Build Sequence Is Key

Dodecahedron

"So how far do we have to go before getting off at your place?" Jason asked.

"Hmm, well, about that." Cecelia said tentatively.

"Yes?" He responded easily.

"Well the thing is that my crib is back where we came from..." she let that trail off and just waited observing Jason.

Confused Jason raised one eyebrow.

"How do you do that?" She asked.

"What?"

"Raise one eyebrow like that. I can't do it." She said trying to left just one, but always ending up lifting both eyebrows.

"Oh, it just takes time and practice. If you want to take the time, you'll be able to do it. No worries."

"Oh, okay..." she said doubtfully.

"But getting back to what you said. If your 'crib' is back where we came from. Then why are we heading in the exact opposite direction?" Jason tried to get her back on track.

"Oh, because we have to get there the sneaky way." Cecelia said with a smile.

He wasn't frustrated, he was starting to suspect that he would be continually baffled and confused by this girl, "So what is the sneaky way."

They had climbed off the top of the train and into one of the cars. The door had not been locked. It didn't even look like it had a lock.

"Well you see, we just need to make our way to the back of the train and jump off!"

"What? Jump off. Do you know how fast we are going?"

"Yes, that is the point. We need enough speed to get inside the curvature of space time near the black holes."

Jason just starred at her, "Black hole? Inside the curvature? What? I am pretty sure that light speed is the speed you are talking about."

"Oh, pashaw! Light speed who needs light speed. I don't think you believe me yet when I say I am the physical manifestation of this space station."

"Umm, well, I guess I just don't really have a way to understand what being true physical manifestation of a space station really is or means."

Cecilia laughed, "Oh, you are a keeper. So humble!"

"Okay, but please try to help me understand."

"What is there to understand. We don't need light speed. We just have to be going fast enough that the plebeians don't see us."

"plebeians?"

"Yeah, all the little humans who run about on my space station thinking they own the thing!" Cecelia said with some asperity.

"So we are just going to jump of the back of this train? Won't we hit the trails no matter how fast we are going, eventually."

"No of course not. You got to think in three dimensions. We are not currently traveling across the surface of a globe. We are traveling from the core in the direction of the surface of the space station."

Jason smiled, "So gravity is straight down relative to the train? Then how are we standing? Shouldn't we be pulled by gravity towards the back of the train?"

"No! Man, I guess you really are rare from a backwards rural planet."

"Okay..."

She went on, "Don't they have singularities where you come from?"

"Singularities?"

"Yes, silly, singularities are what black holes are. But there are lots and lots of ways singularities can be harnessed. This is a harnessed singularity morphing the gravitational field of this train."

"Okay..."

Cecelia playfully pushed his shoulder, "No worries. Just trust me. If we jump off the back of the train we will gain enough speed to slip inside my crib. It is actually the vehicle entrance, but works for getting past these plebs."

Jason laughed because he knew it was his turn to laugh, but there were just too many new things happening for him to be confident, "Lead on."

She turned and lead him along to the back of the train. They had to crawl past some large crates and equipment on the way. But mostly they were able to just walk down the center of most cars.

They didn't speak except to communicate the holding of doors and paths over the big stuff. When they arrived at the back of the train. There was just an empty darkness behind. The sides of the tunnel were occasionally lit by sparks and gentle light coming from the bottom of the train.

"How big is this space station if we can be traveling so fast and not have reached the surface yet?" Jason commented.

"Well, you are from a backwards world. I don't think you would understand the answer to that. But suffice it to say, we are traveling out along one of the deeper spokes. Not as long as epsilon though, no spoke could ever be that long!"

"Okay..."

"Alright, the trick is to hang off the end of the train holding onto this railing."

"Alright." Jason was tired of saying okay.

"As soon as you get past the railing the gravity will shift. Take it slow, sometimes people have a gut wrenching experience the first time they experience a gravity fluctuation."

"Sure."

"Try it. Just swing your leg over. It will be really easy. Just don't let go until I tell you to." Cecelia said earnestly.

Jason swung a leg over the side of the railing and felt it. The gravity fluctuation was unsettling. Then realizing that he was making it worse by standing half in it he quickly swung the other leg over and felt just the one gravity wrench. The one pulling him directly down into the darkness.

"Good!" She had never let go of his wrists the entire time.

Now she let go of him and swung over the railing, too.

"I guess this is a different experience for someone who could die? I didn't think about that."

"What?! We could die?" Jason said panicked.

"No, no, I mean you could die. I won't die. The station will just spit out a new version of me. You know Cecelia 2.0! But actually more like Cecelia 2657.0" she laughed as she said it.

"Okay..."

"Alright, let go!"

Jason definitely did not let go. He was still thinking, trying to comprehend what she had just said.

Evidently she had not let go either, "Um, you didn't let go!"

"Yeah, like I would let go if there is a high possibility that I would die!"

"Oh, I knew I shouldn't have told you about that! You know, crazy godly station powers, they kind of go to your head sometimes." Cecelia laughed while putting one arm around Jason and then letting go of the railing herself.

Suddenly he was much heavier and it became very hard to continue hanging on to the thin metal bar preventing him from dying. It became even harder when she starts picking his fingers off.

"Don't worry. I will protect you. But we have to go now! The train is almost to the end of the line!" She yelled in his ear right before Jason lost his grip and they plunged down into the darkness.