A New Platform [Intro Post February]

[voidtreckermods]

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!

Comments

[worthallthis]

The little ghost bobbles, as if on tiny little springs. The plastic chains rattle once then are still. "I don't really know," Soldat admits. "I inherited them from a friend. My guess is a toy that somehow got made alive. Or kind of alive."

[knifewithnoname]

"A toy that did be being made alive?" She wrinkled her nose at it, poking it again, it felt solid enough. She swung her legs around so she was sat on top of a trunk.

"I did be reading a book where they did be putting the minds of people who did be doing bad things into rocks. Do it be being like that?"

Was there a person stuck in that thing?

[worthallthis]

"I don't know. Maybe. I hope not. But I try to look after them." Soldat closes up the gun case, and focuses more fully on the two of them. "I. Spent points to bring them here. I didn't like the idea of leaving them back in Beacon alone. Since I don't know what happened to everyone else there."

[knifewithnoname]

"Oh." She tilted her head at them and at the curious little figurine.

"That did be being nice of you. To be bringing them here."

Especially if there was a person stuck in there. It would be bad for them to be on a dead world.

[worthallthis]

It just seemed like the thing to do, really. Besides, now they have someone familiar and affectionate that it's okay to touch, even if the little thing can't talk back or do more than bobble at them. They scoop it up as it returns to them. "Yeah, well. It's not entirely unselfish. I can't ask for my friends, from there. But I guess I could ask for this."

[knifewithnoname]

"Yes the shop do no be bringing us people."

She sighed, not that she would want anyone from home. Not even...

She scrambled down off her suitcase mountain towards them. "You did be buying a gun as well?"

[worthallthis]

They can recognize a requested change of subject when they hear one, so they open the case again to show her. "Sniper rifle. The one I had back in Beacon. With a thermal scope, in case it's too dark to see what I'm shooting. Or I need to shoot through a wall." They're damn fond of this rifle, even if they didn't really wind up using it all that much. It's still a great gun.

[knifewithnoname]

"It can be shooting through walls? And you can be seeing through walls and in the dark with it?"

That was a really cool gun. She peered at it, it certainly looked a lot more complicated than the guns she had bought from the train.

[worthallthis]

"It can. And I can, with that scope. Here, want to look?" They pull out the scope, switch on the thermal vision mode, and offer it to her. "Just hold it to your eye."

[knifewithnoname]

Of course she wants to look, a gun that could look through walls? That was the coolest thing she had ever heard of. She nodded with a grin and took the scope, holding it to her eye.

There was a small intake of breath as she looked at them through the scope, though she quickly suppressed it. She was surprised though, they were... colourful. Bright in the gloom of the luggage carriage.

She turned around, looking towards the walls, wanting to see through them.

[worthallthis]

It's interesting, she can probably pretty clearly see the patches of colder substance arcing through Soldat's body, the metal supports for the metal arm, and the arm itself is clearly colder than the rest of them. The little ghost is heat-free, and sadly, the train walls block any head signatures that the void outside might give off.

She might be able to see through the carriage doors into the next, though, if there's any people in the triage car to see.

[knifewithnoname]

There is one person in triage and she makes a small curious noise as she sees the outline through the wall.

This was so cool. She looked back to them, part of them was a different colour, an arm. Oh wait, their metal arm. The figurine didn't glow at all.

"How do it be working?"

She looked back at the figure though the wall.

[worthallthis]

"It reads levels of heat rather than lightwaves," Soldat explains. "Translates heat to something visual. I'll admit I don't know the exact mechanism."

[knifewithnoname]

"It do be seeing heat?"

She raised an eyebrow, heat was sometimes visible, like fire. But other times it wasn't. She's not sure how something like this can even exist.

"Do it be being magical?"

[worthallthis]

"No, my world doesn't have magic," Soldat says. "It's all technology." There are many things Soldat knows the specifics about, but this is sadly not one of them. They were just trained in how to use the thing, not how it works. "Now I'm curious, though. Wonder if anybody on the train would know."

[knifewithnoname]

Oh, another world where people use technology rather than magic. There's a certain point where the two are basically the same, she has seen some pretty amazing technology, like this heat-seer that seemed more magic than not.

"I bet someone would be knowing. Senku will be knowing. He do be knowing a lot of things."

[worthallthis]

"Might be something in the library, too. Senku knows technology?" The guy makes bone knives. One would think if he knew anything about thermal imaging, he'd be making more advanced weaponry. (Come on, those things have nothing to do with each other. It's something primitive and something not primitive. No. Yeah, maybe the bone knives thing was a hobby or something, and just happened to be useful. You don't know!)

[knifewithnoname]

"Senku do be knowing lots of things, he do be liking space. That do be needing technology."

The library was a good place to start as well, "If no one does be knowing we could be trying to be buying a book about it."

[worthallthis]

"Good idea." They pause, looking in the direction of the nearest ICP. "Does nonfiction count under entertainment...?" They've seen books under entertainment, but this isn't... for fun, really.

Then they hold out their hand for the scope. You've had your fun, Buttercup, it's time to put it away again.

[knifewithnoname]

"I would be thinking so." She had seen books that weren't fiction in the library, so they must buy them somehow.

She saw that gesture and handed over the scope immediately and silently.

"I do be thanking you for letting me be looking at it."

[worthallthis]

"You're welcome." They tuck it back into the case where it belongs and closes it up. "I'm going to have to conserve ammo, I know that costs separate, so I won't be able to practice much." They sound kind of disappointed in that. "Maybe once I've got my tac vest and a few more weapons, I can start buying extra ammo, but that's going to be a while."

[knifewithnoname]

She nodded, "It do be being expensive. But you will be getting lots of points soon."

She had no idea how points were earned, she couldn't figure it out exactly. But they were capable and smart and so they would probably earn enough.

[worthallthis]

Nobody seems to know for sure, but whatever it is, Soldat did manage two earn a solid chunk on the mission. "I've got a list of things all worked out that I want to buy," they admit, kind of sheepishly, as they heft the case and climb to their feet. "A lot of it's weaponry, sure. But some of it's shit from Beacon. That I miss."

[knifewithnoname]

"Things you do be missing?"

She tilted her head, she's never had much in the way of things before the train. Rewards were always the edible sort and she had her dagger, a gift from Kant, with her here.

"What kind of things do they be being?"

[worthallthis]

"I spent a year and a half in Beacon," Soldat says with a small smile. "I collected a lot of stuff. The most important bits, though, are my memories. We had a thing. An event. Where opals fell from the aurora. When you picked one up, you experienced a memory. Yours, or someone else's. I have a whole collection of mine. As long as I had them, I could never forget those times, those people, ever again." Their notebooks, too, where they wrote down all the memories not in those stones... they want those, too.

They look at the little plastic ghost resting on their shoulder, somehow balanced perfectly, and sigh, "Also, I had a little doll that looked like one of my dear friends. I kinda miss that, too." Maybe it's silly, but dammit, their Owl Friend plushie was adorable and meant a lot to them.