voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post March]

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Gen tilted his head, “So, both you and your friend were kidnapped at the same time?”

Far too used to weird things on the train, he nodded to the raven and addressed it. Just in case. “Not to ignore you, of course, my feathered fellow.”

Thoughtful, Gen mused, “I’m not sure if I’d find that reassuring or disturbing if it happened to me. My situation wasn’t quite like that.”

Bob gave a little chirp-squawk. Finally, a polite person.

"It wasn't? ... Well, I'm guessing a lot of people showed up here without someone they know. I was lucky and I know it."

Between the Pokemon, Digimon, and passengers that looked like animals themselves, Gen was not about to ignore someone that might have a mind of their own.

"I was lucky and my friend was here waiting for me," Gen said with a smile. "Par for the course, he was unlucky and had to deal with all of this on his own, at first, and ... also unlucky enough, that one of our more fighty-type-of-friends didn't show up instead of me. It's a bit of a mystery why I'm here, honestly."

"I still don't know why some of us were grabbed in the last place and some of us weren't. I'm not complaining - for the most part I liked traveling around." Bob bumped Casper's cheek with his head. "I just kind of gave up wondering why me and tried to enjoy it."

"If all this was, was traveling, maybe I wouldn't complain either!" Gen lied, thinking about the people at home who needed him. Who likely thought he was dead or abandoned them, by now. "But there's a lot of hard work, and pretty dangerous missions, and it's harder to avoid the dangerous stuff than you'd think, too."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "It'd be safest to just hide on the train, but the cabin fever gets much too strong for me. I need to stretch my legs."

... Hm. He kind of doubted anyone wouldn't ever complain, even in a good situation. But anyway.

"I don't really mind dangerous stuff. I'm kind of used to it, sadly..." His shoulders slumped a little bit. "Five years ago I was an occult nerd and the main target for bullies, and nowadays I can... do a lot of damage if I wanted to." There was a slight hitch to his voice - he really didn't want to fight. "I can understand the cabin fever aspect. We could make our own spaces in the last place so it was less 'cabin fever' and more 'please have the laws of physics make sense'."

Sometimes they didn't even get that.

Gen's expression softened slightly, listening to Casper explain, watching his body language. So, someone who didn't necessarily revel in his newfound capacity for violence? He could respect that a good deal.

"I've encountered some dangerous situations in the past ... but they're nothing I like, and I'm not good at dealing with them. Much better at avoiding them, since my skills are definitely not in battle, my friend."

He hummed, curious. "The last place?"

"Casper. This is Bob." He really needed to remember to start introducing himself again... he was too used to not having to. "And yeah, like I said I've been to a world between worlds before, where we were also sent on missions. Usually for a month and a half or so, not for a week."

A week sounded much more manageable, honestly. "I spent... three years there? I think. We didn't exactly have a set calendar like here, and time could get... fuzzy."

“That’s a long time to be out solving someone else’s problems,” Gen remarked, though he wondered privately if it was a better format. Did they always leave the worlds better off after helping them? What about clean up?

But the wince he let show up on his face. “Time’s fuzzy here too. If you’re curious I think the library has everything we learned about it ... err. We, I mean people smarter than me. There was a point we could ask the train questions - yes, that’s as crazy as it sounds - and that’s when we discovered time doesn’t run normally here.”

"... It sounds less crazy than I think I'd like it to be." But his life had been insane the past five years, so who knew? "I'll take a look at it. I think that notebook in my bag's going to go to some good use..."

If only Thorne were here. She'd be better at this than him. "I kind of got used to it. Better than staying in my world. I'll get back when I'm meant to."

"That's a pretty healthy attitude to have, honestly!" Gen said, even if he really didn't share it. Time was passing without him, apparently, back at home - the Senku from his reality and the rest of his friends probably thought he was dead by now. What a sickening thought.

He didn't focus on it, better leave that for the middle of the night to keep him awake. Fun times! "I think if you're here long enough, staying sane is really half the battle. As far as I know, so far this place hasn't kidnapped any psychiatrists."

Gen chuckled.

A New Platform [Intro Post March]

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