Infinity Train

By Alan Kantor

Prelude

Things looked bad for Hemlock of House Eiluned. But then again, that was the way his luck seemed to run. When the pieces of a puzzle were just falling into place fate would come along and give them a good swift kick. He had traveled much too far from the silver path. What was worse, he had dragged his companions with him. The Troll, Pooka and Sluagh would never see it that way but he felt a personal responsibility for the mess they were in. After all, it was his search for his father's betrayer, Larkal the satyr that led them this far into the Dreaming and his damned persistence that led them from the silver path. They were so close and now that scoundrel of a satyr was probably holed up in a freehold somewhere in this realm of infinite possibilities.

"It seems we are well and truly lost, my friends." He began, ready to admit defeat, "There seems nothing left to do but.."

The sidhe's words were interrupted by a piercing scream. Not the scream of a mortal or an immortal but the scream of a machine. A scream that conveyed not a sense of dread but a sense of hope and adventure. It was the scream of a train whistle. The engine was one from the turn of the century. A steamer with a locomotive and six cars. As the giant mechanical beast chugged to a stop, the symbol for infinity showed clearly on its side.

"There seems nothing left to do..." Hemlock continued, "...but get on board the Train!"

The Sluagh, Fionualla was skeptical. "We know nothing about this Train, the passengers or the driver." She whispered hoarsely, still rubbing her ears from the pain of the piercing whistle on her sensitive hearing.

"That's what makes it so fascinating." Hemlock assured her. "Besides, its not as if we have many choices."

"No problem Nuala!" Kat, the pooka piped in, "I've been on Trains like this hundreds of times and I'm still alive."

"I imagine you have only about seven lives left." Nuala commented dryly.

The discussion over, the four climbed on board. Once inside, the glamour surrounded and infused the group. The euphoria was such that even Nuala smiled a pinch-faced smile. The seats were made of polished wood and the seat cushions of leather yet they gave off a glow as if they were gold and jewels just struck by the morning sun. They made their way through the six cars, devoid of passengers, to the engine.

A mortal, or so he seemed, dressed in overall bib and engineer cap, nodded to them as they entered the locomotive.

"Hy-uh!" He said nodding his head in greeting. "I'm C.J. and this here's my Train. You must have to get someplace real bad cause You pulled me right off my usual run."

"What, exactly is your usual run?" Brekke the troll wanted to know. She was a logical sort, as changelings go, and was quite curious as to what this engineer considered usual.

"If you don't know," C.J. said, "You don't need to know. Now, where did you say you were headin'?"

"We didn't say." Hemlock replied. "Where can you take us...exactly."

"This here Train can go anywhere you like...and any place you don't like. I had passengers going as far as far can be. I been to places that the wolf folk go. I been to places that can't be. Been to places where the dead folk go and Everywhere else I reckon. Now... Where are you bound?"

Hemlock regarded the man in the engineer suit. He had seen stranger things in the Dreaming but not many. He considered C.J.'s offer as if it were a puzzle and then spoke.

"Take us to the point just before Larkal the Satyr entered the Far Dreaming."

C.J. Smiled. "Now you're talking!" He stoked the engine from a coal pile and soon the Train was under way.

"This won't be the first time I've done this sort of thing you know." C.J. stated cryptically.

"What sort of thing is that?" The Troll asked.

"Why, cut 'em off at the past, of course!"

The Infinity Train

The Infinity Train is quite a wonder of the Dreaming. It was created by the dreams of mortals during the latter portion of the nineteenth century. The railroad was being laid across the United States and offered travel at speeds of up to thirty-five miles and hour between far off cities; even across the continent itself.

In the Dreaming the Infinity Train appears as an early model steam engine. Its black metal frame shines with an unearthly gleam. Its details are gold and silver. The steam from its stack is rainbow hued. On its side is a golden lemniscate (the symbol for infinity). Typically, it draws six cars behind the engine though it will sometimes appear with three or even nine.

The Train has no need of rails, of course, but will follow the path of a mortal railroad even if the original rails are no longer there. This may account for the stories of "ghost Trains" that are popular throughout the midwestern states.

The inside of the Train is equivalent to a level four freehold though passengers are expected to debark once their destination is reached. If a journey takes a day or a week, all benefits of freehold rest may be gained.

According to the driver, a curious fellow called C.J. the Train is not limited to faerie realms. According to him, the Infinity Train has traveled to realms of the dead and places of power sought after by mages. He has even alluded to traveling through the Umbra. This leads one to believe that the Infinity Train does not recognize the boundaries between any planes of existence. In short, the Train would seem to be able to travel anywhere and any time.

One place the Infinity Train does not go is Arcadia. This is not due to its inability to get there but rather to a terrible wreck C.J. experienced the first and last time he tried to get there. As he neared the Arcadian Gateway an exact duplicate of the Infinity Train appeared and the two crashed head-on. C.J. is adamant about not going to Arcadia.

C.J maintains that he has carried many different passengers from all realms and times. It is quite possible that a such a passenger could be on the Train at any time. Thus advice from ancient or perhaps future mortals or fae is possible to obtain aboard the Train. It is uncertain whether one may debark before one has reached ones chosen destination. That is, passengers are usually on their way somewhere or somewhen and may not be able to debark elsewhere.

Though a few nobles have tried to lay claim to the Train as their own, it truly belongs to no one. It seems to appear to those with a truly desperate need though it has been known to appear to pooka out on a lark (or so they've claimed). The Infinity Train travels it's own path and only C.J. is sure of the next stop.