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

At the very least Alice somehow still has enough manners left in her to help the girl up after Alice accidentally knocked her over. Though it's not entirely without reason in the middle of the panic - because she knows one thing for sure, the moment she spots the girl. She has to get her out of here too. There's no way she's going to let a child get caught up in the fire.

Hence why she makes sure the other girl is absolutely up on her feet before she speaks again, frowning.

"Alright, l.. listen to me."

It's hard to even talk while she's like this, but she's trying. She's really trying. This feels too important.

"There's a fire. We need to get somewhere safe." Quickly. Quickly, quickly. Even just standing here and talking without moving for a moment is already pricking at Alice's skin.

She accepts the hand up, taking stock of herself. She's not injured, a little bumped. It's fine.

But Alice sounds very serious and her eyes flick to her, listening, obedient.

A fire? On the train? That was bad. She knew how far fire could spread in a city like Gauig, it would be worse on a train where everything was connected.

"We do be needing to be getting off."

She dips her head into an urgent nod, very grateful - even in the middle of her panic - that the girl understands how serious this situation is. Thank god, someone has taught her well about the dangers of fire already, despite the other's relatively young age.

"Did the train leave yet?" Due to her panic, Alice honestly can't recall if she felt the familiar huge force of the train's departure yet or not. Everything in her head feels fussy, and her breath is not entirely even as she's trying to desperately keep herself together.

She can always fall apart once she's in a safe place. Come on, Alice, come on..

"If not, we-- we should get on the platform."

"No we do be being back in the void."

Which was bad. How do you escape a fire on a train in a place that is bad if you go into it?

Except... There were posters by the doors. She remembered. "Where do the fire be being?"

God. That makes it worse. So much worse. They're out in the void, and there's no way out of the train. They're stuck on the train and there's a fire, and it's an enclosed space, and--

Alice can feel her head spinning, and she grabs at the front of her shirt with one hand, desperately clenching onto the cloth as if it's the only thing keeping her together.

"Kitchen. Kitchen, I think."

Right. Kitchen. So they had to go the other way. She looked at Alice and wrinkled her nose. She doesn't look okay. Doesn't look like Alice at all.

She looked like Soldat did when they had seen that electricity in the weird world they had helped.

She took a deep breath, entered the emptiness, so she could think.

"Alice. Be listening to me." Her voice was firm, calm, devoid of all emotion.

Alice doesn't speak again.

But at the very least it does seem that she's paying attention to the girl after she says those words. Her gaze is still kind of unfocused, since she can't fully calm down that easily, but she's doing her best to listen to what the girl is about to say. She sounds very serious right now, after all, and Alice is desperate to hold onto anything serious.

Anything that can help her out of here. That can stop the fire from catching up to her, already making the voices of her family resound in her ears, just like the day they died.

At least she seems to be listening, even if she's not to focused. She keeps her eyes on her, keeps her voice firm.

"I did be reading the posters. We do be needing to be getting to the other side of the train. That do be being our first step."

".. okay."

At least now a word does escape her, even though it's not much. But it does show that Alice has heard the other girl, that she understands what she's trying to say. Alice isn't sure what it'd help - is it just to get as far away from the fire as possible? But the train doesn't go on forever, it's not like they can outrun it--

She quickly tries to shut down her thoughts the moment she can feel them make her chest grow tight all over again. Instead Alice starts taking a few unsteady steps.

"Let's go.. do that then."

"Yes." She nodded and began walking, steadily and quickly, making sure Alice was with her the whole time. "The doors do be slowing fire. It do be saying so on the posters. I do be thinking people will be putting it out."

There best be. Surely people wouldn't just let the train burn.

Alice tries to soak up every single word the girl is saying. She may even be repeating some of the things under her breath, as if that may help convince herself that they're true. The doors slow fire. People will put out the fire. The doors slow fire. People will put out the fire..

...

"There'll be no way out for us if they don't," she finally quietly says. Still walking, but with her gaze seemingly glued to the floor ahead of them.

"We will be dealing with that if it do be happening."

She's in the emptiness. Emotion doesn't enter her voice. She keeps it steady.

"There do be being people with water magic. We do be having many people with magic and they did be stopping an entire demon army. So I do be thinking they can be handling a fire."

"Yes."

She says the word, softly, but Alice still doesn't sound too convinced. Sure, somewhere deep down she knows the girl is right. That it's only logical. But in Alice's mind no other danger could live up to a fire. Fighting entire armies? That's easy. She'd do that without blinking. But an all-consuming fire..

.. she starts walking a little quicker, just to make sure.

"Are we-- Are we almost there?"

"Yes." She nodded firmly. "So you do be trusting me and we will be staying away from this fire."

Firm but gentle words. Much like when she had talked Soldat down. "We do be being almost there. One more carriage and we can be finding someone to be waiting."

One more carriage. That's bearable, as long as she just puts it like that in her mind. One more carriage, and then they'll be safe.

(But will they really be? Despite the girl's tone, there's still the doubt in the back of Alice's mind, born from her sheer paranoia when it comes to anything that even remotely has to do with fire.)

"I do trust you, but.. I also don't want you to get hurt."

Is this girl weird? Oh, yes. Definitely. She isn't like any kid you'd usually see around. But she's still a kid, and she still deserves so much better than burning up in a fire. Of course Alice would want to protect her, even in the middle of this panic.

"I will no be getting hurt. We will be sticking together."

It's weird that Alice would be worried about that, when she was clearly so scared. Why would she care what happened to her?

But that's quite a lot to think about. Especially in the emptiness. Later. She can think about it later.

Sticking together doesn't always mean you can prevent someone from getting hurt. Alice knows that all too well. She's seen it happen so many times.

But she's not going to argue it now. They're so close, after all. So close. One more carriage, the girl had said.

They're almost there.

It doesn't. But in this case it was best Alice had someone nearby. One more carriage. She would have lied to take Alice into the luggage carriage, into one of her hiding spaces. Safe there. But she's not sure if the smell of smoke in there will make Alice's worry worse, it's different kind than fire but it might be worrying, if she fears the fire.

So instead she stops in the sleeper carriages, the very first one. She opens the door to her room, her roommates best not be in, and gestures Alice in.

"That do be being a lot of doors to be protecting us."

Alice steps into the room without questioning it. She walks a few steps before just sitting down on one of the bottom bunks, not bothering to ask or even ponder whose it is. The reason she had to sit down becomes obvious rather quickly anyway - her legs and hands are entirely trembling, and in a very visible sort of way now she's sitting.

".. It is," she says. But is it enough? Can train doors really stop the fire? Back home there had been so many doors too, and yet, and yet..

She gestures for the girl to come over, patting the spot next to her on the bunk. It feels safer to have her nearby. So if the fire does reach here, Alice can at least protect the girl with her body.

It's not her bed but she is sure Masumi won't mind even if she does find out. She notices the trembling, this is the most scared she's ever seen Alice, even in all the battles.

She sat down next to her, still and silent, hoping some of her own empty calm will pass over and calm Alice.

"You do no be needing to be worrying, I will be protecting you."

It's such a mature thing to say, especially for a kid this girl's age. Not that it's too surprising to Alice - sure, in some ways she's still very childish, but she's seen more mature things from her before.

But this isn't something she should have to be mature about. Nothing she should be protecting Alice from.

Not when it comes to fire.

She reaches out, grabbing the girl's hand and holding it in her own.

"Don't," Alice says, softly, yet a bit insistent. "You'll get hurt. It's dangerous. Fire isn't like monsters, like enemies-- you can't fight it."

"But you can be." She nodded at her. "I did be meeting someone once, they did be fighting fires. That did be being their job."

But they weren't here anymore. Not very useful.

"They were.. fighting fires..?"

Alice sounds a little confused as she says it. It's not like her world's concept of firefighters is very much like the modern concept, after all, and even so.. it's not like she can think that it's what the girl is refering to in the middle of her current panic.

She just assumes it's someone who quite literally fights fire. With their fists, or something.

Which is exactly how she thinks of it too. So she just nods. "Yes. I did no never be seeing them doing it though. But they did be being having metal suits... A bit like mister Starks but bigger. A robot maybe. That's how they did be fighting the fires."

With robots that punched fires.

Robots that punch fires.

And people said Wonderland was odd. Clearly they should have experienced this multidimensional train ride to get a proper idea of just exactly what level of weird certain worlds are on.

"I.. see," Alice says, accepting it despite its oddness. "Well, I'd rather still not have you fight them."

Partially since she doesn't have a metal suit, but also..

"Too much. I've.. already lost too much to those fires. I won't let it take you too."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject