voidtreckerexpress | 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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Rich arrives shortly after the two of them do, looking a little sheepish when he realizes he's the last to arrive. His guitar is slung over his shoulder by its strap, and he's carrying a small notebook with him as well, in case he needs to take notes or check any fingering that he's forgotten.

"Yo! Um, Wangji, right? I'm Rich. Tidus mentioned you know a bit about using music for more than just entertainment."

"No problem, thanks for offering!" It wasn't like his mouth was going to be doing as much work as Wangji was going to be putting himself through for them, so hey. While they both come in with their instruments, Tidus will pick himself up from a seat to go grab the train-available guitar.

And as he does, he calls over his shoulder: "Yeah! Tell him about it, Wangji! Me and him teamed up on a mission taking down fire cages thanks to his music!"

That would be him and Wangji. But maybe someday, it could be him and Rich!

WangJi nodded in greeting as Rich entered. "Yes. Lan WangJi. It is good to meet you, Rich."

WangJi seated himself so he could set his guqin down so it would be easy to play.

"My sect, Gusu Lan, uses music in their cultivation. We are able to use our spiritual energy to channel in the music so we are able to use it to fight and to communicate with spirits."

"It's nice to meet you too, WangJi-xiong!" Is he using that right? Jingyi seemed comfortable with honourifics, so maybe he should add one. He looks a little embarrassed now that he's blurted it out, though. "Um, if that's... cool to call you?"

He looks over the man's instrument, very curious about its style in comparison to his typical acoustic guitar.

"Spiritual energy, huh? I'm not quite sure if I have any of that, but it's worth a shot..."

Rich was clearly trying - obviously having learned it from someone else from a similar world - and in the end, it didn't make that much difference in his life whether that was right or not. Most people here didn't use any honorifics so it was nice to hear it. "It is fine to call me that."

He nodded his head, understanding. "There is no harm in trying."

WangJi noticed the look at this instrument. "It is a guqin. There are not many who play qin, but there are a lot of Gusu Lan disciples who choose to learn it."

"Spirit energy's one of those things everyone have, but it's like a muscle you've gotta get better with, right?" Tidus looks at WangJi, to be sure they were on the same page about it.

"But I bet taking something you like doing and working with it that way's a lot more fun than just sitting around and meditating, or something."

...which usually comes up more than Tidus likes, but! Think about the good sides!

"Yes, everyone has spiritual energy. Not everyone is able to manipulate it in order to work with it. But even someone with a strong golden core needs to train in order to improve."

He nodded. "We do spend a lot of time meditating, especially in my sect, but we are known for using music. Different disciples pick different instruments. My brother plays the xiao."

"I see... that makes sense. Some people have said before that it's all in us, it's just a matter of how much there is and whether you can work with it." Rich has done some work with Elidibus on that... he can only hope this training isn't as disorienting.

"So you're saying this would work with any instrument, so long as you had the right energy. What about singing, or percussion?" He clarifies, "Uh, back on that weird planet where we all had false memories, I had some abilities connected to singing and stuff."

Ohh. Tidus will give Wangji the opportunity to answer, since he'd know one, unlike him. But he wonders, and asks Rich himself: "What did singing do back there?"

Make people drowsy? Charmed?

WangJi considered it for a moment. "If you are able to harness it, you should be able to use song and percussion as well. Music in my world may not necessarily be a physical attack, but also carry other effects." And in response. "I am curious as well what abilities you had connected to singing."

"It depended. I seemed to be able to use it to charm people, mostly, but then when we were trying to get out of there, I found out I could kind of... push stuff back or knock it over if I shouted."

He shrugs. "I don't think it's still working. I played a bit on my guitar after the mission and didn't notice anything strange. Just thought I'd mention it, in case this was similar." If Rich still had those powers, maybe he could have combined them, but... it seems he's as powerless as ever.

Tidus waves a hand. "It'd be cool to learn though, right? There's a lot you can't do 'til you learn how to!" He looks at WangJi here.

"So, where do we start?"

Whatever was going to come out of this in the end, they wouldn't know without the basics!

WangJi thought about it for a moment. "In theory, if you are able to channel your energy, you should be able to do something like that. In my world, music can heal. It can also be a destructive force if used with nefarious intentions."

He nodded his head. "Of course."

And he'd start with what sounded like what might have been a meditation, but it was how they tried to get new disciples to channel their energy in the beginning. Trying to picture it and make their energy move. Not the most exciting start, but it was important.

"I wouldn't use it nefariously..." He didn't use that power against anyone else, but he's interested in using it for self-defense, at the very least.

Training should help, though, so he is eager to take part in the meditation. He tries to imagine the energy inside him, and imagining it moving is a tad easier, based on his time with Elidibus. As much as he's usually hyper and overactive, he does his best to. Actually stay still.

"That is good." Music, used poorly, could be very dangerous. He would refrain from mentioning how since knowing was half of the curse and a potential step towards doing if the curiosity was planted.

WangJi was used to hyper as well. He'd help train younger disciples than him and even in Gusu Lan, some of them had far too much energy. After focusing on meditation for a bit, he said, "Shall we try playing and seeing if you are able to use your energy?"

A New Platform [Intro Post September]

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