[Academy RP] A railway in Metztli

[Xio]

There was a gush of cold mountainous air that swept through the station. Alba’s hair subtly danced to the breeze with the wind clinging onto his clothes. As fast as the breeze had entered, it had dissipated. A tune blared from the above head speakers, as a voice begun to speak. Even if Alba could speak Nawatl, the reverb and echoing across the drab grey brick walls distorting the voice beyond intelligibility. However he was able to pick up a number: makutlakoli, number 5.

The clattering of luggage wheels jumbled over the uneven floor, the checker pattern of black basalt and white marble cracked and torn apart. The luggage wheels’ noise was orchestrated by the many voices surrounding Alba, children laughing and crying, adults murmuring to one another, parents bartering with shop keepers for a treat for their children.

 

The station itself wasn’t what you would call a work of art. It was built in the shape of a semi circle, with dark grey bricks made of hard stone arcing from one wall, over the ceiling, to another. Many pillars in a grid fashion were made of the same dull material, each ordained by a logo in red and white; the Metztli National Railway Company. The same little tune played once more, the same voice blurting out similar information. But the number had changed: nakutlakoli, number 4.

 

Alba glanced to his left, then a moment later, his right. And ever so carefully leaned over the dotted red line, where you’re meant to stand behind, to gaze out the left tunnel. It was dark. A spiderweb of metal tubing stretched over the walls like vines on a wall, and further beyond was a bright blue light. Squinting, Alba vaguely saw the outside mountain, a pure baby blue sky contrasted by the grey and greens of Metztli terrain. He felt his stomach drop slightly, a slight anxiety of the thought of the train snaking it’s way around the mountain side, one wrong turn and…

The annoying tune had gone off again, but Alba ignored it, continuing to gaze to the outside world. A ghastly roaring emerged from the opposite side of the tunnel, faint at first, but quickly picked up. At the last second Alba pulled his body backwards and onto his backside, the train’s wheels screeched as the brakes were pulled, and eventually come to a stand still. A hiss of pressure emanated.

 

The train itself was made of at least 12 carriages, 6 cargo, 6 for the public. The public carriages were built like rounded cuboids, or tin cans, with the bottom half grated dark grey, and the top half flat light grey, all made of sheets of metal. The windows were flat and long, with the doorways elongated semicircles. On the centre of the carriages were the same logo as the columns. Meanwhile, the cargo carriages were flat metal boards with rails and belts holding down crates and packages. Almost all of the cargo crates had a different seal slapped on, one of a miner’s axe and shovel. The Metztli National Mining Company. And of those at least 80% were labelled (surprisingly in the Latin alphabet) “Lalomino”, Aluminium.

 

After much gawking at the trains, a second puff of air expelled from the train, and Alba quickly rose back to his feet. He looked down at a piece of paper that he had taken out of his pocket, with instructions on how to get to the centre of Grand Altepatl. The train numbers matched, and thus Alba shuffled into one of the public carriages, slumping down on a slightly mildew smelling crimson red cushioned seat. After several seconds had passed, the doors of the carriage shut, leaving Alba and several Metztlikatl in silence, the only sounds being the rhythm of the clunking of the rails, and whistles of the wind, and the occasional whipping of sound of a passing train. The perfect blue sky was dotted by small white clouds, and in the far distance, a black and grey haze of thunder clouds atop an endless patch of tropical green. Mountains soared like pillars of God into the heavens, their grey rocky bodies standing tall against nature, villages clinging onto the sides and resting on plateaus, and in the far distances ahead, the gleaming city of Grand Altepatl.

 

It was beautiful.