A Trip on the Train

A steam train blasted through a cloud and dense white smoke trailed behind as it made its way on the tracks. The tunnel's surfaces were tiled white, not a dent in symmetry nor a hairline crack. The train's engine didn't roar nor chug but hummed like a skier drifting on fine ice.

There were a few people seated inside the pitch black passenger car. Each one wore a sleek black protective suit. Their garment's ends were tucked within both their boots and gloves by an airtight fasten. Their outfits were topped off by a matching helmet with an even darker tint on their visors. Despite the sealed attire, oxygen tanks weren't required. Their helmets had a function to filter airflow in and out. It had vents by the nose, ears, and at the back of the head but all were protected by the same glassy material of the visor.

The passengers looked patient yet, their expressions especially hidden by their secure wardrobes, they were conflicted with mixed feelings of anxiety and excitement. After all, the train's destination was a whole new world.

Away from the passenger car, a German conductor entered the first car of the locomotive. The forty year old man had crisp brown hair and his grey uniform would've been too if it weren't for the tub of beer that accumulated in his hefty belly. His tallness was apparent as he stood and nodded in awe of the main car and the train itself. "Can you believe this fine piece of machinery, Lars?"

"I've worked as a plumber, Hans." Lars replied as he watched the tunnel speed past him. He raised his boots in an empty space over the dashboard and crossed his arms behind his head. He was at least five years younger than his workmate and way lankier. "You don't hear valves whistle as clean as this unless the toilet's new. That was my secret method to know if there were any clogs. Whistling to a toilet? Never fails. Never."

"I don't mind getting used to this." Hans brushed the sheen metal of the door frame and knocked it twice in approval. "Have you seen the caboose? I'm thinking of moving my family there. It's an actual serious thought, Lars. My house is shit."

Lars tapped on one of the emanating green surveillance screens to his right. The video feed had night vision and showed the people in suits inside the passenger car. "Those ones look like a biker gang attending church. Not that I've ever been in one."

"I'm thinking of moving Britta into the old house." Hans' hands clamped on Lars' shoulders which gave the engineer a fright from falling off his chair. The conductor gave the thought a moment but then shook his head. "Bah! Forget it. My dog deserves better than that. You think pets are allowed in the caboose?"

"You listening to me?" Lars pried Hans' large hands off him.

"Eh, leave them be. We'll have to get used to this, Lars. World is changing and all that." Hans waved his hand with a sour face. He took a seat by the surveillance bay then nodded towards the screen Lars pointed out. He was bright with positivity as he spoke, "Our Fellden friends seem to think the same. Isn't it great? What did you have for breakfast? Because I noticed I didn't have one bullet on my plate this morning! Ate at the very lovely caboose too."

"Keep talking like that and your wife's gonna get jealous." Lars snickered. He lit a cigarette and tossed the lighter on the dashboard. Smoke swirled as he paddled his hand in the air, trying to find the right words. He shrugged in self-defeat, "I don't know. Bugs me a little. You think our mighty world leaders know what they're doing? You think their boots ever touch the snow? Even our president joined this ridiculous project."

"Nothing's ridiculous once you get the guns to stop firing." Hans stretched his arms and opened his hands. "Have you noticed? This train's a beauty! Decades of improving trains and the answer was literally right below us!"

Lars managed a smile on his face. There was no denying what Hans just said. "Can't complain there. This train is a work of art. Move your pretty face aside, Mona Lisa. Can't believe these steam powered engines are more efficient and cost less to run than what we had."

Hans went to the makeshift cupboard by the door and brought out two cold beers which were next to a set of coolant pipes. He handed one to Lars and another smile came to the engineer's face. It was like seeing two rainbows in one day.

"Haven't rode an airplane in my life but I bet it's close to this." Lars clinked his bottle with Hans'. After he took a swig, he cheerfully added, "Feels like we're running on clouds."

After they shared a burst of laughter, Hans' eyes went back to the screen. His eyes sobered even as he took another drink. "You see on the screen? There's so much space now. No one's bumping into one another and there's no one trying to squeeze their way in or out. You can tell we've both lost our own share, Lars."

"Guess you're right." Lars nodded as memories of The War drifted to his mind. He didn't want to think about it. He leaned towards Hans, "But let me tell you right now, change isn't always a smooth ride. Never a precise destination. Well, unless you're on a train."

Hans slapped Lars on the back and almost toppled the engineer from his chair. "What are we doing? Cheer up, Lars! This is the new normal! Beginnings are started with a dumb smile on your face!"

Hans looked over his shoulder. "Isn't that right my Fellden friend?"

The other person in the room was the assistant engineer. He was a Fellden, also dressed in a black suit, that had been manning the train's other controls the entire time. He turned to them and smiled but then he remembered his visor was on. It looked like he gave them a dead stare. His suit churned as he gave a thumbs up to his co-workers.

"I… I can't tell but that's as good as a smile!" Hans raised his beer bottle then awkwardly lowered it. He scratched his head, "I'd offer you one. I really would but I'm honestly not sure how you'll drink it."

Another thumbs up from the Fellden assistant.

------

In the passenger car, there were around fifteen Fellden. Those inside were either families or a close group of friends. No one dared to take this train alone. As per the rules of the project, they kept their distance from the others. They were allowed to talk with one another but not a soul spoke. Nerves got the better of them and chained them to their seats. They found solace in their silence, just like how they found it in the dark.

But then static came through the speakers above.

"Good morning passengers," said Hans in a cheery but polished voice. "Good morning means that it's a good start of the day! We are approaching the surface in twenty minutes. Please wear your protective gear to avoid contact with sunlight. Thank you for your cooperation."

There was a family in the corner of the carriage. A wife and her husband were seated together and between them lay their nine year old son whose head rested on the mother's lap. Their helmets were on the empty seats in front of them. With a longing smile, she stroked her son's silver hair.

"Fletcher's fast asleep." The mother said in a gentle whisper. "He's such a good boy. Didn't even make a fuss when we decided to go here."

The father picked up the mother's other hand and placed it between his hands. Even though the leather gloves were in the way, he made her smile. "I'm glad too that you understood."

"This is kind of weird isn't it?" The mother lifted their coupled hands. "Holding your hand like this. It feels unreal. And this suit? I even had to cut my hair for this."

"We've gone this far for a new life and you're worried about your hair?" The father chuckled warmly. "You look lovely, dear. In Asrora, we couldn't make this work but maybe it'll be a different story over there. No. It will be a different story, a better one."

The mother tried to smile but her heart weighed heavier. Before, she had long silky silver hair that drew the envy of many in Asrora but now that she had cut it short, her expressions had little place to hide. She didn't want to mention anything but the words slipped anyways, "But dear…"

The father softly lifted her chin and tucked her hair behind her ear. He knew exactly how she felt. "I'm afraid too. Very. But we aren't doing this for ourselves anymore."

He looked at their son who slept soundly. He remembered why he bought a ticket to this train. He never had any lofty goals. He meandered through life's course until he found the love of his life. He thought that was all he needed but then Fletcher came. When he cradled his newborn son in his arms for the first time, his vision in life came to focus and it wasn't just his own.

"He'll be waking up to a dream," said the father. "It'll be a world he's never been before. Well, neither have we. I know it's crazy but we have to be strong."

"I'm worried it'll be too much for him." The mother brushed Fletcher's hair.

The father gripped her hand reassuringly. "We'll get through this. That's what family's for right? To be able to get through the hard times together. To know you're never alone. We'll be there for him the whole way and I'll be there for you too."

Static crackled on the speakers once again. Hans cleared his throat, heard by all because of his preemptive press of the speaker button due to his pudgy fingers, and reminded the passengers, "Approaching the surface in five minutes. Once again, please ensure your suits and helmets are on. Medical teams are already stationed at the cabins to your front and back in case something happens. We've had zero incidents in twenty trips to the surface and the only thing I'm sure of is that you're all in for a treat, ladies and gentlemen."

The father leaned in to kiss his wife but before he was able to, she placed his helmet over his head and slid down the visor. He was surprised but then she kissed him on the tinted glass and left a faint print of her lips. Embarrassed at her own assertiveness, she quickly wore her helmet.

She turned her attention from her flustered husband to her sleeping child. She helped the groggy child sit upright. She spoke with a sheepish smile, "The sun's coming up, Fletcher. Wake up now. We have you get your helmet on."

Fletcher rubbed his silver eyes. His silver bedside hair, a handful stood like a boat's sail from the side of his head, was patted down by his mother. He flinched at the unnatural sensation of the leather gloves on his head. It didn't feel like his mother's hands. But a quick glance to his left, seeing the familiar face of his mother, and everything seemed right again.

"Here we go." The mother helped Fletcher with his helmet. She lifted it over his head and, as careful as she could be, twisted it in place then made sure the locks around the neck were secure. She double checked the locks on his wrists and ankles as well. "Fletcher, I know you've been excited about this but not a peep until we say so, okay?"

"Yes, Mom." Fletcher turned his back to the window where his mother was.

Fletcher's father hunched to his son's eye level. Despite the tint, they could see the glow of each others' silver eyes. "You ready, Fletcher? You'll come across different moments like this in your life. Some as grand as what we're about to witness, some that might give you pain. Either way, never forget them. You might not know it now but those moments add to who you are."

'My father was right. I didn't know it at the time. He didn't either.'

Faint orange lights pulsed by the corner of the windows. The lights had the symbol of the sun and warned the passengers that the surface was near. The train's automated system spoke through the speakers, "Entering the surface in Ten… Nine…"

Unlike Fletcher, the father, and the other people present who took cover, the mother didn't protect her eyes. She kept them stern and steady at the window. She sat confident and unwavering but she rubbed her knuckles.

The father reached for her shoulder. "What are you doing?! Cover your eyes! They might not adjust-"

"No, dear." The mother calmly said. She hid the shiver of her voice. "We're here to trust them, are we not? Let me place mine first."

The father was accustomed to that calmness in her voice. It was an underground lake where the surface looked like solid glass. It was unmoving and so was she. He let go of her shoulder and there was nothing left to say. He hugged Fletcher tight. He respected her decision but prayed that it was not trust misplaced.

"Three…" The automated voice pierced through the silent cabin. Everyone braced themselves except Fletcher's mother who sat upright, ready to believe, ready for the sun.

"Two…"

"One…"

Light blasted through the windows. Screams and shrills erupted from the cabin but the panic was fleeting and soon lost to awe. Everyone noticed the warmth which was the opposite of a fiery furnace. The warmth embraced and enveloped them kindly through their suits. With help of their tinted visors, they realized the sunlight's harmless shine as it passed through their gloves.

The father was no different. The light rested on Fletcher's back and his hands. His amazement was brief for it was overshadowed with concern. He called out to his wife, "D-Dear?"

"It feels like a dream…" The mother's words escaped with her breath that was taken away. The prickly pain in her eyes was not enough for her to avert them. She couldn't pull away from the sight. "Look, Jonathan."

Jonathan joined her by the window. He felt the same sensation in his eyes but he too was captivated. "Oh, Abigail… Who would've thought we'd see the sun?."

Fletcher peeked through the gaps between fingers. He was no exception to the pain but his curiosity was rewarded. The sun had an iridescent amber glow that made him forget the danger it brought upon the Fellden. The endless sky was deep blue like a lake on a ceiling and below was a land caked with pristine white snow.

'My eyes burned but the sun was damn beautiful. There just wasn't any other way to put it. At my young age, I heard tales of Fellden who dug for riches above the soil only to get burned. What did they find? From all sides, they were met with bullets and anything sharp enough to kill. But there I was on that train, literally bright-eyed and astonished. These riches were before me and it made me think. Why did so many have to die to see such wonders? I couldn't wrap my head around that.'