"Hello! It's day two of the expedition, and we're making… progress? Probably… Hehe… Anyways, we're getting close to the edge of the city. I took the time to jot down some things about what we've encountered so far and I took some pictures, but I couldn't capture everything. Some of it's… kinda hard to believe. Maybe you guys'll make better sense of it than us. It's been really interesting though! We met some people along the way who–"
"Are you recording again?"
The camera flipped from Vash's face over to Nai, who was a few feet in front of him.
"Yeah. We can't update Luida until we get the radio working, so this is the next best thing."
"Do you have to do it now though?"
"...Is there a better time? We're just walking. It's kinda quiet."
"Don't tell me you're scared," Nai said incredulously.
"No. It's just kinda… lonely. Don't ya think?"
Nai's eyes widened for a moment before he glanced away, not sure how to feel about that. "Is that so?"
There was a pause. Vash zoomed in on his brother's face, putting on a dramatic voice. "But amongst all the uncertainty, rest assured that some things never change; Nai is still just as grumpy as when we left. And he won't be swayed by any foolishness."
Nai just side eyed him before turning away with a sigh. "Are we walking or not?"
"Okay, okay."
Vash tucked the camera away and caught up, taking stock of their surroundings again. Not much had changed since they left the home of Clara, Teresa, and Robert. There was the occasional stray creature, but they were less bold than the ones they'd encountered prior, seemingly unwilling to attack without a pack to back them up. It could only have been an hour or two since they'd been walking. There was no way of knowing for sure. The houses continued to stretch on and on, the spacing between them gradually increasing.
While the eerie silence had been temporarily abated by Vash's recording, it quickly enveloped them again. It was the first time either of them had spoken in a long while. Both of them could feel the awkwardness tightening around them. They each wanted to break it somehow, start a new conversation, yet didn't know how to broach it. Nai couldn't help but feel a bit of… shame? Disappointment? They'd been traveling together this whole time… How could Vash say he was lonely?
Vash kept his slightly downtrodden gaze on the pavement. Despite what Nai said after they departed the house, he didn't feel much better about anything. He could accept the reality of it, sure, but that didn't mean he had to be happy about it.
Uncomfortable or not, the two decided it was best to just keep quiet. Luckily, they were spared from themselves just a few minutes later. Along the sidewalk, a young woman was sitting on a bench, fidgeting with a device in her hands. Her right heel tapped endlessly on the ground as she stayed laser focused. It wasn't until she could hear the footsteps of the twins that she turned her head up, her eyes becoming visible under her ball cap. She let out a gasp and hastily put the device down, shot up to her feet, and stood right at the edge of the road with her left hand out, thumb sticking up towards the air. A grin plastered onto her face as her right hand found its place on her hip.
The twins got close enough to notice the odd behavior, their attention on her now. They both just watched in confusion, stopping a short distance away. They expected her to say something, but she just kept her stance and looked between them expectantly. Nai raised an eyebrow as Vash tilted his head slightly. The woman's smile faltered for a split second before she pulled her hand back and stuck her thumb out again. Still nothing. Was it supposed to be a greeting? A silent cry for help? They had no clue.
Not sure what else to do, Vash just stuck his own left thumb out and beamed back. Nai put his face in his hand.
Finally realizing the two men didn't know what to make of her, the woman sighed before picking up the device again. She tapped on it rapidly before looking back up at them. An uncanny voice sounded from it, trying its best to imitate human speech patterns.
"I take it you don't see many hitchhikers where you're from?"
Vash lowered his hand and looked at her, shaking his head. "No… Actually, I don't think we've seen any. Oh, I'm sorry, can you hear us?" He pointed towards his ear.
The woman nodded and typed again. The device spoke back. "Yes. Don't worry; I understand you just fine. I was hoping for a ride out of here… but it looks like you're going on foot."
"Yeah… sorry. We'd have happily taken you along though if we weren't." He glanced towards Nai, knowing that wasn't necessarily true. Oh well.
"It's alright. I'm more impressed you guys would risk it…" She furrowed her eyebrows and tapped on the top of the console a few times before typing again. "I know this is kinda random, but… do you guys know anything about trains? Like, how they work?"
"Maybe? Only a little bit at best. Why do you ask?"
"To be honest… It's my only other hope of getting away from here."
"Are you saying… there's a train here?" Nai questioned.
The woman's eyes trailed behind her, falling on a stairway leading from the street. She waved her hand towards her, gesturing for them to follow. The brothers looked to each other.
It could be dangerous, was the first thought they shared.
But it could be useful to see what's down there, was the second.
Coming to an agreement about what to do, Nai was the first to step forward after her as they started the descent.
Sunlight gave sufficient vision for the first bit of the way, but it was quickly swallowed by an impenetrable darkness that obscured where their feet should land next. The woman pressed a button on her device, providing a new light for them to see with. As it turned on, a thought crossed Vash's mind. He pushed it back slightly to give way for a proper greeting.
"Sorry, I didn't catch your name." He peered over Nai's shoulder.
"Abigail. You can call me Abby." The device responded. "And you are?"
Vash opened his mouth to respond. A single syllable couldn't even escape his mouth before Nai cut him off. "How far down are we going?"
Abby gave a moment before answering. "Not much further." Another pause. "This isn't a trap, if that's what you're worried about."
That didn't settle the matter at all. If anything, it just aroused suspicion further. Still, it was worth investigating whatever awaited them regardless.
Now it was Vash's turn to sigh as he circled back to his thought from earlier. "So… that thing you have… what's powering it?"
"Solar. It's enough to last me a while down here, but definitely not ideal if I ever got trapped. That's why I need a better place to go."
Then why not stay above ground? Nai asked himself.
Only a few steps remained until they reached the floor of the underground. Posters advertising events long passed were graffitied over with colorful language, artists' signatures, and messages of doom saying. The walls were littered with similar markings. An effectively useless turn style was the only thing blocking their path towards the train tracks proper. Lights were sparingly fixed to the floor, their wires extending out back the way they came. It was just enough to let them see what Abby told them about: a train.
Its doors were permanently open, allowing dust to float freely in and out of its cars. Vash looked down the length of the platform. He couldn't see the end of it. There was something… unnerving about it. All of this, just to transport one person? How could something so spacious feel so suffocating?
Abby slid into the front car, signaling for the brothers to follow. Nai did so first as he watched her every move. She stepped into the control cab, typing away as the twins stood to either side of her.
"This is where… MOST of the problem is. I think some of those rats chewed through the wiring while it was abandoned. It'll take some serious reworking, but I don't know how it's supposed to go and I'm afraid of frying the whole thing. I've been more focused on the power supply. Luckily, that's the one thing we DON'T have to worry about. I've been storing up power from some of the solar panels on the streets and rerouting it down here. Once this circuit board's taken care of, it'll at least be able to move. The OTHER major problem is down the tunnel.
The tracks split in two about half a mile out. But both ways are blocked. One way is barricaded by a bunch of heavy stones, probably from a cave in. The other way has some… mucusy stuff that's stretched all the way across. Stuff is tough as leather. I tried to cut it, but a blunt knife can't even get close to doing the job. So I was hoping you two would have something to help. With anything."
Nai crossed his arms and looked down at her, his eyes scrutinizing. "And what would be in it for us?"
He didn't wait for Vash to interject. He shot his younger brother a cautionary look before he could even open his mouth. Vash's stare was disapproving.
Abby wiggled the rim of her hat before typing: "If we get this train moving, it can get you wherever you're going. Assuming you want to get further out of this city like I do."
No doubt it was enticing. It would make traveling much simpler. Besides, it was hard to imagine finding anything else of value. They'd scavenged just about every interesting place they could find. Not to mention that if the train was still running when it was time to go back to the ship, it would be much faster.
"Fine. We'll help you," Nai agreed.
Vash smiled. "Why don't I stay here and work on the circuits? You can probably deal with the tunnels better than I can."
Nai nodded. "Try to be done by the time I get back." He smirked.
"Yeah, yeah. We'll try not to slow you down," Vash joked back, waving his hand as Nai went to exit the train.
"Oh, here." Abby pulled a flashlight from the floor and handed it to the older twin. "Might make things easier."
Nai accepted it wordlessly before stepping back onto the platform and hopping down onto the tracks, venturing down into the endless darkness alone. Vash watched his form until it faded out of sight, a sense of dread suddenly creeping up on him.
"Have you worked with things like this before?" Abby asked. She started laying out her tools neatly for easy access.
Vash turned his attention back to her. "Yeah, a bit. I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I know the basics."
"Good. That's all I need. With both our heads together, we should be able to parse this out." Her smile was gentler, less forced than before. There was still a bit of resistance behind it. Perhaps it was some reservation about the likelihood of her plan working, or the countless hours toiling over this project finally catching up to her.
Vash returned a soft smile in kind, feeling optimistic about their odds. "Right."
Not wasting any more time, Abby started to inform her new assistant of everything she'd discovered so far. Manuals, panels that connected, functionality that was crucial to the train's operation, things that would definitely set them back, and the work she'd managed to accomplish so far. It was complicated, no doubt about that. That didn't mean it was unsolvable. Vash promptly started tinkering with the different wirings and panels, bouncing ideas off of Abby to see what she thought. The progress was slow at first, with her hesitantly approving of his suggestions bit by bit. Persuasion and trust were the key. It would take a healthy amount of faith to get through, but this way, at least they were working towards something.
Meanwhile, Nai was venturing through the abandoned tunnels a step at a time with only the flashlight's beam to keep him company. Nothing about the situation frightened him, per se, yet there was an… unsettling cold in that place. He couldn't put his finger on it. His senses were heightened in the event that something tried to ambush him while he was in unfamiliar territory. Maybe that was why he was so on edge.
No… there was something else. Something was… watching? Listening? There was no way of knowing. But he was confident there was something. He wasn't sure why; he just was.
That was when he heard it; right when he reached the fork that Abby mentioned, down the left path, he could hear the faintest echo of that… singing again. This time, it was even more jumbled than before. The rhythm was unsure of itself, bouncing in and out timidly. It made its mark nonetheless. Nai was immediately reminded of that… thing he and Vash had seen the night before. He felt his chest tighten at the mere image of it snapping back into his brain. As much as he wanted to try to make sense of it again, it wasn't exactly a good time. He made a mental note to talk to Vash about it when they could.
Wait… why hadn't they discussed it on the road between the house and the train station? Had he just forgotten? Felt like it was too much in lieu of having to temper Vash's insistence on helping strangers? Was he just hoping it was an oddity that wouldn't reach beyond the confines of the space they'd seen it in? Clearly it wouldn't be that easy to dismiss. He could only hope that it would do them the courtesy of turning a blind eye as well.
The further he walked, the more faint the singing became. It was as if it was retreating into itself, not wanting to be discovered. Was it actually getting farther away? The thought of it provided Nai temporary… relief. The feeling caught him off guard, making him take an unsteady step. Relief? Relief from what? What could possibly be out there that he couldn't take down? He'd proven himself more than capable countless times. In what world would he be powerless against something?
It wasn't much longer before the light in his hand landed on what he'd been searching for. The mucus Abby described was there, seeping in between sleepers of the tracks. What she had failed to mention was the source of it; a sickly white and pink membrane stretched from the floor all the way up to the ceiling. Faint glows sparkled off and on inside of it in various spots. The uneasiness etched deeper into him, but it wasn't just the appearance. He swore, upon the sight of it, it was… pleading with him. He took a deep breath, pushing down the feeling. He had a job to do, and he intended to get it done.
As the ribbed knives protruded from his right hand and he lifted it up to slice… he paused. Was he sure he wanted to do this? Was this really what he wanted? Wasn't there another way?
…What? Nai asked himself. Where is this coming from?
It was so simple; it might have been the simplest task he had since departing from the ship. Then why was it so difficult? Why was his mind being sewn with such baseless doubts?
His hand shook in the air, the questions overwhelming him as they repeated time and time again. He shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, pushing through them to do the only thing he could.
The cut was done in a blink. And just as fast, he came to regret his choice.
A high-pitched, agonizing shriek bellowed out from the spot. It rattled Nai to the core, crumpling him down to his knees as he clamped his hands over his ears. The flashlight clattered to the ground and rolled down by his feet. He writhed in pain, letting out a yell of his own. The membrane shook violently. The walls around it absorbed the tremors, traveling through the foundations of the tunnel. There was no end to the screams; they just went on, and on, and on, and on, relentlessly, no regard to the ones who could hear it.
Indeed, Nai wasn't the only one who had to suffer its presence. Even back at the train, Vash could feel it sting his eardrums, causing him to wince and clutch his ears. He bent down onto the controls for support, breathing heavily as he tried to wait it out. Abby jumped slightly as she watched him. Such a visceral reaction seemed contagious somehow.
"Are you alright?"
Though her device relayed the message, Vash couldn't hear it. His senses were filled with that heartwrenching scream, the despair digging into the pit of his stomach.
Breathe… Breathe…
That was the only thought his body allowed in an attempt to weather the storm. It was all he could do.
Several excruciating seconds passed before it stopped. Just as suddenly as it started, it was gone. A ringing in Nai's head persisted as his own body tried to come to terms with what happened. He feebly removed his hands from his ears, his eyes wide as his heart and lungs tried to steady themselves. He dared to look back up at the thing he'd just cut, staring into the tear that now oozed a gray liquid. The mark pulsed. The singing was gone entirely, replaced with a pained wheezing. Nai just stared at it and continued to tremble, wrestling with what he did…
Realizing that the sound was finally gone, Vash carefully opened his eyes. His hands moved away from his head. He took several deep breaths to recenter himself.
"You good?"
Abby's question finally reached him. He looked over to see her concerned expression studying him. He gave a pained smile.
"Yeah… Sorry. Just a migraine."
That answer seemed acceptable enough to her. She walked back to the passenger car, rummaging through one of the bags placed on the seats. She returned with some medication in her outstretched palm.
"Painkillers," she explained.
Vash shook his head. "No, no, that's alright. It's going away now. But thank you."
She shrugged and pocketed the tablets. "My dad used to get headaches like that. He said it felt like his skull was splitting open. Glad I didn't inherit them."
"Yeah… They're not pleasant, that's for sure." Vash picked up the wire cutters that he'd dropped when the screaming started, turning back to where he left off.
"Did they start when… THIS all started?" Abby asked. "I'm assuming a bit, but you were probably a child too when everything got flipped."
"Hm? Oh. The headaches didn't start then, no. It was about a year ago, I think." He scratched the back of his head, keeping his eyes on the panel in front of him. "But you're right about that second part."
"Right around when the meteor shower crashed then?"
"...Huh?" His eyes widened slightly as he turned his head towards her.
"The meteor shower? Didn't you hear about it? Well… I guess I'm assuming again, but I thought EVERYONE around here saw it. Or heard it, at least. Hard to miss. Some big things just came rocketing down a few miles from here. I… haven't really talked to anyone in a while, so I don't know if anyone ever went to check it out. Kinda wish I'd gone to see it myself."
A meteor shower… about a year ago… It was all too familiar to him. Of course it was. He turned his head back and kept tinkering with the machinery. "Yeah, now that you mention it. I think I did hear about that."
"I guess it's not THAT big of a deal. Not compared to everything else. Not like it changed anything." Abby's face grew somber as she looked out the front window. "I was hoping maybe it would be the official doomsday. Like the Rapture or something. Or maybe some other planet miraculously coming to our rescue. I don't know. It's crazy, I know. I just wish it would've done something to make this all go away."
Vash's heart sank. He frowned as he continued with his work, trying not to think about it. Nai's words echoed in his mind: "that's not your responsibility. We only have each other."
But here was someone saying they wished they were more. Was it really okay to just ignore that. It felt so… shameful, so cowardly not to do something. Maybe it wasn't about the big, titanic victories or gestures. Maybe it was just about doing one small thing, one small step to get someone in the right direction. Even the tiniest bit could improve someone's life. If that was all he could give, then what was wrong with contributing?
He shut the panel, satisfied with his progress. There was only one way to test if it was correct… He nodded to Abby. She flipped a switch on the console. They both held their breath, waiting…
All at once, the headlights flickered on, the floor beneath them humming with power. The signals started to alight in the cab. Even the passenger cabins started to glow again. Abby's face beamed as she turned to Vash with a grin. He grinned back, putting his hand up. She completed the high five, buzzing with energy as she examined every function to ensure it was operating properly.
Amongst the fervor of system checks, Vash caught sight of his brother's form returning to the train. It wasn't long before he reboarded the passenger cabin, his face pensive.
"How did it go?" Vash asked. "Did you cut a way through?"
Nai's gaze only met him for a moment before trailing off to the side. "...I can't."
Overhearing the conversation, Abby furrowed her eyebrows at him. "What do you mean? Do you need other tools?"
But Vash knew. One look at his brother's expression was all he needed to understand. He turned to Abby.
"He's right. We can't go that way."
The wind was knocked straight out of her sails. "But there's no WAY we can break through those boulders. Not without endangering ourselves. So what do we do now?"
Nai gave himself a moment to think before replying. "I can get us through."
That only raised Abby's skepticism. She started to wonder if he was just suicidal.
"Are you sure?" Vash asked, worried he was taking on too much at this point.
"Yes. Just get the train moving. I'll take care of the rest."
Abby glanced at Vash. He nodded to her, asking for her to have faith in them. As much as it pained her to stake all of this on some unknown variable she just had to cross her fingers would pull through, she didn't have much of a choice. She shrugged.
"Alright. Just say the word when you're ready."
Without explanation, Nai climbed his way onto the roof of the train. Abby and Vash stayed in the control cab. She opened the side window and held her device out as she typed.
"Are you sure you'll be alright up there?" She asked. "Don't you need something to hold onto?"
He kept his eyes forward, lowering himself on his hands and feet to lower his center of gravity. "Just drive."
"Alright… Don't blame me if you get hit by something and go flying." She closed the window and turned to the younger twin. "Is he ALWAYS like this?"
He just chuckled nervously, not really giving an answer.
Nai extended the knives from his hands, stabbing them into the train to keep himself stable. Four knife tendrils slithered out as well in preparation as they gripped onto the sides.
"Here goes nothing." In just a few short moments, Abby got the train moving.
It was a crawl at first. The gears struggled against the rust and decay built up in the years of abandonment. Churning to remember its purpose, it moved nonetheless. It chugged along further, and further, and further, steadily picking up steam. The loud grinding and squeaking sounds were less reassuring, but before long, it was back to regular speeds. Abby would've felt elated about it all if it weren't for the large obstacle before them.
Before they knew it, they were at the split in the tracks. They turned down the right tunnel, making Abby grip her device harder. She was unwilling to watch whatever came next, electing to shut her eyes instead. Nai kept his focus locked, the tendrils on his back lifting up. They extended out in front of the train like a barrier. As the rocks barring the way forward came into view, the tendrils lashed out, criss crossing over each other to slice the boulders into harmless chunks. From inside the train, it just sounded like hail was striking it from all sides. But nothing was cracked or broken in the process. Luckily, the whole tunnel wasn't caved in as Abby feared. Rather, it seemed that a small section of the street above had collapsed in. With the rest of it still structurally sound, the rest of the journey went on unencumbered.
Once they were in the clear, Vash nudged Abby. "It's okay; we made it through."
She trusted his word and looked to see for herself. The headlights illuminated the now clear path ahead. She allowed herself to breathe, her shoulders instantly lightened. For the first time in so many years, she finally had some hope.
The speakers in the passenger cars announced the next train stop. As it slowed to its destination, Nai finally got his chance to remove himself from the roof. He reentered the passenger care for the final time, brushing dust off his shoulders.
"Are you okay?" Vash asked, looking at him worriedly.
"Of course." Nai's tone grew amused as he looked to see his brother's genuine concern. "What? Did you actually think I was going to fail?"
"Of course not. I just wanted to check on you. What? Am I not allowed to do that now?"
Nai chuckled. "If it makes you feel better."
Vash hung his head in defeat.
With the train fully stopped for the time being, Abby took the chance to ask: "How did you do that? I didn't hear any explosives or anything."
The twins glanced at each other. Nai crossed his arms. "I have my ways."
"...Right." Abby wasn't sure what to make of that. It was unsettling to say the least. Regardless, it got her through a tough spot, and that was all that mattered. It felt rude to question it further. "Thank you. Thank you both." She smiled at each of them. "If it weren't for you, it would've taken forever to get out of there. You're free to ride along as long as you want. And if you ever need to get anywhere, you can come back any time."
"Thank you, Abby." Vash returned her gratitude. "Uh… could we ask for one more favor?"
"Sure."
He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Truth is, we're not from this city. We don't really know our way around yet. We don't know where we've been or where we're going. Could you give us some directions?"
"Gladly."
She directed the two of them to a map that was posted on the passenger car wall. It detailed the different train stops in and around the city. While it wasn't a full picture of the city itself, it did give a good sense of how they could get around and mark off any places they'd already ventured. Vash took a blank page from his journal and started to recreate it in his notes for future reference.
"So… Do you know where you wanna end up?" He asked Abby.
She shook her head. "Not really. I just didn't wanna stay in one place. Especially THAT place. Nothing but bad memories left, y'know? Left a sour taste in my mouth. I don't know what all is out there, but maybe I can find something better. It's worth the chance, right?"
"Right."
"What about you guys? Where are you trying to go?"
Vash looked down at his journal then up to Nai with a shrug, his smile nonchalant. "We don't really know either. We just wanted to see what else was out there."
Once all the questions were answered, Abby took her place in the control cab, pushing the train forward once again. Regardless of where they would end up, they were all heading in the same general direction. Even if it was just for a short time, it was nice to have some company to pass the time.
While Vash was taking his notes, Nai watched him for a bit before closing his eyes. He knew it was futile to attempt sleep, but it felt nice somehow. Vash glanced up to see his brother's version of napping. He watched him in shock, almost believing for a second that he really was asleep. He smiled gently, glad that his brother was finally, finally giving himself some time to relax.