voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post September]

A New Platform [Intro Post September]

On the Train

"Good morning Voidtreckers, it is day one of the month of Nebula. 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 doors open. As usual, those who leave first notice nothing, walking silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. A-Qing, Atem, Beauregard Lionett, Casper LeBlanc Jr, Donatello Versus, Frankie Bacon, Ichiban Kasuga, Kumoko, Lena Sabrewing, Mami Tomoe, Mono, Peter Parker, Reno, Shi Qingxuan, Tobari, Wen Ning; 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 open to a bright blue sky, speckled with a couple of clouds. It's very warm, enough that they will not want to stay in those hoodies for long. 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, blistering hot 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 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'). They will also find a bunch of posters around the train and might notice the new clock in the standard coach.

The store rooms have been restocked with fresh ingredients, the ingredient this month is a strange meat, yaddon tail.

For passengers that have bought items, these are also scattered around the luggage carriage in various suitcases and bags. There is a box labelled for purple team containing a stick of rock for each member of purple team, including those who are new. Join in your teams success!

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!

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Talk of new powers peaks Vermouth's interest, though she doesn't want to make it too apparent.

"I suppose this month's mystery meat might seem unappealing, but does that mean food is a concern? We usually have plenty of staples."

Sharon picks up the not quite orange, eying it inquisitively. She most certainly isn't eating it, far too suspicious of potential poisoning.

"I see. What exactly were you aiming for?"

"Normal." He says at the last creation. Fortunately, none of them are poisonous. Just very confused.

She's a good-looking lady, though. He will note that. But he can't tell whether it's the 'studious' good-looking or the 'eat someone up' good-looking. At the moment she's just coming off as that curious, studious bit.

"Normally I eat a lot of meat, so the mystery meat ain't no problem for me. I prefer it." Them sharp teeth. "I just think people get scared. Train might be reliable now, but I don't trust it to stay reliable. But uh... I only ever started eatin' this kind of fruit on the train." And that means he has only a few months worth of familiarity to work with.

"...Ah. That definitely did not work out."

Oh, Sharon is absolutely the second kind of beauty, even if she hides it (slightly) well on the train. One that is pleasing to the eye yet dangerous. Or as Akai had put it, rotten on the inside.

She had not taken kindly to that particular comment.

"A meat-eater, are we? Well, let me know what you think of the month's special," she says with a playful tone and just a hint of a smile. Is it a flirt? Who even knows. "I'm sure the meat will be usable for some dishes. Though I certainly cannot fault people for distrusting this situation." Sharon trusts none of it, even as she's gotten more used to the more 'uncommon' passengers.

"Perhaps you need to get more acquainted with the fruit you want before... Are you creating it? Copying it?" She doesn't know much about these powers, other than the result.

She's at the very least too classy to go for a guy like him without slumming it a little, but considering that's at least a third of Yondu's situations he's not one to complain about it. So he grins too at her grin. That sharkish predatory smile that's not rotten on the inside, it's actually soft and light in there, but requires going through a jagged trap.

"No complaints so far, it holds up. Don't tell me you're the type of woman who ain't brave enough to take a little risk. Don't go and disappoint me like that."

But hey, in other situations he's withheld eating at all for fear of being drugged, and it's obvious he doesn't mean to take real offense to it.

"You're probably right. I'll just leave these in the stores an' hope people are open to takin' a risk on 'em."

Lurking around New York City's alleys disguised as a wanted killer probably counts as slumming it, right? So it would hardly be a first for Vermouth.

The predatory grin barely phases her, given the company she keeps back home. There is almost always a trap. However, he is the first to reply to her banter in kind, and that is almost more interesting than getting a negative reaction. So she responds in kind.

"I'm willing to take risks if they are worth the reward."

She also, however, returns the not-orange to the pile. "Oh, someone will, no doubt. We have quite an adventurous bunch on this train."

'Adventurous' can be exchanged for 'foolhardy.'

"Yeah? What kinda reward make the risks worth it?" Which sounds considerably more flirtatious than talking about a strange animal's dropped tail being served in the stores.

But he gets distracted then picking up what he's worked on so far.

"Everything here is an adventure for me. They ain't picked fruit from a place I've been to with any regularity or found frequently out in space. So I just gotta trust that the train doesn't aim to poison me. So far so good."

He'd have a hell of a lot of complaints if the case was otherwise.

Conan had heard just enough of this conversation to be sure that this was something that needed to be interrupted right now.

This kind of thing was why he tried to keep tabs on what Vermouth was up to.

He purposefully comes stumbling into the car.

"Yondu! I've been looking for you everywhere! Can you come and help me with something?" There was definitely a warning in his gaze as he looks at Vermouth.

"A secret makes a woman, a woman. But you're welcome to take a guess."

Or he would be, except they are suddenly and rather suspiciously interrupted by one Cool Guy.

She gives Conan a slight glare for just a second, though given how mild it is compared to her usual terror he might guess it is more of a pout. Since when was he aiming to thwart all of her fun? Is flirting on the list of things she's not allowed to do, along with bodily harm and murder?

He's falling right into the banter with a grin. "Well, I try to leave everyone to their personal business but if you ever feel like sharin' one of those secrets I'm all-" he's starting out, about to go in the direction of ears and eyes and everything else with that statement when suddenly he's aware of his roommate who he still thinks is a kid has barged in looking for him.

Now, it's not that Conan is a kid that stops him. He used to say shit in front of Peter all the time. Half of Peter's come ons probably originated as deformed versions of Yondu's own lines. However, it's the fact that Conan has some dignity that clamps his mouth shut on his words.

"Yeah, I'll be with ya. I just gotta..." he trails off, turns, grin fading "...fruit."

Like fruit is both a verb relating to a dilemma.

Don't even try and convince him there was no ulterior motive here. Conan's expression was distinctly unamused.

"Won't there be time for...fruit later?"

Of course, when is there not with her?

Well, Vermouth can see that despite finding an easy mark, Conan fully intends to get between them. No doubt warning Yondu and his other roommates about her. She also knows that he isn't going to give up. (He never does.)

She can see the writing on the wall, so Vermouth opts to bow out now. She does give Yondu a surprisingly sharp look at the low key crude language now that Cool Guy is in obvious earshot, but otherwise she speaks breezily.

"Well, I suppose I'll leave you boys to it, then."

She offers a lazy wave and wink, then slips away without a much fanfare at all.

He mutters a "oh goddammit", because this is how his luck has been lately. At least it wasn't as bad as when the squirrel thing jumped on the woman at the resort, but come the hell on.

Oh well.

He goes over to Conan, shrugging it off. "What can I do for ya, kid?"

Imperceptibly, Conan relaxes as Vermouth decides to give up and leaves. He knew that for some reason of her own she'd been willing to play along with him so far. But he never forgot how dangerous she could be if she chose.

"That was it," Conan tells him bluntly. "Stopping you from getting into something dangerous."

"Well... you might be givin' me more credit than I deserve." He was indeed gonna try to get into something, but even he knows the likelihood of failure was pretty strong. Considering how much of a lonely sadsack he's been left to his own devices, she probably could have played him pretty hard at least. "So she's dangerous, then?"

Dangerous enough that for a guy that hangs out with a demon, a planet-conquerer, a recovering brainwashed assassin, and a murder-priest, Conan decided to save him.

"What kinda dangerous we talkin'?"

"Probably one of the most dangerous people I've ever met." Gin would always hold the title of the most dangerous to him, but she was a close second. "I have no doubt that she's already figured out several ways to get into my room, but I'd rather not disappoint her by making it too easy."

As for the details.... Conan frowns as he tries to decide what to say. To say too much would be just as dangerous as to say too little. "She is... a friend of my mother's. That is associated with a dangerous group from my world."

"..Excuse me? We talkin' train room?"

Because he keeps his stuff there too! And... you know, sometimes WangJi's rabbits are there? Okay it really doesn't matter that much about their room other than the whole discomfort thing. Most of his sensitive stuff he keeps on him.

"What kinda business was your mama involved in? Besides dangerous. Like, we talkin' knife dangerous or poison dangerous or science dangerous?" His expressions's all twisted up in confusion now.

"Is there any other?" A shrug. "I can't say for certain that she's found a way past the lock yet, but I know better than to underestimate her. I've been regularly sweeping our cabin for bugs. Nothing yet, but that isn't proof of anything."

All through this explanation Conan remains calm and matter of fact. This was just another day for him.

He snorts. "She wasn't involved. They met through coincidence, when they were both taking lessons from the same magician." A shrug. "But as for Sharon Vineyard.... Its safer to assume all three. And more besides that."

Considering that he's lived that kind of paranoid for a long time? That's fair. He just tragically realizes in that instant that he'd actually let go of his paranoia. Considering Vegeta and Freeza he can't fault Conan his nerves. When you got a history with someone it wears you down.

"...We talkin' illusionist or sorcerer?" Which is a valid question to ask, considering the setting. Not that it matters too much.

"So... she knew your mama by happenstance but was involved in this big organization. I guess it's all mostly her and your business but what kinda stuff should I expect?" Though now he figures he doesn't have to worry outside of being Conan's roommate. That's mostly Conan's concerns and he's never asked for help. He must be pretty sure he can handle it.

"You ain't warned us about her so I gotta figure you think she can control herself."

"....Illusionist. There isn't any real magic in my world." There was science and science along, no matter what Kaito tried to claim.

"For some reason she feels invested in keeping me alive. So we agreed to a truce while we're both stuck here. I doubt she will do anything as long as that holds. Or at the least when she does decide that it benefits her to move, the consequences will fall on me first."

"I dunno, givin' someone a chance to be civil ain't a bad thing. Never thought anyone woulda give me that chance before I came here- hell, maybe if someone here knew me I'd have someone scared shitless of me."

So far Yondu had been very decent. It was in his best interest to be, both for himself and other people. But he knew it was well within his capacity to be a monster and only feel bad in the way that it upset the people close to him.

"Don't be hard on yourself. I just kinda wish I knew... I woulda still run my mouth but I woulda kept my guard up."

Conan stops and sighs in frustration.

"Its always weighing choices. For most people its safer not to know, because the knowledge makes them a target. But once they've had an encounter, then they're at risk regardless." He shrugs. "But now you know. If any of the new arrivals seems to be taking a particular interest in me, its probably better to keep your distance."

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A New Platform [Intro Post September]

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Oh thank goodness, Vermouth's reign of terror is cut short

I'm still dead

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and so she leaves after causing this strange turn of events

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