Author Notes:
Phew, next OBOM chapter is up at last~! And finally, a new development is afoot! Please pray to RNGesus that it won't end on a blitzkrieg speedrun, somehow lol
Honestly, I think I was in the zone with the new OBOM chapter. Curious to see how you all will enjoy it. Also, there's a very, very hidden easter egg in the new OBOM chapter, do enjoy digging it up~!
Now, as before, thank you for reading! And don't forget to check out the 40% discount (how steep!) for newcomers to my Patreon page! The discount applies to the first monthly or yearly subscription!
Lastly, enjoy the first proper look of our main characters, Aurea and Umbra!
1: https://postimg.cc/N9DMJrfy
2: https://postimg.cc/CB71PfLn
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A yellow chem light lands and bounces a few times on the dusty, metallic floor. Other than kicking up a brief gust of aged dust, the chemlight does its very best to illuminate the dim surroundings.
"Jeez, seems like it's ages since any living soul ever paid this thing a visit..." I mutter, peering through the opening that is a part of a series of cracks that run around 1/3rd the length of the train's roof.
It's an unsafe drop from here to where the chemlight is, so I will have to break out my rappelling gear if I am to go in by this route. Not like there's any other alternative, anyway, considering the other holes in the train's armor plate are physically impossible for me to get into, or at least not as safe as the one before me.
So, I stop my mulling and get to business, pulling out the necessary stuff from the Inventory before figuring out where exactly to secure my rope for the drop. I end up fastening the rope around what seemed to be a jammed vent that looks to be quite sturdy still... At least, I hope that's the case.
Shaking myself out of my morbid thoughts, I make sure to equip myself with something to help with all the dust and detritus down there. We have to protect our lungs and all that. Eventually, my digging through the Inventory net me one of the Daily Login Rewards that I didn't quite think would come in handy so soon, a full face respirator mask that is both compact and comes with a depolarized visor. Honestly, this black mask looks more futuristic than it has any right to be, and it's a perfect fit for my face. Coincidentally, it doesn't clash with the aesthetic of my Black Silk bodysuit.
Donning the mask securely, I take a deep, purified breath before turning to Alpha.
"Alright, wish us luck." I wave at the Horned Wolf, earning an affirming bark from the mighty beast as I grab the rope with my hands.
Obviously, Alpha won't be able to accompany me in this foray, given that there's no visible way for it to get out of this locomotive. Instead, I ask it to be a watchout of sorts. Alpha will howl into the gap should it sense something's amiss. The derelict nature of this locomotive means Alpha's howl should travel far enough for it to be audible no matter where I am inside the train car. If such a circumstance ever comes to pass, it means it's time for me to book it and rush back to climb the very rope I'm about to descend on.
"Well, here goes nothing..." Without further ado, I rappel down into the opening.
Even with the sun and chemlight acting as light sources, the expansive nature of this locomotive means that, for the most part, the place is as dark as the night. When my feet touch solid metal, casting yet another plume of dust, the first thing I do is toss out more yellow chemlights, shedding more light into the darkness beyond.
"Damn, this place is really due for a thorough cleaning..."
"T-Thank the Divines that we got the mask... I don't think the air here is safe for inhaling..." Aurea chimes in, both marveling and acting nervous when she takes in the dim surroundings.
"Honestly, it may actually be a great idea to start praying to Viola, from here on out. Who knows, maybe she will grace us with better Daily Logins in the future? After all, you and I know just how almighty she is, compared to the Gods and Goddesses around these parts." I shrug while turning up the flashlights I have on me.
One flashlight is mounted on a head harness, the other I clasp in my left hand while my right pulls out the RSh-12 revolver. I have always run with ear protection whenever I am expected to fire a weapon. That's why I don't have to worry about using the Assault Revolver in confined areas like this dead space locomotive.
"Honestly, it wouldn't hurt if we could get some NVG with an IR torch for this trip... But beggars can't be choosers."
"R-Right... I will keep that in mind, Other Me." Aurea nods, taking my advice to heart.
Fun fact, although we know that Divinity exists, neither Aurea nor I really believes in those higher beings. To us, the Divines are too far off for us to even think of them. Viola, the one who granted me my second lease in life and us the System, is probably the sole exception. For all her good deeds, Viola's status as the Originator of All deserved every possible prayer and gratitude we have to offer. Although to have Aurea and me mouthing those in every single waking moment may be a bit of a stretch.
Neither of us has what it takes to become devout believers, really.
Digression aside, I look around, using my flashlights to identify possible routes that can lead further into either the space train's control room, the Combat Intelligence Center's equivalent, or the officers' quarters. If I am ever to figure out what the hell happened to this steel behemoth, those three areas are my best bet. The only issue is...
"Life really doesn't make it easy for us, huh?" I mutter with a wry expression as I see very welcoming corridors that look nearly the same.
The annoying thing is that the signboards these should have are probably lost to time, so Aurea and I will have to venture in blind, for the most part.
"Well, we know that the locomotive is half sunken into the ground, headfirst. Going by the standard convention that may or may not fail, whatever bridge is used to control this space train should be positioned in the front. So, in theory, if we take the path where it slopes downward, we should eventually come across the equivalent of the White Pearl's pilot house... I hope."
"Ehm... Is this a good time to pray to Viola now?" Aurea asks in an unsure manner.
"Yes." I reply before randomly picking a wide corridor that slopes downward. "Yes, it is."
Coincidentally, the small compass on my wrist, an item from the Military Survival Kit, shows that the direction I am now walking is headed straight North. I take that as the first sign of good luck in this shadowy place.
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"This place is deader than the Voyager in the year 3000..." I complain to no one in particular as I end up with yet another room with broken digital instruments.
Those that I manage to find relatively intact don't have power whatsoever. To add salt to injuries, all the paper trails that I have dug up thus far crumble upon the slightest touch, making any attempt at information retrieval useless. The only lucky break I have had has been to identify that this locomotive is Germanic in origin, judging from the few faded words that are painted on the walls of each room and hallway. Other than that, I found not much else.
For what it's worth, no sign of a corpse, yet, can mean that this train was successfully abandoned. That, or the corpses are all gathered in a morgue or a burial site or something before whatever fate that befell the Knights from before happened to the surviving crew at a different location. More simply, all the corpses have decomposed to dust over time.
Again, it's a fortunate thing that we have a respirator mask. Ain't no one fancying breathing in dead people.
Nevertheless, useless as most of the stuff was, I still deposited them all in the Inventory like the little loot goblin I am. Why? Because I have unlimited space in the Inventory, and all of these no doubt contain a small amount of rare materials. In the future, melting these for the minerals will no doubt fetch quite a bargain.
"How long have we been down here again, Aurea?" I ask upon coming into contact with yet another bulkhead that, strangely enough, remains open.
It's as if the crew never once thinks about closing any of these metal blast doors to prevent unwelcome guests. Even doors to what I identified as private quarters remain mostly easy to break into, either by physical force or finesse.
"Around an hour, I think, Umbra?" Aurea replies as she witnesses me step through the bulkhead.
"Some may say that it's been an hour too long..." With my flashlights, I take stock of the new space we suddenly find ourselves in. "But I think that entire hour we dedicated to exploring has finally paid off. I think we have reached the central area of this locomotive. At the very least, we have reached the part where it's important, judging by how this space suddenly opens up into many corridors and hallways, and how they all converge here... This is like one important logistical node, I think. And going by convention, we can reach pretty much everywhere critical, or at least near one, using a logistical node."
Both Aurea and I take our time surveying the place, further confirming our suspicion when we see some powered-down vehicles that seem to be used for material transit and personnel transfer inside the space train. Again, I loot them all.
After a while, I decide it's time to move on, thinking about how to make good use of the rest of the burning daylight.
"Right, let's drop some more chemlights to mark where we have been an-!"
I spin in place, raising my RSh-12 in alertness in the direction that was once left unlit. Thus far, not a single light on this futuristic train could be turned on. And now you're saying that, the moment I set foot into this logistical node, somehow one of them is operable and automatically comes online to illuminate a single walkway?
I don't know, but I smell something fishy.
The whirring sound of something behind me prompts me to immediately turn around, leveling both my flashlight and revolver at nothing in particular. I wait for a few seconds as the whirring sound becomes louder until, one by one, the light strips that are mounted on the roof and floor of the logistical node start lighting up. Together, they form a cadence that causes me to think that someone, or something, is asking, no, urging me to go down the recently lit walkway.
"Yo, that ain't suspicious at all." I complain to whoever's behind this light show, not caring if they can even hear anything I say.
Obviously, after countless years in disuse, the light strips are unable to be used as a reliable navigational aid. There are long segments where not a single light can be turned on, but at the very least, the intention behind this whole surprise was transmitted successfully.
I first check for a possible security camera, thinking it can be used to track me for this whole light show to be initiated. I turn up inconclusive when I do see the cameras on the roof, but I don't know if they're working or not. Another guess would be some sort of motion sensor or heat sensor, but again, no means to check if those exist and are still working. Those things are even more finicky to keep running than those cameras above my head.
"Right... Talk to me, Aurea. You think we should accept this totally not sus invitation? This could either be an automated program, or somehow, there's someone out there that would like us to come in for a chat."
Aurea pondered seriously before hesitantly replying.
"I think at this point, we're in way too deep to retreat now... B-But obviously, we must maintain proper caution as the path ahead can be wrought with danger!"
"Uhm, you would be correct, dear Other Me!" I reply with a small smile before flicking the cylinder of the RSh-12 open, making sure that I am stocked with armor-piercing bullets, just in case I come across some high-tech thingy-majig that won't go down after a polite talk.
"Well, here goes nothing..." I say as I take new steps toward the suggested pathway.
I really should pray to Viola, huh?