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

Re: Train

[labcatte]

"Bacon," they say, without hesitation. "Frankie Bacon. Nice to meet you, Casper?"

Look, they're as confused as hell, but their dads raised them to be polite.

[helborn]

"It's nice to meet you, too. Do you want to sit down somewhere so you can finish reading and ask questions?" He's not sure if he'll have the answers, but he can try!

[labcatte]

"I guess?" they say. Then, "Wait, are you an official train guide or something?"

[helborn]

He snorts and shakes his head. "Nah. I just like helping people out. I know what it's like to feel totally lost."

[labcatte]

"Well, it's still kind of you," Bacon says, as they find a place to sit down. Luckily they're in the library car and there's a few chairs scattered around.

"So how long have you been here?" Bacon says, for lack of a better question just yet.

[helborn]

"I've been here about a month. I've been to a similar place before, though... not on a train. But still a multidimensional nexus where you go on missions."

It's not Liminal though, which is annoying as fuck.

[labcatte]

"Huh," Bacon says. "I mean, I do believe you." They've got no reason not to believe Casper and this damn train makes it pretty obvious that this kind of thing is possible. "I just didn't think people would get got twice. Which is maybe stupid of me. Whoever's running this train probably wants people with experience."

[helborn]

"I didn't either, but here we are. Anyway, missions - you've been put on a team, but you can hop around to other missions if another team's suits you better. Since you're on orange you're on one of the two bigger teams - purple is the other - so just let people know so they're not trying to find you."

He'd floated between purple and red last mission, after all. Not a lot of red, but sometimes.

[labcatte]

"Right," Bacon says. "Do you know why they put us on these teams, anyway?" They tug a little on their hoodie. "I mean, was it the tiger thing? Because that's relatively recent, actually."

[helborn]

"Orange tends to lean more towards scientists and puzzle-solvers. Blue apparently gets more protective missions. Red is the 'fuck shit up' team, and purple gets everything else. I've only been on one mission here, but that's what I've been told, at least."

[labcatte]

"Right," Bacon says. "I suppose that would explain it." After a moment they elaborate, "I'm a programmer back home, I've got my masters in zoology, and even on Mundus I've been trying to improve the local technology level with Thom Katt."

[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.