voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post February]

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A New Platform [Intro Post February]

On the Train

Three days after the Voidtreckers return to the void after their adventures on the biosphere world, they are awoken by a familiar announcement.

"Good morning passengers, it is day Sixteen of the month of Jelly. Points have been updated on the system."

They have indeed, and everyone can spend the morning shopping. Those who have been on the train for a while will also be expecting the second announcement that comes a few hours later.

"Shortly arriving into a designated void platform. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." A lurch and a jolt and the windows fill with the fog that means they are at a platform. The fog seems thicker than usual and as they step out onto the platform they will find it is cold, very cold. Icy fog sticks to their clothing, makes it hard to see very far; the atmosphere is dark and gloomy.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers: Alexis Rhodes, Elfnein, Itsuki Myoudouin, Ken Ichijouji, MT, Neku Sakuraba, Nike Lemercier, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Rainbow Dash, Rei Saotome, Taichi Yagami, Tsubomi Hanasaki, Yuri Tsukikage and Zechs Merquise all pass through the platform, not looking back before they disappear through the barriers and into the fog beyond.

But on the platform itself there are new faces. Wearing hoodies in all four colours, in various states of confusion.

For New Passengers

At first all they can see is steam, billowing around them as they come to their senses. As their eyes adjust, they will see they are on a platform, glass and dark stone rising in sturdy arches around them. Behind them is a set of barriers, and in front of them is a single track extending both ways into thick fog.

They are standing, in clothes that are not their own and a style they might not even recognise. They are carrying a rucksack on their back. For a moment it seems to just be them, alone in the white haze; then the steam begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform is not large with sixteen figures scattered around, all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. To both the left and right, tracks disappear into the mist. Then there is a roaring sound and out of the fog arrives a train. Jet black with gold writing on the side. The Voidtrecker Express. There is a hiss as the doors slide open and out step a strange assortment of people. Some are human, some are less so. Most are wearing the same hoodie in one of the four colours, red, orange, blue and purple, though some are sporting different clothes in a variety of styles.

The Train

After a short time, the doors hiss open again. Those from the train may encourage those on the platform to board. It’s not like there's anywhere else to go and even if there was, you feel a pull. A need to board, a feeling that staying on the platform would lead to something terrible. If that is not enough, there are plenty of people on the platform now, to encourage them onto the train.

Each ICP shows the same message and next to the screens there are stacks of leaflets written by those on the train, with further information (see
'Publications'). The store rooms have been restocked with fresh ingredients, including several crates of avocados, the ingredient of the month of Jelly, as well as all sundries.

For passengers that have bought items, these are also scattered around the luggage carriage in various suitcases and bags.

New passengers will find their ticket allows them into their cabins. They may need to negotiate for beds, especially if they want a top bunk!

Room is tight but there are storage cubbies at the head of each bed, beds fold up and the bottom bunks double as benches for the small table. There is storage under those benches full of spare blankets and pillows.

Departure

A second horn sounds to encourage any stragglers braving the freezing fog, and the doors slide shut. Veteran passengers know what will happen next, but they may wish to brief their new companions.

The train sets off, the fog obscuring the view again as it picks up speed.

"Welcome aboard, passengers of the Voidtrecker Express." A female-coded artificial sounding voice echoes throughout the train. "Please take the time to read the passenger information displayed on the Information and Communication points and familiarise yourself with the layout and emergency exits."

The train begins to tilt, leaving the ground and rising up into the fog-filled sky.

"Entrance into Voidspace imminent. New passengers are advised to remain seated. Entry into Voidspace in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

A shudder, a jolt, a lurch to the left. A flash of light, colourful and blinding. As quick as it happens it is done. The train seems to steady itself. The fog from the windows is gone now, replaced with a kaleidoscope of ever-changing colours.

Welcome to the Void!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I'm just curious in general, but if that's what you have to offer I'll take it."

She approached cautiously, studying his hands and how he was working with the simple items.

"I have had some survival training years ago, but that was in my world. If today is any indication of things to come I won't be able to trust things will always be like my world was."

"I can answer just about any question you like in any scientific field, survival skills at least in relation to a planet like Earth, or about the train." Senku said, waving his hand a little bit.

"As long as you don't care that I'm working on these while I do. I could stop, I'd just rather not." He liked to keep his hands occupied.

"You'd be surprised how many skills carry over. If you can feed yourself, and you remember to bring what you need in case there isn't food to feed yourself with, you'll be mostly fine."

She moved closer but remained out of arms reach for now, studying him like one might watch a bug in a jar.

"All that knowledge and modest I'm sure." she managed a small joke but if he was being truthful she might have just met someone useful and she didn't want to waste that.

"How long have you been on this train?"

Senku chuckled lightly. "Well I'm not going to pretend I don't know something, why would I do that?"

He didn't notice how she was watching him really, and he didn't stop his actions to sharpen his bone into a knife. He also didn't mind that she kept her distance, in fact, he preferred it.

"I've been on the train for three and a half months. Not the longest person, but long enough."

The correct answer to his question was So you have an upper hand on everyone else.

What she said was "I guess it's for the good of everyone to share in that knowledge."

The bone knife puzzled her somewhat "I would have imagined with so much advanced technology that there would be more sophisticated weapons then a knife made out of some bone. So why are you making it?"

"That's my opinion on the matter." Senku responded with a little hum.

"You can get better weapons." Senku agreed. "But they're expensive. It works on a currency system we don't understand where we're allotted points and weapons are the most expesnive thing. These aren't really meant for that. Not that they can't do the job, they probably can if you want a shallow stab wound." He commented. "But they're meant more for the tools aspect."

"And I have the bones. I make as much as I can with things I scavenge so I don't spend my money on things I can make myself, in the event I need something more complex or important."

Azula listened, finding herself calmed slightly by the idea there were at least some intelligent people on this train. It wasn't all strong emotions and fighters.

"That all seems far too reasonable given everything else I've seen today. I suppose I'll have to start scavenging as well unless I want to ask people to share their tools and supplies."

At least until she figured out how to make money. And what sort of tools would she even ask for? She was still so vague on what it was they were doing here.

"And whatever...wherever this train is taking us, we'll need tools and weapons yes?"

Senku was probably one of the least emotional people on the train about 99% of the time, so that wasn't a terrible assessment.

"There are tools we have for sharing purposes." Senku explained. "So there's always things you can get your hands on if you need them. As for scavenging, the last world we weren't allowed to, there were some local laws about taking things, not to mention there wasn't anything to take. Outside of that, I'm trying to organize it so it's more of a group effort. My focus is usually mainly on food. It's not that we don't have any, we do. We just don't get a wide variety of food and people like options. Not to mention, we wind up preparing lunches for the missions."

He hummed a little bit. "It depends really. I find that I pretty much always need a knife, but then again I'm focused on scavenging, hunting and doing things like starting fires." He looked up then. "You didn't come with anything like that?"

Senku kneeled up onto his knees and slid his hand into the side pocket on his cargo pants. He produced a bone knife like the one he was making but this one was done and polished and had a nice leather handle. He flipped it in his hand so the handle was facing her and held it out to her. "Here."

She tensed when she saw him drawing another knife but relaxed as he offered it to her the proper way. She accepted and ran her fingers over it, appraising it as a warrior princess. checking it's weight, balance and sharpness carefully.

"I only arrived with...what I am led to believe, everyone else arrived with. Clothes that are not my own, this all important ticket. The sort of bag a peasant might use." She sighed and also didn't bother mentioning the one item that actually was hers in the bag. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to wear it at the moment given everything that had happened.

"Aside from supplies and whatever we can scavenge, what exactly do we gain from doing these little missions? Are we expected to be wandering heroes for free?"

"Pretty standard, but some people happen to get weapons as a personal item." He didn't ask what hers was, and actually people didn't ask him what his was either and he was inclined to hide it. "You can keep that. I'm obviously making another one."

He settled back down to continue working on his project. "That's the idea, I think. Somehow, things we do lead us to earning points and then you can use those points to purchase things through the computer on the train. There's one that allows you to get things you want. I'd venture a guess that the missions are contributing to the points. When the train was asked, it said something about working together."

There was a moment of suspicion, then acceptance.

A smile, if only for a moment.

"Well that might be because I'm skilled in many types of weapons. But I prefer my natural firebending."

She expected him to be curious, most people she'd mentioned it to on the train so far didn't know what it was so she made a backhanded swing causing a trail of blue flames to follow her fingertips.

"Well at least we're compensated. And something tells me it would be miserable to remain on the train all the time without getting off on other worlds."

"That's a useful skill." Senku agreed and he did glance at her movement. "Huh." He actually didn't look all that curious. "I met someone before who explained to me what that is. It seemed very interesting."

He nodded at her assessment. "I don't know how I'm earning points, but I do earn quite a bit of them so I try and make sure I keep some aside in case I need them for something later. Outside of that, personally, I try not to get things I can make myself. Not that I'm telling you how to spend your points, they're personalized and you can't trade them."

Senku groaned a little bit. "Yes. The train is excessively boring, at least to me, but there are things people consider to be fun around to entertain yourself with. I just hope the next world isn't as boring as the last one."

That was enough to make her blood run cold. Was there someone else here from her world?

"Who was it? Did you get a name? Were they a firebender as well?"

She seemed to realize how desperate that sounded and dialed it back down but the damage was already done.

"What was the last world like if it was so dull? What sort of task did you have?"

"His name was Zuko." Senku answered. "He was showing me something that looked like a blend of tai chi and fire magic. He left quite awhile ago, though."

He'd been there, but he was gone. Senku just didn't forget people he spoke to though. He didn't really register desperation, he wasn't going to ask her why.

"The area I was in had no proper path so it was like walking an obstacle course for days." Senku sighed. "We were meant to repair broken pipes, and some of the robots came over to hit you when they were broken, so we were meant to be fixing them too. But the world was under construction so it didn't have anything of interest to gather, and somehow I ended up in combat. Could've been better."

There was a visible tensing as Azula's grip tightened on the knife till her knuckles turned white.

"Of course...because of course somehow he got here first. But...I just saw him, less then an hour before I arrived here."

She was starting to fly off the rails, she had to get back into control. Turning away from Senku she stomped away to catch her breath and try to slow down.

"Zuko is my brother." She explained though he may have already caught on depending on how much Zuko told him. Azula needed to know.

How many people on this train already knew about her?

He was more confused by her display of anger than anything, and he did think she looked angry, but he wasn't really clear on what he'd done to set her off.

"Okay." Senku said, to her comment about her brother but he didn't demonstrate any more recognition than that.

"Ah, well, the matter of having people from your world here is a bit complex, and the gist of what the train said was that we're not technically sharing a world with people we know, so some kind of parallel world? And that we're missing, but based on when I came and when Gen came, he's from my world, he'd know if I'd gone missing because he's in my future, supposedly."

He sighed a little bit. "There's still a high chance the train was just telling us bullshit, though. I'm not sure I believe that."

Slowly, muscles were unwinding, heart rate was slowing.

"I'm so glad we can't trust anything to make sense or be logical."

And if Zuko hadn't gone around blabbing to everyone she still had a chance to make the right impression.

"He and I didn't end things on very good terms. But that has nothing to do with our current situation so I suppose it's fine."

Only time would tell just how much of the truth was already spread around the train.

"I'd say things don't seem very logical when you just show up on a weird train someday, but I'm trying to make as much sense of it as I can, personally." Senku told her.

"I'm not sure that matters in this situation." He said honestly. "I mean, in theory if he was still here you might want to talk to him or something, I don't know, I don't really get people. I don't personally care that much about conflict." Senku had a habit of extending friendship to everyone he came across, regardless of their past.

So much for being logical, Azula looked puzzled then shook her head.

"You may not care about conflict but you'll agree it would be a threat to the success of any particular mission."

And if Azula was going to be forced to go along with this she wanted to win flawlessly. "It can't be ignored entirely."

"Not by most people, no." Senku agreed, most people tended to get fixated on those kinds of things.

"And it might, it depends on the mission, but for the most part people around here are relatively cooperative, and if you're looking for combat or something like that, most missions have a component of that. Typically the red assigned missions."

"Ah...so there was a reason behind my being placed on this team." She tugged at the collar of her hoodie looking only mildly put out.

"If the red team is a combat based group, what do the other teams focus on? Is there someone organizing all this or is it...you know?" She gestured at the train as if it was listening to them right now.

"My personal theory is that the train is an A.I. of sorts, but we don't actually know. There could be someone, somewhere controlling it remotely. We've never seen staff." Senku reported.

"What each team does varies from mission to mission, but blue tends to deal with animals, in my experience and orange tends to deal with repair or technician jobs." Senku tugged at his own horrific orange collar. "Orange sees the least amount of combat, but it hasn't been zero on the few missions I've been on. Purple seems to be somewhere in between blue and red."

Senku, at least, believed the train could be listening to them, so he didn't think her motion strange at all.

"And an A.I is...what?" She hated admitting she didn't know something but if he found out later she was just pretending to know it would be more embaressing.

At least the team structure seemed suitable. The lack of leadership had her unsure of any success outside of luck and basic skill but she knew she had plenty of at least one of those things.

"And how dangerous have these missions been? Have we suffered any casualties?"

"It stands for artificial intelligence. It's a program, as opposed to a person, who happens to think for itself." Senku paused a moment. "I don't know if any of that means anything to you. Quite a few people aren't from technological societies so they don't always know these things."

He considered that for a moment. "It varies depending on the mission, and which part of the mission you do. There was one, two missions ago, and a lot of people were injured. It was a total mess. The base camp we were at got attacked. Couple of us got injured dealing with the stations outside of that. It's the first one I've witnessed where things got so bad. I've heard, since then, that there have been casualties before. We can't really die though, due to what's tying us to the train, so we come back, but as for the long term effects, we have no idea."

Azula shrugged, only understanding about half of what he was saying "The Fire Nation is the most technologically advanced nation in the world, but we don't have anything like that."

She'll have plenty of reading to do at least.

The next part has her curious though and there's a flash of interest in her eyes. "You're serious? This thing keeps us from dying? To what degree? Have we already tested it's limitations? Or is this new information?"

A New Platform [Intro Post February]

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