Ghost Train

Fourteen valiant pilots lined up on the station platform on time in anticipation of departure for the first mission led by Dead Bride. After a commanding recitation of all the regular mission formalities with assistance from Threespeed's handy cue cards, we made final preparations for the journey. A signalman’s kerosene lantern accompanied Dead Bride on the rear cargo bay of Pinafore, to light the fleet’s way through the spectral gloom. Engineer Epoxy pulled our train out of the station to the sound of a locomotive whistle, with Lordmcfuzz as the caboose.

After a short jaunt up the northern line, we chugged into our first stop at Porter station and picked up our passenger MsMoon. Dressed for a rail journey with luggage in hand, she boarded the rear coach of Strangelove, which had also been outfitted with a handsomely decorated boxcar. Threespeed punched her ticket to ride, and we were off again, working our way along a wormhole on a former Boston & Lowell railroad line, where we briefly stopped to commemorate the remnants of a former Somerville train station. We then wiggled our way down to the Kendall Constellation, crossing many railroad tracks and following the Grand Junction path for part of the way, before making an unscheduled stop at MIT for an emergency fuel dump.

On the road again our moving train was boarded by a pair of bandannaed bandits on HARVs, who turned out to be Sewer and Pastry Queen. They joined us as Epoxy took us on several circuits of Cambridgeport to the tune of ‘Charlie on the MTA’, which narrates the tale of a hapless civilian’s never-ending subway journey. Fortunately for the fleet, we avoided a similar fate, and navigated across the river via the Western avenue track.

Eventually the fleet made its way to a signalled crossing and disappeared into a large tunnel, emerging on the other side to take shore leave on the wrong side of the tracks at a former switching yard. (Even though very few actual tracks remain, Allston is categorically on the wrong side). Pilots enjoyed scouring the area for rusted artifacts, including several spikes, and the fleet was surprised and delighted when an actual train thundered past. Dead Bride deployed her portable cooking apparatus and dished up some varmint stew, while Snow passed around some excellent homebrew. After leaving behind some hobo markings, the fleet packed up and prepared for the next leg of the journey.

From Allston it was a straight shot across the river into the Watertown system, where we picked up the trail of a new wormhole that traced the path of a former Boston & Maine Railroad line. This route took us past former industrial areas including a cake factory with ghost tracks leading right into its warehouse. The last scheduled stop was a hidden tunnel near to Fresh Pond nebula, where pilots climbed down furtively to the phantom tracks and observed the markings of many visitors from the past. Sewer used his artistic skills to add to this array with a cryptic and beautiful chalk drawing.

Epoxy navigated us back to the launch pad for closing ceremonies, where medals of chic were awarded to MsMoon, Threespeed, and Pastry Queen. Miraculously, the kerosene lantern was still burning and had remained steady for the duration of the mission, which was declared a success.