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[v_knidh8er]

The monorail system has two modes of operation. During off-peak hours it functions on a loose timetable, each train being guided remotely by operators based in a central control tower. There is a manual override in the lead carriage of each train however, and during rush hours a driver Loompa is employed to operate the simple; button and large sucker throttle lever. This is a safety precaution set in place to cope with the larger crowds and longer boarding times.

The carriages are the perfect height for their short passengers and have no doors since weather is not an issue in the underworld. Each one holds about thirty standing Loompas safely, forty at a squeeze. But, due to their size, neither an adult human nor a five foot turtle would be able to fit inside with any kind of maneuverability.

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[v_knidh8er]

As has already been mentioned, mass transit was almost forced upon the Loompas when their community grew to the point where increasing distances between residences and manufacturing plants meant longer commutes. Travel time became a severe hinderance to efficient production. Paved streets and better signage helped a little, but there was barely enough garbage being produced by the bar to power the critical processes, let alone fuel combustion engines in private vehicles.

Flintstone-style cars were introduced on a trial basis, but their poor design left the car-pooling workers already exhausted by the time they reached their places of employment.

Then one day, an engineer Loompa happened to see a commercial for Disneyworld. The little man in question was a friend of one of the illicit Loompas who receive cable on their stolen closed circuit TV prototypes. He took the idea and ran with it, harnessing the far more efficient power of electricity to run his mode of transport. The rest was history, alebit brief.

And today the rail network touches every home in New Loompaworld, its infrastructure already being laid in the new suburban tunnels that have yet to be reached by housing contractors.

[henry-jones-jr.livejournal.com]

Indy gets to his knees and follows Mike's pointing finger. "Huh?"

In the distance the monorail track seems to just... stop. There's some scaffolding evident around the last few sections, but a blanket of darkness covers the ground where the line terminates. Now checking back over his shoulder, Indy groans a second time. Another monorail train is hurtling down the track after them, angry Loompas hanging out of the doors and clutching onto the roof. Far more than the forty Loompa maximum capacity on each carriage.

Indy remains calm, rubbing the bristles on his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm."

He casts his eyes back over the fast approaching chasm as the train starts to slow down. There seems to be dead ground on the other side, so he bangs on the roof above the driver. "TURTLE. MAX SPEED... DON'T STOP FOR ANYTHING!"

She screams an slightly doubtful affirmative and jerks the sucker forward as far as it can go, throwing Indy back into his green friend's arms.

Mike in turn gives his room mate an expectant look, as if to say are you crazy?

Indy gives an innocent blink. "What? I'm just making this up as we go."

"Now... lover boy... lemme go and grab a-hold of something." He wrestles himself away from the turtle and shimmies to the back of their ride, leaning over and unhooking the pin to release the trailing carriages. Then he returns to Mike's side and lays down on his stomach, seeking good hand holds on the ledge overhanging the front of the train.

Behind them, the chasing vehicle closes the distance between them after it negotiates Indy's obstacle by diverting onto a handy passing lane. Courtesy of some extremely reckless driving, the Loompas' transport leans precariously as it screeches round the last bend, and for a moment it looks like it may tip over. But the Loompas riding on the roof all frantically clamber to the high side and manage to weigh the single carriage back down onto the rail.

Indy yells with masochistic glee as the train reaches the end of the line. "This is it Mikey... thanks for the good times!" Mike's head is firmly sucked into his carapace however, and he probably doesn't hear over the rushing wind.

What you can hear, if you listen closely, is the joyful whooping of a small girl as they careen off the tracks and fly across the gap. The train's horn toots happily as they take to the air.

In the end, there's never any doubt that they won't make it, and the car crashes onto the ledge on the other side. It bounces a few times and skids off into the passage beyond—the deep gravel there helping them grind to a halt. On the other side of the abyss, the Loompa train slams on the brakes and, after a few dodgey moments, it eventually stops just short of the line's end. Enraged orange faces flush red as they watch the fleeing humans disappear into the darkness...