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

[blitzcheer]

"Too bad I don't have better. If I did, I'd find a way to take us off this train, and get us a better one. One where we can find our friends, and get where to we wanna be. We can help people out, and stop dragging people off from their worlds that need saving!"

Wouldn't that be the dream? If they were doing things like that, he'd feel a lot better about this train hopping business.

[myblueskies]

"Yes." He nodded sadly, "If we could drive the train, that would be better because then we could make sure people wanted to come and help us instead of making them be here!"

That would be much better. "People should get to chose what their jobs are."

[blitzcheer]

"That's the adventure I wanna be on," he agrees. "Let people join up and help them out, let them go home if they want to. Why not! There's plenty of people who don't wanna go back where they were or like saving people. It's just all this...losing people without a choice. Or like we don't have any."

Because they don't, not really. They can 'choose' not to go on missions, and let people suffer? Sure, great choice.

"I'd tell you to tell the train what you think, but..." Well- it 'listened', sure. But it didn't particular have the capacity to care, about what people thought about being kidnapped. "Well, that's up to you. If it makes you feel any better."

[myblueskies]

"Do you think the train is a bad boss?"

He looked up at Tidus curiously. He hadn't thought about it like that before. He hadn't thought of the train as a person who chose to bring them here or kept them here or made people leave. But it had answered their questions before so maybe it did make those decisions...

"No one should be forced to work and if they want to go home they should get to do that..."

No one had known how people got to or left the heavens either... He frowned, thinking.

[blitzcheer]

There's a small breath of air that leaves his lips, a sound of resignation, of frustration with it. What does he think? What does he care- what's good for Romeo right now, more important than his own feelings?

"I think the train figures it's got a job to do, so it's doing it, and its job comes first. Whether it knows it's okay to take people, or if it really cares... some people are like that too. Train or no train."

Some weird train AI or...whatever you call what runs the train.

"Even if we go out and do good things, you can't forget what's done to do it. People get taken away in the middle of really important things, or they had people relying on them. So even if it seems like we're doing something good bein' here, others get hurt. Lives are in danger. And we don't know if anything happens when our friends get back."

Which might not be the best thing to say, considering why they're sitting out here, but it comes out before Tidus can stop himself.

"There's just a lot we don't know, you know?"

[myblueskies]

There was a lot of questions. A lot of questions that didn't have answers and thinking about them hurt. But big questions always hurt, they were always sad to think about but if they didn't think about them they would never get answers. Nothing could get better if they didn't try.

"It's tricky. Sometimes... Places can be good and bad all at the same time. The heavens was a nice place and I had lots of friends there but I met a god once who told me it was bad, because if gods break the rules they get killed and born again as baby gods who don't remember anything. That was a big scary thing. So it's the same thing here. It's really good that we get to help people and meet each other and do missions but just like you say, people have left their own worlds which need help to and people disappear and we don't know..."

It hurts not knowing where Elfnein is, what might have happened to her. "But people said... They said that things can be good and bad, both at the same time. It's tricky. So the train might be good but also do bad things or bad but also do good things."

It's a lot. He's just a shinki, a nameless shinki indeed and all these big questions hurt his head.

[blitzcheer]

It is a lot. Even for Tidus, being here in this state of good and bad before. Wasn't this just like Zanarkand? Its presence in the world, those who lived in it. If Zanarkand hadn't been around, he wouldn't be alive; but because Zanarkand was around, others had to suffer. Never moving on; living a life with Sin...

"Even if a life looks good, and there's good that comes from it, you can't turn away from the the truth once you see it," Tidus says, slowly, deliberately. "I don't want to live like that again. There has to be a better way - that's what I think. That's what I want to find. Something needs to change."

About the train or their situation. Both.

[myblueskies]

Romeo nodded, "That's the important thing. That we try and make things better. Even if things are bad or if they are good with bad things we gotta make sure we do only good things and help others."

That's the important bit! "Because the train is just a train or maybe it is a person or maybe it is a god or maybe its a thing that brought us here but we can't make it do what we want... So we gotta make sure we do the best good things we can!"

Even now, when Elfnien was gone... It would be what she would have wanted as well. Everyone to be good and help each other.

[blitzcheer]

He smiles, the hum of a laugh preceding his approval.

"Right! Be the Detective Lovelines of your own life. Figure out your mystery: what you want to do, and what you can!"

Maybe it's not exactly the right kind of comparison, but it might be better to make it sound more fun, even if it's ultimately useless. What can they do? That was the forever question always being answered by a frustrating 'nothing'.

But it's a useful segue, into something else.

"Speaking of, I got you something. I was gonna wait to give you it, but..." buuut, he drags out before pausing. Then, with more fun: "Wanna see it?"

[myblueskies]

It might not quite be the right comparison but it makes Romeo smile at least. Figure out his own mystery, what he wants to do and what he can!

He tilted his head up, curiosity dancing in his eyes. "You got me something, mister Tidus?"

Of course he wanted to see!

[blitzcheer]

"Sure did!" He pulls back his arms, the blanket still draping over them. "It'll be in the luggage carriage. Help me find it?"

They'll go together, but first, Tidus needs Romeo to move off him before he can get up onto his feet! A standing up that his legs particularly won't like after coming off the cold hard floor, but it's cool, he's still young and got his knees!!

He'll even offer Romeo a hand to hold once he's upright and on his feet.

[myblueskies]

He nodded and slowly untangled himself from the blanket. They were both a bit damp and he was very cold but he clambers to his feet and jumps a few times to bring feeling back into them.

He took Tidus' hand and smiled up at him. "Okay! Ready."

It was always a small adventure trying to find packages in the luggage carriage.

[blitzcheer]

What's a little cold between friends? Let's hope that mood can be kept for the rest of the day and doesn't bring anything about because of it. For now, they'll have the luggage carriage waiting on them - not the most warmest place to enter, Tidus depositing the blanket to the wall near where they enter, but it lets Tidus really feel how much cold has settled into him, rolling his shoulders and clapping his hands together.

"Alright! Look for anything with my name on it. It should be...square shaped. Not big." 'Like a book' -- but that'll ruin the surprise!

"And if you see any chocolate, that's mine too," he adds with a thick joking lilt.

[myblueskies]

Romeo is still bouncing, moving is the best way to get warm after all. It's a little bit subdued, compared to normal but having a distraction is good at least.

"I'll keep my eyes out for chocoalte!" And a small square shaped package.

He clambered over some bags, to find parcels, looking... looking...

Oh there's some square ones! He began looking at names, not that one, not that one either...

[blitzcheer]

Not that one, not that one either, until-!

"There, you got it!"

Has Romeo? He's got one package with his name on it, and Tidus comes beside the kid to take it from him, a quick, "Hold on, I need to check." Because this may or may not be Romeo's gift, so he'll need to peel at the corners of the folded section and take a peak in. Ah...

Ah-ha! Tidus grins, looking over at Romeo, and then holds it back out for him to take.

"Tear into it. Really make a mess!"

And get to what's waiting inside.

[myblueskies]

Romeo waited for a moment, letting Tidus check whatever it was in this parcel. Then he grinned as it was handed in.

"Yes sir!"

He ripped the paper, not actually making that much mess though he tried! His mouth fell open when he saw the books.

"Secret Detective Clubhouse. Keep Out!" He looked up at Tidus with big eyes. "You got these for me?"

There were five books! The picture on the front showed a group of children, looking busy solving mysteries! For a moment he forgot to be sad, gratitude filling his heart instead.

[blitzcheer]

"An early birthday present," he says with a smile, a hand coming to clap Romeo on the shoulder. "Or maybe a late one?" Heh. "It's no library, but it's a start."

He wants to say, Happy birthday, but he'll hold back on it now. A giddiness in his stomach, at the way Romeo was looking at him, the hope he had that he'd like the gift for more than its gesture. Oh, Tidus hope he does. They weren't no magical transforming detective, but hopefully they didn't need to be...!

[myblueskies]

Romeo stares at the book for a moment and back at Tidus and the book and Tidus. His eyes filled with tears, but happy ones this time and he turns quickly, flinging his arms around Tidus.

"Thank you sir! Thank you so much!"

They looked like such good books. He couldn't wait to read them. It was so kind of Mister Tidus to buy him them, especially since they had no idea if it was even his birthday. Or if shinki had birthdays at all really.

[blitzcheer]

He accepts the full-on hug, arms coming around Romeo in turn with a short laughter out of his throat. Tidus pats him on the back. He's going to Mister and Sir forever, isn't he...

"Anything for you, Romeo. You let me know what they're like, okay? We need more fun books around here!"

[myblueskies]

He held the hug for a few moments, grateful and a little overwhelmed. It's been a very emotional day.

He nodded into Tidus' hoodie and then drew back with a brave smile. "I will. You can read them after me if you want!"

Everyone liked detective stories, right?

[blitzcheer]

"Sure thing! I don't read enough," he says with a laugh in his words. "We can be our own book club! I got some comics too, 'bout blitzball. You wanna read those too?"

This was going to be the most literature consumed month in Tidus's life, that's for sure. Even with half of it over.

(Okay, at least on the train.)

[myblueskies]

"Comics about Blitzball?" He perked up just a little more, Tidus was really helping his spirits today.

"Like Born to Blitz?" There were stories they could read about that?