Stowaway Runaway

Bang

Thud

I heard the sound before I felt the pain.

My head hurts a lot now. Not surprising since everything is metal in this dark room. It is too dark to see why I fell but it does feel like I am moving along a curve.

“He..” My throat is cracked. I need water to get my voice back.

The door to this room has a window with light peeking through the blinds.

“Hello?” It is painful to hear my voice, but I am glad I got it back thanks to my saliva.

The hallway is narrow, flat, and oddly long. The only buildings that have long hallways are community centers, celebratory event centers, and others. They would have windows though.

“Ah!” I fell forward to the floor. At least its not metal, wood is still hard enough though.

Buildings do not move like this. Trains do, and they also have these long hallways.

As I move forward towards the front car, hoping to find a conductor before then, I hold onto the railings with both of my hands.

Judging by the interior of each car I was in, the first seemed to be for baggage, next was for the cabins, and this one smells like a kitchen.

I finally found someone. Chefs are not on trains due to the short trips between cities and how most crews leave the train and hangout above the station while unloading and loading occurs. Right now, I am too hungry for a conductor, I need someone to feed me.

“Hello?” I knock on the door frame before entering.

“How or what?” His face is understandably surprised. As I not only interrupted his lunch, but we are also strangers. I think.

The table is full of diagrams and other papers with his lunch is untouched and at the end of the spread of papers.

“I need this soo badly!” I sit down and ate right in front of him.

“Just when the train is hard and fast, a stowaway is found! Just great.” His look made me finish the sandwich as soon as possible. I was holding his abandoned mug as he grabbed me and pulled me up and out of this room.

When we took a few steps out of the room, he looked at me.

“Finish the drink then tell me your name.” I did as he said. The bitter drink made me cough a bit though.

“I – cough – am Arla.” I grabbed onto the door frame as the train car swerved harshly again. Dropping the mug in the process due to my other hand still held by his.

“Well, Arla. This train is clearly currently a runaway train, as you just felt. Head straight to the front car quickly. I will be right behind you.”

“What about your” He then dropped my hand and gestured the direction.

“Now!” His clean-shaven face and shaved sides of his head makes me think that he once worked in the military. The conductor’s uniform also helped give that impression. That or just the angry look in his brown eyes.

I quickly walked to the front of the train; I would have run if the tracks weren’t so curved while the train is speeding.

“Hey Conard!” He pushed past me to yell while opening the door. “We just got another problem.” His thumb is pointed towards me.

“Uh. Hello.” I shuffled myself around the one yelling to get a look at the one called Conard. “I’m Arla.”

“She brings a problem and a solution!” He looks to me and points to the chair next to Conard. “I need to make a few calls. Question her on how she gotten aboard.”

“She doesn’t seem to have the ticket to save this train nor conduct it.” Conard’s reply of light humor did not get his co-worker to laugh at the corny pun.

I sat down mostly to prevent me from falling down and to steady myself for the next curve. “I also don’t know how I got aboard this train.”

He swore then entered into the small room attached. It looks like he picked up a cellular phone.

“What the? I never saw such an ancient technology before!”

“Are you talking about CBTC?” He has an odd quizzical expression. “All trains use this radio method to communicate to the wayside.”

“Not the ones I ridden.” I tilted my head on instinct to think really hard about it.

“Oh. I see the device above your ear. That explains a lot.” I touched my phone which is implanted above my ear. I cannot believe I forgot about it.

“Those devices are innovative technology that only the main planet is supplied.” I was shocked to hear that I am not on my home planet.

“Ah.” I want to cry but I have so many emotions that it is impossible to relax enough to cry. “What Planet am I on then?”

The kind sympathy he shows in his face makes me glad I got to talk to him, rather then the one still in the communication room.

“Don’t mind him. It’s been quite awhile since the train lost the magnetic brakes. See here?” Conard shows me the stick he has been holding the whole time. “This here are the backup brakes. It is still possible to stop the train at any moment, but we need to stop at an available block in a station for the train to rest in. The current loop we are in is part of a busy track.”

“It sounds similar to the trains in my home planet. I think my family prefers space travel though.” I do roughly remember seeing my family recently. “What is the date of today?”

“Ah, well. It is the seventh of the third month of 5500 AA, which will be a different time zone than your home planet. I think the difference is about a month?”

“Third month? Why do your months not have names?” The second month on my planet which I left at, I think, is called Groundhog.

“Haha! It sounds like you nor your family hasn’t travelled far.” He pointed to the calendar on the wall next to the door that leads to the hallway. “The name of the months that our planet use is different, that is why numbers are used instead.”

“You seem to be mocking me! Why are you so relaxed in this situation?” I pointed to the braking stick. “Why are you not using it to at least slow it down for the curving tracks?”

“Well, well. It seems like waiting is not your thing. Try telling me about yourself, what do you remember last before you were on the train?” His black eyes, or really dark brown irises, do remind me of space. The lights from the tunnel coming through the only window, shining in those dark eyes, remind me of a recent dream of looking through a porthole out into space.

“I think I remember going out with my family for a short trip. Might had been a cruise around my home planet. I do know that I was shopping for a gift and was looking at an island’s wares and jewelry. Last thing I held before waking up here, was a scented candle.”

“Everything I heard from you, all seems to point that you were kidnapped, and they transported you through this planet to get rid of the trail or the port this train was heading for was the place were all the pirates and criminals do trade.” He patted my arm that was close to him, which was a kind gesture right now.

“Thanks” I finally feel relaxed enough so I can cry myself to release the stress and anxiety. I would not be able cry here though, Conard is sill a stranger. “Um, is it okay to get something to drink? I can bring you something.”

“Well, it seems like Gunther forgot that I also need a lunch break. So, as long as you come back quickly, its fine. My lunch is the one in the blue bag in the fridge.”

Hmm. I look into the communication room and see him. After an hour of meeting him, I finally know his name. Gunther, he has a personality that shoots off like a gun, so his name suits him well.

It took me awhile to get the lunch. Though betting off from the conversation I left from, Conard might know why I needed to leave and why he let me be alone.

Even when I noticed the clock in the lunchroom, it only told me that I cried for half an hour. How long I have been here awake and how long I was unconscious is something this clock will not tell me.

As I quickly hurried back to the front car, I heard an argument between the two men.

“Lunch! She should be back now if that is true!”

“A runaway train might hard for her to move fast in and you forgot to provide me lunch if your plan was to leave me working thrice over while missing my lunch.” Conard noticed me looking through the glass pane in the door.

I was waved in then. I quickly gave the lunch to Conard and sat down.

Conard and Gunther switched places.

“Before I go for my lunch, what is the plan that you mentioned before?” I almost giggled when I saw Conard taking out a muffin after just claiming that he wanted a conversation before he started eating.

“As I previously mentioned, Arla can prevent the train from stopping on this flat highway of tracks and”

“I can What?” He is claiming that I can save the train!

“Oh, right.” Gunther turned the chair towards me, while switching his hands to continue holding the breaking stick. “As conductors, we shorten every station to only mention the name and omit the word station.”

I looked at Conard and he nodded to confirm.

Gunther has turned towards Conard and continued the explaining.

“Arla, um, station, is what the train needs. It has an incline that this train will not be able to climb, it will help to slow the train down and guarantee to stop the train at the station with the emergency brakes.”

“Understood. That hill prevents many trains using that station due to that incline whether which end they enter into. It should be empty long enough for our emergency stop. So, what is the hold up?” Conard oddly forgot about the muffin he was stuffing into his face; he might have a lot more questions to ask.

“Our route is already planned. Route 99 is ready; the hold up is that our train passed the junction before the confirmation. We need to ride the rails for one more loop.”

“Have you reported a stowaway was found on the train?” Conard is still holding the forgotten muffin.

“Yes. I told them that you will provide them with more information after the interrogations.” Gunther turned to look at me again. “I will watch over her properly during your reporting.”

Conard handed me his lunch bag. “Eat something. Those pirates probably didn’t feed you as they transported you.” He entered into the communication room with his muffin.

“You claim to be kidnapped by pirates?” Gunther doesn’t sound angry, but I refuse to look at his face in case he looked like he was.

I place my head into the lunch bag and got a sniff. Its smells so good!

“You ate my lunch, and you still need more food?” I just nodded to his question.

It should be obvious since Conard mentioned why he gave me his lunch.

Gunther’s presence made it hard to eat though. I just ate the protein bars and ignored the dish that smelled of fried noodles and vegetables.

“The memory I had last, before awaking in the dark storage room, was of shopping. I think it was a place for tourists to shop at.”

“Why are you unable to have a clear memory before this train?” Gunther is giving me the impression that he does not believe me.

“My memory had faded due to the time that had passed, the last date I noted and why I was shopping is my mother’s birthday is at the beginning of the second month! Which is the reason I know that I was shopping and for whom. I know that I was with my family and on trip, as it happens a lot. Those trips were always a blur as I always drink alcohol to remain a comfortable state of mind around them. I do love my family, but they can be hard to deal with!”

Since I dislike Gunther, I don’t mind that he knows I cannot handle my family.

“If you were constantly drunk, then I can see how you were an easy target for pirates.” He seems to be unfazed by my rant. “Since there is a chance that pirates had boarded the train to sneak some contraband onto this train, and the train is above the weight it should be, the forces that will bring you home will need to investigate everything.”

“The forces?” They sound scary.

“Our planet’s forces are similar to the main planet’s police.” His facial expression seems to struggle as he thinks for more words.

Which is a nice chance from the grumpy look.

“Our planet is run by a company for its one propose of work. Thus, the large intense train rails running underneath the surface of the planet. The main planet has many companies and even has free individuals with their own companies, which are needed to be watched to ensure they follow the rules of the planet.”

Our conversation had ended for awhile now. I placed the lunch bag on the floor during his explanation of the forces.

I just watch the bag slide as we pass along another curved track.

The door opens and Conard has finally joined us!

“We need to lock up the cars that we suspect to have contraband before we stop at the station. Arla, show me which car you found yourself in.” Conard is even giving me a reason to leave the grumpy person.

I jumped up and took the lead.

I roughly remember that the lunch car was the third one from the baggage car. It will be hard to find the room.

“I might not be able to remember which room I was found in, as there were many rooms on that car.” We both were paused in our tracks as we pass another curved track.

“We only need to lock the car, not the room. We also need to lockup the contraband that is weighing this train.”

We quickly found the room which I was stowed away in. The empty burlap sack on a shelve with a dent in the wall across from the shelve was very clearly the one.

“Seeing that dent you made. You should get medical treatment, and for what else the travel had caused you.” Conard may sound sweet, but even I thought that once the light showed us the dent.

I just nodded.

Conard locked up the car once we made sure no one else was inside.

For the looking for the contraband, the boxcar doors are only assessable at the sides. We had to head to the control panel. All that was needed to do was to set off the emergency lockup. It locked every boxcar.

Soon after, we braced ourselves for the large incline as Gunther updated us on our whereabouts when Conard reported about the cars.

“So, when the forces come to investigate, there will be some to bring you to their office on the surface.” Conard and I are waiting outside the train, on the station’s platform.

I feel nervous.

“I feel sick.” That sinking feeling just came out of nowhere.

“You must be nervous. Go sit down.” I went to the bench Conard pointed to.

I need a distraction of this situation.

“Conard, why is the technology of trains are millenniums old, yet the spaceships are changed every century?”

“Propulsion is the main reason. How to do it efficiently, cheaply, and safely will make it change. Petrol took a century to make it efficient, another century to discover the hazards.”

“What fuel is used the most?” I can see people in the station. They must be the Forces.

“I personally think its human labor.” Conard said it like a joke and a sad truth.

“Are you…” I looked at him and tried to ask if it was a joke.

The Forces had reached us.

“Which one of you is the stowaway?” This group of people are here to take me home. The tone of voice they all use, why or how they ask the exact same thing in union is weird.

“I am.” I raised my hand to salute them. They sort of give me the impression of the military and I need them to find me find my way back home.

“These two officers will escort you to our headquarters.” The two mentioned saluted with ‘yes sir.’ They are clearly trained from the military.

“Um.” I look behind me at Conard. “Thank you for helping me.”

Following the two members of the Forces through the station and reached the surface of the planet, I took a deep breath to finally relax myself.

“Before we head to the headquarters, we need to buy food for you. When was the last time you had eaten?” I am glad to hear that one of the two is talking, rather than what I witness from their greeting.

“It might have been an hour ago, and it was just a snack.” If they are buying my trust with food, then they are on the right track.

I asked for a sandwich and warm milk tea. I also took a mental note that the street hints there is a burger place nearby, so if there is a chance after the interrogation or on the ship back to my planet, I will get myself a burger.

I told them everything, starting from the last memory I have before I woken up in the train, how I woken up, and may need a checkup before going home. I answered everything I could and got released quickly.

Indeed, my promise to myself is fulfilled. The Forces sent me home on cruise liner with my favourite burger franchise and also placed one of themselves to ensure a safe cruise home for me. I will be meeting up with my family at the port station on my home planet. So, I left that planet safely, where the rest of the Forces promised to put an end to the trafficking of the people from my planet.