voidtreckermods: (voidtrain)
VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] voidtreckerexpress2021-07-01 05:55 am

A New Platform [Intro Post July]

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 Merriment. 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. Without the fog, it would be difficult to tell they'd made the transition out of the Void - the platform is dark, save for soft blue lights high up in the ceiling.

The doors open. As usual, those who leave first notice nothing, walking silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Luke fon Fabre, Lan Wangji, Xiao Xingchen, Ann Takamaki, Meng Yao, Cleopatra Selene II, Jaisyn Solo, Rogue, Adam Parrish, Yuume Souryuu, Pepper Potts, Ray, Futaba Sakura, Beetlejuice, Tony Stark, Kotoha Kakimoto and 47; all pass across the platform, not looking back. And then they're gone, disappeared 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. The grey tiles underfoot and the concrete arches overhead are hard to discern for those with ordinary eyesight; the area is almost pitch black. At the first motion among the newcomers, however, faint blue light suffuses the area from above - striplights have been activated. Behind them is a set of barriers, half-sunk into a wall of fog, and in front of them is a single set of tracks extending both ways into that same thick fog. The air is cool and still, almost stagnant, save for the slight breeze coming along the tracks.

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 dark haze; then the fog begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform isn't large, and seems smaller with twelve 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, perhaps ten minutes or so, 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 coconuts, bottles of coconut oil and tins of coconut milk, the ingredient of the month of Merriment, 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 golden cardboard box with their name on it contains a slice of cake.

New passengers will find their ticket allows them into their cabins. In most rooms, the occupied beds are obvious, leaving the spotless, empty spaces for the newcomers. 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.

Departure

A second horn sounds to encourage any stragglers taking advantage of the arguably 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!
irrationally: (tell me what's my situation)

[personal profile] irrationally 2021-07-11 07:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Alice frowns.

"I don't understand. Why don't you just quit?"

Granted, it was forced upon her at first. And since Rui's face is now known, it'd probably give her a lot of trouble at first, but.. maybe in the long run attention would wane. She might be able to do something else with her life.

"Especially if they don't even like you in the first place. Then why bother?"
partofthecrowd: (Impassive)

[personal profile] partofthecrowd 2021-07-11 07:37 pm (UTC)(link)
"I...honestly don't know." Rui said with a sigh. "I think that quitting might be the right thing, but if I do that, when they're wrong like they are now, they'll never know it. I also don't know if anyone's really been able to quit. I know Joe tried."

Joe was back where he belonged though.

"I'm not sure they let you leave so easily, powers unchecked. And that's the thing, they want to control my power."
irrationally: (now the past is gone)

[personal profile] irrationally 2021-07-12 08:03 am (UTC)(link)
She doesn't like one bit of this. Maybe it's since she doesn't know the full context, but just hearing what she's hearing from the other girl right now.. It just doesn't sit right with Alice. She's seen too many structures where people are being controlled in that sort of way, and it's never good news.

"Could you control your power on your own?"

By now, anyway. It does sound like Rui had a harder time with it at first, considering that whole thing she had to apologize for. But if she could do it by herself now, then it's awful for someone else to try and force their control onto it instead.
partofthecrowd: (Huh?)

[personal profile] partofthecrowd 2021-07-12 01:56 pm (UTC)(link)
"Of course I can." Rui said with a little nod.

"I'm not really sure though, because I'm pretty sure they were keeping an eye on Joe when he walked away, and I don't know if they could take my power from me." She sighed.

"The master, J.J. is an alien who's been in charge a long time. I know he wakes up people's powers, I'm not sure if he can take them away or not. I imagine he can, because for awhile mine were stolen by Berg-Katze."
irrationally: (ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴍᴀᴅ ʜᴇʀᴇ.)

[personal profile] irrationally 2021-07-12 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
"Your power.."

She starts, before letting her voice trail off as she thinks. Alice doesn't leave it at that though, staring at the darkness on the platform ahead of them.

"Is it so important to you that you'd rather have it than your freedom?"
partofthecrowd: (Impassive)

[personal profile] partofthecrowd 2021-07-13 02:59 am (UTC)(link)
"It's hard to describe. It's not something that's...not a part of me. It's like a piece of my soul that's been drawn forward." Rui explained. "So that's a little...strange to think, but that's how it is."
irrationally: (tell me what's my situation)

[personal profile] irrationally 2021-07-13 10:24 am (UTC)(link)
It does sound like it's hard to describe - or even hard to understand. Maybe it's something you really need to experience before you can understand it yourself, Alice thinks, considering she's having a hard time trying to grasp the exact situation of what's going on back in Rui's world.

Still...

"At least you are away from all of that here." The one potential upside. "Even though this train is far from perfect."

But sometimes it at least means not dealing with a few specific people you really don't want to deal with.
partofthecrowd: (Thinking)

[personal profile] partofthecrowd 2021-07-14 03:19 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah." Rui agreed with a soft sigh. "Yeah, I think that's good at least. I'm tired of them sometimes."

That wasn't a very nice thing to say about her friends, but it was the truth.

It would help if they weren't so exhausting.