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

[wizard_redfive]

Now that does sounds familiar. "The rot tends to start up top, huh. Let me guess: they also don't give the rest much chance to think about it."

Memories of Rashah come to mind, even if that was a rather extreme example. There were more subtle ways to prevent one's people from questioning things than outright threatening to make dissents the guards' dinner.

"The library did end up a kinda backhanded gift, yeah. At least the extra space is handy, but it wasn't what I imagined at all." Then again, Dairine had been pretty spoiled with Cair Paradisa's giant library of books. Starting one from scratch just didn't fill the same itch for this speed reader.

Her nose scrunches up. "I guess I should have expected it. Can't trust kidnapping forces too much, but since these goods aren't free of charge, I'd hoped it'd match our requests a bit better."

[yondu]

"Yeah, I'm surprised it makes the effort to make us so comfortable."

Though that's not something that he expects to last.

"I think one of the crazier thoughts is that I wonder if some older us that's been on the train told us to grab us? But... that's about as inventive as I'm willin' to get with this thing. There's just too much damn weird in it."

[wizard_redfive]

"Really?" she asks. "If you want people to cooperate after dragging them from their worlds, making their spare time enjoyable seems the least one could do." It works for the castle, barely, but the train has more communication going for it.

"Honestly, the train still isn't that comfy. It tries, but there's only so much you can do about a crowded confined space."

Dairine shrugs. "...That's not the strangest possibility. Though apparently the train isn't certain why we specifically were grabbed, so our future selves would have to be pretty subtle about it. Like a future event caused our tethering in the past."

[yondu]

"I've been kept a lot worse places. But I still know a gilded cage when I see it." And that's what this one feels like.

"At least you can get some real expensive shit for comparatively dirt cheap if you know how this system works. I could get stuff that would have cost me three months of heavy work an' plannin' for an item price."

He picks up the newly made bottle to give it a once-over for imperfections. It looks fine? Good enough, he supposes.

[wizard_redfive]

Well, he isn't wrong. But still... "This feels a lot less gilded than the last place I was stuck in," she remarks.

"Then again, everything we got there was free." A beat. "...ish."