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

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."

Well she isn't a fire fighter and she doesn't have a robot so her chances of fighting this fire are low, she's hoping it won't get to that and someone will put it out before it gets to them all the way at this other end of the train.

But Alice was still talking and... Oh. That was why she was acting so strange, so un-Alice-like. She had lost people to fire.

"That do be being why you do be being so worried. Because fire did be killing people you did be knowing before?"

"Yes."

Be careful who you tell things to, Alice had warned the other girl before. Yet here she is, sharing this sensitive information with the other girl all the same. Sure, her guard is down a little on that front since she feels so awkward right now, all her thoughts and emotions all jumbled up inside of her head, but would she have shared this otherwise?

Who knows. It's impossible to tell. The words spill out right now all the same, either way.

"My family died in a fire when I was younger than you are now." Or younger than the other girl looks, anyway. "I got caught up in it too, but I managed to escape, even though my entire body was burned."

"Oh." She hadn't quite expected that. Not for such a thing to have happened to Alice but also not that Alice would tell her. Be careful she had said. Only tell people you knew you could kill.

She would keep her mouth shut. "You do no be being burned now, you did be being healed?"

Alice may have accidentally imparted some entirely wrong implications upon the girl..

But they're implications she's entirely unaware of right now. Instead she just nods slightly at the question. It's not a time she likes thinking about. Even though she remembers so very little of it, with how in and out of it she had been the whole time, she doesn't like the little flashes she remembers of pain and heat and so many faces she didn't recognize.

"They treated me for it in the hospital." And then promptly shipped her off to the asylum. Even worse. "But I-- I don't want that again."

The first time had been traumatizing enough, as young as she had been.

"No. No one would be wanting that."

She wrinkled her nose again, "You must have been being very angry, that the fire did be taking all your family."

Anger was the most likely emotion. She can't imagine Alice being truly leaky eyed sad.

"I was."

Even if it had been a very delayed reaction. After all, right after the fire she had been hospitalized, and then thrown into the asylum - and she had retreated into her mind for most of it, unable to deal with all of the trauma. There had been no time to be sad or angry until years and years later, when she finally managed to emerge from her own mind.

"Especially once I found out that the fire hadn't been an accident." Somehow this brings back a bit more of an usual tone for Alice. Fear is hard to handle, but anger? Anger is a very familiar friend, grounding her a bit more. "Someone set our house on fire that night to try and get rid of my family."

"It did no be being?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Not an accident. Someone had tried to kill her. Was she important? Were her family important?

Or had they just angered the wrong person?

"You did be getting revenge though? Did you be finding who did be doing it?"

She brushes a hand through her hair, her breathing slowly starting to calm down a bit, the more she's sitting here and trying to gather her thoughts.

"Yes. He's dead." She made sure of that. Thankfully she got to do at least that much before she was dragged away from the train station by this train. "But even that won't erase what he's done."

All the damage he's done to her. To her deceased family. To all the children he hurt and manipulated.

"No. It will no be changing the past. But it do be avenging them."

Which was important, that the person who did that was punished, that they were as dead as her family.

"It do be being good that he do be being dead."

".. it is a good thing."

That much she at least knows for sure. Even if it hadn't been about her personal revenge, then Bumby still would have hurt more and more children, if he had been allowed to live. It's better for everyone that he's gone. It's better for the world.

Even if it won't change a thing about how much he messed up Alice's past. And Alice herself. She remembers it even now, staring him down on that train platform, him saying his work was done, since she had turned into an insane wreck.

Something she can never undo.

Alice sucks in a breath, not wanting to linger on thoughts like that while she's still feeling a little off. She shakes her head, and instead says: "You would think people would know better than to start fires in a contained space.."

At least there's more of a hint of annoyance in it rather than just panic, even with her voice still being on the soft side.

"Well we do both be knowing that people on this train do be being really stupid." She reminded her. Honestly she's surprised this is the first time a major fire has broken out, there have been a couple of small ones before.

"It probably do be being a new person who did be getting angry."

With fire magic potentially or just, trying to burn their way out of the void.

She knows. She's so well aware people are idiots.. and yet. And yet Alice hoped that they would at least be smart enough to not set the whole place on fire. But the girl's imagined story does sound very believable. Alice could imagine a newcomer trying to do that, no matter how stupid.

She lets out a heavy breath, her hands moving up to rub her eyelids.

"I hate this."

People who just do whatever they want, without any regard of other people and their potential traumas.

At least hate was a better emotion, something she knew how to deal with. Hate felt more like Alice than fear did.

So they were on the right track.

"Do you be wanting to be smashing things?"

After all it was Alice that showed her how smashing things could be a good way to deal with things like this.

Her gaze nervously shifts in the direction of the door.

".. That depends on where."

Because she doesn't want to start breaking anything in what she presumes to be this girl's room. But on the other hand.. something in her stops her from wanting to get out of here. She feels nervous just looking at the closed door, as if it would reveal a sea of flames the moment it'd open.

No matter how hard Alice tells herself there's no such thing on the other side, she can feel pressure on her chest.

"We can be going to the garden, there do be being rocks there. Do you be wanting me to be checking they did be putting the fire out?"

Since she can tell Alice is still worried about that, but she's equally sure a fire won't still be burning and also they can't hide forever.

Her immediate instinct is to answer yes.

But that means sending this girl near the fire. Alone. And not matter how capable Alice knows she is, she can't justify that to herself. It doesn't feel right, especially since it'd make her seem like a coward.

And she can't have that.

So she sucks in a deep breath and stands up.

"We can go look together."

And hopefully it will be gone, or Alice will have to surpress a panic attack on the spot.

"Yes we will be going together." She nodded, she knew Alice was still scared but hopefully once she saw that it was alright, that there was no fire anymore, hopefully, she would be alright.

She went to open the door. "Let's be going."

"Let's go."

Gathering all her courage, Alice starts walking. They can check it out together. It's going to be fine, she tells herself in her head, over and over. It's going to be fine.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A New Platform [Intro Post April]

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