voidtreckerexpress | 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

He knew how ALice would normally act and knew this wasn't normal, but that just also meant whatever just happened was bad enough to cause such a reaction, which meant cute things are a given if it means it helps in anyway.

"Yeah. I have a Teddiura, Popplio and Miccino who I call Link Jr." At the mention of them he grabs the balls they came from to let them out for the time being. "They are friendly and helpful so fi you need one for comfort like a hug then they usually enjoy that."

It's a good thing that he lets them out of the balls like that, otherwise Alice would still have no idea what kind of creatures he was refering to. But with them out like this, Alice can just stare at them with her own eyes - even in her current state, still kind of panicked.

"Is it.. Is it really okay to do so?"

Usually she wouldn't be this worried about it, this insecure. She'd just go for it. But everything feels more unsure in this world that may be on fire, where the flames may catch up and consume her any moment now.

"It's perfectly okay."

At least they could in his mind keep her occupied while he could go and see what was causing such distress in the first place. The pokemon at least seem excited to see her anyway so that was something.

Apparently he doesn't have to tell her another time, because Alice is actually quite eager to hold one of these Pokémon. Some of them look like cute, cuddly animals, after all, and Alice can't ever resist those, despite appearances.

Besides, she can remember holding Dinah back home whenever she was younger and scared, so this may help, being similar enough to that.

Alice ends up carefully reaching out to the Teddiursa - it looks like a teddy bear, after all - to try and gather it up in her arms.

The Teddiura at least seemed happy to be held, cuddling up to the other while Allen made sure the others were okay before going back the way Alice came to just check what on earth was going on.

It might have been a good number of minutes before he was back.

"Everything seems to be okay back there now, so whatever it was has been dealt with."

".. Are you absolutely sure?"

Alice is definitely holding the Teddiursa close to her by the time he's back. This is now her emotional support teddybear since she doesn't dare to go grab her own rabbit in the middle of this panic, okay. But it is helping, just having the soft and fluffy creature so close to her in the middle of all of this.

Even though she still sounds a little sceptical when Allen returns and says that. Not in the usual way Alice sounds sceptical - all harsh, disbelieving - but still in a softer way. She sounds like an animal that's reluctant about leaving its hiding spot.

"Is there no longer any fire..?"

"Positive. I saw the kitchen and the fire was out by that point. Poor kitchen though." He had no clue what could cause something like that.

But it probably means it will require those who are meant to be cleaning the kitchen to spend a lot of time doing that.

"So I can say confidently that nothing else will happen on that aspect."

There's no fire anymore.

There's no fire anymore, there's no fire anymore.. Alice repeats the sentence in her head over and over, like it's a mantra. Like she may only start believing it if she repeats it often enough, speaks it into reality. There's no fire anymore. No danger. The same thing that happened so many years ago won't happen again.

It helps a little, but she still feels antsy. Maybe she'll take a look at the kitchen later herself, just to make sure.

".. thank you for looking," she says, relatively softly compared to the usual. "I thought we would all burn up."

"I can understand why you would think that considering how small a place this actually is. if it had gotten further it wouldn't have ended well for anyone." Except maybe those who can't die, but even if they can't die themselves and come back at least the next day... What would they come back to?

This wasn't something he figured he should be thinking about all that much right now either way.

"Least I could do."

"Exactly." It feels a little nice to hear it from him like that. It strengthens Alice a bit. Not enough to make her go back to normal right away, but she's starting to regain a bit of strength, somewhere between having a cute cuddly animal to hug, and the fact that Allen doesn't downplay her worries as hysteria.

The way everyone else back home always did.

"It's so dangerous. We're out here in the middle of the void. We can't leave, and no one can save us. If fire were to spread in a contained space like this, we'd be in so much trouble."

"Basically, so I am at least glad we have people who can handle it if fires happen. I do hope it doesn't happen again but... can't say that with a hundred percent confidence." Because he didn't know everyone well enough to be able to. But he at least knelt down to fuss the other Pokemon he had around him, after all they were trying to get his attention.

"My main worry now though if all of them dogpiling me. I mean there are worse ways to go than being dog piled by these lot." His attempt at a joke.

It better never happen again. Alice isn't too sure if her heart can handle it. In fact, she's already pretty sure that she's going to have nightmares about the fire tonight - there's just no way that won't all come back to her with this sudden exposure to that danger.

But what would it help to whine about it out loud? She's no longer a child. She has to stay strong by herself.

.. and maybe with a cute little cuddly Pokemon in her arms, but still.

"Are you trying to imply you won't be able to handle as much?" Come on, Allen. They're just fuzzy little cuties.

"If I had one in particular then no." But thankfully Snowlax is too big to be brought. It was a good thing at least, no one wants to be laid on by him.

But at least what he was saying was a good trick to move off the last subject altogether. Better to move on from the first after all.

A New Platform [Intro Post April]

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