Episode 1: Awakening

I can still remember my first day on the train. Nothing before it, of course, but the day itself is clear as crystal.
I woke up in car #139 gazing at my feet. My socks were clean, my pants pressed, and my shirt starched. I awoke fully clothed without any recollection of how I got there. I would later find out the details of how I boarded, but at the time I had no idea. I should have felt confused--that much I knew--but I didn't.
I got up with ease, and felt the habit of stretching returning from somewhere far away, but I didn't do that either. I got up without a yawn or a stretch or a search for coffee. The train car was small, about eight feet by five, housing a small bed and a seat by the window. There was a thick, pressing fog outside, and I could see nothing except the tracks that disappeared one after another beneath us. I assumed there would be bathrooms and food somewhere else on the train. The door of the room was a sliding one, with a brass handle and a frosted window so that I couldn't see outside of it, either. Lacking the apprehension that I thought I should be feeling, I reached for the door and turned the handle. It slid open without a sound.
The hallway was dimly lit by candles along the wall, trying in vain to combat the gloom of the outdoor world. Along its center ran a plush burgundy rug, thick and soft beneath my shoeless feet. The air was clear, if a little stale. This was the train. This was car #139.
A man approached then, muttering to himself. He was tall, with high shoulders and a pronounced nose that canopied a thin mustache. His dark hair was covered by a small red cap, which matched the uniform he was sporting. He was checking a small golden time piece when he stopped suddenly, noticing me for the first time. He scrutinized the watch once more then glared at me, mumbling under his breath.
"You're early," he said simply, assuming that I would know what he was talking about. I gave him a blank look as he stuffed the watch into his pocket. "Well, welcome, I guess, even though you're really not, but welcome all the same."
I couldn't answer for a few seconds, unable to find my voice. I had to work my tongue, urge the sounds up from my throat, until I managed a meek, "Thanks."
He stared at me, reaching up and twisting his mustache, and said, "Right. You'd think I'd be used to this whole 'new guy' thing by now. All the same," and now he turned on his heel, talking to me over his shoulder, "come along now."