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

[10billionpercent]

"No, it certainly didn't look it from where I was traveling." Senku sighed heavily. "I don't think I would like a world like that, I'd have to do everything I could to get off of it."

He would be tempted to reinvent space travel which shouldn't be that surprising.

[xue_yang]

He lifts up his glass. "To the next world not sucking." Xue Yang will toast to future better times and drink to forget the past awful ones.

[10billionpercent]

"I'll drink to that."

Senku raised his glass at that and downed the rest of his shot. Instead of going for more rum, he cracked open one of the bottles of wine instead and helped himself to something much more substantial than a shot.

"You worry about what's going on in your world without you?"

[xue_yang]

He finishes his glass and sets it down, "Why would I? It's not like I would be on my world anyway other then as a spirit or a corpse." Xue Yang holds no affection for his world. It never worried about him and so he never would worry about it.

[10billionpercent]

"Guess you have a point, considering." He hummed a moment. "If I had died permanently, but still alive somewhere, I'm not sure I could just like it go like that." Senku mused quietly.

[xue_yang]

"I've always known I would live a short life. I accepted death as soon as it came." But if the person who dealt that final blow happens to show up here...he might not be so easy to let it go.

[10billionpercent]

"Hm." Senku considered that. "Of course, being that I don't believe an afterlife exists, when I die, I die. That's all there is to it, there's nothing to accept, but here we are in a strange place. Makes me think."

[xue_yang]

"You'd be surprised what the dead can do. Spirits can be summoned. Corpses can walk the earth. It might not be considered life but you certainly don't stop existing."

And Xue Yang has made it his mission to play with the corpses and find a way to put their second chances to work that can be convenient to him.

[10billionpercent]

"I'm not sure that's the kind of thing that happens in my world. At least, outside of fiction. And if it could, I'd rather just stick with being dead in the ground." Senku commented with a little snort. "Rather than walking the Earth as a corpse."

[xue_yang]

"Once you are dead you don't really get a choice in the matter. Sometimes you can't actually rest until you finish things."

Revenge, resentment, unfinished business...there are a lot of things that can keep a person from resting in peace.

[10billionpercent]

"Tell me though, if you're dead, how do you finish those things then?" Senku asked, tilting his head.

"If that's how it is going to be when I die properly, I imagine that's the kind of spirit I'd be, someone who's never done doing things."

[xue_yang]

"You haunt people or you find a cultivator who is willing to help. And when you finish you can move on or they will do so forcefully."

Xue Yang however, uses the spirits and corpses as weapons. Not smiled upon at all in cultivation culture but he has never been one to play by the rules.

[10billionpercent]

He snorted a bit. "I could haunt Gen and make him do work."

Senku snickered at that, drinking from his cup. "Interesting, I guess. Far as I know there were no cultivators in my world or anything like that."

[xue_yang]

"There are a few types of cultivators. Maybe you just haven't encountered them yet." He finds it hard to believe that there might be worlds that have never even considered cultivation before. But he has learned that not every world has the same principles. It's a little interesting.

[10billionpercent]

"True, I haven't travelled the entire world yet or anything, but you'd think they'd be online." Senku mused thoughtfully.

"Back before everything, I mean." He waved his hand. "Everyone was online. Kind of like how the computers in every car keep us connected, only so much more than that."

[xue_yang]

"Cultivation tends to need pure mind and soul and many times they live in remote places. It's possible even your online isn't something they would invest much time in."

It would be interesting to ask others and see how many of them could recall cultivators on their worlds. he wonders if his is the only one...

[10billionpercent]

"Possibly, possibly. But even remote communities were known about, talked about by archaeologists and the like." Senku mused.

"Anything is possible."

[xue_yang]

"Well maybe you will have cultivators in your new world. All your online is gone now, right?"

New cultures could pop up when a world is restarted into a new way. He starts on his third drink, this time not bothering to mix it. It's much stronger this way even if it doesn't taste as sweet.

[10billionpercent]

"Sure, if we manage to revive them. They could create a whole new culture, like the village I'm from. Can't rule it out."

It seemed like a strange idea. "But if it's about magic, I don't think it would happen."

[xue_yang]

"Guess you'll find out eventually. You will have a chance to go home and continue on."

More then he can say.

[10billionpercent]

"That's the plan anyway." Senku said, taking another long drink.

"But not all of my plans work out. I can't discount anything at the moment." He shook his head.

[xue_yang]

"Well this plan worked out. And that is what matters at the moment." The plan for getting drunk and trying cola. That is going wonderfully and Xue Yang has no complaints.

[10billionpercent]

Senku let out a delighted laugh, which was probably the first sign that his inhibitions were lowering easily enough.

"Yeah, well this plan was easy! Apparently a plan to consume more alcohol than I probably should is easy to plan for."

[xue_yang]

"You really shouldn't have to do much planning for it. It should simply be something you engage upon when you want to." Which depending on what is happening around them, could be more often then simply as a means to forget a bad mission.

[10billionpercent]

"Not much planning anyway. I just needed the ingredients for cola, which I still had. I'll have to order some more though." Senku hummed. He was almost out.

"I don't usually drink much, I usually have to keep my wits about me. Perils of being in charge." He chuckled. "But I'm not in charge here."