06] [Sigerson: dunno, I’m just reading the rumors.]

[07:07] [dogged: It’s just my luck that I’m being blamed for two extra deaths…]

[20:08] [Cicada: Sorry, way late response. Maybe your ‘friend’ decided to cross out two loose ends?]

[21:10] [dogged: … you’re totally right, she would do that. Typical.]

[Monday, May 21th, 2103]

[08:05] [The Conductor: New engineer Engine arrived, his cars are where David’s used to be. His name is Reuban Joyner. Treat him well. Or else.]

[08:06] [user22: heya]

[08:07] [user22: ew. Gimme a second]

[08:10] [xXbigdick369Xx: There, that’s the name I usually use online!]

[08:11] [Brion: Denied. Try again.]

[08:11] [user22: Wha!]

[08:12] [user22: Fiiiine.]

[08:13] [The-man: BY THE POWER OF IGNITION!!]

[08:14] [Sigerson: oh my god.]

[08:15] [Absinthe: Can we keep him?]

[08:15] [The Conductor: I remind you of rule one, and the fact you wouldn’t be the first on this crew to break it.]

[08:15] [The-man: is rule one don’t fuck the other crew members?]

[08:17] [The Conductor: How…?]

[08:18] [The Conductor: Holy shit. You’re worse than Jun.]

[08:18] [Cicada: Pardon???]

[08:18] [Absinthe: I like where this is going…]

[08:18] [The-man: and I’m perpetually temp, so it’s not like I lose anything!]

[08:19] [The Conductor: I’m setting the ground rule right here, right now. No fucking while we’re out of a city, for anyone. We can’t risk that kind of thing. If you do it, I will do everything in my damned power to get you actually fired.]

[08:20] [The-man: Boo.]

[08:20] [Cicada: Heard.]

[08:22] [The Conductor: Marcus, Minea?]

[08:22] [Absinthe: … but when we’re in Chicago?]

[08:23] [The Conductor: I literally don’t give a shit.]

[08:23] [Absinthe: I’m good with that.]

[08:40] [dogged: sortyBrion just woke me up yeah it’s fine?]

[08:41] [The Conductor: Good. Let’s get started.]

With a yawn, I drop my phone on my bed and pull off the frankly opulent silk top that I had slept in, tossing it into a pile as I walk over to the boxes of clothes I still haven’t taken the time to put away. I grab the first thing that isn’t black I see and pull it on, then blink when I realize it’s a light pink graphic crop top. For a moment, I consider swapping to another one, but then I realize it’s comfortable and I don’t care enough about what other people think. Deciding to at least be a little fashionable, I search for and pull on a pair of black shorts to match.

As the sleeper car’s doors open and I’m greeted by the morning sun and air, I hesitate for a moment before I step outside. My eyes scan the horizon for anyone that shouldn’t be there, but for the moment it just seems to be actual workers. Sighing in relief, I hop up onto the hangar and step inside only to be greeted by the hologram projector folding down to project both a gold and red orb.

Mari floats down towards me, feigning bumping into me as she happily states, {“Morning sleepyhead! I like your outfit!”}

Reau bobs a bit in agreement. {“It suits you.”}

Flushing a bit, I shake my head as I move over and sit down at the PC. “Just something I threw on, not a big deal.”

Mari floats over and begins to hover over the monitor. {“Bah, take the compliment Minea! You’re not going to get anything from me for about two days after all!”}

I stick out my tongue, but huff a small laugh. “Fine, fine. I look okay.”

Reau positions themselves beside Mari. {“Are you prepared for the second leg of the journey?”}

That makes me bite my lip and I glance over at the Doberman, finding my eyes drawn to the huge red marigold that I painted onto one of its armor panels. “I’m not sure. Materially and experience wise, sure. Emotionally? Probably not.”

Mari dims a bit. {“Minea…”}

Forcing a smile, I look back at her and attempt to be reassuring. “I’ll be fine, y’know? I always am.”

Mari sighs. {“Reau.”}

The red orb visibly flinches. {“Yes?”}

{“I’m giving you a mission.”}

Reau seems to hesitate for a moment, before responding, {“Okay, sure. What is it?”}

Mari floats a bit closer to the other SAI as she declares, {“You’re to watch this girl and not let her make bad decisions, okay? Interrupt her before she does anything self-destructive and get her thinking something else.”}

{“Er…”} Reau seems to think for a moment. {“I will try, but I don’t have much leverage over her.”}

Mari playfully spins a bit. {“That’s the fun part, she’s a total pushover! Just command her with an authoritative tone and she’ll jump right into line.”}

Reau brightens a bit. {“Curious. Humans are strange.”}

Mari giggles. {”Right? It’s sort of why I fell for one.”}

Awkwardly, I pretend to match that laugh as my hands wring together. “You two… know I’m still here right?”

Mari’s orb shifts a bit, and I feel a pointed glare despite a lack of eyes. {“That’s kind of the point.”}

As I open my mouth to respond, the train car abruptly lurches. For a moment I’m a little confused, until I remember this was the entire fucking reason I was woken up early in the first place. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I shake my head, then reach over and click the button to look outside. As the train builds up speed, the depot slowly begins to disappear, and my eyes shift to the skyscrapers in the near distance.

I have mixed feelings about leaving Kansas City like this. Sure, I’m leaving behind that mess at the casino and hopefully Olivia in general, though I doubt that works out for me. It feels kind of off to be leaving somewhere I just arrived so soon, without having gotten a chance to really explore it for what it is. Maybe I can return some day to rectify that, but for now I definitely haven’t gotten a good read on this city.

Hopefully, that isn’t something that happens while we’re in Chicago, considering that I’m probably going to have to wait a bit for a fitting crew to show up and take me on. I’ll have to have Fuschia show me the ropes of what being in Chicago is like while I’m there, huh? The best foods and stuff like that?

{“Minea.”} I jump as Mari is suddenly right up in my face. {“The signal range of Kansas City is not as good as DFW. I probably don’t have long before we lose connection.”}

Deflating a bit, I frown. “That sucks, I wish you had told me that before.”

{“It’s not going to be that long, and you have Brion and Reau to keep you company this time. Stay safe, okay?”}

Sincerely, I respond, “I’ll try my best.”

{“Maybe that’s the best that I can hope for…”} Mari considers for a second, then bumps me in the forehead. {“Talk then, bye.”}

I reach up and boop the orb. {“Same to you. See yah.”}

Then unceremoniously, she’s gone. Anxiety immediately rises, but I take a deep breath to try and banish it back down. I glance over at the Doberman, where I find Reau floating beside the Mecha’s head. They're muttering something to themselves, but quiet enough that I can't hear it.

I yawn and lean back as I watch the cityscape move by. "Just two days, right? I can do this."

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.