voidtreckermods: (voidtrain)
VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] voidtreckerexpress2021-09-01 05:54 am

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!
worthallthis: (guilty)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-09-12 09:47 pm (UTC)(link)
"Worse for some than others, depending on the day," Soldat agrees wearily. They consider the offer, then slide some celery and cheese Otoha's way. "Chop the green one, grate the orange one. Are you doing okay?"

They don't think any of the current crop of people who left were close with Otoha, but they don't keep up with people's relationships on the train as well as they used to in Beacon. There's just too many of them, and you can't spy on people as easily on a long, narrow train than in a wide open village.
bakegarasu: (those cold blue eyes)

[personal profile] bakegarasu 2021-09-13 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
He dutifully starts chopping the celery, waiting a few moments before speaking. "Lost some healers. Lost someone who was going to help with red team management, too." He sighs and pauses the knife, closing his eyes for a brief moment before opening again and continuing to chop.

"Nothing that's got me emotionally attached. More just thinking practically."
worthallthis: (sad)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-09-15 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
"Might be some of the new ones will be healers," Soldat offers. "Or good at herding cats." Which is basically what organizing Red team would be like, they figure.

They sigh a little over the batter they're mixing. "It's hard, around here. Never knowing when someone's going to go."
bakegarasu: (once upon a midnight dreary)

[personal profile] bakegarasu 2021-09-15 07:19 pm (UTC)(link)
"Hopefully. Sure are a lot of cats to herd." More than he's used to dealing with. Not that he's ever really been in charge of anything, before.

"It... is. It's a problem... was it like that where you were before, too?"
worthallthis: (Default)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-09-21 03:44 am (UTC)(link)
"Some," Soldat allows. "There, though. People disappeared and we didn't always know if they were really. Really dead, or just lost. Or if we could find their lantern and repair it, if we just looked a little harder." Soldat might be talking from personal experience. A lot of personal experience. "Here, at least we see them leave. Even if there's nothing we can do about it. And we know they're not dead."
bakegarasu: (Default)

[personal profile] bakegarasu 2021-09-21 02:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"... I see. At least that's something. And sometimes they come back, right? I know a few people have." Whether it's better here or at their homes is... impossible for him to know, really. He likes it here, but he knows he has to go home eventually.
worthallthis: (thinkingsad)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-09-22 07:59 am (UTC)(link)
"I know. And those people don't remember ever even leaving." Which is a little disturbing. It's possible people aren't even leaving, at all, not really. But they aren't sure what else they'd be doing. "I don't know that there's anything we can do about it. Except try not to break too bad when it happens, I guess."