A New Platform [Intro Post August]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

Everyone on the train might be suffering various states of exhaustion but a few days after the mission ends there is an announcement.

"Good morning Voidtreckers, it is day sixteen of the month of Merriment. Points have been updated on the system."

With points updated, everyone can spend the morning shopping, the shop has indeed been updated to allow them to buy large items. 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 doors open. As usual, those who leave first notice nothing, walking silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Auditi Blyght, Dio Brando, Entrapta, Handsome Jack, Hecate, Ken Ichijouji, Kerry Eurodyne, Lightning, Rose Tyler, Siobahn Chereshei, Six, Tani, Thief King Bakura, V, Woz, Xander Woods; 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 platform is shaded by two large trees, though the branches are almost bare, the ground beneath their feet is crunchy with leaves which the wind often picks up and swirls around them. The air has a chill to it, a blustery wind that will have them grateful for the hoodies they have found themselves in. Behind them through the fogs is a set of barriers, set in a brick wall and in front of them is a single set of tracks extending both ways into that same thick fog.

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 on the foggy, blustery platform; then the fog begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform isn't large, but it is enough to hold the five 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 those intrigued by the claim of a parcel for every passenger they will find several large boxes filled with small bags in team colours.. Inside each bag is thirty red coins imprinted on each side with a golden sun. There is also a wristband. Adults over eighteen will find a black wristband, teens will find theirs is green and passengers aged twelve and under will find a yellow wristband. Each bag has a small label with a passengers name. On the other side of the label it reads: Keep these safe for now.

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 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

Garden

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Almost immediately, he had an audience. Half a dozen minions and three Prinnies immediately took seats in a semi-circle around him. Well, two of the Prinnies do -- the third put its fins together about its head, lifted one peg-leg, and just spun on the other, vaguely dance-like.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin grinned when he saw Zetta's minions and Prinnies arriving, and he kept playing. He smiled even more when the third Prinny started dancing. He loved it when people danced to his music, maybe because he himself loved to dance. He played through the tune, and then lowered his flute and asked, "How are you all?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Bored, dood," said one of the Prinnies, flailing its flippers. "We didn't even get a token appearance in that last mission! And the Overlord's gone all domestic on us, dood."

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufn smiled at that word, dood. "You didn't get to go on the last mission? What's up with Zetta? What is he doing nowadays? Staying on the train and cooking during missions?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Mostly he's just smooching Persephone, dood," the Prinny said, failing to hide the fact that it was sulking.

[so_dark_a_road]

"Smooching Persephone?" said Curufin. "I wouldn't have thought he was the romantic sort, but then, people often surprise me. You don't look too happy about it, though."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"We're BORED. We haven't built a toll booth or tried to shake down the train for nonexistent profits in forever, dood!"

Maybe it was a good thing they were all bored...

[so_dark_a_road]

"Is that what you do in your own world? Build and maintain toll booths?" Curufin chuckled. "I don't think the train would be amused by being shaken down for cash." Nor would it probably allow it!

He smiled. "Maybe there's something else you could do to allieviate the boredom?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Actually, we've never been to the Netherworld," the Prinny mused, one flipper to where a chin would be were Prinnies built and proportioned in any sensible way. "We were created in the Far Shore, dood. To help the Overlord get his Netherworld back. But I think we'd be doing the same things there, which is being incredibly low-paid, abused labor."

[so_dark_a_road]

"The Netherworld? The Land of the Dead, do you mean? Or does that mean something else in your world?" Curufin had lived in several worlds besides his own, and some of the books of the mortal race had spoken of a Netherworld.

Curufin shook his head. "Low-paid, abused labor doesn't sound like a good job. Did the Overlord actually get his netherworld back? And are you thinking that low-paid abused labor is what we are on the Voidtrecker Express?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"The Netherworld is the land of evil in a given universe. You know, where demons and wickedness come from, dood! You're thinking of the Underworld, which is a specific Netherworld."

The Prinny was exceedingly confident about things it had just admitted to never experiencing.

"As for you, I dunno, dood, but Prinnies are always low-paid abused labor. It's our role in the Netherworld... or a part of it as general comic relief."

[so_dark_a_road]

"Oh, I see what you mean. In my own world, we had demonic and devil-like beings, who did not have their own realm. They shared ours. And for mortals and for my kind, the Elves, that meant perpetual war. But I've also heard of the Underworld, which as you say, would be the Land of the Dead. We even have something like that in Arda, since our Death God, Mandos, has an underground castle where the Elven dead are supposed to go. But you say your world has both a Netherworld and an Underworld, a specialized Netherworld? And you Prinnies are from the Netherworld?"

He shakes his head. "I don't mind being a Void Warrior who is not paid. And I don't feel abused, though some of my trainmates are still angry that the train never asked them for permission to recruit them. But as for you, it sounds as though you're stuck with a role you don't like? Maybe it's not such a bad thing that you ended up on the Voidtrecker Express, because you're free of the role you dislike."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Uh, dood? We're totally still doing that here. We have to do all the chores for the red team, you know! Though to be fair it's not like the Overlord could do it when he was a book."

And don't get them started about the stuff they'd been through back in the Far Shore!

"Every universe has a Netherworld, dood. But there's only one main Underworld. I guess there's probably others out there, it's an infinite cosmos and all."

[so_dark_a_road]

"Wait a minute! Did you mean Red Team members don't contribute when it comes to chores, and it's you Prinnies who are doing all the work?" Curufin shakes his head. "Or did you only mean that the Overlord assigns you to do his share of the chores? Yeah, I get it, he couldn't have done any of that when he was a book. What is he now?"

Ah, the Netherworld. "Yes, I can well believe that every universe has a Netherworld. And maybe some universes share an Underworld, while others have their own?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"No, we're doing the Overlord's share, dood. Not that we keep track, how could we?" A lot of the time it was just 'show up, do the chores, that's it'. Prinnies had an intentionally hard life. "That's not gonna change now that he's got his body back."

[so_dark_a_road]

"Okay, I see. You're only doing the work the Overlord doesn't do." And who knows how much that is? Passengers tend to do whateer they feel is their share, and that might actually be less than their share or even more than their share.

"What's the Overlord's body like? I haven't interacted with him in a very long time, and I only remember him as a book."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Like THIS!"

The advent of the Overlord! In a flash of gratuitous awesomeness, the Overlord appeared in a wash of purple flame that wrapped up and around midair to reveal him.

"Gape in wonder! Tremble in awe! I, Zetta, the most badass Overlord in the entire freaking cosmos, am here!"

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin stepped back, not to get washed by the purple flame. And then he grinned.

"Welcome, Overlord Zetta! You are indeed badass!"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Prepared for a dismissal, snark, sarcasm, or impatience, Zetta visibly balked at a straightforward acknowledgment of his awesomeness. That -- that might be a first in all the time he'd been out of his Netherworld.

"D-damn straight!" he said, hurriedly recovering.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin had a gift for sarcasm and snark, but he wasn't going to use any of that here. He didn't think it was warranted. Instead, he went for that straightforward acknowledgement of Zetta's awesomeness. And he reiterated it when he saw that Zetta was a little disconcerted by the acknowledgement.

"So, how did you manage to get back your own form? Badass magic? It wouldn't have been pleasant to remain a book forever, I imagine."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"'Sephe wrote a wish in the Sacred Tome for it. She had more than enough power to get my body back without so much as a moment of weakness on her part." As should have been obvious ages ago, if he hadn't been laser-focused on the whole package...

[so_dark_a_road]

"Sephe is what, a magician, a sorcerer? Anyway, that was kind of her, to arrange for you to get your body back."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Uh, she's a goddess." That might not be QUITE as impressive on the train as it might be otherwise, but as far as Zetta knew, he was the only one who reached those levels (and well beyond) during his normal day job. "Just a lot of magic isn't enough to have that much raw mana power."

[so_dark_a_road]

"Oh, even better! To have a goddess for a friend or ally." Curufin could understand, since his world had fourteen gods and goddesses, all of whom were allies of the Elves -- at least some of the time. "I see what you mean. Gods and goddesses have more than simple magic, and their immense power comes from a different source than any a magician or sorcerer would be able to access. So what kind of goddess is Sephe? Does she have a particular jurisdiction or dominion that is hers alone?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Has this guy seriously not met her, yet? Zetta couldn't understand that. She was the sort of girl you went out of your way to meet. Let alone his partial grasp of the concept of mana power...

"Spring. She's the goddess of spring."