middleofsomewhere | Enemy Unknown: Conclusion

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Enemy Unknown: Conclusion

The third night is as long and creepy as the others...

It might be that they found the engine room, solved the puzzles and found themselves in the hangar bay with no way out. It might be that they were still in the station hiding from the invisible monsters. Or it might be that they had been plucked from the mission and were waiting in their holding room.

Either way morning dawns on the fourth day...

ENEMY: UNKNOWN

DAY FOUR

the trapped. THOSE WHO SOLVED THE ENGINE ROOM SPENT THE NIGHT IN A LARGE HANGAR THAT DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY DOORS. Their SCA's are working, so they can still communicate with those in the station, perhaps talk them through the engine room puzzles or tell them to stay clear. As morning comes all the lights in the hangar come on. Brighter than any lights so far in the station, harsh white light after the eerie red of the rest of the mission.

Everyone still in the station wakes where they fell asleep - if they slept at all. It's not long after most people are up and about that they will hear a high-pitched beep from their SCA, and then a blue light will envelop them and those around them. It might be they spot their friends vanishing before they too disappear.

They arrive in the hangar, reunited with those who spent the night there. All their gear is with them at least, but that doesn't solve the problem of being in a hangar with no obvious way out. Nor are any of those who vanished during the last three days here, their SCA's still go unanswered.

the vanished. FOR THOSE IN THE HOLDING ROOM, THEIR NIGHT HAS PROCEEDED MUCH LIKE THE NIGHTS BEFORE. One of the screens showed the hangar, and those that had succeeded in completing the engine room task. The lights had dimmed for sleeping and turned on again bright in the morning. For those watching the screens they will see those in the station vanish in blue light and turn up in the hangar.

Around half an hour later a voice sounds in the room. "Please gather your belongings and prepare for release."

It's another ten minutes, allowing them to make sure they have all their things before their SCA's beep. They are then surrounded by a blue light, taking them from the room they had spent the last few days in.

REUNITED

reunion. AN HOUR PASSES AFTER FIRST ARRIVALS PASS IN THE HANGAR. Suddenly, there is another flash of blue light, and the missing eighteen Voidtreckers appear with the rest of their crew. They will find they had all their gear as well, including their missing weapons.

They are left to their own devices for a small while, a time for reuniting with friends, but not long enough to exchange stories before a voice rings out in the hangar:

"THANK YOU CREW OF THE VOIDTRECKER EXPRESS FOR YOUR COMPLIANCE. YOU MAY RETURN TO YOUR CRAFT."
There is a loud mass of beeping as everyone's SCA's flashes at the same time, holographic messages popping up too fast to be able to read them in their entirety.

Voidtreckers come in.

All Voidtreckers return to the Voidtrecker Express
Voidtreckers evacuate now

Voidtreckers do you read?

Layers of holographic messages pile on top of each other but a moment later everyone's SCA's glow gold and everyone vanishes from the hangar...

LUGGAGE CARRIAGE

return. EVERYONE ARRIVES INSIDE THE LUGGAGE CARRIAGE, PACKED LIKE SARDINES BETWEEN SUITCASES AND TRUNKS. There is no announcement, no warning of returning to the void; just a lurch that is likely to throw anyone on the train unaware of what has just happened off their feet, no matter the carriage they're in.

They return to the void at what feels like breakneck speed. Colours fly past the windows, and it is a good few hours before they seem to slow to their normal travel speed.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Sorry..." He shook his head. "I... I understand. People should clear soon."

He didn't like being around this many people like this either. "Um... I can help you find a path out if you wish..."

Wangji has seen this young man around, but not met him yet. He looks about as comfortable as Wangji feels in this cram of bodies.
"That would be very helpful, thank you."
He gently shifts so someone else can move their arms.
"Is it always like this after a mission ends?"

He reached for the mans hand, to keep them together as he began trying to find his way through the crowds.

"No. Most of the time we can get back on the train normally... Was this your first mission?"

Touching others is unfamiliar to Wangji, he's a little taken aback at the physical contact but he doesn't pull away. The small hand is surprisingly firm.

"This was my second, last time I simply boarded but I wasn't sure if that was the norm. How long have you been aboard?"

"Yes... That is how it often is... But sometimes we are called back in an emergency."

Like right now. "I've been on board for about ten months now."

Wangji nods, that is a longer time than most he's spoken too so far.
"Are these emergencies typically more fraught than this? Is there a system in place for any injured, if there were any?"

"Yes..." He nodded looking down. "It's only happened twice that I know of. Once we fled shapes that destroyed the world we were on." At least he assumes... With all they know now.

"The second we had to leave a world before it was sealed... Um... There's a triage carriage not far away, I believe the transgates are set up so the injured can be taken there and to the medical carriage quickly..."

"Only twice is impressive, but still two instances too many." Wangji thinks this person must be stronger than their years, to have stayed this long and still choose to help the people they come across. "An entire world destroyed? It does not bear thinking about."
So many lives...

"A triage carriage? That is good practise. Is anyone here trained in medicine that I should know of? I know some people have the ability to heal with their energy, or magic." He himself could be one, for less than life threatening injuries. He's better at keeping people alive than true healing.

It didn't and yet what could they do but think about it? So many lives lost, so much suffering. It makes his heart hurt, one death is too many and thinking about whole worlds being destroyed... It was too much.

"Um... Yes. There are people. I know Ryo... He's a healer. Do you know him? There are others too..."

He doesn't know, because the medical carriage is not somewhere he can be.

The young man looks saddened and then uncomfortable, which makes Wangji feel a little guilty even if he is unsure of precisely why.
"I do not, what does he look like?"
He has spoken to few people on the train, not many would choose to approach and he can be... abrupt.

"He is young... Um... I can show you on the passenger roster."

That would be a lot easier than trying to describe him.

"That would be kind. Thank you."
Wangji takes a second to fully digest the statement.
"You say he is 'young' as if you yourself are not?" He queries, he knows nothing is what it appears on the train - this could be one of them.

"Ah no." He shook his head. "He is perhaps only a year or two younger than I am."

He is a creature who would get very old, whilst looking as old as he ever would now. But compared to many kirin he was very young.

"I see." Wangji deflates a little, hoping for less child soldiers than that of his own youth on board this train. It did not seem likely. "I have lived a very long time so most are 'young' to me." He elaborates, his golden core spinning keeping him alive until he chooses otherwise.

"Ah..." He nodded. "Where I come from many people are immortal, they look young even though they are very old indeed."

So it's not too strange to him that Lan Wangji is much older than he seems.

"I find the idea of looking that much younger and living as long as I have concerning. The age of adulthood has changed so much in the last century alone." People who would have been considered adults in his time are now almost still children. Sometimes he thinks it is better that way, but he does not think he could live like it and never age.

"Ah... I guess that is true." At least it was somewhere on earth. It did not seem so in his own world, mostly because when you had kings that could rule for five hundred years change was slow.

"Is it common... Or are you rare in your longevity?"

"It was an experience to learn how how well humans can adapt." Wangji finds it remarkable and (deep down) distressing. People are very quick to forget somethings they would do better to remember.
At the question he has to take a moment.
"That depends on your view. I come from a time where it was commonplace to strive for such, but now I find I am one of very, very few. I have not met any of the others for many years, they were reclusive when I was young."

They may have even chosen to pass on.

"Ah..." He nodded, "Then it is remarkable that you have done so."

In his world it was not so difficult, all that needed to be done was to be on the register of sages, which meant having a job serving as a minister or other role at court.

"Perhaps." Wangji concedes, but it could also be seen as a mixed blessing at best.
"You sound much older than you look."

"Ah I am eighteen." He looks a little younger, perhaps in his mid teens rather than an adult, but so far it is easy passed off as looking young for his age, even if he is pretty sure he will never look any older than this.

"I guess it's because I'm a kirin."

He's technically been mature since he found his king, eight years ago.

Wangji is a little surprised, but in a pleasant way.
"Then you must have experienced much, already."

He looks more surprised now, eyebrows actually raised.
"A...Kirin? You must be very powerful to be able to change your form."

He can only nod to that. He has indeed experienced a lot.

But at the question he smiles and shook his head. "Ah. It is normal in my world. I mean there are only twelve Kirin, but we all have a beast form and a form like this."

Indeed he was unusual among kirin at how long it had taken him to learn to change forms.

Wangji has to admit, the train is forever full of people who constantly surprise him.
"So it is an innate skill." He considers this a moment, "Still impressive, nonetheless. In my world, that could be considered akin to being a god."

He shook his head. "We are not god. We are... We work for them, I guess that is a way to say it."

It was a bit complicated and less clear than that.

Enemy Unknown: Conclusion

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