Ryota, now even more nervous than before, adjusted the headlamp on his forehead. The light was slicing through the heavy darkness surrounding them. As a young teen... Somewhat inexperienced and young, I took up this heavy responsibility. After a round of asking for a volunteer... He raised his hand. What could be worse? He soon found himself with the surveying gear and a bag.
His task was to chart the newly uncovered part of the underground sandworm tunnels. It was a huge network of tunnels lying beneath the sprawling city. It seemed like a thankless and dull job, but the constant rumors and stories made it all the more creepy. Tales of ghost trains, giant sandworms that still lingered for a bite, skeletons so big that you would crap your pants. That was the main reason no one put their hand forward.
Everyone had been calling it 'the maze' to make it sound more ominous than it really was... But it was an old tunnel, it had so many ins and outs that everyone got lost so badly. Over the years, it has been used for many things. Forgotten utility tunnels, deserted lines, makeshift shelters for the beasts, from the beasts, and more. Now... it felt like a twisted underworld, a reflection of the city's chaotic expansion.
"What did I do here..." He still had a habit of speaking out loud... But his mind was silent, something he had to get used to now that he was no longer a jinchuuriki. Ryota inhaled unsteadily, the moist air wrapping around his lungs. The new area felt significantly chillier than the older sections, with the stone walls feeling damp to his touch. The only noises were the steady drip, drip, drip of water and the rhythmic clicking of his measuring wheel. He noted exact spots of junctions, old and new walls, everything that was possible. He didn't have the newest tech helping here... Except for the paper and measuring tools. "Why so old school... I believe we had a tablet somewhere? That giant the.. giant.. yeah no that won't work. I see now.." A sigh was given.
Days merged into a dull cycle of measuring, marking, and navigating using the rough maps given by the surveyors before him.... Who, to be fair, hadn’t gone very far. He lived on energy bars and lukewarm coffee, with the silence only interrupted by his own thoughts reverberating in his mind. Then, one afternoon, while he was carefully mapping out a dead end, he heard it. A deep, rumbling vibration coursed through the floor. He stopped in his tracks, his heart pounding against his chest. The vibration intensified, accompanied by a faint, metallic screech that seemed to tear through the silence.
Train tracks.
Ryota grabbed a better hold of his gear, his palm damp with sweat. Was it just a figment of his imagination, caused by fatigue and anxiety? He held his breath, trying to hear over the loud thumping of his own heartbeat. There it was again. The rumble, the screech, the unmistakable sound of a train coming closer. He wished he knew what fear was, because right now he was settled with a form of anxiety. Every instinct told him to flee, to retreat to the safe, known areas. But another part of him, the part that had secretly wished the rumors were real, pushed him to explore. Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his headlamp, directing the light into the tunnel ahead. The air became thick with a strange, metallic smell. The rumble intensified, getting nearer.
He pressed himself against the damp wall, his breath hitching in his throat as a flicker of light appeared in the distance. And then it turned the corner. A steam engine, brought back from a past time, its brass shining brightly, its headlight piercing the darkness like a menacing eye. The cars behind it were filled with flickering gas lamps, casting moving shadows on the walls. Ryota gazed, both fascinated and frightened. It was impossibly real, a ghost train charging through a forgotten tunnel. The train began to slow as it approached him, the sound of steam escaping filling the large space. A figure stepped out from the engine car, outlined by the flickering light. He was dressed in a conductor’s uniform, his face hidden in the shadows cast by his cap.
"Yer lost?" his voice resonated, a deep tone that seemed to echo through the stone of the tunnel. Roya was at a loss for words and could only gaze at him. The conductor laughed softly, a sound that was both eerie and oddly inviting. “Hop aboard, then. We’re always on the lookout for new passengers.” Ryota paused. This was crazy. A ghostly train, operated by a spectral conductor, was inviting him on a journey to who knows where. Yet, something in the conductor’s voice, a trace of fatigue and yearning, struck a chord with his own feelings of loneliness and purpose. And truth to be told, no one taught him not to join a random stranger... Uhum, uzu... Micchino.
He took a step forward. “I…” he started, her voice barely audible. “I… I’m just mapping this area.” The conductor grinned, a flash of white teeth in the dim light. “Mapping, are you? Well, perhaps we can assist.” He motioned towards the train. “Come take a ride. We have miles of unexplored territory to discover.”
[OOC]
[topic entered]
[MFT: 899]
[Topic left]
His task was to chart the newly uncovered part of the underground sandworm tunnels. It was a huge network of tunnels lying beneath the sprawling city. It seemed like a thankless and dull job, but the constant rumors and stories made it all the more creepy. Tales of ghost trains, giant sandworms that still lingered for a bite, skeletons so big that you would crap your pants. That was the main reason no one put their hand forward.
Everyone had been calling it 'the maze' to make it sound more ominous than it really was... But it was an old tunnel, it had so many ins and outs that everyone got lost so badly. Over the years, it has been used for many things. Forgotten utility tunnels, deserted lines, makeshift shelters for the beasts, from the beasts, and more. Now... it felt like a twisted underworld, a reflection of the city's chaotic expansion.
"What did I do here..." He still had a habit of speaking out loud... But his mind was silent, something he had to get used to now that he was no longer a jinchuuriki. Ryota inhaled unsteadily, the moist air wrapping around his lungs. The new area felt significantly chillier than the older sections, with the stone walls feeling damp to his touch. The only noises were the steady drip, drip, drip of water and the rhythmic clicking of his measuring wheel. He noted exact spots of junctions, old and new walls, everything that was possible. He didn't have the newest tech helping here... Except for the paper and measuring tools. "Why so old school... I believe we had a tablet somewhere? That giant the.. giant.. yeah no that won't work. I see now.." A sigh was given.
Days merged into a dull cycle of measuring, marking, and navigating using the rough maps given by the surveyors before him.... Who, to be fair, hadn’t gone very far. He lived on energy bars and lukewarm coffee, with the silence only interrupted by his own thoughts reverberating in his mind. Then, one afternoon, while he was carefully mapping out a dead end, he heard it. A deep, rumbling vibration coursed through the floor. He stopped in his tracks, his heart pounding against his chest. The vibration intensified, accompanied by a faint, metallic screech that seemed to tear through the silence.
Train tracks.
Ryota grabbed a better hold of his gear, his palm damp with sweat. Was it just a figment of his imagination, caused by fatigue and anxiety? He held his breath, trying to hear over the loud thumping of his own heartbeat. There it was again. The rumble, the screech, the unmistakable sound of a train coming closer. He wished he knew what fear was, because right now he was settled with a form of anxiety. Every instinct told him to flee, to retreat to the safe, known areas. But another part of him, the part that had secretly wished the rumors were real, pushed him to explore. Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his headlamp, directing the light into the tunnel ahead. The air became thick with a strange, metallic smell. The rumble intensified, getting nearer.
He pressed himself against the damp wall, his breath hitching in his throat as a flicker of light appeared in the distance. And then it turned the corner. A steam engine, brought back from a past time, its brass shining brightly, its headlight piercing the darkness like a menacing eye. The cars behind it were filled with flickering gas lamps, casting moving shadows on the walls. Ryota gazed, both fascinated and frightened. It was impossibly real, a ghost train charging through a forgotten tunnel. The train began to slow as it approached him, the sound of steam escaping filling the large space. A figure stepped out from the engine car, outlined by the flickering light. He was dressed in a conductor’s uniform, his face hidden in the shadows cast by his cap.
"Yer lost?" his voice resonated, a deep tone that seemed to echo through the stone of the tunnel. Roya was at a loss for words and could only gaze at him. The conductor laughed softly, a sound that was both eerie and oddly inviting. “Hop aboard, then. We’re always on the lookout for new passengers.” Ryota paused. This was crazy. A ghostly train, operated by a spectral conductor, was inviting him on a journey to who knows where. Yet, something in the conductor’s voice, a trace of fatigue and yearning, struck a chord with his own feelings of loneliness and purpose. And truth to be told, no one taught him not to join a random stranger... Uhum, uzu... Micchino.
He took a step forward. “I…” he started, her voice barely audible. “I… I’m just mapping this area.” The conductor grinned, a flash of white teeth in the dim light. “Mapping, are you? Well, perhaps we can assist.” He motioned towards the train. “Come take a ride. We have miles of unexplored territory to discover.”
[OOC]
[topic entered]
[MFT: 899]
[Topic left]
Mission Name: [event] mapping out for safety
Mission Type: SMSM
Mission Rank: B-Rank
Objective: now that everything has been shifted and a lot of it is new... Ryota takes on the task to map the maze of tunnels to attempt to make Uzu, and his brother proud.p
Mission Type: SMSM
Mission Rank: B-Rank
Objective: now that everything has been shifted and a lot of it is new... Ryota takes on the task to map the maze of tunnels to attempt to make Uzu, and his brother proud.p