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

"Annoying." It answers the question of "what is a claptrap" rather neatly, as far as she's concerned.

The explanation does make sense and she stares at it for a moment and then it whirrs to life in her hand and she pokes at the field with a finger on her free hand.

"Fascinating. I can already think of several uses for technology like this."

"I know! It was so good that I couldn't let it go to waste. The current application I'm consulting with Devero on is the drone system. We have VR helmets so if we could apply this to drones, there's the possibility we could even build drones that would let us feel! Which would be intensely useful in situations that require precision."

She works pretty well by sight; her hair can't feel. But she knows what fine work she does with her hands, that others do with their hands, can be absolutely crucial.

What an absolutely benign way of using them, but then not everyone comes from the same sort of place that she does. Apparently. When last she'd looked, literally everyone in the galaxy had needed to be prepared, at least, for a fight if they wanted to gain anything. The little machine in her hand slows, and then turns itself off, and she sets it back down, thoughtful. Perhaps a barrier...could that keep people out? What would the stopping power of these projections be?

"Yes, I suppose that could prove quite useful. Could they be sent beyond the walls of the train, perhaps? What power sources will it operate with?" Herself, obviously, but she can't exactly follow behind all of them whenever they're needed.

"I wish! We can't get any access to the outside of the train while it's in operation. I suppose we could put something on the side whenever it takes off from platform, but I'm pretty sure we'd only observe void motion. Still, it could be an interesting experiment."

Then she finally considers-

"I was thinking some sort of rechargeable power source. How did you get it to start its motor without using the manual trigger?"

Oh. Oh, dammit, she'd gotten too excited and hadn't even considered that she should...probably have not been so blasé about her particular abilities. Sure, it had been mostly fine when she'd been exposed on Pandora, but here, she can't even begin to imagine what sorts of people would take advantage of her. Or try to kill her.

"Oh, well, I just asked it very politely and it was more than happy to start right up." Sure. That's close enough.

"Oh, neat! Is it some sort of technokinesis or technosymbiosis?" Luckily it doesn't sound like she wants to take advantage of it. In any sort of traditional way, anyway. There's just that raw interest that comes with someone introduced to something new and fascinating.

As she's saying it, she's taking an emitter out of its protective casing with her hair instead of her hands.

Alright, the woman is clearly far too naive--or distracted--to be at all fazed by anything slightly strange. And seriously, that hair. So after a brief pause, Tannis pulls up the left sleeve of her ridiculous orange sweatshirt to show her faintly glowing blue tattoos.

"More like technokinesis. I am able to manipulate machines and anything else with an electrical current. The ability is known as 'phaseshifting.'"

"Oh! Hey, that would be useful."

The glowing is interesting. It makes her think a little of volatile and active Etherian magic when it's being directly channeled.

"Like what else with a current?"

"Yes, it would be useful." Oh the uses she's had. She's probably need quite a lot more eridium than the one chunk of it she'd found in her pocket to do anything big, but. At least it isn't a requirement to do anything.

"Typically, anything with a detectable electrical current, or that runs on or generates one. Usually that is restricted to man-made metal machines."

"Have you researched where these abilities might generate from? Were you born with it?"

She reassembles some parts and creates a small forcefield. It's a simple gridded thing, but it's a quick build test and not something for serious use.

"I know precisely where it comes from, and no I was not born with the ability." She's been on the train for less than a day and she already misses not having to explain very basic things to everyone. Really, can't she just existed in peace without being bothered by everyone's questions?

She's talking to another scientist encountering something new, so of course it's something she must suffer through.

"Where did it come from, then?"

"I suppose you could say it was a gift from a guardian angel." She'd said that before, but it's still the truth. If she feels badly for anyone, it's Angel, and that is not something that she can say lightly. Perhaps she feels just a little too much kinship with the girl now than she had before she'd been unceremoniously granted her abilities.

A New Platform [Intro Post March]

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