Star Trek: Starbase 777

Ellie paced around, inspecting empty storage spaces, or picking at and fixing little details in the curtains or hairs on the doors. She had never been on a train before. Even though it wasn't a train, train. Just a really, really good depiction of a train. She felt a little tied up; the hallways were a bit tight for her, and the ceiling was almost too low, even though there was still plenty of room, but she was still warm and cozy. She was experimenting with another outfit, at least: some fluffy pants, boots, and a colorful blouse. The only thing she was missing was the poncho. She cleared up at a window, and just relaxed, staring through the pane, and standing up trying to remain out of the way for anybody coming through.

Kix closed the door to the dining car behind himself and took in a (simulated) breath upon seeing himself in the reflection of the glass. He liked the eyepatch at the start when he first entered the holodeck, but now he was stuck with it. The cadet turned and his gaze landed on Ellie, staring through the window much like he was in the dining car. He gently cleared his throat, tipping his hat toward her as he walked, “Ma’am.” He didn’t intend on getting into a conversation, but he was moving slowly enough to get caught in one.

"Hello, where are you off to?" Ellie sounded a bit stern, but she meant it lightheartedly, and she made an effort to let Kix slide by. She was slender enough to let it happen. "It's been to croweded in the dining deck for me to mingle. I haven't seen a ton of people outside of it." The golem kept a blank expression, and despite her colorful outfit she had a rather blank face.

Damn. The cadet slowed to a stop and then turned toward Ellie, before giving the golem a shrug, “Just wanderin’,” He thought that mapping out the train in his mind may help with the rescue, or maybe he could find some glitchy spot and pull an engineering miracle. “Yup,” He said with a little nod, “Lots of folks.”

Sak strutted in the car with a tired and sleeping look on his face. "Evening..." He mumbled and plopped down on a bed

The dining car had been far too crowded for him, too, which was why Sidak had made it over to the sleeper car. All of this was so interesting! A train, first of all, he’d never been on one before, but this whole concept. He’d found himself in strange clothes, surrounded by what seemed like more people than he’d ever talked to in his life, AND he was in a holodeck- the first he’d ever been in. He wondered if malfunctions like this were frequent, though. He hoped they weren’t. “Do holodecks frequently malfunction like this?” He asked quietly.

Oh, joy. More people.

Ellie looked at Kix, and everyone coming in- quite the sudden flood. Most passed by, but people were settling in with her. "You were looking for somewhere to decompress?" Ellie somewhat figured the cadet was uninterested, and she swore she could recognize him a little. Well, she recognized everybody. When the other cadet and ensign came in, she knew their faces, not their names. "The holodeck malfunctioned?" Ellie should have known; she had spent most of her time tuning people out as she got into the atmosphere. She figured nothing could go wrong; there was no snow, ergo no murders, so she figured she could relax. The golem scrunched her face up. "They don't malfunction often, no." She turned to the person getting on the bed. "I'm guessing we can't communciate outside either. I should be paying more attention, forgive me."

“Guess so,” Kix muttered to Ellie. He was not good at conversation, but when the topic of the malfunction came up he did offer a little nod, “Yup. We’re stuck in here for a bit. Rescue team’s a-comin’.”

“This is certainly an interesting thing to experience my first day here.” He stated, also sitting down on a bed. He didn’t believe in luck, but he supposed some people would consider him terribly unlucky. At least he was in a cool cowboy outfit.

1

“Ain’t the worst,” He said with a little shrug, “Been in worse situations,” At least they had a cushy train to wait around in.

“I suppose that is true. This is simply inconvenient, not harmful.” He’d probably be eating those words later, but Sidak was ever the optimist.

“Yup,” Very inconvenient for officers, sure, but for cadets like he and Sidak, they were only gonna be busy by next month. He wasn’t up to anything today, anyway.

One of the corners of an unoccupied bed collided with the wall of the train, spinning wildly in midair.

2

“Huh.” Said Ngozi, who had wandered throughout the train and was finally stopped here by the partial collision.

Sidak, who had kind of been chilling, jumped off the bed he was sitting on about as fast a cat that spotted a cucumber next to it. He didn’t know that holodecks did that. Weren’t they just stuck here? Were other things breaking as well? “That does not seem like it was supposed to happen.” He said, having gained his composure a bit.

Kix barely moved. There’s a slight shift in his body at the sudden glitch, “Don’t see that every day.”

Having followed behind Serin, she wrung her hands as she walked. “I didn’t realize there were horses added to the simulation. It feels silly to say, but I didn’t think there was much more to the scene at all other than the train and the scenery.”

Ellie looked concerned. She hadn't seen anything like that before and didn't even know where to begin. She had to say something, but what should she say? "That is probably not good." Ellie stepped away from the bed, looking to the next car ahead. Then another person joined the car. Their comment made Ellie squint; she had overheard it when they entered, and she did a double take back at the windows, staring at the endless pride of sand, sand, and more sand. Maybe a cactus or two. There hadn't been a single break outside of that. Not a snake, an armadillo, or anything. Ellie exhaled through her nose, shifting her jowl to one side of her face, then letting it rest. "I'm going to go check a few things." The woman wasn't staring at anybody when she said it, she just stared at the wall to the front cars. Picking her feet up and heading to the next few cars.

He was currently looking around the sleeper car for hidden panels, or anything of interest, unaware that the bandits were already on the train.

Ngozi sat down on one of the beds and used a fan to fan herself. It wasn’t particularly hot in the holodeck, but it was something to do with her hands. She took note of the man looking for something. “Have you come to rescue us?” She asked him.

"From this glitchy simulation? Or, at least, this train car? Perhaps. If I can find a way to do it." He continued looking around. "Consarn it! This train ain't exactly connected directly to the walls of the holodeck, and I'm experienced in that newfangled sci-fi technology, not these period-accurate steam machines. Not that I'm too worked up yet; I just wanted to use the phrase consarn it." He said it like cawrnsawrnit, too.

“Strange.” She exhaled through her nose, trying to keep a cool head. No point in freaking out. “If we shut off power to the holodeck, it might have some effect, if we can even find a way to do so.”

Sak sat upright on the bed "Geez, what happened to get you all so worked up?"

“Two rescuers!” Ngozi realized, smiling. She continued to fan herself and took up an almost damsel in distress persona, unaware there was danger on the train. “How kind of you to send for us.”

"I just said I weren't too worked up, didn't I?" He chewed on a culm of wheat as he spoke. He didn't have that before. This was just suddenly part of his character. "Problem is, holodecks are usually powered from the outside. We cain't do much from in here unless we find a wall panel."

Sak stood up and straighted his shirt "Great, so how long till you find the panel?"

Everything stopped. Textures unloaded rapidly, flickering, before an ERROR message flashed across the holodeck, allowing everyone a glimpse of their fellow holo-goers, before everything reloaded. Reset.

"— mm?" Here they were, now. Face down on one of the beds, head in their arm as if they'd been asleep. Maggie straightened, smoothing their dress, running their fingers through their tangled curls. They cursed under their breath.

“Weird program,” Kix said with a little huff. He respawned in the exact same pose he was in before the error happened, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He’s like an NPC.

"We're entering bandit country," a miscellaneous NPC flickering in and out of existence reported. "Please do your best to keep th— the conductor and the freight car safe!"

Ed appeared, somewhat suddenly in the doorway, hair and hat askew. “Hi, gang. Any of you seen… everyone?”

Well, at least Tavek had appeared in the same spot. Engineers of a feather flock together and all that. He pulled out his revolver, ready to deal with these bandits. Maybe that would fix the holodeck. “Hey, you think if we stop the bandits, the holodeck’ll let us go?” He joked.

“Maybe… or maybe we’ll be the bandits next.” He pursed his lips, drumming his hands against the seat, “I’d love to shoot a gun off a horse, honestly.”

“No, no.. keep me off of those things. They scare me.” He said.

“…the horse?” He raised a brow, “Actually… yeah. That’s fair. The whole holodeck thing creeps me out, I can’t really judge.”

Maggie did a bi-i-i-g stretch, expression twisting in discomfort before they drew their fan. "I don't know-- Vialara and Verelan were right here?.." Worried, they looked around, "I hope they didn't fall off the map.." Noticing something, though, they turned to Kix. "What d' you think, sheriff?" they asked him playfully, gesturing to the star on his shirt -- bigger than the others, golden instead of yellow.

“Sure they’re fine,” The cadet muttered, giving a shrug to the ‘sheriff’ moniker before Maggie gestured to his shirt. Kix paused, glancing down at the large badge now resting on his overall strap. “…tch…well, shit.”

Hey, speaking of falling off the map-- He was still looking around for her, concern swelling rapidly in his chest, because anything could've happened in the glitching holodeck, be it damned to all hells, when-- "Wh--" Rojin grunted, suddenly torn out of the freight car, losing his sense of direction in the brief moment of being Nowhere... before he was met with the brief sensation of falling. He somehow managed to land on all fours, expecting then to feel a hard ground, or perhaps even sand underneath his palms and elbows. Instead it was soft, bouncy, and... also warm?

Kix did not want to be sheriff but the laws that he have ordained that he be sheriff. So, he got up from where he was leaning, uncrossed his arms, and grabbed the holstered six-shooter that was miraculously at his hip, “Guess we play along for now.”

He had spawned in the freight car with Rojin, earlier, but had been flung out again before he could get a word in. Now, he was laying on something soft, and under something significantly less malleable. "Uff-" the wind got knocked out of him a little. "Comfortable?" he got out, looking up at Rojin tr'Lareth to find himself in a... rather familiar position. He could only smile about it, despite their chaotic situation.

1

Maggie placed a hand on the holster strapped to their thigh, lifting their gaze up as they heard...something. "Wanna go see what's up?" they posed to the cadet, twirling the revolver.

...Ah. "I'm..." very close to your face, he thought, lifting himself upwards onto his palms, collecting his bearings, possibly taking his sweet fucking time while doing that-- "Well. Quite. Do you need a hand, or..."

1

Ev'kor had to resist the urge to say something very inappropriate. He wasn't exactly sure who all was listening to them, and he didn't feel like broadcasting these things to people whose concern it was not. So he bit back a flirty "a hand with what?", and instead propped himself up on his elbows. "If you stand up, I'll follow." No need to read into that, or anything.

Kix…sighed, and nodded to Maggie, “Let’s go, deputy,” He said with a flat tone. For a guy that said to play along, he sure was a shit actor. He gestured forward and began to march toward the dining car. They had to protect the conductor, and the conductor was, notably, not here.

Right... Right, he might as well do that. Rojin lifted himself off the man and the bed, all the while reaching one of his hands for Ev'kor to grab and be pulled by into a standing position. He did offer it, after all...

Ev'kor let himself be pulled to standing, dusting off his shirt, his hand almost automatically finding the gun now strapped to his thigh. Apparently he wasn't going to be playing the role of medic today. Ah, shit, he couldn't resist. "So, was that a revolver in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" (edited)

2

Something awfully close to bewilderment crossed his face, before Rojin just... blurted out a laugh, unguarded and genuine; when was the last time he..? "It would be awfully irresponsible of me to carry it in my pocket, no?.." he inquired with a slight head tilt.

With all the emotion of kicking the door down but none of the actual action (since she slid it open and dropped down normal style), Vovvi had entered, steadying herself and pointing her revolver. "Having fun?" she asked the pair cheekily, cape blowing dramatically in the wind.

Sliding in through the door between cars, she grinned, appearing behind Vovvi. “Hello there.”

He followed suit, revolver drawn like a heister would, standing behind the two. “Good day.”

A pleased and open grin spread over Ev'kor's face, a sense of normalcy to their interaction that had maybe been lost along the way. Perhaps there was something sad about their easiest moments being those of stress and friction- He couldn't ponder the idea for too long, because Vovvi appeared in the doorway... with an audience. "Not too much fun, ma'am," he said, before drawing his own revolver. He steadied his gun hand by holding it with the other.

Sykes tripped through the window and fell onto a bed, “God DAMNIT.”

4

Wow, it was getting crowded, wasn’t it? Plenty of familiar faces as bandits, he knew they were crew members even if he didn’t know any of them personally. He drew his own revolver (with hot pink paint ammo). “What a betrayal, huh? Our own coming to rob us?” He laughed, he couldn’t keep character for the life of him.

“I won’t bother with formalities.” He extends his arm out, aiming at Tavek as he pulled the trigger, firing a shot of blue paint.

The arrival of the audience took him out of the moment, only to lull Rojin back into the fucked up sense of normalcy that was his... other... job. And seeing that familiar face... He gave his own revolver's barrel a little spin, then: "Care to join, miss Rei'nak?" He aimed his shot at K'Graarra, then.

1

Sykes accidentally tangled herself in the sheets as she tried to get up, “This is why I’m not in the field, Vovvi!” She shouted from her horrific cocoon on the floor.

2

His own shot had accidentally hit himself. Ow.

1

“Wow, real fun guy right here!” He said, before firing right back at K’Graarra.

He felt the impact of one shot, and then the critical impact of another. He grunts twice, diving behind a bed.

Oh, no time for pleasantries, huh? Ev'kor steadied his hand and shot at Suun, trying to get this over with.

Hmm. This would be interesting. She held out her own revolver, aiming it directly at Rojin, closing one eye before being struck. An involuntary chuckle made its way out from her as a splatter of paint struck her. This would be fun.

From cover, he’d decide to shoot again, peeping out and shooting at Tavek with a vengeance. “Bastard!”

"Aww. I hope you missed me," she retorted with a laugh, firing a yellow pellet at Ev'kor. That's what they get for having fun without her, smh.

1

“Oh, you want to play like that!” He fired again at K’Graarra

He might sneak another shot at the vocal Caitian guy while that was happening.

He’d receive a shot back, quickly ducking the second one however. He’d wipe his face, breathing heavy. “Oh yes i do my good sir!” (edited)

Ellie burst through the door suddenly, drawing the mock-up Colt revolver. "Howdy!" She beamed, looking around quickly and aiming and popping a shot at someone random, which, unfortunatlly was the deer caught in headlights engineer Sinau, who the writer had decided was going to get one for the bit.

The bullet she’d fired at Rojin whizzed right past him, unfortunately, wasted as a little coloured splat against the wall. Perfect.

"Please, Vovvi, it's not our fault you decided to abandon us for this lawless life," Ev said, shooting back at her.

1

The splatter of violet paint against her cape just made her giggle. Sensing things were getting a little unfair, Vovvi considered her options. "If you miss me so much, come and catch me!" she called over her shoulder at her pair before vanishing back up onto the roof!

1

Forget all that. He was just firing at K’Graarra again. The guy pissed him off, what could he say.

Eiheu appeared through the door, swinging her gun wildly about. She took aim at Tavek and shot, while screaming... For some reason.

Sinau was still reeling from the fact that she seemed to have suddenly teleported to another part of the train with a revolver in her hands and a heavy feeling in her pocket. She just wanted her fucking cookie, and before she could respond, a little paintball suddenly slapped against her shoulder and caused her to fall back, not in pain but in shock, as the shooter struck her in the arm. "Ow dammit!" She cursed and aimed back at the person who shot her, fumbling with the gun, the last time she shot anybody was with a phaser during the war, not a little (large) winchester revolver.*

He watched the paint hit the bed he used for cover, laughing. “Ha! Miss me with that!” He peeped over, returning a shot.

And disappeared in an explosion of paint. L.

2

Eiheu's screaming did not in fact help her shoot. If anything, it just made her much worse; the bullet recoiled, and shot Eiheu back.

Ready to strike again, Suun aimed for Tavek, pulling the trigger and hoping to not paint the walls orange this time.

Ev'kor watch Vovvi go as he hit her, taunting them to follow her. He was... easily taunted. "You gonna come with?" he asked Rojin, starting to make his way out the far end of the car so he could haul himself up to the roof.

“How rude!” He exclaimed, shooting back at Suun.

The paint hit her right in the chest. Way to go, Tavek! “I could say the same!”

There was a breathless laugh as Ev'kor asked him that, and a nod: "Let's go." To the rooftop they went!

Sykes finally ripped herself free from the sheets she was tangled in on the floor, and leaned out of the room she had fallen in. She watched as Vovvi went back to the roof, alongside Ev and Rojin. “Oh?” She paused, “Oh.” Ohhh this was rich. She’d poke fun at Vovvi later. Instead of pointing at Tavek with a gun, she pointed at him with her finger, “You! Engie! Y’all found any other panels for the- Jesus-” She ducked out of the way of some paint pellets, “-for the holodeck?”

4

2

“I haven’t found shit in here thanks to all this nonsense! Haven’t had time to look around, if you don’t pepper me with paint I’ll look around!” He said, and if no one shot him, he’d indeed head over to one of the walls of the car to look for any panels- the paint might have seeped into the cracks, if that was a thing that could happen.

“Hey, I ain’t been up to nothin’!” She retorted, and ducked back into the sleeping compartment to avoid any other barrage of paint, “My own personal hell, a program I can’t control…” She muttered. There’s gotta be a redundant panel, right? God she hopes she wasn’t right about it being in a cactus.

Ellie had shot somebody! She didn't know how to feel about that until a pellet hit her as well from the same person she had shot. She felt a little vindicated. Maybe she should aim for someone intentionally this time. Sorry Sykes... Ellie took aim for the woman who had just ripped herself from from the covers. Did she feel bad about it... yeah kinda, but this was probably the only way they were going to get out of the holodeck... maybe? She was just guessing. More paint for the paint god. Ellie took aim and tried to take a shot at Sykes before she could tuck behind something.

“There must be some kind of panel somewhere.” She ducked behind Ellie, gun to her chest, trying to think about the specifics of this holodeck. Unfortunately, she didn’t know them all too well, and ultimately had no clue.

Sykes heard paint splatter near the wall beside her and she whirled around in surprise, seeing Ellie holding the pistol, “HEY! I’m on your team!!”

2

"Wait, really?" Ellie lowered her gun for a second. There was a lot to keep track of in a firefight... more then she expected.

“Whatever we’re looking for, it’s probably in one of the locked cars? I’d assume so, so we’d have to play along to be let out. But we’re all low on bullets for the most part.. and I don’t wanna find out where we go when we die here.” He said, not pointing his gun at anyone for a change.

“Truce, then?” Suun raised an eyebrow, peering around Ellie as she stepped a little bit closer.

“We were on horses together, Ellie!!” She felt insane! Whatever, “The only panel I’ve found is in the engine, but there could be one in the freight car,” Sykes leaned out of the compartment, “I vote truce. I got all my bullets still, so…y’all got that, at least.” (edited)

Sinau just looked around, holding the gun; she was surprised she had hit someone. "I vote truce! This is way, way to hectic."

“Hectic, but… a blast nonetheless.” She exhaled, tucking her gun back in its holster, “I admit, I haven’t had that much fun in a while.”

Sykes holstered her gun and stepped out of the sleeping compartment, “You got any tools, engie?” She asked Tavek, “I got a screwdriver, but I don’t think that’ll get us too far in pickin’ the lock on the freight car. ‘Less you have a bobby pin.”

Ellie lowered her gun fully; if she couldn't figure out who she was and wasn't supposed to shoot, she might as well... just chill. "Also, what happened to them?" Ellie pointed her gun barrel at the outline of K'Graarra's paint stains... "Do you think they got teleported out or just somewhere else?"

“That guy had to go. The rest of y’all are fine.” He said, holstering his gun. “And unfortunately, I got the same amount of tools as you.. Actually. Wait.” He fiddled with his badge, trying to see if it was pinned on like an actual pin. If it was, that could probably act like a Bobby pin.

1

21:06

It did come off like a pin! He unpinned the sheriff badge, holding up the needle end of it. “This might work. I’m not a master lockpicker or anything, but it might be worth a shot.”

"If we can find an access point of some kind... we could overload it?" Sinau rolled off the bed she was on as she spoke. "I... Um, I think if we find a panel and just break it... the whole thing could crash?" Sinau wasn't sure, and seemed very nevous about being shot again, looking at Ellie and the other bandits nervously. Picking at the cuticles under her nails. "We might also want something... crowbar like?" She looked at Tavek, and scanned around the room really quickly.

Sykes slid the door connecting the sleeper and freight cars open, staring out at the coupler and weighing her options, “Ah- Thanks, darlin’,” She said to Tavek, fiddling with the pin in her hand, “There’s a fair chance this won’t work for shit, but ‘least we can try. If nothing else, maybe the bandits getting to the freight car will end the program.” She hummed, “Crowbar’d be nice, or somethin’ we can break stuff with in general.” (edited)

“Or the holodeck glitches big time, turns the safety off, and derails the train. Outright breaking a panel’s gonna be a big gamble, I don’t think I wanna risk it.” He said, nodding at Sykes’ theory. “That could be it, though.” He said to her.

“Prying it open could work. Good thinking.” Suun nodded, “If the holodeck glitches, we should be prepared to be put back into our original spots, or somewhere completely different, though.”

"Anybody got a coin? Could use it to unscrew the bedposts. Make a prybar outta that." Ellie proposed, sliding the revolver into her blouse, which had no holster there, so it just slid down her chest and settled into her pants. Ellie took a second to stuff through her pockets and find a coin of any kind, a dime, dollar, quarter, whatever. Just something. "I got nothing." She explained. Turning her pockets out. "Wait." She picked at a button on her blouse that wasn't pinching her clothing, twisting and popping it out of it's sewing. "Up for grabs." (edited)

“I tried an emergency override ‘n nothin’ happened, so we may just have to work with what we’ve got. Parameters say if the bandits get in, then that team wins. Stands to reason the program would end, yeah?” Sykes offered to the group, “I don’t wanna go breakin’ things until we have to.” She hummed, and then loosened one of her bandoliers before tightening one end around the belt on her waist and holding out the other end for Tavek, “Hold this, I don’t wanna go tumbling out into the desert while I’m pickin’ a lock.”

“Alright, then. Don’t worry, I’ve got ya.” He said, grabbing hold of the end of the belt offered to him and making sure his other hand was holding on to something sturdy. Android strength was useful to have sometimes.

Slowly but surely, Sykes slipped her way out onto the coupler between the sleeper and freight cars. These were not designed to be stood on, but she had to work with what she got. Catching her balance, the agent leaned against the door to the freight car and gave it a look. Did it have any noticeable lock?

Yes! It was currently bugged out, though. Looks like you'd need the key for the simulation to accept it...

Of course. Sykes stared down at the glitching lock as it clipped between the door and the doorway, and let out a little sigh, “Alright…fuck,” She slowly climbed her way back into the sleeper car. “Alright bud,” She put a hand on Tavek’s shoulder, “You and your kin are bandits now. We gotta get the damn key.”

3

The beds were clipping through the walls again.

5

4

“Alrighty then, if we gotta be traitors for the good of everyone here, so be it.” He observed the beds, a hand on his hip. “Fucking holodecks, man.”

"Shit, is it going to reset again?" Sinau jumped away from the beds. "We really gotta get the fucking key then!" She was clearly starting to get nervous. Was this just a kind of purgatory where they would have to fight each other forever until the simulation got bored? Could the simulation get bored? "I think we have to protect the train conductor as passengers, so if you get there... we-we can get out yeah?" Sinau started to pace a little, and wobble on each step, rocking forward and back.

“What if we get to the roof.. oh fuck, those three are up there probably just shooting each other up. So much for a shortcut.” He sighed.

1

“First win condition is keeping the conductor safe,” She spoke to Sinau as she put her bandolier back on, “Second’s bandits getting in the freight car. I gotta be honest, I do not care which one’s which. Long as SOMEBODY wins, we get outta here,” She pulled her gun out and spun it on her finger, “I got all my bullets. How many y’all got?”

Eiheu quickly recovered from accidentally shooting herself, and went back to targetting Tavek again. She swore to herself that she was going to hit someone, no matter what!

“Fucking hell! Whoever you are, I will throw you off this goddamn train if you try that again!” He said, dodging the bullet.

The roof would be the fastest way, and likely mostly unimpeded besides the three idiots. Either way presented danger...

"Everyone else seems distracted. What if we just ran through and hoped people only saw us when we got past them?" It was stupidly simple, but it could work. Everyone else was pretty busy, quite literally fighting their own battles. "It's like that video with the gorilla. People tend to ignore what's right in front of them if they are focused on something else-" Ellie did a double take at the person taking a sudden shot at Tavek. "Not happenin'." This time Ellie aimed for someone on her team on purpose!

“We said TRUCE!” Sykes shouted at Eiheu, taking her hat off and bapping the Romulan on the head with it, “I ain’t ever gettin’ in a holodeck again, good lord,” She put her hat back on. “We can go runnin’ past Vovvi and the other two,” Ehehe, “…or try shovin’ our way through the rest of the cars. Either way, we keep our heads down and just…move, ‘least one of us gets there.”

“Y’know.. those three seemed really keen on just shooting each other. I think we might actually have a better chance at not being shot up if we go that way. Inside we got a way better chance of being hit by crossfire.” He said, sending a glare Eiheu’s way. “You remember that other guy I turned into a paint puddle? That’s gonna be you if you try that again. One more shot and everyone will unload their guns into you.” He said before heading over by the ladder up to the roof.

“Watch yourself.” She murmured to Eiheu, before following the others up there.

“Guess we’re goin’ up ‘n out,” Sykes holstered her gun and took in a breath. She did not gracefully enter the train after getting up on the roof the first time, but embarrassment be damned right now. She hoisted herself up the ladder, “Come on y’all, we gots ourselves a key to steal!”

Sinau double-checked her revolver before getting up and making her way to the ladder up to the roof. "The less people we turn into paint the better." She commented, waiting for others to climb up first, tailing behind them, and keeping her six-shooter ready at hand in case there were even more gun fights up top.

"I'm usually against stealing, but I'm up for this." Ellie commented after whiffing her quickdraw shot at Eihue. The revolver was still down by her hip, aiming up at her. "Lets hurry." She holstered the revolver again, in an actual holster this time, and mad eher way to the roof.

Eiheu rolled her eyes at Tavek in response to him. "What are you looking at me like that for? Don't act like you wouldn't have taken a shot at me, truce or no truce!" She then followed the gang up to the train roof.

Thank god no one was in this car. Or at least, it didn't look like there was anyone, as far as William could tell. Regardless, he raised his hands above his head as he had done so many times before, preparing for the worst. "If anyone's in here, don't shoot us for the love of uh... whatever religion you adhere to. Or science. Or whatever. Just don't, please." William then started checking each of the seats / beds / whatever in the sleeper car, trying to make sure no one snuck around behind them as the group made their way through the car.

2

Pistol in one hand, wine in the other, Suun stalked across the room closely behind. “Seems mostly empty. At least, no one who’s willing to shoot us.” She said.

"Phew" William exclaimed. "I swear, after the last car this is way better." William then checked to make sure the rest of the group of the dining car was following, giving a little yell of encouragement to try to entice them over. "Come on, everyone!" He shouted. "Freight car's the next one over! We're almost out of here!"

“Are those beds still glitchin’ through the walls?” Sykes called out as she followed behind Suun and William. (edited)

Finally, they were nearing the end. He did look around for those glitching beds, though, and for anything else that might be glitched out. You could never be sure here.

With the sudden urge to assure the lieutenant that he was doing great, Suun simply opted to not, assuming he didn’t want to be treated like a student. “It appears so. Huh.” She blinked, before taking a swig of the wine.

“I’ll fix those first,” Sykes muttered as she moved through the car.

William walks all the way to the end of the sleeper car, stopping just besides the door that leads to the freight car. He waits a bit for the rest of the group to catch up, knowing that they'd all probably want to see what's inside anyways. "Yeah, car's completely clear. Damn though, what's everyone doing in the dining car still?"

“Shooting each other, or… maybe just talking?” She raised a brow, looking over her shoulder as she joined him at the end.

"Quipping," Meph said, entering the room.

William let out an exasperated sigh. He seemed to be sighing a lot this time, apparently. He pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke. "Should we uh... bring them all in here?"

"No need. They'll be in here eventually. Train's not going anywhere, is it?" Well, not any more.

Sykes caught up with William and went to open the door to from the sleeper to the freight car, “Hell no,” She said with a little grunt as she shoved the door open, “We’re gettin’ outta here.” (edited)

“True. Let’s just get moving and allow them to catch up.” She nodded, trying to decide whether to keep her newfound wine with her or not.

William shrugged and smiled. You know what, you're right, Carissa. "Alright, everyone who's in here, let's go check out what we've all been fighting for, shall we?"

Vovvi was following! She wanted to win. Even if she kind of didn't help her team at all.

Well, Tavek was here to repeat that, so if she wanted to give him the other end of that belt, he’d be happy to keep her from falling out of the train again.

The last car had been a nightmare and he had spent the duration trying to make himself as small as possible so as to not be shot at. He was just here for the train, he was just here for the train... "If there's nothing interesting in the freight car then I'll be sending the writer of this programme a very strongly worded email."

4

"You and me both." William said, directed towards Giles.

After a rollercoaster of the flavours of alcohol, apple juice, alcohol, and then static again, she put the bottle down. Real wine later.

Sykes waved her hand toward the door to the freight car, and nodded to Giles, “You’re up to bat, conductor!”

Both him and Garcia followed along. The engineer seemed curious, the Vulcan was as stoic as ever.

Tum tee tum. Off he went. Lalala.

With slightly less whimsy, he also entered the next carriage.