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!

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The drop in temperature immediately draws his attention, largely because he can sense the ice magic radiating from the bottle. He pauses his work and looks up, eyes focused on the bottle as if examining it as he was the coat.

"Well now...that's a curious concoction."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. The only way I can even get buzzed is from magical drinks. And I like the taste of this one. The last place I was at was more malleable, so someone basically imported a bar and its whole stock and menu from one of our missions."

He pauses, shaking his head. "Well. A mission I wasn't around for, though we went back to that world later." Moving swiftly on from that point...

"Cold doesn't affect me... I know this one's difficult for people to drink if they don't have some resistance. He also had... uh. Fire, electric, and wind-aspected ones."

His expression tenses at the thought of fire liquor, but he doesn't seem inclined to comment. While he's not actively suspicious of others as a default, his phobia of fire is still something he feels best to keep on a need to know basis.

"I've heard of alchemical liquors before, but elemental ones are a new concept. I imagine the bar in question must have had a rather unusual clientele."

Even back in Radiant Garden, elemental resistances hadn't been the norm, especially in those who weren't specifically trained in magic. Granted, he wouldn't be surprised if some bar somewhere had served mildly elementally charged drinks...he'd never been the 'night on the town' sort, after all. Even on his days off, he'd much preferred to stay in and find himself a good book in the library.

He notes the tension - elemental weakness, maybe? - but doesn't comment. Not his business, and it's not like he uses fire much, anyway.

"It... was. Angels and demons and peregrines - who were kind of like ghosts but unclaimed - and the Sithen which were... I don't know, they're weird, but they ran the Marketplace." So yeah, not humans.

"I was wondering if the train would give me any so I went or the small item since it's magic and specialized. I figured the general alcohol section wouldn't cover it. I can't get any kind of buzz from non-magical alcohol anymore. Apparently it counts as a 'toxin'." He makes the air quotes, rolling his eyes.

"In all fairness, it is. That is why we call it an intoxicant, after all. It's not surprising that an immunity to mundane toxins can't tell the difference between a harmful dose and a merely noticeable one."

Especially considering how useful Esuna is when it comes to sobering people up in a hurry.

"I know, it's just that I didn't even turn drinking age before this ability kicked in. That's not fair." He pouts, but it's not all that serious. "And even before I showed up here it had been a bit since I'd had a drink. I prefer this one for somewhat obvious reasons. ... It wasn't going to be a smart idea to show up to a mission in a highly changeable dreamland or a busy space station buzzed, though. I have too many abilities to want to try to use them while tipsy."

Either he'd use the wrong one, or he'd use the 'right' one and Cause Problems. No one likes That Guy.

"Life, unfortunately, is frequently unfair. That is why the worlds need people clever enough to come up with workarounds." Like, for example, magic booze. He can't help but wonder if a place where immunity to mundane toxins was normal might wind up developing magical alcohol with no effect other than bypassing such immunities.

"I certainly know what you mean, however. It's been rare that I had a day off in the last decade, and alcohol does not mix well with academic pursuits...particularly those that involve experimentation."

"... Experimentation, huh?" The temperature around Casper reflexively grows colder. "... Wouldn't happen to be on people, would it?"

He just has to check.

He recognizes that chill in the air, it happens often enough when he's in a threatening mood. It doesn't scare him, there's nothing ice magic can do to hurt him, but his expression does turn downcast.

"I...wish I could truthfully say that it was not, but I have indeed performed highly unethical experiments on living people in the past. They are the root of the majority of the sins I now work to atone for."

The temperature returns to normal, and the corner of his mouth twitches. "... I uh. My father is... well, he's a mage, but he used his magic to experiment on my full brother that I didn't know I had. He took money from one of the most horrible regimes my worlds has ever seen just to fund his research. And then he escaped the country rather than face justice for his crimes. If he had, I wouldn't be here, probably... but it'd have been the right thing to do."

He shoves the bottle into hammerspace and leans back to look up at Vexen. "... But he doesn't feel bad for what he did. When I got a mission to clean out an old base and found a monster, I didn't know it was my brother. I didn't know until after my dad showed up and shot him in the head." This guy doesn't smell human, he's not picking up a heartbeat in the same way... but Casper's expression is serious enough that hopefully he's not going to lie either way.

He takes a deep breath at that and leans back in his seat. His eyes close, and he can still perfectly see Xehanort's face as he eagerly led them all down a path they never should have set foot upon. He wonders, had the man looked just as proud when he convinced Dilan to cast his heart aside?

"Some people are simply utterly reprehensible, and lacking even the barest trace of shame or compassion. I, and most of my fellow researchers at the time, were convinced by one such individual that by probing the secrets of the darkness within human hearts, we might uncover a way to save others and even our very world. In our foolishness, we crossed many lines, and ultimately lost our own hearts and our very humanity. In such a state, we cared not who we harmed...I cared not who I harmed, so long as I gained ever greater knowledge."

"... That sounds like him, yeah. Except no one convinced him. I do know that mages are weird... not quite human, but something else. It's more than just 'person who does magic'... but I don't know details. He never gave me any, after all." He does sit a little more comfortably, though - either this guy is extremely good at bullshitting or he means what he says. Not mutually exclusive, but still...

"I've seen enough darkness in people to know what some people are capable of. Using knowledge as a trap, preventing you from knowing that you've gone too far... but if you're trying to atone you're not like that anymore. It doesn't make your past sins go away, but you can stop them from happening in the future."

A screaming child, and then -

"It's difficult to keep your grasp on humanity when it's being yanked from your hands, either by your doing or someone else's." A raven flutters onto Casper's shoulder, bonking his head against his partner's gently. The cold bottle is gone so it's fine to be here now. "... I was never really human, but for the most part I thought I was. I... try to keep my grasp on humanity. It's too easy to fall into the trap of 'well, individual people don't matter as long as things get done'. The gods fell into that trap a long time ago. ... Though I'm not convinced that ever wasn't my mother's attitude."

"I can also strive to undo some of the damage. I cannot repair all of it...even those who now have their lives and homes back will never regain the time they have lost."

And Ienzo would always have the weight of regret on his young shoulders. Would always carry the burden of his guardian having failed him, having been blind to the danger until it was too late.

"But the fruits of my research, illicit as it may have been, can still be used for the sake of good. In particular, I have hope that those I have used it to rescue will be able to help ensure the foul schemer is stopped before he ruins even more lives."

"... Good. I just... sorry. I didn't mean to push you, I just... it's something I'm extra cautious about, now." And he can't rely on people n battle who do those kinds of things. It's just not going to end up well for anyone.

He'd rather not get backstabbed again.

"I understand perfectly. Who I was before..." He shakes his head. "You would have been right not to trust. I was a poor associate even to those I once cared for, and I would not wish anyone take chances merely to spare my feelings."

"And if I'd seen you taking advantage of other people here, I would have... taken care of it." To the degree that he could, at least. "But I'm glad it doesn't have to come to that."

As long as he's not being bullshitted.

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A New Platform [Intro Post April]

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cw: human experimentation, Nazis, Casdad is a monster

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