A New Platform [Intro Post April]

[voidtreckermods]

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!

Comments

Platform

[forleaving]

By now, Adam was used to seeing people in various degrees of upset on the platform, and he couldn't blame them. Who wouldn't be upset in this kind of situation? So when he heard someone more or less freaking out, he made his way over.

He'd never seen anyone dump out their bag on the platform, but there was always a first for everything, he guessed. "That's a good question," he said, which wasn't the most comforting thing, but he'd get to that. "None of us arrive with anything we had before. Well, we get one thing, usually, but that's it. Are you okay?"

Also, in hindsight, maybe it was a good thing that someone freaking out didn't have guns. That was how people got shot.

Re: Platform

[halfnewb]

Sam spins to face Adam, arms moving as though to grab something off his back, but oop, no gun. Dammit. Or maybe, thank goodness. "...you don't look like a bandit." He admits. "You're also not screaming gibberish at me so...don't sound like one either." He looks him up and down. "...you also seem pretty calm so I'm gonna assume you know what the crap is going on here?"

[forleaving]

It wouldn't have been the first or even the second time Adam'd had a gun aimed at him, but he was glad to avoid another incident. He was also vaguely amused because he had no idea what kind of bandits screamed gibberish. He'd never really associated bandits with screaming at all. "I'm definitely not a bandit."

Nodding, he gestured to the train. "This is the Voidtrecker Express. We've been brought here to help people on different worlds." He avoided saying they'd been kidnapped, even if it was true. That didn't usually help people calm down. "None of us here have anything to do with it; we're all in the same boat." Or the same train, so to speak.

"I know it's confusing and scary, but the train is safe."

[halfnewb]

"...oh, is that all? Well then." Sam clapped his hands together. "Cool. Dandy. Definitely not getting that bounty reward but considering I was about to get dogpiled by Goliaths guess I can't complain! Thanks." He knelt down and started scooping all of the weird clothes and stuff back into his bag. "...there any chance you could use any extra clothes, size Twink? Cuz I uhhh...I don't wear clothes."

[forleaving]

"I know it sucks, but if there was a way to get out of here, none of us would be here in the first place," Adam said. Well, that wasn't entirely true. He was sure some people would stay for the sake of helping others. Under different circumstances, Adam might have too, but there was so much going on back home that he was missing out on. It was killing him.

"Um." His cheeks flushed faint pink. "You should really wear clothes. Why are you not planning on wearing them?"

[halfnewb]

Sam removes his helmet, smirks, and starts slowly lifting up his hoodie, badly scatting a really stupid 'sexy' beat, but it's made obvious pretty quickly that the only thing visible under the hoodie is...what looks like some serious but agile power armor. He wraps his knuckles against it. "I don't wear anything but this baby. Don't worry, not technically a nudist. Besides, it'd be bad news for all of us if I made our conductor go blind." He sticks his tongue out and, naturally, decides to lightly 'fling' his hoodie into his poor victim's face, winking. "I mean, feel free to keep imagining whatever you first pictured though~"

[forleaving]

How did things keep getting worse? How was this his life? It was probably Parrish luck, at it again.

"Oh," he said quietly when he realized there was...something...under the hoodie. He'd never really seen anything like that before, so he was torn between curiosity and being embarrassed.

"No one's ever seen our-" he started before the hoodie was tossed at him. He scrambled to catch it, as if it wouldn't be just fine if it landed on the ground. Maybe he should have just let it cover his face. Then no one would have seen he was blushing that way. But now-- even the tips of his ears were pink. "I have a boyfriend; I wasn't imagining anything."

Clearing his throat, he added, "So what is that you're wearing?"

[halfnewb]

Sam bursts out laughing, he can't help it. This guy is too funny. "You're really gonna say 'I have a boyfriend' and 'so what're you wearing' right after each other huh?" He grins, slinging his bag over his shoulder casually and sticking out his tongue. "That's hilarious. You can see why that's hilarious, right?"

[forleaving]

Adam gave him a withering look, tossing his hoodie back at him. He was trying very hard not to appear as embarrassed as he felt. No, he hadn't realized how that'd sounded when he'd said it. Not at all.

"I can be in a relationship and be curious about something I've never seen before," he protested.

[halfnewb]

"Heh." Sam caught the hoodie by the sleeve and tied it in a really stupid manner around his forehead, his helmet resting by his foot as he did so. "It's power armor. Makes me reallll good at killing stuff. And hard *to* kill. Pretty great. Also, I don't have to wear clothes, did I mention that bit?"

[forleaving]

"At least once," he said immediately before nodding. "Good for you." Wait, that came out even more sarcastic than Adam had intended- "Something like that will come in handy here when we have missions. There's usually some fighting involved."

[halfnewb]

His grin becomes...a little unnerving. "Oh good! Perfect...glad to hear that..." He looks Adam up and down, appraisingly. "Do you uh... fight? At all? No offense but you look more like the guy that counts the bullets rather than firing them if you know what I mean."

[forleaving]

Adam might have been easily scared, but he wasn't easily intimidated. Crossing his arms over his chest, he said, "I'm learning. I'll be a fighter someday." Hopefully soon, but he also understood that things took time. Still, he might have some basic skills by the time the next mission rolled around. "Until then, I usually handle things like information and research."

[halfnewb]

"Yeeep! Bullet counter. Knew iiitt! Haha." He grins and sticks out his tongue briefly. "Heh. Just teasing of course. Someone has to be the one to do all the thinking, and it sure as shit ain't me. I've got stupid brain, in case it wasn't obvious."

[forleaving]

"Brains are just as important as brawn," he said. And of course, the opposite was also true.

"And I hadn't noticed." He had. He totally had. But he was far too polite to say it out loud.

[halfnewb]

"Uh huh. Sure. I know it's obvious, buddy. It's alright. Anyway..." He looks over the guy's shoulder. "Thank you for your little introduction spiel, and you're welcome for the strip tease. I should probably get my cute little butt on the kidnapper train huh."

[forleaving]

He was again far too polite to say he didn't feel grateful for anything, but he nodded all the same. "Better to get on the train than try to stay out here," he said. "I don't think staying out here works."

[halfnewb]

"Yeah, I read something something bad shit happens if you stay, so..." He gives a wave and hops aboard the train.

Passengers scarred by Sam's Bullshit: 1/??