A New Platform [Intro Post March]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

Once again passengers are awoken by the morning announcement.

"Good morning passengers, it is day One of the month of Kazoo. 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 is thick, the air is warm and humid and there are rumbles of thunder, the air heavy with the promise of rain.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers: Alfredo Martini, Daia, Enna Alchiba, Lord El-Melloi II, Natsuno Yuuki, Nita Callahan, Saku Gyousou, Sakura, V and Wen Qing

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, and seems smaller with twenty-seven 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.

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'). Those not new to the train will note the addition of an eighth sleeper carriage. The store rooms have been restocked with fresh ingredients, it seems the month of Kazoo is defined by the tomato and there are plenty of them.

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 as thunder rumbles further and the storm threatens to break. 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

[helborn]

... A little weird, but he knew some humans like that. It didn't bother him as much as it probably should. "Yeah. For all of humanity's faults... there's a lot of good there, too. And I like puzzles, but I'm more of the word puzzle kind of guy. Like riddles and stuff like that."

[10billionpercent]

"Not to condone the worst things humans have done, they've always yielded advancements that brought good things eventually." Senku said with a bit of a sigh. "Science and progress is neutral, it's how people use it where things become corrupted. The fact I know how to do some of those terrible things but have no desire to reintroduce them into the world we find ourselves in don't necesarily save people from it."

He sighed again, a bit heavier. "There will always be someone who wants to take advantage."

[helborn]

"... Yeah." He glanced away for a moment before looking back at Senku. "A lot of people like me from my branch of the family aren't interested in using their abilities to be helpful to other people. And I could personally do a lot of nasty shit to people but I prefer to not... do that kind of thing." He huffed and rolled his shoulders a bit once the books were all gone.

"People have a choice. Most people choose good. The people who just choose evil tend to be louder about it, so it seems like there's more of them than there is."

[10billionpercent]

"So far those I've found who are willing to do less than good things are more misguided than anything." Senku said with a bit of a thoughtful hum. "But that doesn't mean you can just let them do it. I don't know, I live in a strange world. There aren't very many people in it."

[helborn]

"That's true. Statistically it's going to be a larger percentage of people who are crappy."

[10billionpercent]

"Ha, well just generally, I can deal with that. I'm not the best either." He was devious in his own way, and so was Gen.

"It's the killing I can't put up with. I don't care if someone wants to tell me off or something and is just generally a dick."

[helborn]

"... Ah. Yeah. That's... I prefer to not do that if I can help it. ... There's two exceptions and they're not people who're just 'misguided'. ... But usually I'm the same way."

[10billionpercent]

"We have a no killing policy in the Kingdom of Science." Senku answered. "If we went back on that, we'd lose some of our allies and our society would like crumble into another conflict." He sighed a little bit.

"We've dealt with people like that through keeping prisoners, at least for a time, but they're currently stone. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with Homura and Hyoga right now." He rubbed his forehead. "Or Mozu for that matter. I mean, wake them eventually, but for the time being they can't be a threat."

[helborn]

"They got turned back into stone?" Hopefully they're not awake. "... One of them killed me before, though. And ally who left me to bleed out. I don't know if I can forgive him for that, and if I let him sit in any kind of prison he'd just escape."

[10billionpercent]

"We were up against someone who had the Medusa." Senku nodded. "I didn't turn them back to stone, I just haven't woken then up yet."

He blinked. "Oh, lots of people have tried to kill me. As long as they're not doing it right now, I don't care."

cw: death, murder, drugs

[helborn]

Medusa... has to be something that turns people to stone.

"... I don't know. I can do forgiveness for a lot of things, but he permanently fucked up the rest of my life. He killed me, he planted drugs on me to get me kicked out of somewhere, he terrorized me when we made camp, and manipulated my fear response nto killing someone I shouldn't have. I don't exactly have the 'turn into stone' option for him."

[10billionpercent]

He considered all of that for a moment.

"I won't say I understand, but it's been my experience that not everyone is willing to let things go as easily as I do." Senku agreed with a bit of a nod. "I find things like anger and resentment to be impractical and something I refuse to act upon." That was just him though. He'd always been like that.

[helborn]

"I... try not to. I don't think it's practical either. And I'm not going to go out and search for him. I have other things I need to do." There was enough hate in his heart for one and a half people, and his dad was the half. "I can shut off emotional responses in a critical situation if I have to. I don't like doing it. I prefer peaceful solutions if I can get them."

He looked down at himself and then looked up. "My... 'family'... isn't known for peaceful solutions, but I keep trying to find them. The titans can't be reasoned with, but hopefully most other things can."

[10billionpercent]

"I get mad, I just don't bother expressing it. It's usually not very productive." Senku admitted with a sigh. "It's not quite the same as not getting mad overall, but some people seem to think I don't." He meant at home, as opposed to the train.

"Peaceful solutions are much more difficult. A bigger challenge. I would hate to find myself bored." He smiled just a little bit.

[helborn]

"True. I'm... I like puzzles, but I'm not always the best at them. I do try, though. Some of our Jaunts in the last place nearly ended with a ton of people getting killed, but working together we managed a solution every time."

Maybe not always the best solutions, but they did what they could.

[10billionpercent]

"I didn't have a problem agreeing because I'd already decided to save everyone and that means everyone." Senku sighed. "No matter how unrealistic that sounds."

It may be hubris, he knew that, but he was intending on making it the truth.

[helborn]

Yeah, he wasn't convincing this guy. He was going to kill Caspian and he wasn't going to budge on that. Better to switch the topic.

"I saw the rooms are tiny, are you just keeping all of your books in that pocket space you have?"

[10billionpercent]

Senku chuckled slightly. "Yes, among many other things." He said with a hum and found another package, vanishing it into the same arms band pocket.

"A very useful item that a friend got me connected with here."

[helborn]

"That's helpful. Is it easy to get points here? I don't know that there's much I'd want other than books, but..."

[10billionpercent]

"I don't have a problem getting them but we don't really know how they work. All the train said was cooperation." Senku shrugged helplessly. "I wasn't really collecting books at first but you can also get clothes and things.

[helborn]

"... Yeah. I mean maybe my dreamcatcher back, but not really anything else. And I don't really wear much other than hoodies." He paused. "It doesn't look like the ones you're probably thinking. I can make them but it has to be a personal object."

[10billionpercent]

"I've gotten a couple of self-indulgent items." Senku hummed. "At this point anyway, after I'd gotten what I needed which wasn't a whole lot. We don't have things at home really so I'm used to it by now."

[helborn]

"I mean I've been to a bunch of worlds so I could probably think of something... but honestly it's probably going to be poutine ingredients." He was from Montreal, it was required.

[10billionpercent]

Senku blinked at him.

"I'm sorry, what?" He was a bit bewildered. The word hadn't meant anything to him.

[helborn]

"Poutine. It's french fries and cheese curds covered in brown gravy. I know that sounds weird but it's really good. It's basically one of Canada's national dishes and originated in the Montreal area, where I'm from."