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

[dreamtamer]

"I think this is more like an in between place. I live on the train now, and it stops at platforms like this to pick up more passengers. Sometimes we stop at worlds that need help, and we do missions there."

[ourtomorrow]

"I see. So instead of protecting a single world, we're chosen from different worlds to help all of them."

Ken's theorizing by the seat of his pants, which is not his preferred method, but he has to work with what he has.

Still. He doesn't get it. "Then why just me.....?"

"Ken-chan, it's okay. There's lots we can do without Jogress. I'll be strong. You'll see!"

They're in front of another world's equivalent of Chosen Children. Wormmon has to show off his amazing strength as a partner!

[dreamtamer]

"I'm sure you'll be able to help a lot," Takato tells Wormmon. "I saw how much you helped before!"

He turns to Ken. "Mmm, that seems to be what is happening here. And its not just us. Its people from all kinds of different worlds. And most of them don't have a digital world or digimon."

[ourtomorrow]

Before....? Ah, Matsuda-kun probably meant when they were fighting Quartzmon. Stingmon held his own before Ken had met up with Daisuke and XV-mon. It's just his imagination that this explanation doesn't quite fit.

Yes, just his imagination.

"The problem we're facing must be on a tremendous scale," he concludes from the rest of Matsuda-kun's description. Wormmon puts on a Tough Face to show he is up for it. Both Takato and Ken-chan believe in him, so he has to live up to his reputation!!

[dreamtamer]

"I think so. It might even be a bigger problem than before, because we've been called as heroes to help a lot of different worlds. And I don't think anyone knows when we'll be able to go home."

"But that isn't bad," Guilmon adds. "We're going on adventures together. And we've made lots of friends!" A pause as he considers what else to say. "And the kitchen has bread!"

[ourtomorrow]

"Bread?"

....Digimon are Digimon no matter what world they visit. Ken tries not to react, having received quite a bit of food of the "for thought" kind.

But Wormmon has just perked up and is almost drooling down his front. This is not exactly ignorable. Ken does his best to at least not sigh.

[dreamtamer]

"Yeah! There's a huge kitchen, and there are lots of people who feed you whenever you ask!"

Takato blinks with a little concern.

"Ah, Guilmon, how many people are feeding you?" Is this something he should be checking on?

"Lots! And they fed Takato too when you de-evolved!" That was right! Guilmon turns to look at Wormmon.

"Did you know humans can de-evolve too?"

[ourtomorrow]

Ken and Wormmon blink in unison, if for very different reasons.

"Eh?"
"Eh?"

[dreamtamer]

Takato sputters a little at that.

"Guilmon, that wasn't.... I just got younger. Humans don't evolve or de-evolve like digimon." He turns to Ken and Wormmon and quickly explains. "There was an incident on the train recently where a lot of people became much younger for a day."

Guilmon wasn't convinced. "Takato got much smaller, just like Guilmon became Gigimon. And now Takato is back to being Takato, just like Gigimon is Guilmon now."

[ourtomorrow]

"On the train?" Side-effects on an adventure aren't unheard-of, to Ken. But... "Strange things happen between worlds, as well?"

"I don't WANT Ken-chan to get smaller!" Wormmon protests. It had been tempting, for half a moment, to imagine Ken-chan young enough to predate when he and Ken-chan had met. He would get to experience a Ken-chan he normally wouldn't have!

But there are so many other Ken-chans between then and now that Ken-chan is really better off not being. Not that Wormmon hadn't loved them all, but...

"Ken-chan is the happiest he's ever been, right now!!"

[dreamtamer]

"A few times? There were ghosts before, and then the age thing that just happened." Takato glances over at Wormmon with a little concern. He kind of had an idea of what he was worried about (Thanks to Spoilers). "Well, everyone is back to their normal ages now, so you probably don't have to worry about it?"

Guilmon's ears droop at the reminder. "Guilmon didn't like the ghosts. It was really scary."

[ourtomorrow]

Wormmon has now grown rather pale, by worm standards. "Ghosts......"

"W-well," says Ken, not sure how to handle the direction he can see this heading rather quickly, "it sounds like there's no predicting it. We'll have to take it in stride...."

Which he is also bad at, but if the situation leaves him with no choice, then he has to adapt. Ken is rather determined once he decides he needs to do something.

And Wormmon finds this inspiring: "Ken-chan!!!"

Ken is too polite to sigh. But. Crisis averted. His poor partner.

[dreamtamer]

Takato can't help but smile. These two... they were so much younger than the last time they talked, but they still acted just the same.

"Is there anything else you want to know? Otherwise I guess we could show you around the train."

pour one out for letting yourself get kidnapped because you jumped to a conclusion

[ourtomorrow]

There's a LOT Ken wants to know. But he should prioritize.

"Our ultimate enemy. What are they after?"

...Ken, for a guy who needs to deduce his way through things, you're really good at just assuming stuff the moment you start thinking about villains, ain't ya.

[dreamtamer]

"I... don't think there's just one enemy? That we know anything about, anyway?"

[ourtomorrow]

This surprises Ken. "We're not here to address a single threat...."

But isn't that....wait....isn't that an endless process?

He can't. He mustn't. This is not the time to start spinning implications off of this fact, willy-nilly, in his head. Right now, Matsuda-kun is being good enough to show him around, and regardless of the full circumstances, it's pretty clear he has no choice but to board the train.

[dreamtamer]

"I've gone on a couple of different missions, and it seems like the threat for each world is different."

[ourtomorrow]

"So we don't go home once our enemy is defeated."

What's the trigger for going home, then? Ken realizes with a jolt just how much he likes his life. Is it selfish of him to hope he returns to it someday? There are many things he wants, and needs, to do there, as well.

But if there's people who need him here, then he feels awful about resenting that.

[dreamtamer]

"No." Takato thinks about this. "Actually I don't think anyone knows why some people go home."

[ourtomorrow]

That's...hard. But Ken can accept it. He has no other option, does he? If he spends all his time looking back, he can't move forward. He has to accept both that he wants to go back home and that he can't. People are complex like that.

"Ken-chan."

Ken looks down. Wormmon stares up at him with big eyes. "Let's do lots to tell your parents about."

Against all odds, Ken finds himself smiling.

"Let's." He lifts Wormmon so his partner can drape over his shoulder, like a baby awaiting a back pat. "Sorry for keeping you, Matsuda-kun. I'd like to board."

And he would. Because he has to make the most of being here now.

So he has no regrets when he sees his parents again.

[dreamtamer]

Oh. That's what this was about.

"I often wish I'd had the chance to leave my parents a note," he says. Because while his parents had been okay in the end with his leaving to the Digital World, at least that time he'd had the chance to tell them he was leaving.

"Some people here have told me that time isn't passing at home while we're here. But I guess we don't really have any proof of that."

Takato nods. "Then we'll give you a tour of it."

Guilmon chimes in cheerfully. "And you can see the sign Takato made me! It says that Guilmon lives in the room too!"

[ourtomorrow]

Matsuda-kun - is very kind, isn't he? Ken smiles. The possibility that no time is passing is nice to think about, but with no proof, the best he'll have to do is trust that his parents will, in turn, trust and believe in him. They're going to worry, but that's because they love him. What he can do for them in the meantime.....is look after himself, and Wormmon, and be fully here.

It's nice, looking forward instead of back.

"You got a sign?" Wormmon asks, with all of the impressed awe of a bug who has only just realized that this is a train where Digimon can be on name plate signs. He does not mind that, at home, it just says "Ichijouji"....that's the important word, but...

Expectant staring at Takato commences. Explanation now, please. A sign. A sign!

[dreamtamer]

"The best sign! Takato drew pictures for it!" Guilmon considers this very important information to share.

Takato smiles a little nervously at that expectant look. "Ah, the sign was actually the idea of the Wormmon that was here before. Guilmon saw it and wanted one too."

[ourtomorrow]

"The other Wormmon...."

The other Wormmon was so smart, and so brave. Does Wormmon have the ability to be like that, too? He hopes so. He needs to keep growing, just like his partner is, so he's always able to look out for Ken-chan.

"Ken-chan, can we see the sign?"

He has to confirm it is as awesome as it sounds. And then, perhaps, he will be bold enough to make A Request.

Ken smiles. "I wouldn't miss it."

Guess the sign is part of the train tour now.

[dreamtamer]

"Let's go! You have to see the kitchen too! And the gym and the garden!"

Apparently Guilmon was leading this tour now. Takato just smiles fondly, more than happy to let his partner take over.