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

[helborn]

Programmer... wait. "Mundus... this might be a wild guess, but do you know someone named Deedee?" He knows that they ended up forming a bond... he misses a lot of people, but she's definitely one of them.

[labcatte]

Bacon stares at Casper. "Yes," they say guardedly. "I've met a Vulpecian Invoker by that name. How do you know her?"

[helborn]

“I met her - or at least, a version of her - in the last place I was in.” He won’t talk about the others yet - that’s too complicated for now. One step at a time.

[labcatte]

"Right," says Bacon, but they seem ill-at-ease. "And where was that again?"

[helborn]

"A place called Liminal Space. It's another 'world between worlds'. We got pulled into a game by the Arcana - powerful beings that embody concepts. Basically the Major Arcana of the tarot. They were playing a 'game' to see whose archetype would influence their..." Hm. "Their multiverse? Our multiverse? It's unclear."

If there's a multiverse, maybe there's a multiverse of multiverses.

[labcatte]

"And you're saying Deedee was there," Bacon says, skeptically. "That's funny, because I know for a fact that a month ago she was stuck on Mundus, just like the rest of us."

[helborn]

"Could be time on pause while she's away, could be different instances of the same world. It's almost impossible to tell." At least as far as he's been able to figure out, anyway.

cw: reference to neo-nazis

[labcatte]

"Uh huh," says Bacon. They sigh. "Look," they say. "I'd like to believe you're on the up-and-up, but since it hasn't been that long since I sent that whole group off to hopefully save our butts, forgive me if I'm..."

Skeptical? Jumpy? It doesn't completely help that this kid is pretty blond and white-looking and that the damn Griefers had distinct Nazi overtones.

[helborn]

I he knew what they were thinking he'd be highly offended.

"No, I get it. I'd be suspicious, too. ... She's really nice, though. A little hotheaded, but I mean..." He shrugs. It's not like he's not, too.

[labcatte]

Yes, well, they don't know that Nazis have other reasons to hate him that are less immediately visible.

"Yeah, she's a good person," Bacon agrees. "That whole group is, really." There was a reason that Bacon had decided to finally put their trust in them.

[helborn]

"Yeah, she's... I didn't really meet them, but I heard a little about them." Sort of. "It sounds like you guys have a rough situation in your world right now..."

[labcatte]

"I mean, given that we're stranded on Mundus?" Bacon says. "Yes. And that's not even counting the international tensions that have been heating up because of everything that happened. You know, when we were first stuck, I was convinced that World War Three had broken out and we were what was left of humanity. I really don't need World War Three to actually break out because DARPA finds enough 'evidence' to back up their 'China Did It' theory."

[helborn]

"DARPA's part of the American military, yeah? ... Sounds like it'd be really bad news. And governments tend to overreact to stay in power, even if it means covering shit up..." The Canadian government isn't always great, but he has a particularly dim view of some shit America pulls.

[labcatte]

"Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency," Bacon elaborates. "And yeah, they're... well. They're trying to help, I guess, but." They shrug.

[helborn]

"... They're military. Is programming really what they're set up for?" He frowns and takes a breath. Calm down. "... Sorry. I guess that's too harsh. I just... haven't had a ton of good interactions with police and military. I'm usually running from them if I interact with them."

[labcatte]

"DARPA is the science wing of the military," Bacon explains, patiently. "Among other things, they helped create the internet. And given that most of the founders of OWTB are ex-DARPA? They had every reason to get involved."

They sigh and run the hands through their head-fur. "Look, I get not trusting the police. I do. When I was a little kid, they killed people who looked like me--uh, Earth body me, not Mundane body me--all the time. And of course the military's as shady as hell. Papa's ex-military. He's told me shit. But that doesn't make them necessarily incompetent. Just, you know. Authoritarian-ish."

[helborn]

"... Sorry. Just... not a great view of American military from the outside. I've pretty much never heard good things about them as long as I've been around." The less said about post-9/11, the better. "It's just... frustrating to watch."

[labcatte]

"I mean, I get that too," Bacon says, running their hand over their head-fur again. "I do. Like I said, Papa's told me shit. He was in Afghanistan, during the second Gulf War. It's just-- complicated. Especially when your family worked for them."

[helborn]

"Yeah, I can imagine. My dad worked... uh. He worked or some real awful people. There's a reason I introduce myself without the 'Junior' - he just made his name up to run away from consequences."

He shakes his head, trying to keep his temper under control. "So.... generally dim view of authority and shit. Even from my mom, and she's a goddess. Like, a literal one."

[labcatte]

Bacon cracks a smile. "Surprisingly, I can relate."

[helborn]

"Some bad family on your end? Or the authority thing? ... Or the goddess thing?" Please specify, Bacon.

[labcatte]

"More like an entire pantheon," Bacon admits.

[helborn]

"... Are you a kid of a god, too?" He'd check, but he doesn't want to get smacked for it.

[labcatte]

Bacon laughs. "No," they say. "Just a cousin. My aunt programmed the gods for AWO."

Maybe this is stupid. If he's a Griefer, he can probably guess who Bacon is just from that. But on the other hand, if he's not... well, maybe he'll be able to understand.

[helborn]

"Oh. Gotcha. That's pretty neat." He smiles at them. "Sorry, just... it's been a while since I ran into someone like me."