Tuesday 12 May 2009

DISTOPEIAN SCRAPBOOK :Nostalgia Train

nostalgia train 

Trench foot's back was killing him he was homeless and had bean sleeping on a sofas in tramps tea room a long with others who's homes was destroyed in the riots. But now he had sold his DJ gear  he had enough money to get off this rock . He was sick of earth and now there was a opportunity to leave. He had herd a rumor that some people in Russia had a warehouse full of otuss and they was giving them away for free. Because they wasn't going to need money in space and it will be essayer to get out past border control if 150 ships make a break for it at once. Trench foot wasn't usually this gun ho but losing his home had pushed him to braking point. The only things the riots had left him was the DJing gear he was using when the riots started. He had just left the train station the ticket was for tomorrow morning so he had a day to get what he needed first stop was the river rat boutique to get some new clothes  

he walks through the river rat boutique past the market stoles to the fitting rooms at the back where the stylists was standing and telling people why to use them rather than the other stylists. one comes up to him “hi sir have you seen my excellent mens ware designs” she points at the photos pinned up out side her fitting room “are you looking for anything in particular” he looks at the photos “yeah, I need just about every thing” she smiled  “i think I can help” the two of them walk round the market picking out material and haggling with the stole holders. When they have what the stylists said was enough material they go back to her fitting room. The fitting room was a prefabricated metal box. The shelves which lined the back of the fitting room was filled with fabric paints, dies stencils and silk screens. Along the edge of the shelves hung various cutting tools and other devices. He stands in the middle of the room and gets measured by the stylist as she tries to make conversation but not very successfully. Its not that Trench foot is unfriendly Its because most of the questions she's asking are about the future and he didn't want to say too much about he up coming trip.

He leaves two hours later with a new wardrobe and a new holdall to carry it all in. He needs to take the weight off his feat so he heads back to tramps.

“Hi Mary, an Irish American thanks” she grabs the pot of coffee “what's with the bag” he looks down at his new holdall “ I'm going traveling” he takes a sip of his coffee “going anywhere nice” he smiled “i hope so” he says as he walks over to a sofa. He drinks his coffee then falls asleep. The sun shining through the big windows wakes Trench foot up. He looks at the clock and rubs his eyes. it was just past two in the morning. He gets another coffee with out the whiskey this time. He drinks it quickly and heads off to the train station. 

He gets to the station and looks up and down the platform at the people with there big bags. He can't help wondering how many heard the same rumor as him. The train move slowly in to the station and everyone gets on and finds somewhere to sit. The train moves out. The trip to russia may take a week depending on if the line is clear. A lot of transport has bead disrupted by the riots. he opens his bag to get out his book. In his bag is a number of items he had not put in there. He takes out a mug with a postet note stuck on it “another one goes for a walk. Hope you like your presents enjoy your trip love the girls from tramps xxxx ” he smiles, Mary had told him how much people nicking mugs piss her boss off. He looks back in to the bag at the three boxes of herbal tea obviously taken from the stock room. Mary must have put them in there when I was asleep he thought. Fore hours later the passengers have got restless and are moving around the train. Trench foot gets up and heads for the dining cart. The dining cart had a row of vending machines at one end and a hand full of  tables. he gets a burger from a vending machine and sits down at the table with the least people round it. The group round the table was exchanging stores. One thing he notice  was no one ask where he was going and he didn't ask them because he didn't want to be asked in return . He looks round the dining cart a tall man is leaning on one of vending machines applying an obscene amount of condiments on to a burger. After the third packet of mustard he sat down next to  trench foot. “Hi” he takes a bite of his burger and a blob of mostly mayo drips to the table. “I'm  Will” the two started to talk. Will was a musician who had traveled round the globe busking from town to town.  Hours later the two was still talking when everyone ells had left the cart.  Will leans in closer “so do you think many of them are going to the same place we are?” Trench foot looks round “how do you know I'm going the same place as you” “because in the years I have been traveling every conversation I have had with strangers on trains has started with, Where are you heading. But all you do is bang on about the past” Trench foot leans in closing the gap between them and they start discussing what no one ells is.

Days past slowly on the train Trench foot spent most of the time talking to will. Mostly talking about space a subject will knew more than most did. This was because his dad was the Theoretical physicist who came up with the hyper light theory. So by the time train arrived in russia Trench foot was confidence he knew everything he would need to now about space. Trench foot and will get off the train and head in the direction of the industrial part of the town. The two of them meander through the street  every so often they turn a corner and spot some one from the train. not wanting it to look like there was following them they turn at the next opportunity. They finely get to otus warehouse and bang on the door. It opens but is stop by a chain a lifeless eye in thick mascara looks at them through the gap “er were here about the em use car” tried Trench foot in a tone of voice which says wink wink nudge nudge “we only have space ships go way” said a pare of dark red lips “let them in” a voice called from in side. The door closed then opens properly. they walk in and are met by two identical gynoids “your lucky it's the last one” one of the gynoids leads them to the last otus they past some people from the train and a group of gynoids. They was relieved to see that it was one of the larger otus they hadn't planed on shearing. A game of rock, paper,sizers dissided that trench foot get the officer quarter. And the two of them unpack.

That night the hole town was woken up by a sky full of otuss as they rush up and out of the atmosphere and helicopters and jets trying to stop them but shooting down would kill thousands on the ground  and so all 150 ships made it out.     

  

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