Tommy is an invisible attendant on the Cross-Atlantic Train Carriage- also know as the CAT Car. It was a train that ran across the Atlantic Ocean, making headlines before it was even built. He's only there for the money, but it seems he's not the only one.
Suspicious guests aboard its first trip accidentally reveal secrets to their invisible attendant that he can't get out of his head.
A detective, a thief, an actor, a billionaire, two attendants and their boss walk into a train carriage... And not all of them will walk out when the journey ends.
Playlist:
CAT Car - Spotify
Notes:
I know my drawings aren't flawless, but they sure are colorful. They just help me with how I visualize the story, ignoring them does not change the story at all!
Thomas Innes was always one to stand out amongst a crowd. He was loud, annoying, and clingy. Not unlike most children, but definitely more so than his peers. Tommy had learned to cling to his mother at any moment, to laugh and yell despite how much their neighbors complained about the noise.
Clara Innes was a wonderful mother. She struggled to make ends meet with another mouth to feed, but that didn't matter. They had been happy.
But good things don't last. One moment, Tommy was getting up in the morning. Next, he was in a hospital bed with a wound in his back. Doctor Nihachu told him that, while following his mom's car to a restaurant for his eighteenth birthday, somebody veered off and knocked their vehicles into one another. His mom died instantly, but he survived with a scar and newfound issues.
Tommy doesn't like to think about it, nor about how dull the world had become.
Most of his days are filled with grueling shifts at the corner store and forming partial bonds with coworkers that don't last more than a month.
While walking down to the bus station, Tommy hugs his arms around himself, shivering. It was cold, the sun having set, and the buildings around him made of concrete. His only jacket had been destroyed by moths, though. Weaving through the city's constant crowd, he spared a glance to stand he normally would ignore. A paperboy waved a roll of white newspaper around, shouting something Tommy couldn't make out.
Figuring that he didn't have much better to do (Tommy couldn't go out, and he didn't have a television- all for lack of money), he sidestepped out of the way, slyly picking up one of the papers. He cringed as he walked off without being noticed. He didn't like taking things, but Tommy caught the expensive watch and shoes the paperboy wore and decided he wouldn't miss it much. He must not feel bad either way, though. Tommy often 'borrowed' small items. It was a habit now, and he hated himself more each time.
Once he turned to the subway stairs, he unfurled the paper and scanned it- specifically the for-hire side. Halfway through, Tommy's eyes caught by the edge of a photo on another page. He lazily flipped it, using his other hand to pass the gate.
A photo of an extravagant, colorful train over the deep, blue ocean took up half the page. Tommy took a while to look at each cart, painted in a different color than the last. He hummed, smiling. It was about time trains got some flair.
Tommy wasn't going to read the article, but he's rather good at seeing what he wants to see. He saw the word hiring and immediately opted to read that paragraph.
CAT Car- (Tommy looks up to find out it was the Cross-Atlantic-Train-Carriage, CAT Car for short) -is said to be ready by the end of August. The engineer and architect behind it all is Sam Warden, who said, "[It's] been a difficult year, but all worth it. Unfortunately, the building crew can't act as the staff for the journey, so we're hiring maintenance and hands-on workers for the Cross Atlantic Train Carriage. After that, roughly by [the] end of August, we'll have an exclusive ride to and from Greenland."
Tommy, struck with an idea, nearly trips as he attempts to step into the subway. It's fate that when he looks up, he sees an electronic ad for the CAT Car's hiring number. Tommy, unsure about his qualifications, jotted down the number in his newspaper.
Of course, he was using somebody else's pen.
By some miracle (lying on his application and initial meeting), Tommy got past the first round of interviews. The second interview was actually on the CAT Car. Now, Tommy lived in New York City. He had ever since he was sixteen. The CAT Car was in Connecticut. It took a while, but Tommy made it to the station an hour early.
He was in a formerly white button-down, now grey, and wrinkled pants. The only other person there dressed far better than he did, making Tommy flush in embarrassment. Still, he tried to ready himself. This job paid far more than his old job, so he'd need it to have any money.
Slowly, more and more applicants entered the cool room. Tommy sighed, knowing now that this was a group interview. He wasn't going to stand out, and he knew that much. Ever since his mom died, his ability to exist happily, to be loud and boisterous, had gone. He had his moments, but overall, his reality had become dull. That was in stark contrast to the colors of the train cart.
Thirty minutes before the official interview, a familiar face entered from the staff door. Sam Warden smiled at the applicants.
A few of them freaked out, aw-ing and asking if he was the real Sam Warden. Tommy's eyebrow drew down. Was he supposed to be that excited? He noticed as Sam's eyes narrowed in the direction of the louder few. His expression shifted back to normal, but Tommy had already seen it.
"I do commend your earliness, all of you. It's a quality I admire. That said, you have all passed your first test." A few applicants gasped, chattering as Sam ushered them into the next room. It was large and empty, except for a table with a suitcase on it. The room was dull, posters washed of most color.
"I'm a tad unconventional in my hiring strategies," Mr. Warden started, nabbing some papers from a shelf and shuffling through them. Tommy caught sight of the edge of one- an application. He was picking out which hadn't arrived early. "You'll laugh to know that I hired engineers based on how well they built a bridge out of popsicles."
"We did that in my elementary class," Someone said from the side. Sam looked them up and down as though noting them in his mind. "Yes, it is one of those things. Also- it came with the added benefit of picking engineers who could humor ridiculous ideas." Sam
Tommy bit his tongue, waiting for instruction. He probably should've spoken up more, but he was afraid he would speak out instead. Sam put the papers aside and moved onto the briefcase. "We're going to start with balance. I want each of you to balance on one foot, holding one of those bats along the back. Hold them by the bottom, straight toward the ceiling, and please do so with one hand."
Confusedly, Tommy obeyed. A few others asked questions about the how or whys, but Tommy gathered that Sam didn't like that by the way his eyes narrowed again.
There were confusing tasks after this, as well. The balancing act wasn't too bad- only a fifth of them were sent home. The next part was lying to Sam Warden's face. The more believable the lie would be to a clueless moron, the better Mr. Warden's reaction. Tommy lied, with a completely straight face, and told him that the sky was red. It happened once a year. That way, it could rain and replenish blood all over the Earth. He had no clue how he didn't crack, but Tommy was glad he didn't.
A larger portion got sent back after that one.
There were a few easier tasks, like serving him without saying anything and cleaning a stain.
In the end, Sam Warden faced the remaining group. He pointed to several people, waving them to step forward. "You, all of you- you're dismissed."
"What?" One of them was red in the face. "Why?"
"Don't worry about the why. You haven't got the job." As they left, Tommy observed each of them. They were the ones that had spoken up or asked questions. He let out a relieved breath, glad to have noticed Mr. Warden's behavior before he also spoke up.
"Next- I need you all to sign an NDA." Mr. Warden gave each of the remaining applicants a few papers to sign. Tommy tried to read over it but gave up when he realized he didn't know what half of the descriptors meant. Tommy sighed and signed away, potentially giving his soul to a demon. He wasn't sure what he was signing an NDA for, but it wasn't like he'd tell anybody. Who was he going to tell? His mom ?
That's a little dead mom joke for all of you out there. Shout out to the dead moms.
Mr. Warden took up the NDAs with a smile on his face. Finally, he revealed what was inside the briefcase. Twelve vials of cool, blue liquid were laid out for each applicant.
"I haven't told any of you exactly was your new job entails. To put it simply, you are invisible attendants." Mr. Warden smirked to himself. "The distinguished guests aboard the first Cross-Atlantic-Train ride will be under the implied impression that things float due to magnetism and advanced intelligence. This is to enhance the feeling of advanced tech." He turned a vial over in his hand. "That's why I'm left with the quietist of you all. The balancing test was really to see how quiet you can be."
Holding out his arms for them to grab a vial each, Mr. Warden smiled. "It's not designed to make you pass through other people, though, so you'll need to watch out. You'll be able to see- very faintly- your coworkers. This invisibility serum is still in the testing stage, so be careful and understand that you may feel strange after taking it."
Tommy was the one in front. He stepped up and turned a vial over in his fingers. His only thought was, 'What's the worst that could happen? I die?' Tommy gave a considering grunt, uncorked it, and threw it back like a shot.
Before he swallowed, he saw Sam Warden's face- contorted in surprise. His eyes hadn't narrowed, unlike those he had sent home, so Tommy supposed it was a good thing.
Other applicants also took vials and drank them. Tommy waited, feeling something shift slowly. His vision blurred for a moment, returning to him with brighter colors. He felt slightly nauseous, his eyes dancing around the posters on the walls. Colors that had been dull before popped.
Tommy's awareness skyrocketed.
Holding his hands out, his hand faded into a glimmer. He gaped, gasping and looking down at his legs.
"What the fuck ?"
The thought was whispered. Still shocked, he looked up and around to the others. They all faded, and aside from a glossy color overlaying them like glass, he could see through them, clothes included.
The most interesting part to him was the differing colors of each of them. He suppressed a laugh. Mr. Warden nodded approvingly as the invisibility disappeared. One after another (Tommy being first), the applicants became visible. He hummed. "Wonderful, wonderful... Well, I suppose- since none of you had a bad reaction- you're hired. You can come back and fill out the paperwork tomorrow morning. On Wednesday, you'll start living in the cabins." Mr. Warden paused, glancing over them again. "Actually, since you'll be paired with a cabin-mate, I'll pair you up now. Before I forget which of you will probably be best together."
There was a minute of silence, the applicants remaining impossibly still under Mr. Warden's observation. "Attending to the first train cart, I'll put... You ," His voice dropped as he pointed to Tommy, who stepped closer. "And you . You two will attend to cart one, and you will stay in cabin three."
Tommy looked to his right to see his new cabin mate. Immediately, he felt his face scrunch up in distaste. He hadn't noticed the applicant before, but he was unnecessarily tall. Unreasonably so. He's just...
Too tall.
Mr. Warden ruffled through his papers. As he did so, the other applicant looked down at Tommy. They awkwardly waved, but Tommy gave no reaction, so they put their hand down.
"Ranboo Beloved and Thomas Innes," Mr. Warden introduced them to one another. "Please do your best to get along, " His voice cut in Tommy's direction, making the teen turn his head away from Ranboo. "This is a professional environment, after all."
Tommy nodded stiffly. Mr. Warden dismissed them and moved on to assigning cart two. As they left, Ranboo cleared his throat, "Ehm- that was... That was something , right?"
Tommy raised a brow. "Yeah." He stopped in his tracks. "Do you live in Connecticut?"
"Uh... Yeah, why?"
"Do you know any cheap motels?"
Ranboo blanked, awkwardly fixing the black mask on their face. "Not really? I've never had to think about it. Do you have a phone?" The question was meant to have an obvious answer, but Tommy shook his head no. "You don't ?" Ranboo's jaw dropped. "Oh, uhm, let me use mine..."
Ranboo found a nearby motel that went for fifty a night, a little reluctant to leave after. Tommy forcefully said goodbye, hating the pity Ranboo shot at him, and walked in the direction of the motel. The only person he needed comfort from was his mom, and it was a bit late for that. Tommy sighed to himself, already ready for Wednesday.
