voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post March]

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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!

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A world where he'd grown up already.....

"Parallel world theory."

"KEN-CHAN! You speak ENGLISH?!"

"A little." And then, while Wormmon gets his own mind blown, Ken thinks about this new information. A world where he'd grown up already. A world with an adult Ichijouji Ken. An adult Ichijouji Ken who remains partnered with Wormmon, which implies that person was an adult Ichijouji Ken who had either never been or rejected being the Digimon Kaiser, who devalued Wormmon....

But not necessarily the same Ichijouji Ken he will grow up to be?

Ken hesitates. He doesn't want to be a bother and ask........That must be why he's feeling uneasy.

Ken-chan might speak English but Romeo doesn't so there's a flash of confusion at those words that he doesn't understand.

But Romeo understands that look, Ken is thinking. And he's thinking about Big Questions.

It's confusing he knows, so he gives him a moment, though he does add.

"You can ask anything you want, though I might not know all the answers!"

But if he doesn't, they can find someone who does. There's lots of smart people on this train.

"Mm." Ken swallows. "Then......"

He knows what he needs to ask. He needs to focus on the things he's been summoned to do, on what's expected of him, on the circumstances at hand, on what there is to do now. But -

But an adult version of him, that word adult, is sticking with him. He's - afraid of it. So he can't stop thinking about it.

Why?

Wormmon shifts to put his head in Ken-chan's lap. He is not worried about anything in this situation at all. Ken-chan will pick what is best for himself. That is the only thing Wormmon needs to know.

Romeo leaned forwards, reaching out towards his hand to grasp it if Ken allows it. "It's okay Ken-kun! It's a bit scary I know and I just gave you lots of information and you just came to the train! So it's okay if it's tricky to keep your spirits up."

He's struggling with that today too, Alfredo just left, one more friend vanished. But that's why he can only be glad that another friend is here, even if it's a different version and even if Ken doesn't know they are friends yet!

"It will be okay though!"

Ken nods. He wants to ask, and doesn't want to ask, about the adult version of himself. It's distracting him. Whether it's who he'll grow up to be, or someone who's lived a different life from his particular iteration of Ichijouji Ken.....And it might be a bad idea to ask anything at all. He still is the person who determines who he becomes. Just because that Ken is a certain way doesn't mean that'll be him.

So why is he still curious.....?

.........Oh. It's as simple as that.

"I don't need to know details," he decides aloud, which makes Wormmon's head tilt up. Ken-chan? "But....."

Just this one thing. Just this one thing, for adult Ichijouji Ken. For whom, no matter what he'd been through, Ken longs for one thing. "Was my older self....happy?"

Please. If there's more than one Ichijouji Ken, please, all of them find happiness. All of them find peace.

He can't bear the thought of anyone not emerging from the pain he's felt.

Romeo thought for a moment, because it can be tricky to tell if adults are happy sometimes. But he was pretty sure Ken was.

He was sure of it! He nodded. "He was. He had Wormmon and they were best friends! I don't think you can be sad if you got a best friend like that! And he liked art and origami and I think that made him happy too!"

He definitely hadn't seemed sad!

Art and origami....? Like what he'd done last Christmas? It had been absorbing. Somehow he had ended up with more cranes than anticipated, simply because he enjoyed the act of folding them....

But no matter Ken's future hobbies, Romeo is raising a crucial point. "That's true. No matter the circumstances, I could never be sad as long as I had Wormmon."

And he grins, completely reassured. There is a world where adult Ichijouji Ken is happy. And Ken already has everything he needs for a future like that, too.

"Thank you, Romeo-kun."

Wormmon was already reeling from "I could never be sad as long as I had Wormmon", and then a full-voltage Ken-chan smile on top of that....Face bright red, he gurgles in joy and then short-circuits. Steam wafts from his head.

"....Wormmon?"

He nodded. He knew that was true. Because how could anybody in the whole world be sad when they had such a friend!

He's lost two very good friends in the last month alone. If he didn't always know just how important good friends were, he would know now. Wormmon and Ken. They should be together forever, no matter what world and no matter how big or small Ken was!

He smiles but his smile very quickly turns to worry.

"Oh no! Wormmon are you alright?"

Wormmon chortles, basking in his own emotions. "Gyahuhuh~~~~~"

Ken's embarrassed, a little, but he also can't help but hurry to reassure Romeo. "It's okay. He's happy........I think."

Seriously, this is a bit much. He glances down at his partner, who has apparently ascended to a higher plane of exisKence.

"Oh!" Romeo smiles, "That's a relief!"

Because it would be terrible if something happened to Wormmon! Especially when he had just managed to raise Ken's spirits!

"It's good that he's happy!"

"I agree." Wormmon has to hide his face from the look Ken-chan is giving him, so as not to be overcome again (though he can't resist it: he peeks).

But this isn't good, is it? He's making them both worry, and he stopped the nice conversation. Wormmon tries to get himself together. "I'm - I'm okay. I'm MORE than okay!"

Fired up, he props himself up again. "I'll learn EVERYWHERE on the train for Ken-chan!"

Romeo beamed at that. "That's good! I bet you will be able to help him lots!"

He looked at them both. "Shall we go and see what room you are sleeping in?"

Wormmon's antennae sway when he nods. "Sure! Right, Ken-chan?"

Ken smiles. Yes. He's sure of it now. He still doesn't understand many things....but he's going to be all right. "Lead the way, Romeo-kun."

"Okay!" He grinned at them both. Even though Ken was much littler than the Ken he knew before it was clear his heart was still so big! As was Wormmons.

"Let's go!"

And off they go!

So this is the Voidtrecker Express....Ken looks around when he enters, impressed. It's a rather well-kept train, all things considered.....The passengers must take good care of it.

Wormmon has been on fewer (read: zero) trains before and has a different impression. "It's skinny."

"It is." He nodded at Wormmon. "It's really skinny and really really long! Longer than any train I saw before."

He had seen trains at least, on the Near Shore but only ever ridden on one before this train.

"So it's good for jogging."

Wormmon looks up at Ken, hoping this is welcome news! Ken...is of two minds.

"I don't know....that I want to jog on a train....."

He might bother the others, after all. Even though he gets a lot out of his six AM runs.

"I think it would be tricky to jog... Or maybe on your own but you wouldn't be able to race people."

Which is clearly the only reason for jogging...

"I wouldn't be racing," Ken clarifies. "Jogging is a full-body exercise. It even helps your heart and circulation."

The seeds of a future health nut have begun to sprout. Though...

"But the lack of side paths would make passing hard."

"It does?" Said like he is learning that jogging might be good for him as well as fun for the first time. Because he is.

"I'm sure if you said 'excuse me' no one would mind!"

They wouldn't? Really? Ken has to take some time to analyze this. The one thing he doesn't want to be, more than anything else, is an interference....

No, that's a feint, executed against himself. He is uncomfortable at the idea of encountering new people while doing something that looks peculiar.

So he nods, if less than fully convinced. "I'll consider it."

"I'll jog too!"

Wormmon is all for supporting Ken-chan. And for raising stamina. He is a tough bugge!

"I'll jog too!"

Even if it wasn't racing, running was still fun! And it would be good to run with Ken and Wormmon!

This surprises Ken. Being welcomed is one thing, but this is a step above in terms of thoughtfulness and friendliness....

And if he were...if he were with another person....someone who knows the train well....

Ken smiles. "Then...come morning..."

"We can run together! After we wake up!"

He grinned and leaned forward, offering his hand to clasp. This was going to be fun!

A handshake? To seal the deal, then. Ken takes Romeo's hand. His grip is delicate, but firm.

And he busts into the biggest, unconscious smile. "Ehe...."

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