A New Platform [Intro Post May]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

Like clockwork, the Voidtreckers are awoken by a familiar message this morning.

"Good morning Voidtreckers, it is day one of the month of Llama. Points have been updated on the system."

With points updated, everyone can spend the morning shopping. Most people will be expecting the second announcement that comes a few hours later.

"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 air is sticky and warm, the windows almost immediately dewing over with the humidity outside.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing, walking silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Azula, Prisoner, Amery Vallet, Dyme Graydon, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Yoite, Piccolo, Bulla Brief, Xie Lian, Kurosaki Ichigo, Hua Cheng, Renee Corbin, and Ran Mouri; all pass through the platform, not looking back before they disappear through the barriers and into the fog beyond.

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 find themselves on a platform, rich wood and pale stone forming a natural, tree-like structure overhead. Behind them is a set of barriers, and in front of them is a single set of tracks extending both ways into thick fog. The air is rainforest-hot, and the sound of frogsong can be faintly heard over the drip of the artificial canopy.

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 fog begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform isn't large, and seems smaller with twenty-eight figures scattered around, all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. Then there is 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 pours a strange assortment of people, over a hundred at least. 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.

Behind them, the doors close, and the train is cloaked in the same fog that hides the world beyond the platform.

The Train

After a short time, the fog clears and 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 several crates of nori, the ingredient of the month of Llama, as well as all sundries.

For passengers that have bought items, these are also scattered around the luggage carriage in various suitcases and bags. For each member of Purple Team, a small silver box with their name on it contains a glittery cupcake.

New passengers will find their ticket allows them into their cabins. They may need to negotiate for beds, but at least they won't be alone in their confusion - since the sleeper carriages are now double-decker, and experience isn't going to avail the passengers in finding their rooms.

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.

The new double carriage's transfer ICP is active, allowing people to move to a double room should they meet the requirements with another person, though they'll have to move their belongings themselves.

Departure

A second horn sounds to encourage any stragglers taking advantage of the fresh air, and 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

[katzenpfote]

Caleb calms slightly at Beauregard's voice, taking deep breaths and raising his arms for her to take off the strange, stifling thing. He's wearing a strange shirt underneath it but that's less of a problem, and he breaths deeply once it's off of him.

"Th... thank you, Beauregard..." Okay. Okay. Now that the panic has passed, he can focus on their situation. "H... have you seen any of the others?"

[flurryofbeaus]

"No. I would've expected to see Yasha, at least, but maybe whatever dropped us here missed her." Which is - she's not certain whether that's a comforting prospect, or an unnerving one. Yasha being free means the rest of the Nein will find out about their disappearance in short order, but it raises the possibility that the two of them might have been targeted specifically.

She glowers at the soaring wood and stone - the construction is like nothing she's familiar with, though the heat and the frogsong are reminiscent of the island of Vo, or perhaps Urukayxl.

"You recognize any of this?"

[katzenpfote]

It does, at least, leave free the ones most able to track them - scrying having been incredibly useful or them in the past. Still, to grab the two with the most connection to the Empire, as well as the more booksmart among the group...

He doesn't like that thought.

"No, not in the slightest. Nor do I recognize that... carriage over there. Or the material of these clothes, or... anything. And I cannot summon Frumpkin."

There's a faint hint of distress in his voice - waking up and suddenly being in a new environment is something that's happened to him before, an it wasn't pretty. "... I suppose asking around might be the... ah. The first step? Try not to threaten them though." There's a tiny bit o a smile - he has to take his humor where he can get it right now.

[flurryofbeaus]

"But threatening them's the best part," she says, responding to his banter almost on reflex, even as her eyes narrow and her brow furrows as she processes that last bit of information.

"Think this place is set up to nullify magic?"

She shifts slightly, placing herself more firmly between him and the rest of the platform, just in case. Without magic, she's still a formidable fighter. Maybe not formidable enough, given the numbers involved, but it's still better than nothing.

[katzenpfote]

"You can threaten them later. Put them off their guard by being nice, first. But not Traci." That was disturbing to watch. No thanks. Also Beau hitting on a guy, even pretending to, feels deeply wrong.

"Let me see..." Components, components, where the hells are his components? Fine... this one he doesn't need materials for. He holds his hand out, a small flame appearing in it. It sheds light on the area in the same way it would be expected to. He closes his hand and shakes his head.

"Maybe some sort of a dimensional lock?" First thing that comes to mind, at least.

[flurryofbeaus]

Beau's shudder at the mention of...that is only halfway feigned, and she's quick to interject with a heartfelt, "Never again." It's fine, she'll lean on Fjord's lessons. No intel is worth invoking Traci.

She relaxes slightly when the flame blooms in his hand - but only slightly. Okay, no magic nullification, that's good, but the situation as it stands is still pretty dire.

"Makes sense. It's one way of controlling the variables, and these assholes seem pretty big on control."

She grimaces down at the hoodie she's still wearing, which matches the garments nearly everyone on the platform appears to be wearing, in shape if not in colour. Which, "Wonder what all the colour-coding means."

[katzenpfote]

"Most assholes are, literal or otherwise." Look, he has to interject some humor here with Beau or he's going to start climbing the walls. And he's not nearly as good at climbing as she is.

"... Some sort of ranking system? Or uniforms? I suppose we will have to ask around to find out." He eyes the big metal machine with some trepidation. "... Maybe on there... if we cannot get anywhere on our own, following the crowd may be our only option for the moment."

[flurryofbeaus]

Beau snorts quietly, one corner of her mouth ticking upwards. "Yeah, okay."

She fidgets irritably with the cuffs of her hoodie, then gives one an experimental tug. "Think I wanna know what these mean before we get on that thing. It probably beats hanging around in a foggy void until someone finds us, but it'd suck to find out we're being split up for a battle royale after we've lost the chance to stack the odds, you know?"

[katzenpfote]

"I think someone picking teams for something like that would have the good sense to not put the two of us together, given how effective we would be. Or have the good sense to not grab you when you can easily overpower most people who aren't some kind of monster." He smirks a bit - he's seen you fuck up many people, Beau.

Still... "We can split up and cover more ground that way. And people tend to be less wary of one person asking questions than two..." Best to not think they're trying to outnumber someone. 'This isn't very large. We can find each other easily if a fight breaks out."