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

[outofyourshadow]

Lena barely has a chance to register who's there before Della pulls her into a tight hug, and she feels the air rushing out of her body.

Man, and she thought Webby's hugs were crushing.

"Uh...hi?" she manages to wheeze. "Nice to see you survived too."

...or they're both dead. She hasn't ruled out that possibility yet.

[sos_pilot]

Don't expect her to put Lena down anytime soon. Della swings her back and forth, ruffling her hair affectionately. "This may be the best day on the train ever! Ah, let me get a good look at youuuu~!"

Nuzzle nuzzle nuzzle. "You're... Lena, right?"

[outofyourshadow]

"Ooooooookay, this is getting weird..." She squirmed a bit, but wasn't able to get Della to loosen her hold.

"Yeah, that's me." She couldn't help wondering why she was asking, though. Sure they didn't talk a lot, but after that last adventure she thought she would have known her name by now. "We just saw each other a bit ago?"

[sos_pilot]

"Ah ha ha, yeah, there's a whole weird time displacement thing going on." Della said casually, giving one more affectionate beak-to-hair ruffle before setting Lena on her feet.

"So, short version is, I've been here for months! And you've been pretty much the only person from our world I've seen in ages."

[outofyourshadow]

Lena wasn't sure what was weirder; the explanation or the nuzzling.

...Well, all things considered, it'd probably be the nuzzling.

"Time displacement, huh? I guess that makes sense." She frowned a bit. "But you've been here for months? Without anyone else from home?"

[sos_pilot]

"... Well, there was Gyro for a hot minute, but he doesn't count." Because Gyro sucks.

"All right, let's get some facts straight, before we get too big of a headache. What was the last thing that happened before you came here?"

[outofyourshadow]

She only vaguely knows Gyro, so she can't really comment on that. Instead, she thinks about how best to explain what happened to her before arriving.

"Uh...well, it was Webby's birthday, and we threw her a party at that Funso's place in order to infiltrate FOWL. It ended up becoming this whole thing with clones, and a big fight at some ancient library. We won, and were on our way home when Launchpad opened the back of the plane and we all got sucked out of it. That's when I ended up here."

She's being pretty vague on purpose, because if Della is from the past, she isn't sure what being from the future would do to her. Plus, she didn't even know how much she could explain.

[sos_pilot]

"Wait, F.O.W.L. is back in action?" Della asked in surprise, eyebrows raised. "Huh, I guess they went underground instead of dying off..." Half-shrug. No biggie. They won, so what did it matter? "Sounds like Launchpad to a T, though...but I hope Webby had a nice birthday anyway?"

Webby was a good kid, and deserved the world.

[outofyourshadow]

"Yeah, her birthday turned out pretty good, all things considered," Lena said with a small smile. "In the end, I'm pretty sure she got everything she wished for."

Just gonna...leave that pretty vague for now.

"So, uh...what about you? What's the last thing that happened before you got here?"

[sos_pilot]

"We just handed Lunaris a sweet taste of Earth victory." Della said proudly, still glad of how they all kicked his butt back into space, circling the globe forever. "Sounds like you're ahead of me... by how much, you think?"

[outofyourshadow]

Lena frowned a bit. "A good few months, it sounds like. The whole Moon-vasion thing happened ages ago."

[sos_pilot]

"So, you're living proof that time in our world is unaffected by train stuff, since no one noticed I've been gone!" What excellent news! Della is tempted all over again!

"And now I can teach you all about the train, and other worlds, and everything! This is gunna be so great!"

[outofyourshadow]

"I...guess so?" Especially since, from their perspective, Della had always been there.

Time and other world stuff is weird.

"Yeah, okay, sounds good. So uh...why are we here, anyway?"

[sos_pilot]

"The short version is, worlds need our help, so the train's borrowing us to help 'em out." That's how Della sees it, anyhow, and sees no reason to change this view.

"So you were chosen to be a hero! Isn't that great?"

[outofyourshadow]

"Uh...okay? No pressure or anything." Even though she was using her magic to protect people, being a hero to different worlds seemed like kind of a lot.

"So why just us? I could think of plenty of people back home that'd probably be more the hero-type."

[sos_pilot]

"Maybe they know you're in a hero in training!" Della's eyes began to glitter in possibility. "And I can take you under my wing!"

[outofyourshadow]

Lena frowned a bit; how could...whatever possibly know that? "I...guess?" she said, then realized how that sounded. "About the hero in training thing. But sure, having a mentor sounds fun."

She hoped that didn't sound too sarcastic. Her tone just kind of defaulted that way.

[sos_pilot]

Della was too overjoyed to notice any sarcasm, deliberate or not. Instead, this time, a one-armed hug around the shoulders.

"I'll teach you the ins and outs of monster fighting! The best way to avoid death traps! And how to have fun when someone has your soul in their grasp!"

[outofyourshadow]

She couldn't help stiffening just a bit; even though she was getting more used to hugs and physical contact, Lena still didn't have too many positive adult female interactions. It wasn't bad, just...a little weird.

"...does, uh...that last one happen often? 'cause I gotta say, been there, done that, and I'd rather not do it again."

[sos_pilot]

"Not here, anyway... at least not yet!" Della let out a happy laugh. "Oh, but we've gone through a lot. Mind-combining spas, waves of monster attacks, winter carnivals, video game insertions, going underground to find gods... and now we'll have even more fun together!"

[outofyourshadow]

Lena shook her head a little. "You guys definitely have a weird definition of fun."

Then again, given how she and Webby met, she supposed she wasn't one to talk.

[sos_pilot]

"Welcome to being a McDuck." Even if they weren't close, that didn't mean Lena wasn't part of the McDuck clan. Even Gyro and Launchpad were members of the family, even if at times Della wanted to kick them in the shin.

[outofyourshadow]

Had it just been a bit ago, Lena wouldn't have been sure what to make of that. She'd still been getting used to being part of Violet's family, and considering what she'd originally been created for, the idea of being part of the McDuck clan would have been a bit weird.

But she'd already been through a lot, and experienced more than she thought possible. And after that Last Adventure, how could she consider ever consider herself not part of this weird family?

"Yeah," she finally said after a moment. Then she grinned. "Still gonna take a bit of getting used to, though."

[sos_pilot]

"Not to mention, you'll be making a ton of friends here on the train!" Della cheered, very confident that this would happen. "Sure, the humans take a LOT of getting used to, but they're all pretty neat once you get to know them."

[outofyourshadow]

"Yeah, I was wondering about that," Lena said. "Are all these 'humans' so...weird-looking?"

Like, why are they bald?