A Momentary Lapse Of Reason

Subway

Summary: The team are plagued by unwanted feelings, Carlos examines the changed commuters and the subway system results in tragedy for the scientists.

Carlos yawned and rolled over. One morning he'd wake up with Cecil next to him. However, that morning had not yet come and he was rather sad about that. In a totally scientific way. Obviously. It was to satisfy his hormonal needs. Yep, that was definitely it.

He got out of bed morosely and plodded to the kitchen. The sight he was greeted with was an odd one. Natalia was sat in the corner of the room twiddling her thumbs in the foetal position, whilst Jeffries was grumbling sat at the table.

"Hey, guys."

"Sshh." Natalia said hurriedly. "They'll hear us."

"Who will?"

"The animals. They're coming for us."

"Huh?"

"Carlos." A voice said from behind him warningly. It was Dr Green. "They're experiencing feelings involuntarily. It's been happening all over town. From what I can tell, Dr Johnson is experiencing acute paranoia and Dr Jeffries...is 'disappointed with a food order'. Cecil called earlier but you weren't up. He was experiencing the one called 'frustrated origami novice'."

"Is there any way we can stop it?"

"I'm not sure. Jeffries and I are working on it. But we have a bigger problem. There have been subway entrances appearing all over town, without warning of any kind."

"Well, except fer those leaflets." Jeffries mumbled.

He passed one to Carlos before continuing to brood. It had lots of pictures of teeth and a bold slogan that read 'Oh the places you will go', as well as a rough outline of the subway map. The routes reminded him of the tattoos on Cecil's arms.

"Cecil's show will be on soon, though. If anyone knows anything, they'll go to Cecil." Ellie remarked.

Carlos' heart swelled a little with pride when she mentioned that. His boyfriend was the first port of call for this crazy community. It wasn't the most convenient thing in the world that they went to the Secret Police or Cecil before the scientists, particularly if the problem in question was actually scientific, but the fact that they went to him, that they TRUSTED him.

Carlos nodded. "Jeffries, can you keep an eye on Dr Johnson until her mood swing has passed? Ellie, you and I are going to investigate the subway."

Dr Green grabbed her bag. "We'd best get ready, then."

~

"...a crudely drawn map of our new transit system, all roots resembling spasming tentacles, and all passing at least once through a common point deep beneath the centre of Night Vale. No one yet knows where the subways came from, or where they go to, but as a city dweller, I am certainly happy to hear that Night Vale is embracing mass transit."

Cecil's voice was quite comforting as Carlos and Ellie walked towards the nearest subway entrance. Ellie had brought her portable radio so they could keep up to date with what was occurring.

They approached the subway entrance, and they were not the only ones to do so. Several people were walking down the steps into the subway. The entrance was emitting a blinding light. It was difficult to see too far down into the subway due to the glow.

One person was walking back out of the entrance and Carlos approached him. He seemed...thin. Stretched. The young man wearing a baseball cap sank to his knees.

"Woah, there." Carlos rushed forward and caught him before he slumped forward too far. The man felt strange when Carlos touched his shoulder. Too light for his apparent size, for definite. Like the very essence of his being was diluted.

Ellie crouched next to him and brought out her kit. "This is definitely new, Carlos. The last few minutes at least."

"Caused by the subway?"

"I can't offer anything concrete..." She murmured. "...but at the moment, I'd say so."

"I'll text Cecil. He can get the word out to tell people to stay away from the subways."

Ellie nodded, and glanced back at the subway. The strange light was so...enticing. So mysterious. It was like something out of a movie. She laid the man that had fallen next to him in the recovery position gently. He seemed to be healing, albeit slowly.

Carlos was stood to the side texting. She looked at Carlos for a few moments before turning her gaze back towards the subway system opening.

Surely Carlos wouldn't mind if she had a quick peek? No, she thought. No, it's dangerous. Well, it could be. Not proved yet, but there was potential. But it was so...interesting. The glow. It reminded her of the Batcave. After all, it was an underground mystery.

She rose and looked once more at Carlos, before walking slowly and cautiously towards the glowing light.

~

"No, Brent." Carlos sighed into the phone. "We're working on it. I've texted Cecil and he's going to get the word out. Stay inside with Dr Johnson. I'm glad to hear she's feeling better, though....yes......yeah, okay. See you later. Bye."

He hung up and placed the phone back in his pocket.

"Natalia's paranoia is wearing off. I've told them to stay inside until we can-" He span round and paused. "Ellie?"

There was no-one there. The man in the baseball cap was still unconscious on the floor and Ellie's portable radio, headphones unattached, was lying next to him. However, Ellie herself was nowhere to be seen.

"Ellie?!" Carlos called. He picked up the radio.

"...Mayor Pamela Winchell described these commuters as thinner somehow, spiritually, like you think it's the afternoon but it's almost evening. That's what they're like." The radio blared. "Carlos, caring and reliable Carlos the scientist, thinks maybe the rider's DNA has been washed out, emptied, completely drained of its contents. Listeners, I'm also being told that some people are not getting off the trains at all..."

Carlos' head snapped up and he looked at the subway entrance. A whisp of blonde hair was seen for a moment heading downwards. Ellie was going down the steps into the subway.

"Ellie!" Carlos called and ran after her. He tripped, however, as the ground around him began to shake. It was shaking violently. A shrieking sound came from the subway and hundreds of large insects swarmed around the subway entrance.

"For our environment, for our -" The rumbling, shaking sound was coming out of the radio too." Something is happening listeners. Er, this does not appear to be a standard government-created earthquake...."

"No..." Carlos breathed. Despite his better judgement and due to the fact that the ground around him was breaking apart viciously, he stumbled towards the subway entrance.

"CARLOS!" Ellie was shrieking. She was halfway up the stairwell, clinging to the railing for balance. A black glowing was behind her. "CARLOS!"

Carlos peered down into the subway entrance. "Ellie! Grab my hand!" He reached out his arm and the biochemist began reaching for him as she pulled herself up the steps using the railing.

Suddenly, a large cracking sound could be heard. The two scientists looked upwards in horror. The arch of the entrance had zigzagging cracks growing across it.

There was a soft clicking sound. Then everything began crumbling down.

"CARLOS!!" Ellie reached for the scientist's hand but it was too late. Nearly a metric ton of rocks collapsed between the two scientists.

"ELLIE. ELLIE?!" Carlos coughed as he fell backwards away from the rubble.

But there was only a blocked subway entrance to greet him.

Ellie was gone.