No. 44 reached the Central Station after two long hours of travel. The marching footsteps from the puppets are still present in the air, even as he stepped off the train. The platform was a discordant mixture of sounds—the screeching brakes of the departing locomotive, the clicking and turning of gears, the hissing of steam, the loud blaring of horns, and the announcement of arriving and departing trains echoing through the large, cavernous space.
Making his way through the labyrinth of platforms and corridors, he arrived at a hall with tall gates. The walls were painted in a faded shade of red. The smell of fresh paint wafted through the air. No. 44 observed his surroundings and saw several blue-collar dolls painting some parts of the walls with gray paint. Apart from paint, the distinct aroma of oil, musty wood, and burnt metal persisted in the air.
The high, arched ceiling loomed overhead, as though it was some kind of cathedral. The size of this hall compared to his size was quite intimidating. As he gazed through the imposing gates, his eyes were drawn to the environment around him. He walked through the gates, and there, on the other side, stood a group of puppets in matching gray uniforms. He, in his white attire, was misplaced again.
In this vicinity, the only puppets in sight were either blue-collar dolls or gray dolls. Glancing back at the station, he noticed that the purple dolls marched in the opposite direction; white-collar dolls no longer followed him and veered toward the north, while soldier dolls guarded their posts and remained outside of the hall.
Shifting his eyes back to the grey puppets, they were pushing carts, their wheels creaking and squeaking as they moved, filled with tools and equipment, and something unexpected—red fabric? Red uniforms? These carts formed a silent procession as they disappeared into a section marked 'Repair & Maintenance.' The clinking of tools and the occasional thud of a heavy wrench striking metal filled the hall.
On the side, there were puppets dressed in red uniforms, but they were disrobing, exchanging the red for grey suits, and tossing the red uniforms into the carts for disposal. Why are they getting rid of all the red colors? No. 44 thought and realized: Yesterday's enemy wore red... Is that seriously the reason? It could be but that would be a petty thing to do.
Approaching the puppets on that side, he selected a gray uniform from the rack and replaced his white garments with it. Since there were many available, he took one for himself so he wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb in the middle of all these gray puppets. As for his white clothes, he folded them nicely and stashed them inside his new uniform.
With his transformation complete, he assimilated into the crowd of gray puppets and headed towards the repair and maintenance section.
...
Meet doll B#420. It is a blue-collar puppet who recently lost its tool kit. As a result, it was reassigned from blue to red, which had now become grey. Unfortunately, it faced delays due to a crowded train and had to wait for the second one to arrive. Upon finally reaching Central Station and heading to the repair and maintenance section, it discovered that there were no more gray uniforms available!
...
As No. 44 entered, he was greeted by a bustling scene of activity that was nothing short of mesmerizing. The repair and maintenance section was a multi-tiered workspace; the spacious area was divided into several levels, with walkways and staircases connecting them. The place was cluttered with all sorts of items; it had a different vibe than the other sections of the ship.
On the lower levels, he noticed storerooms organized to house an array of tools and equipment. Shelves upon shelves were laden with everything from wrenches and soldering irons to industrial-sized hammers and mechanical stations. The air was infused with the scent of freshly oiled machinery and the tang of hot metal. The space was filled with dissonant sounds of clinking, whirring, and humming.
As he ascended to the middle levels, the clanging of forges and the hiss of steam greeted his ears. Furnaces blazed with white-hot intensity, manned by puppets expertly molding and shaping metal components. Sparks danced in the air, casting flickering orange and yellow light across the room.
No. 44's gaze continued upward to the uppermost levels, where machines and contraptions came into view. The machines came in various sizes, shapes, and distinct colors, mostly asymmetrical in design with vents, chimneys, and pipes emitting steam. Conveyor belts whirred and clanked, transporting components from one workstation to another. Complex mechanical arms whizzed and pivoted, assembling devices.
In every corner, puppets scurried about, inspecting, repairing, and maintaining the mechanisms that kept the ship in motion.
Incredible. I can swing by these places when I need to in the future. Although I already have a tool kit of my own, with the addition of the tools here, I may be able to achieve more. There is a large variety of available resources here as well; would they notice if a few went missing?
I have a lot of options, but I don't have information about the items here. I don't know what to do. No. 44 explored the area for quite some time, familiarizing himself with the surroundings and observing how the puppets used the equipment to determine how he could use them someday.
Once he'd seen enough, he walked through the exit and went back to the station. He undressed and changed back to his white garments. He kept the gray uniform in case he would need it in the future. He stepped out of the gate, and the soldiers standing outside didn't seem to mind his presence.
Exiting the repair and maintenance section, No. 44 retraced the path that the purple dolls had taken. He found himself in another hub, but here, the atmosphere was more serene, and the surroundings gave off a different kind of vibe. As he ventured deeper into this new space, his gaze fell upon another entrance.
Beyond the entryway, he saw the multi-layered structure design, comprising rows on rows of bookshelves lining the walls, extending from the very bottom to the lofty ceilings, connected by circular staircases and rolling ladders with brass railings. It was practically impossible to resist the temptation to ascend to the upper levels, where mezzanines extended like secret chambers, creating a maze-like structure of hidden alcoves and alcoves within alcoves.
The rich, warm scent of mahogany tables and chairs enveloped the space, their polished surfaces reflecting the soft glow of chandeliers, candles, and lamps. The aroma of wood, leather-bound tomes, and the delicate scent of aging paper danced in the air. As the afternoon sun poured through arched windows, it softly brightened the room with its golden light while also bringing with it shadows that pressed on across the hallowed shelves.
A subtle breeze went through the slightly opened windows, bringing life to the otherwise still library. The area was quiet, with only the occasional sounds of pages turning and light footsteps from the puppets in purple uniforms marching through the maze of bookshelves, arranging the books in a proper order.
At the heart of this space lay a monumental holographic map, a three-dimensional representation of the ship's interior. No. 44 was drawn to it; it was the first time he saw something like this, but he easily understood that it was the ship's layout. The map revealed a complex network of corridors, chambers, and compartments, which he immediately began memorizing.
As he delved deeper into the holographic map, he discovered that the ship was divided into multiple levels, each connected by a labyrinth of staircases, elevators, and hallways. The ship was a maze of interconnected sections, full of detail and complexity. As he looked at the map, he realized that the library he currently stood in was officially labeled as the 'Information Center,' and as the name suggests, it serves as the ship's central hub for knowledge and data.
No. 44 remained still for several minutes, immersing himself in analyzing the map. From what he had seen so far, he took a guess and came to the conclusion that he was originally from the west area of the ship. It was here in the west area that he boarded the train at the west station and made his way to the central station.
He shifted his attention to the west area, which he was most familiar with. This was the place where he would be spending most of his time; hence, he should be knowledgeable about its layout. Although it had multiple levels, it wasn't as large as compared to the other sections of the ship, such as the Central and Southern sections.
The area he had traversed, which was characterized by colossal piping, machinery, and contraptions, was designated as the 'West Engine,' responsible for powering and maintaining the ship's mechanical systems. It was only a minor engine situated in the west; it wasn't as important or as big as the other engines that took up a lot of space on the map, such as Engines I, II, and III. By 'not as important,' this meant that even without it functioning, the ship would still be able to operate. If either one of the three main engines were to fail, it would be quite troublesome. But that certainly wouldn't happen.
It was here, in the west area, that No. 44 had been assigned to work, a place he had initially assumed to be an office. To his surprise, the map revealed that the area he had been working in was officially known as the 'Records Office.' No wonder. Not far from it was the Records Storage, where, you guessed it, important records and documents are kept safe and stored.
Nearby, he noticed the presence of 'Chambers I,' which he realized must be the rooms designated for white-collar dolls. It was comprised of long hallways, but one thing that caught his eye was the several smaller passages in between that led to another network of pathways.
Are these? ...there seem to be plenty of shortcuts present throughout the ship. It also turns out that I didn't need to go all the way from the west engine to get to the west station. Going through the records office past the storage will lead me to the main hallway leading to the station. I unknowingly made it much harder for myself. The path I took was a passage for the puppets working in the west engine, but I clearly worked in the office!
As No. 44 continued to explore the holographic map, he discovered a vast network of passages that crisscrossed the ship's interior. With a keen eye, he pointed out several shortcuts and hidden passages that could prove useful in navigation. These shortcuts held the potential to save valuable time and effort in his journey through the ship. This will allow him to avoid certain situations, such as the predicament he was in earlier.
His attention briefly shifted back to the central area, where he observed a significant presence of weaponry, soldiers, and vital resources. There was an area designated as the 'Main Office,' a place that seemed to be the heart of the ship's administration and where key figures likely resided. If I go here, would I have the chance to encounter the Artificer? However, I don't exactly know if meeting him is the best option for me, so I'll pass on this for now.
Beyond the central area was the eastern section, where he found something that truly interested him. Here, No. 44 encountered labels such as 'Greenhouse,' 'Cafeteria,' 'Training Area,' and 'Living Quarters.' These labels suggested a human presence on the ship, and they seemed to be concentrated in the east area. The inclusion of 'Cafeteria' and 'Living Quarters' particularly stood out, implying that humans were not only aboard but also engaged in daily activities within the ship!