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

[averyusefultray]

It's not something she's heard of before, but that wasn't really a problem. "An admirable one though."

Self improvement was a lofty goal. "And every teenager doesn't end up taking Impatient?"

[theimpatientone]

Merwen chuckles. "Apparently we share many vices for many sisters to take unique names, but I doubt I'm the first Impatient One in the history of Shora. I'm likely enough not the only one currently living, even if I don't know of any. I am, however, the only Merwen the Impatient One who lives on Raia-el, so I've never had any difficulties."

[averyusefultray]

THen again, it might be the specific sort of teenagers that get drawn to the Ghost. "A unique personal name would certainly help in that regard. Raia-el is your homeworld?"

[theimpatientone]

"My homeworld is Shora," Merwen says. "Raia-el is the name of the raft tree on which I and my family live, along with others."

And maybe there's some homesickness in her voice now. It's hard to help that.

[averyusefultray]

Homesickness is a feeling she recongizes. Her own relationship with Ryloth is complicated, but she talks to plenty of new recruits. "Does it help to talk about it?"

[theimpatientone]

"It does, but I think it's hardly fair for me to share my pain with you when you just arrived," Merwen says, with a heavy firmness to her voice. "This is not the worst place I have been, though it might be the strangest."

[averyusefultray]

Call it force of habit. Or possibly a strange sort of coping mechanism. "I'm still trying to refer it back to things I recognize. To mixed success."

Travel. Mission. THose she can handle. Other dimensions? That's a little stranger.

[theimpatientone]

Merwen gives a little laugh. "Yes, it's difficult. Very little of this is like the world I know. Most people here look like Valans to me -- yourself excluded, as you are quite unlike any person I have met before." She waves a hand casually to emphasize her point. "But I do know people, and people here are apparently no different."

[averyusefultray]

"As far as I know I'm the only Twi'lek on board." It's not an ideal situation, but she's the only Twi'lek on the Ghost, and there aren't all that many on Yavin IV. So she can manage. "I'm used to being around a lot of humans though."

And here they would't even have preconceptions.

[theimpatientone]

"Twi'lek. That's the name your people call themselves?" It strikes her as a slightly difficult word to say, but her own language is all soft consonants and vowels. She's doing what she can. She'll try to remember it.

"So your species is entirely unrelated to humans, if you don't consider yourself one?" Because she clearly fits the other definition of 'human' in Merwen's head, which has less to do with species and more to do with personhood.

[averyusefultray]

"It is." At least in Basic. There's no sense explaining the full Ryl term to someone who doesn't have lekku to fully express the language.

"We resemble them more than many sentient species." Which has proven somewhat of a curse from some points of view. "No one's sure what the human homeworld was any more, but it wasn't Ryloth."

[theimpatientone]

"We call it Torre in my own universe," Merwen says. "I've also heard 'Earth' from people here. Forgive me, I did have to ask. Sharers are human, but we've been separate for many generations and we've lifeshaped ourselves to fit Shora better, and many people here assume I am not human. I wondered if it was a similar situation for your people." She smiles. "Evidently not."

[averyusefultray]

She would have assumed much the same so they both came to wrong conclusions from their own direction. "There isn't a planet by either of those names in my galaxy." But she's getting used to the idea that only one other person here is.

"Humans are the major population on countless planets and have been for millenia." YOu don't see Twi'lek planets like that, other than Ryloth. "Without any dramatic adaptations. The relationship between them and my people can be complicated sometimes."

[theimpatientone]

"I can imagine," Merwen says, her eyes wide. "We've had trouble enough in my galaxy, and... well, in the galaxy I know, no one has ever found a person who was not human. Not that I know of. A particularly intelligent animal, maybe, but not a person, not like yourself."

She smiles, a little shyly. "I admit, part of me shares excitement to find that there are sister species in other galaxies, at least."

[averyusefultray]

"Sister species. I like that." It's certainly an improvement over some attitudes. "There are a lot of species that look even further from humans but should be seen as equal."

THat's a big should unfortunately.

[theimpatientone]

"Of course," Merwen says, taking a tone of gentle bafflement. "How else should it be? Shape does not confer personhood."

Well, it's not the most unheard of idea for her, but it's definitely not something her own beliefs let her wrap her head around. "Does the webbing between my fingers confer personhood, or a Valan's hair, or your..." for a moment she looks at Hera, struggling for a word she doesn't have, "tentacles? I'm sorry, maybe that shares rudeness. The appendages on your head."

[averyusefultray]

It's... not a term she likes to hear for them, but Merwen clearly can't know better. At least it's not tailhead. "They're called lekku. There are some humans in my galaxy that think they make me less than them."

Too bad they're the ones in power.

[theimpatientone]

"Lekku," Merwen repeats, clearly committing the word to memory. "I can imagine, though. I've seen enough people share hatred over differences even among other humans. I hope that doesn't prove to be a problem for you here, though."

[averyusefultray]

"So far there hasn't been any trouble." She hasn't been here long, but no human male has given her one of those looks. "No one here has the same preconceptions."