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Post by Chando on Dec 24, 2010 16:50:45 GMT
"Within all that is, there will always be a song to sing, a thought to think, and mysteries to unravel. Our only impact on the world is which ones we choose for ourselves." Whiz sat on the bench, fiddling with a small piece of sheet metal and some wires. To any outsider, it would appear that he was anxious, nervous, or eager to get some energy out. However, Whiz was deep in contemplative thought, unusual for him. He had simply gone to bed last night, and when he awoke, he was on this bench, in this city. There were a few possible explanations.
Number one, and most likely, he was dreaming/hallucinating. There wasn't any way that he had been transported to a strange, deserted metropolis in his sleep, unaware. It was probably that Chinese food...he should know better after that Kung Pao incident last May.
Number two, he was dead, which would make this the afterlife. He couldn't think of any reason that he shouldn't be alive, but then again, people died all the time for random reasons. Maybe his heart had given out, or he'd contracted some serious disease and died in a coma.
These two reasons were sound logically, allowing Whiz to rationalize his current situation.
Then again, if he had wanted to rationalize, he probably wouldn't have made that blog post, and then proceeded to respond to another commenter. Just the fact that he hadn't given up on the reality of the situation meant that option three was viable.
Maybe he really WAS in the City of the Lost.
As this thought occurred to him, he checked his project. The wiring he had done so far was simple enough, enough to route power through a small solar panel. Maybe he'd make a robot or something. If there were any parts in this city, that was.
Whiz shoved the board back into his pocket just as a low keening issued from his right. The deserted rail looked...well, deserted. But something was coming. The keening grew louder, into a metallic shiiiiiiiiiiiiiing. And suddenly a train pulled into view.
It was sleek, silver, and completely empty. An automatic door slid open with a pneumatic hiss, beckoning for Whiz to enter.
He had nothing to lose, after all.
Whiz stepped up, striding towards the train confidently. As he entered, he noticed the interior. Plush, yet thinly laid, carpet covered the floor. The seats looked comfortable enough, and Whiz sank into one, glad to be off of the hard steel bench.
The doors shut behind him, and the train sped off on the rails. Glancing out the window, Whiz estimated that they were going over 90 mph, easily. However, he felt no residual effects of the motion from inside the train. That was some genius engineering right there.
Outside his window, Whiz could see the station he had just departed fading into the distance behind them. To his left and ahead, a huge skyline loomed over him, the city imposing on the horizon. But to his right, only a barren wasteland met his eyes. There was no vegetation or life to be seen. And it didn't end. The wastes stretched for miles in every direction. It was eerie.
Turning his attention back to the city, Whiz noticed that they were inside the skyscrapers' embrace now. Signs floated past the window, and Whiz caught several views of impeccably maintained streets.
There was no one else there.
Suddenly, the train began a slow, downhill glide, coming to rest at a small station similar to the one that Whiz had just left. The doors opened to an empty terminal, and a calm voice sounded out.
"Downtown area. Attractions include: The Pavilion, The Fancy Hats Club, and the Megamarket."
Whiz shook his head. Nothing that sounded like a cafe. Too fancy.
He waited a few seconds, and then the doors shut and he was whisked off through the city again. This time, he got a better view of the streets themselves. It looked like an ordinary big city; shops and restaurants, benches, intersections.
After a few minutes, the train stopped at a new terminal.
"Uptown area. Attractions include: The Apartment Block, The Park, and Cafe Deluxe."
Cafe Deluxe! That sounded like the place for him.
Jumping up out of his seat, Whiz walked off the train, angling for the escalator that looked like it would take him down to ground level. As he slid down, he glanced back at the train. The doors shut swiftly, and it departed as though it had never had a passenger in the first place.
As he alighted on the cement of the sidewalk, Whiz suddenly took in how vast the city was from down here. Buildings towered over him; they probably eclipsed the sun during the day. For now though, they settled for blocking out the night's stars. It was a humbling experience.
It was actually fairly warm in the city; probably an insulation effect from the massive amounts of building material surrounding it. As Whiz walked, he put his hands behind his head and began whistling as he processed all of this.
Rounding a corner, Whiz suddenly spied a colorful sign across the street advertising itself as the Cafe Deluxe. He smirked.
This City wasn't that scary after all.
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