voidtreckermods: (voidtrain)
VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] voidtreckerexpress2021-04-01 06:00 am

A New Platform [Intro Post April]

On the Train

Once again passengers are awoken by the morning announcement.

"Good morning passengers, it is day Sixteen 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 after lunch. A lunch that may be a bit sparse: between the big eaters and the stress bakers, the stores have been stretched thin the last two weeks.

"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 steam is thin, with blue skies seen above. The sun shines brightly down, warm light pooling on the platform.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers: Cassie Lang, Glorfindel, Jessie Custer, Olivia, Paddra Nsu-Yeul, S’reee, Thea Queen, Wei Wuxian.

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, open, with a vine-covered wall stretching high either side of the barrier. 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 eighteen 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 doors close behind them.

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'). The store rooms have been restocked with fresh ingredients, including plenty more tomatoes.

For passengers that have bought items, these are also scattered around the luggage carriage in various suitcases and bags. There is a suitcase stocked with spare wash kit items, for those who are running low as well as a box labelled Do Not Use Yet that is full of small 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 who are making the most of the sunshine. 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!
miseris_socios: (Default)

[personal profile] miseris_socios 2021-04-01 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
He sighs and keeps walking. "Twelve days old? Huh. ... There's people with weird ages here if you look at the roster, so whatever. But yeah, it's fucked up. My world is kind of a shitshow? At least in some areas of things." Not as bad as some, but... Shadows.
morganizedchaos: (for what it's worth)

[personal profile] morganizedchaos 2021-04-01 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
"Takes one to know one," he says. "Planet's not looking great where I come from, either. Somehow I get the feeling that's more common than not around here."

Pretty bad, really, in the sense of a pretty that is bad.

At least the dining car with its tables makes it pretty obvious that they're approaching the kitchens.
miseris_socios: (unimpressed.jpg)

[personal profile] miseris_socios 2021-04-01 08:49 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah... it's frustrating. There's... bad stuff going on everywhere. Why does it send us to worlds none of us know when ours need help, too? No idea. And no way to ask the train to do it... there's a 'suggestions' option on the ICP but it's always the same standard message when you put something in."

He can only take 'standard customer service response #874' from the train so many times before he wants to kick the ICP.
morganizedchaos: (for what it's worth)

[personal profile] morganizedchaos 2021-04-01 08:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"Honestly, mine might be beyond repair."

Ghost is more than adequately aware that he was born into what some people might call a "too little, too late" scenario. But what else is there to do?

"But I don't like the thought of being born only to die, so I try anyway."

... this is too heavy for talking to a kid. At least when they don't have coffee yet.
miseris_socios: (Default)

[personal profile] miseris_socios 2021-04-01 09:09 pm (UTC)(link)
"... Yeah, no. Don't get on that, you sound like Sakaki." Please do not. Just. No.

Ugh. "Though some people should hurry up and get to that point, anyway." It's grumbled under his breath, but the frustration and anger still keeps spiking in his brain. He's almost annoyed Aragaki wasn't on the platform so he could kill him. He got his spear today, after all.
morganizedchaos: (right by their ends)

[personal profile] morganizedchaos 2021-04-01 09:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, this kid has got issues and they sound like a buzzsaw grinding its way through his mind. Probably not good, that.

"Right, well..." Not much he can say to that, not without getting into aliens eating the planet with a 90+% casualty rate and, nope, not today. "This the place?"

Food is a good distraction, yeah, let's go with that.
miseris_socios: (huh?)

[personal profile] miseris_socios 2021-04-01 09:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah." He pulls the door open and the coffee smell is immediate. Someone already set it going, apparently. ... Makes sense, given platform day and a bunch of people not being the social kind at all. "The selection's kind of limited but there's cream and sugar and stuff around if you drink it like that."
morganizedchaos: (you got a better idea?)

[personal profile] morganizedchaos 2021-04-01 09:40 pm (UTC)(link)
"Cream's for the second cup," he says, already gravitating towards the machine. The array of mugs barely gets a second look before he just - well, to Ken it will look like a mug flips itself off the pile into his waiting hands, where he can immediately put it into the coffee machine to fill. "First cup's black for my sins."

That's a Morgan line, he realizes after he's said it. Whatever. He'll manage.
miseris_socios: (Default)

[personal profile] miseris_socios 2021-04-01 11:14 pm (UTC)(link)
... Not the weirdest thing he's seen. "Then move over and let me have some next." He doesn't really care about 'sins' but he's already having a headache-inducing day. "I need to try to reset my sleep schedule after last mission. Aside from when the train forces us to go to sleep."
morganizedchaos: (Default)

[personal profile] morganizedchaos 2021-04-01 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
What's a little minor telekinesis between friends? Or dudes on a train. Whatever. Ghost scoots out of his way as soon as the mug resembles full.

"I've heard something about missions, but not any details," he says.
miseris_socios: (huh?)

[personal profile] miseris_socios 2021-04-01 11:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Ken shoves a large mug into the machine, waiting for his to fill to the top. "Yeah. The train sends us to another world once a month... I don't know how many of them straight-out ask for aid and how many we just go to. The teams get different objectives... like red team was on duty to close as many demon portals as they could. Purple team was protecting the city, blue and orange were inside the city... I think blue was evacuating and I heard something about puzzles on orange team."
morganizedchaos: (right by their ends)

[personal profile] morganizedchaos 2021-04-02 12:14 am (UTC)(link)
"You've only been on the one?" he asks, while taking a slug of the coffee. What's not needing your mouth to talk for if not horrible gremlin multitasking?
miseris_socios: (unimpressed.jpg)

[personal profile] miseris_socios 2021-04-02 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
He takes a long sip of the coffee. "I only got here last month. It's not... as bad as I thought it would be. None of my team is here..."
morganizedchaos: (now what's bothering you?)

[personal profile] morganizedchaos 2021-04-02 04:22 pm (UTC)(link)
A nod, and then it's back to coffee drinking. "Fair enough. Do you know who's been here longest?"
miseris_socios: (huh?)

[personal profile] miseris_socios 2021-04-02 08:00 pm (UTC)(link)
"Uh." He has to think on that. "Senku's been here a while. Roland might... have been? I don't know. Um. Those two would be a good place to start. If you need to find Roland just ask, he's my roommate." Mm. "One of my roommates."
morganizedchaos: (you got a better idea?)

probably getting close to tying this one up?

[personal profile] morganizedchaos 2021-04-03 12:20 am (UTC)(link)
Ghost nods. "Heard both those names before, but it's good to get a second opinion. Thanks."
miseris_socios: (ugh...)

sounds good

[personal profile] miseris_socios 2021-04-03 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
"No problem..." He takes another ew sips of his cup... aw. Okay. The cup's done. He probably shouldn't have any more...