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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"That's the longest of anyone I've talked to so far," Ghost says. "Most of the people I've talked to have only been here for a month or two at most."

He sits on the available bed in what might be uncharitably called a flop. "I would appreciate any wisdom you deign to share," he says, staring at the ceiling, the tone unmistakably a little joking.

"Mn, my wisdom is don't look out the windows too much, it'll give you the worst headaches."

Persephone opens the package on her lap, setting a magazine to one side and opening up a folding picture frame. She looks at it for a moment and then carefully folds it back up.

"Also, I would bring snacks to your room if you get hungry in the morning, the walk to the dining car is chaos. The greenhouse is closer if you don't mind fruit or raw vegetables for breakfast."

"Both sound like solid advice, really."

Unfortunately, he'll definitely stare out the window at least once for science.

"I'm used to living off whatever we could grow on a tropical island," he says. "Fruit for breakfast is kind of my standard, actually."

He looks at the frame she folds up, not in a trying to see into it way but just a 'that's definitely a thing that is there' way. It's just an opening, if she wants to say anything.

"I prefer honeycomb or fruit and guess which one I can actually access on the train. People get all upset over the idea of bees on a train."

Persephone does not say anything about the frame though she does pick up the magazine to leaf through, snorting occasionally at some of the pictures while she talks.

"Practical advice is the easiest to give. The emotional stuff is harder to give without sounding--like a self help novel. Like--there will be hard days and easier days and people can help if you let them. Sounds trite, right? Oh man--look at this."

She holds out the magazine to a full two page spread of Cerberus, in full three headed glory, his name in bright white type against the dark background. "He's such a good boy."

"Or on a space station," he observes idly. He's pretty sure Talos I didn't have actual bees, either.

He stays quiet through her comments about emotional advice, but obligingly leans forward to look at... Alright, yeah, sure. "He looks like he needs some belly rubs. Maybe an ear scratch, but you'd have to have a lot of hands."

Gotta keep it fair between all those ears, after all.

Ghost looks at her for a minute, and then bites the metaphorical bullet and says, "Look. I'm not going to pry, but from what I heard outside, you've had a hell of a day. You ever had a mug cake?"

"My biggest trial, not having enough hands." Persephone turns it back and shakes her head solemnly. She flips the page again, reading through it idly. She was never really super familiar with the Underworld so some of this is new to her.

Then he brings up the platform and she shrinks down, mortified. Can she hide in a blanket?

"Gods, did you hear that? I'm so sorry. I promise I don't have fights on the platform everytime." She's so busy apologizing that the offer comes in second, popping in after she stops to take a breath. "Um--I--no, what's a mug cake?"

"Only from a distance. Enough to get the tone." Which might be reassuring, or it might not be. "Having a fight like that's usually not a good day, but you probably needed it."

So, instead, she gets a grin. "It's a cake in a mug. Come on, let's brave the kitchens for the power of modern convenience. What are your thoughts on chocolate?"

"Still--if you heard it, I bet everyone heard it. I knew I should have never have gotten out of bed this morning."

She takes a deep breath, setting her things up in the little cubby at the head of her bed and pats her cheeks. Stop it, stop feeling silly. Another deep breath and then a shrug.

"Chocolate is good. I'm not very choosy on my dessert options."

"It's a traditional comfort food for breakups, bad fights, and hard days at work," he says in return. "And shit's never as bad as it feels when you're sitting in your room moping about it. Come on."

And He'll head for the door, holding it open for her like a gentleman.

"One out of three isn't bad, I suppose. I bow to your wisdom about human ways. I'm pretty sure my friend would approve."

Eros would love the idea. And wouldn't he also be saying the same thing, don't mope in your room, get out, do something. She smiles, an uncertain sort of smile, but it's something, and follows him out.

"Three out of three would probably be too much for just comfort food, anyway."

It is unfortunately a bit of a walk to the kitchen; clearly they're going to have to start keeping mug cake supplies back with the coffee maker in the luggage car.

Clearly. It does take some time, and she hurries through some cars more than others. Honestly, the more they walk, the more she regrets not just curling back in her bunk. Yes it's hiding, but it's safe hiding, with less likelihood of running into the person you fought with.

"I wish I could teleport sometimes."

"You'd think a supernatural train would have put teleportation pads to get from one end to the other quickly or something," Ghost agrees. They're at the part of the train where there's actually double-tiered cars, so - "Here, let's cut up the stairs."

He's definitely sympathetic to her wanting to avoid everyone.

There is not a lot of walking right now, just floating, so stairs are no problem. As she floats up, she sighs.

"Exactly! I guess I could bug the train but I mean--some gods can do it. I'm pretty young, so no one ever taught me that particular skill. Nor disguising myself. I guess I can fly, it's a pretty fair tradeoff."

Stairs like this are much easier than lugging a full inventory up and down space stairs, even if they're pretty narrow. (Train stairs are just like that.)

"It might be possible to do technologically, but anything like that is more advanced than we had," he says. "I admit I kind of envy the flying, though."

"I feel like plenty of people come from advanced enough worlds to get us some sort of transportation thing." She frowns, then shrugs, "Flying is nice, I won't knock it. I only learned I could do it like a week before I got here, but it certainly makes getting around and in and out of bed easier."

"Well, you look pretty practiced at it now," Ghost says, grinning a little as they move between cars. "And I don't know - some of the looks I've gotten from people already make it seem like most of them don't know what a smartphone is, nevermind anything more advanced."

"Oh for sure, I'm not very versed with technology, I had to get walked through setting up my smartphone at home. But Devero has these book things that pull out and hold firm? It's weird." She gestures out, pulling, then stopping with a little firm movement. Her crappy mood is forgotten for this time as she explains.

"But on the other end is Thanatos and Zagreus...and Ryo, I suppose. None of them knew what a train was, let alone a computer."

The names aren't familiar to him yet (aside from the obvious, in context), but Ghost nods. "I've gotten some pretty weird looks for this already," he says, lifting his phone from his belt to shake it a little in her direction. "I almost think I'm better off not explaining to some of the lower-tech folks and letting 'technology indistinguishable from magic' do the heavy lifting."

Persephone smiles, slight and thin, then shrugs. Sometimes that's not exactly feasible, but she gets it.

"Well, I'm sure some would love to get to know technology when they could. I love smartphones at home, even I didn't really grow up using them. Who wouldn't love something to take cute pictures of cats with?"

"Well, that's definitely the most important part of the internet," Ghost says, his smile coming easier than hers. "Good to know some things are universal."

He pauses, and then adds, "Do they allow pets around here, actually?"

"They do indeed. All shapes but limited size. A friend of mine has a cat, various ones have birds. I think we have a few weird creatures...Mami has a flowery hedgehog like creature. It's adorable, but utterly unlike any creature I've met in my world."

Persephone pauses, "It can create flowers, like me. Less so, limited. It's sort of thrilling, all the different people and creatures I meet on the train."

"Good to know," Ghost says. He almost continues, I always kind of wanted a cat, but catches himself because no, that's not his. "I guess if there's magical people there might as well be magical animals," he says instead.

"And every system of magic works differently, just to confuse you if you know one sort of thing." Persephone sighs with world weariness.

"And everyone assumes their version is universal and is weirded out by any others. Me included, I am not exempt. It's just how beings work, I suppose. We all see our version of things as the way things should be."

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A New Platform [Intro Post April]

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