voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post April]

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"It's personalized. He collects your blood to give it to you when you need it." Senku explained. "So I'm not sure it can help you exactly, but if it's a dietary issue, the train usually adapts for that too, from what I know."

Did that help? He wasn't sure what else someone could do with blood offhand.

"It's not meant to operate the way you may be thinking. It's a small community on board the train."

"Yeah, it adapted to my diet, and I'm not too worried about blood. I just might need to make some vaccines or anti-bacterial serums in the future. Whatever my blood encounters, I adapt to. I try to keep up."

Thanks to Sun Mei that ball was entirely in his park now, with her intelligence and thoughts rattling around in his head. She knowingly made that sacrifice, and maybe it was ill-advised. Maybe it wasn't. But here he is, half-ass doing the responsible thing, and shaking his mental fist at the practically comical lack of laboratory.

"Fascinating." Senku commented. "Well so far, the worst we've had in terms of illness is someone having a cold, since I've been here and it's been about five months." He tilted his head.

"Small sample of time that may be, but those things on our wrist are meant to be protecting us. I don't know yet everything it does, but I suspect it's more than that. I'm working on it."

He looks at his SCA, wandering right then. Would it protect people from him? "But you were able to catch the cold. But some planetary stuff, you weeeren't."

He draws out the last word, clasping his fingers together and pointing. This... is something he kind of wants to know if he can make it work? But also, he needs to find a willing test subject and he doesn't want to deal with the 'Oh no!' factor because, god, that gets so old. You have no idea.

"Right, gotcha. Well, I will worry about my list later." He pulls a tight, tight grin.

"I didn't catch the cold, Rich did." Senku clarified. "And I couldn't say why. Maybe he's susceptible to them?" He shrugged helplessly.

"I've been experimenting with the SCA." He was that kind of person though, he might be just who he's looking for. "The only ill effect I've countered being wtihout it was on the previous world where mind control took over my actions and mind for a few days." Senku explained.

"Everywhere else, it didn't seem to be doing much, aside from aiding in translation as we're not all speaking the same language." He nodded. "Somehow, you'll earn points, we're not clear on how, and you can buy whatever you need."

He wonders if the SCA will protect people from each others effects? Somehow he doubts it. He's not planning on taking the risk. And not even because he cares about anyone's well-being all that much, he just doesn't want to deal with the shit of oh you infected my friend. Especially if he did it accidentally.

Great, here's how to cure them, go away.

"Wait, what language are you speaking right now?" He thinks to ask finally.

It was hard to say, as far as Senku knew no one had tried something like that, he wouldn't have the answer even if he asked.

"I'm speaking Japanese." Senku tilted his head. "You? If you concentrate, you can force me to actually hear your language and override the translation. The train translates too, even without the SCA."

"Oh wow, that's crazy. I'm not going to even imagine how that works. I have the knowledge of a virologist, not a space magic technician."

He raises his hands. Yup, he's curious, but has no idea where someone would even begin with that kind of thing.

"Basically you're saying unless you wanna play 'weird shit roulette' keep the SCA on?" Not that he's not already in a game with it, but seems like there's less bullets without that complication.

"Fascinating, isn't it? I can tell you it defaults to whatever language you're most comfortable in, hence the Japanese." He said with a wave of his hand. "But most of the people on this train speak either Japanese or English. Haven't met anyone who speaks Russian that I know of." He mused. "I think some of them speak Chinese as well." He wished he understood how it worked.

"On board the train, it functions like the SCA naturally, it's when you leave the train that it can cause problems." Senku hummed. "Everyone would advise you to leave your SCA on when leaving the train."

Do as he said, not as he did Murphy.

"Well, I mean, I'm more than happy to let someone else play labrat. Been there, done that, have the T-shirt and it covers the scars."

He holds his red palms out and does a little 'jazz hands' gesture.

"But I'll take that into account. No leaving without the SCA."

"Most people around here would appreciate that. I however, don't mind being a labrat, much to their dismay." He knew exactly how people felt about that, however in his opinion it was necessary.

"I think it's more vital to know what we're dealing with. I've learned a few interesting things so far, which are data points and nothing else, no complete picture yet."

"What's your end goal? I mean... learning how the SCA works altogether without actually taking it apart? Learning if you have to use it properly or will it compensate? Learning what the train knows about us? Or maybe just to stick a 'use only as directed' warning label on it and calling it a day?"

He's looking at his own as he's saying all this to Senku.

"Are you going to share the results with the train when you're done?" 'Cause he is curious.

"No, I have a broken one to rip apart, we just haven't done it yet." He tended to get busy, he had many things on the go all the time and there were others who wanted to see inside as well.

"Of course I will share my results. What I expect is that this is connected to the tether that ties us to the train. If we understand this, we may understand how to disconnect that tether which might allow us to leave at will." He explained. "That's my current hypothesis. My goal is to turn this into a voluntary voyage so that those that wish to stay can and those that need to leave can do that as well."

He hummed. "None of this is very private, especially after the last mission where we got a more tangible result than nothing changes. Gen and I were affected by an illusionary mind control."

"Alright, well.... that's fair." He contemplates, lightly scratching at his facial hair as he thinks. Can't fault the guy for that.

Mind-control, though, would it still work with him and the SCAs? Would it warn of his bites? His disease is practically inert; other than the mind-control aspect, it only functions as a vaccine.

He's curious but also... People Fucking Hate Him. He doesn't want to bring up something that'll get people threatening him again.

"That was the third mission I tested it on, oh also I was on another world for a break where I didn't have my SCA because it was broken, and I've tried it on three platforms as well." Senku explained. "So far that was the only result. There are other things we know about the SCA that seem strange, like how it's attuned to you specifically. I'm planning an experiment about that as well."

"So... I've been told you have all kinds of crew." Murphy clasps his hands together, index fingers lined up and pointing out as he speaks, and points to Senku.

"Does it only protect you from the outside? Or does it protect you from other people on the train?"

Because that could be very good for him or it could be very bad for him. Both in giving and receiving of his very unique problems.

Senku chuckled. "Not personally, also not intentionally. I do have people who want to work with me though." He had various goals, and he was ambitious enough to go for them.

"From what I know it's only the outside forces. The only thing I've seen it do inside the train is warn you of things that are dangerous to you personally, such as allergies and the like...oh, that's not true, it will beep incessantly if you are in some kind of danger, but it can't stop you beyond that." Senku said, revising his thought midstatement. It had beeped significantly when he was trying to kill himself for an experiment.

On one hand, Murphy very much wants to see what almost biting Senku would do. Just almost, not actually biting him.

On the other, he just got here, and he hates drama and he can only imagine all the drama that would happen if he threat tested his teeth on an obviously mad scientist who already lives here. If he's a mad scientist. He might just be crazy and likes the Med Bay.

The dominance of not wanting drama wins out, but the whole struggle plays on Murphy's face.

"Alright." He relents, but that's more to himself than Senku. "Guess I'll keep this on and if it goes off, become very alarmed."

He might be surprised what Senku was willing to do to test his theories, if he asked first. His level of madness was a matter of debate, but that was really neither here nor there.

"There are two phases. Orange, obviously for less dangerous threats and red for immediate danger." Senku commented. "Like if you're about to get blown up."

Yeah but that requires Murphy being ready to out himself and the most he's willing to do is say that he very, very badly needs to work on some vaccines.

Look, he's still a bit of a megalomaniac, but less of one.

God the curiosity is so strong, but uh... not right no. Nope. "Does it work on every species the same?"

"I haven't heard otherwise." Senku commented. "And while most people are humans, we have had a wide range of species who've all had their SCAs function like that."

At least he was someone who didn't look tired of questions, he loved twenty questions, after all.

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A New Platform [Intro Post April]

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