Line #92 Literature/Railhead


1	[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/railhead_2.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:330: ''[[TagLine Step aboard – the universe is waiting.]]'']]
3
4	->''"The Interstellar Express was thundering down the line from Golden Junction, and singing as it came."''
5
6	''Railhead'' is a trilogy of PostCyberpunk SpaceOpera [[YoungAdultLiterature YA]] novels by English writer Creator/PhilipReeve, and is considerably LighterAndSofter than his better-known sci-fi series ''Literature/MortalEngines'', but featuring similarly extensive {{Worldbuilding}}. The eponymous first instalment, ''Railhead'', was released in 2015, followed quickly by a sequel, ''Black Light Express'', in 2016, and the finale, ''Station Zero'', in 2018.
7
8	By the 30th Century CE, humans have spread to the stars, colonising and terraforming hundreds of worlds, all thanks to the K-Bahn: a [[PortalNetwork network of mysterious 'K-Gates']] allowing instant travel across interstellar distances, and [[CoolTrain fusion-powered sentient locomotives]] that transport passengers and cargo between them. The nations and alliances of [[EarthThatUsedToBeBetter Old Earth]] have long dissolved and humanity is ruled by the [[HegemonicEmpire Network Empire]], a system of governance whereby the most powerful of the [[MegaCorp Corporate Families]] takes the throne, supported by the might of [[SpacePolice Railforce]]. Under the watchful eyes of [[DeusEstMachina the Guardians]], the ([[TheComputerIsYourFriend mostly]]) benevolent AI caretakers of humanity, technology has advanced at a dizzying rate, with advanced [[OrganicTechnology genetic]] [[DesignerBabies engineering]], [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Motorik]], [[FlyingCar flying cars]], [[BrainComputerInterface neural headsets]] and much more all ubiquitous.
9
10	The narrative follows [[LovableRogue Zen Starling]], a petty thief from the downtrodden factory world of Cleave with nothing in his future besides aimlessly riding the rails, who suddenly finds himself caught up in a plot involving the enigmatic [[TheChessmaster Dhravid Raven]] and his quirky Motorik assistant [[RobotGirl Nova]]. Raven has a simple offer for Zen: [[ImpossibleTheft steal something only he can steal]], in exchange for riches beyond his wildest dreams. Sounds simple enough. WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong
11
12	And so Zen and Nova begin a journey into the heart of the Network Empire, evading their Railforce pursuers, travelling through long-abandoned stations, infiltrating the Imperial court, [[{{Robosexual}} falling in love along the way]], and uncovering secrets the Guardians themselves would prefer to keep hidden, secrets pertaining to the very origins of the Network itself…
13
14	Creator/WarnerBros snapped up the rights to ''Railhead'' in April 2014, before it was even published, and was planning to produce a [[TheFilmOfTheBook cinematic adaptation]], with Creator/DougLiman reportedly brought on as director. However, there’s been little news of the project since then: it's possibly languishing in DevelopmentHell, but may have been quietly shelved, especially after the 2018 adaptation of ''Film/MortalEngines'' resulted in the [[{{Pun}} Mother Of All]] [[BoxOfficeBomb Box Office Bombs]].
15	----
16	!! This series contains examples of:
17	[[foldercontrol]]
18
19	[[folder:General tropes]]
20	* AllThereInTheManual: Each book contains a glossary in the final few pages which provides all kinds of supplemental material on setting elements and backstory. Philip Reeve also produced [[https://philipreeveblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/railhead-z.html a fairly long blog post]] that goes into a lot more detail on the trilogy's {{Worldbuilding}} process.
21	* AltarDiplomacy: Enforced [[ExaggeratedTrope at a grand scale]] in the Network Empire: agreements between the [[FamilyBusiness Corporate Families]] are ''always'' sealed by marriage, a hold-over from the earliest days of expansion on the Network, when something more permanent than a contract was needed to secure cooperation on a centuries-long terraforming project. As such, the scions of the Families are destined to become bargaining chips as soon as they come of age.
22	* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: Nova being in danger [[LoveRedeems seems to bring out the best]] in the usually selfish Zen, who has rescued her in every book. In ''Railhead'' he rejects his new life of wealth and comfort and risks capture by Railforce to recover her from Spindlebridge, [[spoiler:in ''Black Light Express'' he leads a mission to recover her from the Kraitt, and in ''Station Zero'' he, while [[HeroicSacrifice mortally wounded]], carries her body to reunite with the Railmaker]].
23	* AttackDrone: These appear frequently in the series, ranging from tiny micro-missiles disguised as hummingbirds to the archaic mid-size 'Beetles' and much more dangerous models used in railwar.
24	* BecomeARealBoy: Nova, who starts off as [[PerkyFemaleMinion Raven's quirky assistant]], is far more sentient than a normal Motorik and attempts to make herself more human by programming herself freckles, and installing modifications that allow her to [[EatingMachine obtain energy from food]]. Ironically enough, [[spoiler:''Station Zero'' would reveal her to be about as far from human as it's possible to get, being the disembodied consciousness of the [[DigitalAbomination Railmaker]]]].
25	* BenevolentAI:
26	** [[DeusEstMachina The Guardians]]... [[{{Downplayed}} Generally]]. Their individual personalities run the gamut from the Mordaunt 90 Network, being perhaps the straightest example of this trope, to the Twins, who are straight-up [[KnightTemplar Knight Templars]]. All seem to share the same flaws of [[WellIntentionedExtremist taking their duty to protect humanity a little too far]] and [[{{Pride}} a massive superiority complex]], given that they [[HoldingBackThePhlebotinum refuse to allow other AIs of their caliber to be built]] and [[spoiler: killed the Railmaker simply because it was more powerful than them]].
27	** Pretty much all the trains, sans the ''[[{{Sadist}} Thought Fox]]'', encountered throughout the series are friendly and go out of their way to help the protagonists. [[spoiler: They even pull a collective BigDamnHeroes in ''Station Zero'' by refusing to fight for Elon Prell and scuppering the Guardians' plans to close the Web Of Worlds gate]].
28	** [[GrewBeyondTheirProgramming Flex]] and [[RobotGirl Nova]], the only two sentient Motorik characters. The former is quite possibly the kindest and most altruistic character in the series.
29	** [[spoiler: The [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Railmaker]], which built the K-Gates solely to connect all sentient species (and machines) of the universe. Considering what happened to it, maybe it was [[WideEyedIdealist a bit too benevolent]].]]
30	* BrainComputerInterface: A 'headset' is a device which provides a non-invasive form of this - most individuals have access to one with similar functionality to a smartphone, albeit one with a mental interface that can stream audio and video direct to the brain's sensory areas. More advanced models can be used to control military hardware remotely or even commune directly with the Guardians.
31	* CreepyGood:
32	** The Hive Monks are [[TheWormThatWalks sentient swarms of roach-like insects]] that assemble a roughly human-shaped armature and wear strange white paper masks, giving them a creepy effect, but they mean no harm and actually help out Zen during the first book.
33	** [[spoiler: Then we discover they're lost members of the Neem, an alien race who utilise spider-like PoweredArmor suits in place of the Monks' crude endoskeletons and would seem perfectly at home on the other side of a BugWar -- but they're just as friendly towards humans as most of the Web of Worlds and are actually the main military power standing in the way of the actually dangerous [[LizardFolk Kraitt]]. By the time of ''Station Zero'', they're humanity's closest allies on the Web]].
34	* CryoPrison: The standard form of incarceration throughout the Network Empire. It is mentioned that [[{{Justified\|Trope}} this is a leftover relic from the Empire’s early days when planets were still being terraformed, and thus space and resources were scarce, making it a good way to remove criminals from society.]] [[AwesomeYetImpractical They are kept only out of tradition, as there’s no way to rehabilitate the prisoners]] and most, when released [[FishOutOfTemporalWater are suffering from such huge culture shocks]] that they immediately return to crime.
35	* CoolTrain: Given that they are nuclear-fusion-powered, controlled by fully sentient AI, crewed by [[MechanicalInsects maintenance spiders]], and are the only form of transport capable of crossing the [[PortalNetwork K-Gates]], ''every'' train in the setting counts, although some deserve special mention:
36	** The Noon Train, capable of carrying the entire [[StandardRoyalCourt Imperial court]] in all the ludicrous luxury that entails, pulled by a pair of ancient [[RoboRomance locomotive lovers]].
37	** The ''Damask Rose'', a grouchy yet kind-hearted old locomotive recovered from the Dog Star Line by Zen and Nova - [[WhatAPieceOfJunk which turns out to be surprisingly well-armed]].
38	** The ''Ghost Wolf'', a [[BloodKnight battle-hungry]] yet [[BoisterousBruiser surprisingly affable]] wartrain introduced in ''Black Light Express'', and possibly the only C12 Zodiak not to [[AxCrazy go insane]].
39	* CorporateWarfare: The Corporate Families, being the dominant powers that be in the ''Railhead'' universe, maintain forces of Corporate Marines, ([=CoMa=]) to protect themselves from "[[DeadlyEuphemism hostile takeovers]]" launched by their rivals. Open fighting was far more common historically, with Railforce now serving as a peacekeeping force that tips the scales in favour of the reigning Imperial family, with most [=CoMa=] reduced to bodyguards and ceremonial duties by the time of the trilogy. However, some corps such as the militaristic Prells still maintain a large standing army.
40	* CurbStompBattle:
41	** [[spoiler: During the climax of ''Railhead'', Railforce sends a wartrain to stop Raven at Anais Six's request, commanded by Malik and carrying its interface. Raven quite easily blows it off the tracks with [[AttackItsWeakPoint well-aimed missiles]].]]
42	** Midway through ''Black Light Express'', the Noons' old enemies the Prell family launch a lightning strike on Grand Central, the capital world of the Empire, to seize the throne... And win, within a few hours. They were helped by the fact that [[MilitaryCoup large sections of Railforce were already on their side]].
43	** [[spoiler: The [[ProudWarriorRace Kraitt]] have been a menace to the other denizens of the Web of Worlds for over a thousand years... But once it is connected to the Network Empire, the Noons' forces wade in and stamp out the Kraitt in a matter of months. Bearing in mind that the Noons are a VestigialEmpire at this point in the story demonstrates just how much HumansAreSuperior compared to the races of the Web.]]
44	* DeusEstMachina:
45	** The Guardians, a group of 12 centuries-old and immensely powerful [[BenevolentAI AIs]] that guided humanity in constructing the Great Network and are [[MachineWorship revered as gods by its citizens]]. However, they are vulnerable to petty human vanities, favouritism and grudges, can (with enough effort) be deceived and hidden from, and even [[DivineDate occasionally fall in love with mortals]]. Essentially, the digital equivalent of PhysicalGods.
46	** [[spoiler: The Railmaker, an alien 'data-entity' that was responsible for creating the [[PortalNetwork K-Gates]], building [[DysonSphere Dyson spheres]] (yes, ''plural'') to power them, and other physics-and-reality-warping feats making the Guardians look like desktop [=PCs=] in comparison. As a result [[{{Pride}} they killed it out of spite]], terrified it would supplant them.]] [[spoiler:However, it turns out to be NotQuiteDead – Raven rescued a fragment of its personality much later which he used to create Nova, with the Railmaker reforming once she enters its home-world core.]]
47	* DidntThinkThisThrough:
48	** [[spoiler: When the Guardian Anais Six [[DivineDate fell in love with Raven]], she [[BrainUploading ascended him to near-digital-godhood]] and gave him access to the boundless information of the Datasea... Forgetting that this was allowing him to access secrets (such as the existance of alien civilisation) that the Guardians ''really'' wanted to keep under wraps.]]
49	** [[spoiler: The Railmaker, a [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien godlike alien AI]], decided to connect the myriad peoples of the universe through [[PortalNetwork the K-Gates]]. However, it didn't consider that some civilisations ''might'' feel threatened by it and neglected to put up any sort of defences, allowing it to get taken out by the Guardians]].
50	* DigitalAbomination: [[spoiler:The Railmaker probably counts as this. It's an alien "data entity" of murky origin, powerful enough to ''construct multiple {{Dyson Sphere}}s''. Luckily for the galaxy, it's [[BenevolentAbomination very friendly]]]].
51	* DivineDate: Guardians occasionally fall in love with humans, [[spoiler:as occurred between Raven and Anais Six, though it's mentioned that this was not the only case]], and any long-term lovers get the substantial benefits of [[ArbitrarilyLargeBankAccount never having to worry about any material needs]], being able to attend the glitziest parties and events, and [[BrainUploading having their mind uploaded into the Datasea]] to become something immortal and beyond human, even allowing for [[MesACrowd control of multiple bodies]].
52	* EarthThatUsedToBeBetter: Taken to the LogicalExtreme: Since Earth doesn't have a K-Gate, [[spoiler:or at least, that's what everyone thinks,]] it's been completely abandoned and converted into a planetwide wildlife preserve, accessible only by particularly interested tourists with ''deep'' pockets.
53	* EatingMachine: Nova is able to eat human food, her [[TrademarkFavoriteFood favorite]] being toast (corners first). However, she doesn't need to do this, and it's a custom self-modification to [[BecomeARealBoy help her feel more human]].
54	* EccentricAI: Vohu Mana is among the strangest of the [[DeusEstMachina Guardians]]. Its avatar is a flying dog named [[IncrediblyLamePun Pugusus]], rather than the more impressive humanoid forms of its fellows, and it's obsessed with creating an ArtificialAfterlife for its followers. This includes maintaining a personal collection of brain-downloads of 'interesting' individuals, [[spoiler:including [[ManipulativeBastard Dhravid Raven]], a man who has repeatedly outwitted Vohu's fellow Guardians]]. Needless to say, they would not be pleased to discover this.
55	* FantasticRacism: While the humans of industrial planets have [[JobStealingRobot a very good reason]] to dislike [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Motorik]], smashing them up and [[DecapitationPresentation sticking their heads on poles]] is going ''way'' too far. Possibly {{Downplayed}} as it's implied most Motorik aren't exactly sentient, but, as in the case of Flex, they are ''fully capable'' of being so.
56	* FantasticSlurs:
57	** "Wire Dollies" is a derogatory term for the android [[RidiculouslyHumanRobot Motorik]].
58	** [[spoiler: The Noon [=CoMa=] in ''Station Zero'' refer to their Kraitt enemies as 'skinks'.]]
59	* {{Foreshadowing}}: The [[TheWormThatWalks Hive Monks']] religion involves constant travel through the K-Gates in a vain attempt to find the "Insect Lines", a new Network that serves as paradise for their species. In ''Black Light Express'' it turns out that [[spoiler: the Insect Lines are actually the Monks' ancestral memories of the Neem Nestworlds, and the Monks are enraptured when they discover that there's a way back home]].
60	* GodInHumanForm: The Guardians are able to download their consciousnesses into artificial bodies known as "interfaces" -- some are human, others are strange humanoids, animals, or even mystical creatures such as centaurs.
61	* GreyAndGreyMorality: Very prevalent throughout the series. Both sides of all the main conflicts (Raven/The Guardians, The Noons/The Prells and [[spoiler:The Guardians/The Railmaker]]) have some degree of nuance, and very few characters are outright heroes or villains, with the main protagonist even being a NominalHero. To elaborate:
62	** The villainous exceptions to the latter rule are [[AxCrazy The Twins]], who are considered rather unstable by the rest of the Guardians, and [[spoiler:The Tzeld Geckh Karniess, the EvilOverlord matriarch of a ProudWarriorRace that lives to fight and destroy]]. On the other side of the spectrum, Flex and [[spoiler:the Railmaker]] are never portrayed as anything other than altruistic and kind, and both wind up dead as a result, [[spoiler:albeit temporarily]].
63	** [[AntiVillain Raven]] is a conniving and charismatic master manipulator, who's only out for himself and willing to get many killed to further his schemes. However, his goal, of [[spoiler:escaping the Great Network and the Guardians by opening a new K-Gate]], is sympathetic and understandable.
64	** The conflict between the Noons and the Prells is riddled with this, as it's often difficult to see that much difference between them, given that they're both [[MegaCorp Corporate Families]] who wish to maintain the (exploitative and elitist) status quo. While the Prells did violently overthrow the Noons in ''Black Light Express'', they did so with the absolute bare minimum of collateral damage, and were indeed correct that [[EvilChancellor Lyssa Delius]] had seized power by using Threnody as a PuppetQueen. The Prells are also seemingly [[spoiler:more xenophobic and wish to close the gate to the Web of Worlds, but at this point in the story the Noons are a VestigialEmpire who'll take any advantage they can get, and it's not clear what their attitude on the aliens would have been from their previous position of dominance. Then, their leader Elon Prell is portrayed in ''Station Zero'' as a somewhat pathetic GrumpyOldMan bogged down by TheChainsOfCommanding and hating his position as Emperor. Finally, Threnody Noon ''does'' finally introduce a limited form of democracy to the Empire after reclaiming her throne, but also develops a nasty habit of dispatching her new [[LizardFolk Kraitt]] bodyguards to viciously kill her enemies]]. While the Prells are probably worse overall, they're by no means {{Card Carrying Villain}}s.
65	** The Guardians are a bunch of egotistical, [[KnightTemplar self-righteous]] and honestly rather lazy A.Is that view further technological development as a risk to their power and godlike status, and [[spoiler:killed the Railmaker because [[{{Pride}} they were scared it would supplant them]] in humans' eyes]]. However, they [[TheComputerIsYourFriend do genuinely seem to care about protecting humankind in general]] and do [[JerkassHasAPoint have a valid point]] when it comes to [[spoiler:the Railmaker -- despite its (seemingly genuine) benevolence, it was [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien so mind-bogglingly powerful]] that if it ever turned nasty humans would be ''screwed'']].
66	* HumansAreSuperior: [[spoiler: Even the Neem, the most advanced species on the Web of Worlds, are centuries behind humanity in terms of technological development. There's a [[JustifiedTrope perfectly logical explaination]] for this - after the Guardians killed the Railmaker, all the aliens, who had come to rely on its technology, were plunged into a dark age known as the 'Blackout' and after recovering became fearful of advanced tech. Humanity, unknowingly being the instigators of this, suffered no such setback.]] [[spoiler: Of course, once the Railmaker is revived at the end of ''Station Zero'', this is no longer the case]].
67	* InnocentAliens: [[spoiler:The vast majority of the inhabitants of the Web of Worlds, except from the [[ProudWarriorRace Kraitt]], are peaceful traders who are nothing but welcoming to their new human visitors. None of them can pose a threat to the Network Empire in any case, being [[HumansAreSuperior technologically outmatched in every way]] by humans]].
68	* InTheFutureHumansWillBeOneRace: It's noted in ''Railhead'' that Zen is brown, like most people on the Network, while the Prells are seen as abnormal for being extremely pale.
69	* JerkassGods: [[DeusEstMachina The Guardians]], though on a macro scale as they (except from maybe [[AxCrazy the Twins]]) don't tend to screw with people ''directly''. Instead, they are fully capable of ending war and poverty, and dramatically advancing human civilisation through the use of technologies such as BrainUploading, but don't. Instead they prefer to role-play as deities and preserve their own superiority, necessitating the [[FeudalFuture archaic system of power]] that is the Network Empire. They refuse to permit the development of any other advanced [=AIs=], and [[spoiler:killed the Railmaker as they were convinced it would overshadow them]].
70	* KarmaHoudini:
71	** Played with regarding Zen -- he does mostly get away with [[spoiler:causing the Spindlebridge crash and its accompanying massive death toll]], but [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone he is haunted by guilt for it]].
72	** [[spoiler:Raven. While he is seemingly KilledOffForReal at the end of ''Railhead'', a copy of his personality (which was squirrelled away by the Guardian Vohu Mana) is recovered by Zen and Nova, who believe him to be the Railmaker's disembodied consciousness -- and while this turns out to be false, he's able to offer Threnody a means to retake Grand Central, in exchange for a new body. While he does seem uncomfortable when Threnody mentions Spindlebridge, he doesn't display all that much regret]].
73	* KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade:
74	** [[spoiler: Anais Six is forced to kill off [[MesACrowd the bodies of]] Raven, her former lover, after he attempts to leak evidence of the existence of aliens to the public. Needless to say, it doesn't work, and one clone escapes.]]
75	** [[spoiler: The Twins do their darndest to kill everyone who knows about the Desdemor gate before they block it in ''Black Light Express''. They succeed in shooting Malik, but Threnody and Chandni are able to escape.]]
76	* LovableRogue: Zen Starling, the young petty thief who becomes the main protagonist of the trilogy. While quite selfish and [[NominalHero not especially heroic]], he ''does'' steal and accept Raven's job in order to help out his family, and later his [[LoveRedeems affection for Nova]] causes him to [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl throw himself into dangerous situations]] to protect her.
77	* MechanicalInsects:
78	** All trains carry a complement of [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin maintenance spiders]] in place of a human crew, which are used to carry out repairs, refilling, luggage handling, and occasionally as {{Improvised Weapon}}s.
79	** PlayedWith regarding [[spoiler:the [[InsectoidAliens the Neem]], who aren't ''mechanical'' insects, but [[TheWormThatWalks sentient swarms of insects]] that 'wear' spiderlike PoweredArmor]].
80	* MilitariesAreUseless: [[spoiler:Railforce folds like a house of cards both times it's called upon to defend Grand Central -- the very capital of the Network Empire it's supposed to defend. However, it is {{Justified\|Trope}} on the grounds that [[MilitaryCoup many Railforce officers were willing to help]] the Prells take over the first time round, and [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters the trains themselves]] revolted when the Noons reclaimed the throne]].
81	* ModernStasis: Since their creation [[DeusEstMachina the Guardians]] have decreed that no more advanced [=AIs=] can be created -- they only begrudgingly allowed the creation of the android Motorik, who are limited to a human-level intellect at best and usually operate far below that. As a result, humans in the series have access to all manner of advanced technology, but still use the Internet, [[KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter projectile weapons]] and manual labour, and crime and poverty still exist. The reasons for this are [[WatsonianVersusDoylist twofold]], and explained further by Philip Reeve [[AllThereInTheManual in his blog]]: first, the Guardians are "[[{{Pride}} jealous gods]]" who rather enjoy lording it over humanity and don't want to share, and second, if this ''hadn't'' happened humanity would be an unrecognisable [[TheSingularity post-Singularity]] civilisation which would be difficult to understand or write about.
82	* MysteriousPast: [[spoiler:The [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Railmaker]] is an alien being of almost unfathomable power -- and that's basically all that is known about it, other than the fact that it's inorganic. Is it a HiveMind or MindHive, an AI which outlived its creators, or something else entirely? Nobody knows. When Zen finally asks it/Nova at the conclusion of ''Station Zero'', they can only respond "[[LampshadeHanging it's complicated]]"]].
83	* NominalHero: Zen Starling, full stop. Even though he is a LovableRogue, pretty much everything he does throughout the series is done either with the aim of bettering himself and his family, or out of [[{{Robosexual}} love for Nova]], who has the more traditionally-heroic mindset.
84	* OrganicTechnology:
85	** Commonplace in the Network Empire, where it's often used to rapidly grow buildings from wood or ivory. Said buildings have allegedly gone out of fashion by the time of the series, as they have a habit of randomly sprouting new extensions if poorly maintained.
86	** The [[spoiler: Railmaker]] also makes extensive use of it, in the form of a coral-like building/lighting material, plus [[spoiler: the biomechanical ''morvah'' trains and K-Gate-creating Worms.]]
87	* PortalNetwork: The K-Gates, often referred to collectively as the K-Bahn, which can instantly transport matter across light years in an instant. For some reason, the only things which can pass through them are sentient trains, plus their cargo and passengers.
88	* PostCyberpunk: The general "vibe" of the Network Empire. Sure, there's poverty, greedy {{Mega Corp}}s and self-aggrandizing A.I.s, but life for most ordinary folks isn't too bad and mostly untroubled, and none of the advanced technology has had the chance to GoHorriblyWrong. The Imperial family is [[HegemonicEmpire far more interested in hunting, partying and internal power games]] to bother with CrushingThePopulace, and indeed one of the things the [[DeusEstMachina Guardians]] seem to be best at is breathing down the necks of the Corporate Families to ensure they get as few people killed in their squabbles as reasonably possible.
89	* {{Precursors}}: [[spoiler:After the Noon Train heist, Raven reveals to Zen that the Guardians ''didn't'' actually build the K-Gates -- instead, they were assembled by a [[SufficientlyAdvancedAliens mind-bogglingly advanced alien race]] known as the Railmakers. Later on it turns out that the plural was incorrect, and there was only one ''Railmaker'' -- a benevolent [[DeusEstMachina data-entity]] so powerful the Guardians killed it out of a combination of fear and envy]].
90	* RidiculouslyHumanRobots: Played with regarding the Motorik. In most cases, they're only quasi-sentient and controlled by an external computer system, others such as Nova and Flex are indeed fully self-aware, raising some uncomfortable questions as to exactly to what extent the others are suppressed.
91	* {{Robosexual}}: Zen and Nova. In ''Railhead'', they have several moments of ShipTease on the Noon train, [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl he risks his life and liberty]] to save her after she is lost in space, and they finally share TheBigDamnKiss before passing through Raven's K-Gate. They're an OfficialCouple for the rest of the series.
92	* ShoutOut:
93	** All trains choose whimsical names for themselves upon activation, most of which are obscure ParentalBonus style references not aimed at the target audience -- the practice itself is very similar to [[Literature/TheCulture Culture ship names]].
94	** The "less adoring subjects" of Emperor Mahalaxmi refer to him as the "[[WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine Fat Controller]]".
95	* StateSec: Railforce, which is somewhat of a hybrid of this trope and SpacePolice -- they seemingly act both as a "federal" law-enforcement agency that targets criminals local security forces or [=CoMa=] are unable to deal with, and a internal security force/standing army that enforces the Emperor's claim to the throne and maintains the Network Empire's stability. [[spoiler:That is, until ''Black Light Express'' where large sections of it pull off a MilitaryCoup to unseat [[EvilChancellor Rail Marshal Delius]] and Empress Threnody]].
96	* SufficientlyAdvancedAlien: [[spoiler:The Railmaker. What else is there to be said about a being that can create a whole ''array'' of {{Dyson Sphere}}s? It created [[PortalNetwork the K-Gates]], seemingly fail-safed to the extent that they kept functioning for centuries after its death, developed oodles of super-advanced OrganicTechnology, and seemingly nurtured the development of several of the races on the Web of Worlds to help with its aim of connecting the sentient species of the galaxy]].
97	* TheWormThatWalks: Hive Monks, formed by a type of cockroach-like insect that gains sapience and the ability to speak when in large swarms, which proceed to construct a human-shaped armature for locomotion, a robe, and a mask. [[MysteriousPast Nobody's quite sure where they came from]], but the most popular theories suggest that they are ordinary insects that [[{{Mutants}} were mutated]] after clinging to the outside of K-trains. [[spoiler: Turns out that they're part of the alien [[InsectoidAliens Neem]], and were isolated on the Network after the Railmaker's destruction.]]
98	* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: Mention is made ([[AllThereInTheManual however briefly]]) of a dangerous terrorist group known as the Human Unity League -- whose goals, [[WellIntentionedExtremist to restore democracy and end the rule of the Guardians]], would typically lead to them being portrayed as LaResistance in many a science-fiction setting. They ''did'' launch a "nasty" conflict known as the Spiral Line Rebellion with the military backing ([[FalseFlagOperation initially covertly]], then openly) of the Prell family, meaning they're no saints by any means, but it remains unclear if they are genuinely well-intentioned, power-hungry opportunists, [[BanOnAI anti-machine fanatics]], BombThrowingAnarchists whose only aim is to "smash the system", or any combination of these. There's simply not enough information given about them to tell, and most of it [[UnreliableNarrator comes from sources with a pro-Empire bias]].
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101	[[folder:''Railhead'']]
102	* AndIMustScream: As she and Zen make their escape from [[SpaceStation Spindlebridge]] in ''Railhead'', Nova is grappled through the chest by a damaged Noon [[AttackDrone Beetle]] and dragged out into space. Of course, since she's a [[RobotGirl Motorik]], the lack of oxygen and extreme temperatures can't kill her, and she is left drifting above Sundarban for several weeks before [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl Zen returns to save her]].
103	* AndTheAdventureContinues: The story ends with [[spoiler: Zen and Nova travelling together through Raven's new K-Gate, towards unknown alien stations]].
104	* BaitTheDog: At first, it seems as though [[spoiler:the ''Thought Fox'' is seriously considering Flex's offer to paint it with a beautiful dragon motif. Then, [[EvilHasABadSenseOfHumor likely for its own twisted amusement]], it burns them to cinders with a flamethrower]].
105	* CoolOldLady: Lady Sufara Noon, the Emperor's sister, is a remarkably sharp-witted woman who quickly takes a shine to Zen ([[ImpersonationGambit pretending to be Tallis Noon]]) and his rather blunt attitude, displaying a lack of the Imperial snobbery she dislikes.
106	* FutureImperfect: Raven mentions that [[Franchise/StarTrek Klingon]] was among the languages of Old Earth.
107	* HoneyTrap: To enable the Noon train job, Raven hires an attractive criminal named Chandni Hansa to seduce Tallis Noon so [[ImpersonationGambit Zen can take his place]]. However, Chandni gets bored and decides simply to rob her mark at the worst possible time.
108	* ImpersonationGambit: Central to [[TheCaper Raven's plan]]. Since Zen is a stolen Noon DesignerBaby, he [[UniqueProtagonistAsset has Noon DNA]] and can board the Imperial train using the alias of 'Tallis Noon', an obscure relative to whom Zen bears a StrongFamilyResemblance and Raven is able to, ahem, [[HoneyTrap distract]].
109	* ManipulativeBastard: Raven. He promised Zen untold riches in exchange for stealing the Pyxis from the Noon Train... [[spoiler: But neglected to mention that his plan involved crashing said train and killing dozens, if not hundreds, of people, forcing Zen to become a fugitive and [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone live with the guilt for the rest of his life]].]]
110	* MiniMecha: A bipedal exo-suit with powerful manipulator claws known as an "Iron Penguin" is a common sight in industrial areas across the Network, and one was pressed into a (temporary) combat role during [[JobStealingRobot anti-Motorik riots]] on Cleave.
111	* MoreDespicableMinion: The ''de facto'' BigBad Dhravid Raven is a refined and charismatic AntiVillain, while his wartrain the ''Thought Fox'' is a [[RoboticPsychopath sadistic trigger-happy killer]].
112	* NearVillainVictory: Raven ''almost'' gets exactly what he wants: [[spoiler:to escape through his new K-Gate and explore alien worlds]], free from the Guardians at last. This only gets [[{{Pun}} derailed]] because Zen seeks him out [[SpannerInTheWorks at precisely the wrong time]], after attracting the attention of Railforce and Anais Six, and even ''then'' these foes would have been a mere delay were it not for [[spoiler:[[SurprisinglySuddenDeath that one sky-ray]]]].
113	* ParadisePlanet: Summer's Lease, a peaceful, lightly populated world where Zen dreams of living one day -- he's eventually able to buy a house there for his family using his payment for the Noon train job.
114	* PerkyFemaleMinion: The energetic and friendly Nova is this to the inscrutable Raven.
115	* ProperlyParanoid: Yanvar Malik, [[spoiler: who spent most of his life hunting down Raven's bodies,]] is ''certain'' that Raven is still out there somewhere in the far reaches of the Network, up to no good. He's thrown away a promising career in order to continue hunting for the elusive mastermind, with his superiors being convinced he's chasing a ghost. He is, of course, bang on the money.
116	* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: [[spoiler:Just as he's about to turn on the Worm and [[NearVillainVictory journey through the new K-Gate it creates]], Raven gets sewered by one of Desdemor's sky-rays, as the defence systems which were supposed to be keeping them away got destroyed in the FinalBattle between him and Railforce]].
117	* SympatheticInspectorAntagonist: TheHeavy is Yanvar Malik, a grizzled Railforce officer ([[TurnInYourBadge at least, initially]]) who has spent most of his life hunting down [[spoiler:the many bodies of]] Raven and [[ProperlyParanoid believes he's still hiding somewhere]], even though his superiors and the Guardians are sure he's dead. He [[WorthyOpponent very much respects his target]], and harbours no ill will towards Zen and Nova, to the point that he [[spoiler: [[HeelFaceTurn shoots his boss]], a '''Guardian interface''', no less, to allow [[PetTheDog Zen and Nova to escape together through the new K-Gate]] once Raven's last body is finally killed]].
118	* TheWrongfulHeirToTheThrone: After Emperor Mahalaxmi XIII is killed in the Spindlebridge crash, Threnody's sister Priya Noon becomes Empress -- and despite [[DesignerBaby being quite literally born to rule]], she proves to be a paranoid and unpopular NervousWreck, leading to [[EvilChancellor Rail Marshal Delius]] effectively staging a coup to replace her with the much better-liked Threnody, who she will be able to manipulate to her own ends.
119	* TookALevelInKindness: Kobi Chen-Tulsi starts off as a boorish UpperClassTwit, who's livid that Threnody, [[ArrangedMarriage his betrothed]], is flirting with Tallis/Zen, and tries to arrange a HuntingAccident for the impostor. After [[LaserGuidedKarma he nearly gets killed by the beast they were actually supposed to be hunting]], he mellows out considerably, being genuinely supportive to Threnody in the aftermath of the Spindlebridge disaster, and is even somewhat friendly to Zen after he threatens them into helping him recover Nova.
120	* UniqueProtagonistAsset: Raven seeks out Zen for his [[TheCaper grand plan to steal the Pyxis]], as he's a Noon DesignerBaby whose surrogate mother spirited him away from their medical facilities. As a result, he's possibly the ''only'' person in the Network Empire not affiliated with the Noons who can fool their train's genetic security systems.
121	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: A notable [[AvertedTrope Aversion]]. After Zen steals the Pyxis for Raven, the ''logical'' course of action would be to kill him -- he's no longer needed and is a loose end [[HeKnowsTooMuch who is aware of Raven's existence and the location of his hideout]], if not his ultimate plans. However, Raven keeps his word and makes him rich partially because, [[NotSoDifferentRemark as he notes to the young man]], Zen reminds him of himself. This ultimately backfires on Raven and Zen becomes an unwitting SpannerInTheWorks for his plan, while he would have got off completely scot-free had Zen been dead.
122	[[/folder]]
123
124	[[folder:''Black Light Express'']]
125	* ActionBomb: A "Railbomb" is a train [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin consisting primarily of a giant antimatter warhead]], controlled by an AI whose only desire is to [[DeathSeeker detonate gloriously]] after travelling through the target K-Gate, with the resultant explosion blocking it completely. This rather disturbing weapon was unsurprisingly a creation of [[AxCrazy The Twins]].
126	* AlienArtsAreAppreciated: Nova is a fan of ancient human movies (as in, black-and-white classics), and conveniently, the Hetrasec, an antelope-like ProudMerchantRace, share her enthusiasm - while travelling around the Web of Worlds she sells a whole bunch of them to a Hetrasec couple, who end up doing a roaring trade out of it.
127	* BackForTheDead: [[spoiler: After receiving a significant amount of focus as TheHeavy of ''Railhead'', Yanvar Malik returns briefly when Threnody and Chandni end up in Desdemor, only to be unceremoniously gunned down by a Twins-controlled Motorik.]]
128	* DeadlyEuphemism: The [[InsectoidAliens Neem]] military's official title is the "Hard Diplomacy Office".
129	* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: [[spoiler:By 'killing' the [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Railmaker]] with a computer virus, the Guardians managed to take down a ([[BenevolentAbomination friendly]]) DigitalAbomination that was ''[[JustForFun/AbusingTheKardashevScaleForFunAndProfit a strong type II on the Kardashev Scale]]'', while the Guardians at this point hailed from Earth, TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture. It's strongly suggested that this staggering feat was ''only'' possible because the Railmaker was an ActualPacifist which didn't see the need for any kind of weapons or defences]].
130	* EvilChancellor: {{ZigZagged}} with Rail Marshal Lyssa Delius, the SocialClimber head of Railforce, the Empire's [[StateSec Space Military Police]]. At the end of the first book [[spoiler: she realises she can replace the [[TheParanoiac paranoid]] and [[SketchySuccessor unpopular]] Empress Priya Noon, who took over after Mahalaxmi's death, with her sister Threnody, whose inexperience allows Delius to all but [[AmbitionIsEvil seize control of the Network Empire for herself]].]] The Noons' enemies quickly cotton onto this and [[InvokedTrope portray her as such]], but her 'evil schemes' seem to mostly consist of [[InternalReformist policies that benefit the working classes]] like restricting the use of [[JobStealingRobot Motorik labor]].
131	* GRatedSex: At the end of the first chapter, there's a scene describing Zen and Nova lying in bed together, staring into each other's eyes, with [[PurpleProse lots of flowery description]] making it clear that they probably just "[[TheirFirstTime did it]]". To whatever extent that "it" [[{{Robosexual}} is possible]], anyway.
132	* InsufficientlyAdvancedAlien: [[spoiler:The [[{{Precursors}} Railmaker]]. An alien '[[DigitalAbomination data-entity]]' of mysterious origin, with a godlike level of power allowing it to [[DysonSphere cage multiple stars]] to provide power to its [[PortalNetwork K-Gates]] and other megastructures. Unfortunately for it, however, it's not only an ActualPacifist, but [[WideEyedIdealist the concept of war and hostility is so far from its mind]] that it doesn't even consider that it could be seen as a threat, and thus possesses no weapons or defences whatsoever. And, as it works to connect the civilisations of the galaxy together, it encounters [[DeusEstMachina the Guardians]] on Earth TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture, who destroy it easily with a virus as it could weaken their own rule over humanity]].
133	* KlingonScientistsGetNoRespect: Under the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuys Kraitt's]] matriarchal society, all women are warriors, while scientists are a 'lesser' role filled by males. The Tzeld Gehk Kharneiss even ''kills'' one of her technicians to prevent him from [[DisproportionateRetribution claiming too much credit]].
134	* LizardFolk: The [[ProudWarriorRaceGuys Kraitt]], a young race of [[BloodKnight bloodthirsty raiders]] on the Web of Worlds, who are reptilian and only roughly humanoid.
135	* MadeOfIndestructium: The C12 Zodiak class of wartrains, designed from the ground up to be the biggest, baddest and toughest fighting machines on the Network, have an almost impenetrable layer of thick ceramic armour protecting their hull. In ''Black Light Express'', one of them, the ''Ghost Wolf'', is able to NoSell dozens of missiles and [[RammingAlwaysWorks smash straight through]] '''[[TanksForNothing tanks]]''' blocking the line as if they were cardboard.
136	* NobleDemon: Laira Prell, who is an OfficerAndALady literally as well as metaphorically. She's fully on board with her family's militarism and goal to seize the Imperial throne, but is dismayed when that goal is achieved through [[MilitaryCoup underhanded means]] rather than a 'proper fight'. Her [[VillanousValour obsession with honour]] causes her to willingly torpedo her own career in ''Black Light Express'', warning her enemy Threnody that two assassins are being sent after her.
137	* SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale: The Prells' assault on Grand Central is explicitly stated to have claimed 100 lives... Even though the planet is the capital of a galactic empire, with individual skyscrapers stated to have tens of thousands of residents, and the assault kicks off with missile strikes on the Imperial palace, a huge public building. No matter how good the Prells might be at reducing collateral damage, and even if this includes civilian casualties only, the number is almost impossibly low.
138	* StarfishAliens: The Hath - they resemble a sheet of canvas stretched between thin limbs, have rows of eyes on the side of said sheet like a starfish, and feed by sitting in nutrient-rich pools. When Zen and Nova first see them, they are mistaken for tents.
139	[[/folder]]
140
141	[[folder:''Station Zero'']]
142	* TheChainsOfCommanding: Elon Prell, after achieving his life's ambition to become Emperor, discovers that he '''hates''' it, and prefers hunting and war to the endless bureaucratic tasks of the monarchy.
143	* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: [[spoiler:As Threnody and her forces are storming the Imperial Palace during the Noons' retaking of Grand Central, Threnody comes across Pryia, her AlphaBitch sister who defected to the Prells. Without a word, Threnody stabs her in the chest and allows her to be EatenAlive by her Kraitt Lizard Guard. According to Skar, a battle isn't over for the Kraitt until this happens to the enemy commander, but that doesn't make it any less of a ''horrible'' way to go]].
144	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:At the book's climax, the ''Ghost Wolf'' is taken over by the Mordaunt 90 Network and used to wreak havoc across the Railmaker's home-world and destroy the ''Damask Rose''. However, the train is able to wrest back control over one of its weapons systems and blow itself up before the Guardian can use it to finish off Zen and Nova]].
145	* LadyOfWar: By this point, Threnody has ''had it'' with being a PuppetQueen, and transforms herself into the "[[RedBaron Red Empress]]", personally participating in the battle to retake Grand Central for the Noons in a custom-built suit of body armour, accompanied by her Kraitt bodyguards.
146	* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: Skar is [[BloodKnight just as bloodthirsty and vicious]] as any other [[ProudWarriorRace Kraitt]], but is ''far'' more intelligent than essentially any other member of his race. He's bright enough to recognise that his people are outmatched by humans not ''just'' because [[HumansAreSuperior their technology is centuries more advanced]], but because [[SoldierVsWarrior their forces have actual military discipline rather than being disorganised bands of raiders]].
147	* SelfDisposingVillain: [[spoiler:Elon Prell]] gets himself killed in a hunting accident (a genuine one, [[HuntingAccident not that kind]]) before [[spoiler:Threnody's]] forces get anywhere near him.
148	* ShaggyDogStory: [[spoiler:Nova believes Raven to be the Railmaker's disembodied consciousness, and travels with Zen to recover a copy of his personality. Said copy then informs them that ''Nova'' is the fragment. But as a result of their excursion, the Guardians manage to take over the ''Ghost Wolf'' and use it in an attempt to destroy the Railmaker once and for all, leading to the destruction of it, the ''Damask Rose'', and the near-death of both Zen and Nova themselves]].
149	* SoldierVsWarrior: Played with. When the [[ProudWarriorRace warbands of the Kraitt]] (warriors) go up against Noon Corporate Marines (soldiers), they [[CurbStompBattle get ground into paste]]. [[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch Skar]] is smart enough to realise that the humans haven't won ''just'' due to technical superiority but by having proper tactics and military discipline, while the Kraitt often [[KlingonPromotion kill each other in order to determine leadership]].
150	* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: [[spoiler:{{Downplayed\|Trope}}. When Threnody launches her attack on Grand Central, many of the Railforce wartrains refuse to fight or get blocked by civilian locomotives, allowing her and the Noons to retake control. This is because the Prells want to close the K-Gate leading to the Web of Worlds, and allow the Guardians to destroy the Railmaker -- since trains love nothing more than to travel to new stations, they'd prefer that this doesn't happen]].
151	* VillainDecay: After [[KnightTemplar the]] [[AxCrazy Twins]] attacked ''all'' of the other Guardians on Khoorsandi at the climax of ''Black Light Express'' out of desperation to block the new K-Gate, the other Guardians quickly join forces to severely limit their powers, resulting in them being able to do nothing but complain by this point.
152	[[/folder]]

Context Literature / Railhead