A New Platform [Intro Post January]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

After a very quiet latter half of the month of Catfish the calendar clicks over. Passengers wake up in their beds as usual to the passenger announcement. "Good morning passengers, it is day one of the month of domino.".

Those that have been on board a while know that new months usually come with new people and so the message a few hours later will not be a surprise. "Shortly arriving into a designated void platform. Exit from void imminent." A lurch and a jolt and they are soon surrounded by the fog that means they are at a platform.

It will come as a relief that no one leaves this time, no one with packed bags to walk silently towards the barriers.

Added to that the platform itself holds more people then it ever has before. Twenty one figures, all the colours are represented. The ground is icy and their breath pools in white clouds around them.

For New Passengers

At first all they can see if steam. Billowing around them as they come to their senses. They are standing, in clothes that are not their own, styles 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 white haze but then the steam begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform is not large and it holds twenty one figures all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. The air is cold, the ground icy beneath your feet. Both left and right the tracks disappear into the mist. 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 into the cold step a selection of people. Some are human, some are less so. They are wearing the same hoodie in one of the four colours, red, orange, blue and purple.

The Train

The doors hiss open. Those from the train may encourage those on the platform to board. It’s not like there is 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 not be a good thing also it’s very cold out on the platform. The train is warmer.

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. The store rooms have been restocked and it seems that water chestnuts are the month of Domino’s ingredient of choice! Any of orange team who who go to check the luggage cart will find a parcel containing gingerbread snowflakes, decorated with icing. One for each of the orange team, including new members, come share in the reward!

New passengers will find their tickets allow them into their cabins. They may need to negotiate for beds, especially if they want a top bunk!

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 and you will hopefully find a pillow for your bed if it has not been nabbed by a roommate, there are also spare blankets for if it gets cold.

Departure

A second horn sounds to encourage any stragglers and the doors slide shut. Veteran passengers know what will happen next, they may wish to brief their new companions.

The train sets off, the fog obscuring the view 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."

Hopefully someone warns you that you really want to heed that warning because a moment later there is 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. The fog from the windows is gone now, replaced with a kaleidoscope of ever changing colours.

Welcome to voidspace!

Comments

[really_sketchy]

"Well, there are cars I will see you in." She took his words a little too literally. "Thank you for walking with me on the train."

[democratically]

"I wouldn't sell yourself short." An acknowledging tip of her head in his direction. But she did have a knack for navigating her way through the political waters, although thankfully she only used her 'powers' for good.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"It is impossible to understate how much the pleasure is mine," Edge said, smiling down at her. His mask hid it, but it touched his eyes quite brightly and tinged his voice noticeably too.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"I never do. But I can be realistic about how much I don't like politics and paperwork! Ruling is done from the front lines!" Even when there weren't any, there always COULD be, and the people of Eblan trained for such days.

[orangewayfinder]

Why was she smiling? And why was she blushing? And why did that make him feel like he was going to blush? Terra shook his head, not understanding a darn thing that was going on at all.

When Namine asked what room he was in. Terra looked away. "Uh.." And then he recalled that he'd put that paper in his pocket, so he took it out along with his orange wayfinder.

"Sleeper 3, Cabin D." He'd been there earlier, but just enough to look around and walk back out. There wasn't anything interesting in the room. He got a bottom bunk, and he was fine with that.

[luckybucky]

Bucky huffs out a laugh as he stops, turning to look at the book again. "It's not, but I can make one if you'd like," he teases.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

The book attempted a nonverbal answer. This failed because it had no shoulders or arms with which to shrug. Instead, it came alarmingly close to tipping over.

"Just checking is all." He figured if he crossed a line by these guys they'd jump straight to action, which was why the statement confused him.

[so_dark_a_road]

He smiles when she bats her eyelashes at him and curtsies. He bows with equal courtesy, as that seems to be the politest response.

"A courtesan?" He knows the meaning of the word, though Elvish culture has no such custom. "Did you choose this profession of your own accord?"

[so_dark_a_road]

He returns the smile. It seems that different as they are, and different as their worlds are, they have that one thing in common -- they both understand the need to respond to the needs of others.

"Thank you. And I believe that your words are wise ones as well. You spoke your wisdom first."

[luckybucky]

It was such a strange reply... but Bucky just smiled a little, and went on his way, still not entirely sure what to make of the book. Trouble for sure, but maybe the kind that was just a little misguided.

[democratically]

"Were there a lot of front lines?" Padmé's own term had been a bit of a mixed bag. She had her handmaidens so she could swap places with them, but much of it had gone on behind closed doors, so to speak. Being so exposed was something that her guards didn't like, especially when things got hectic, although they might not always have a say. She did tend to have a mind of her own, queen or not.

[democratically]

"I try to be, but I know there is still a lot I can learn." About being a senator, about the world around her, about growing up. She is fairly secure in herself, but that doesn't mean that she never has doubts.

[so_dark_a_road]

"There's a lot all of us can learn," he says with a smile. "I guess that's our wisdom, that we know we must never stop learning."

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter just gives Happy one of his 'oh well' looks. Probably not the best defense he could give it's not like they could do anything about it now.

"Yeah, thanks." He coughs before offering a quick thumbs up to Bucky.

[democratically]

"Or that we never stop enjoying learning." As that could well be part of it as well. Not just enough so that they have a basic understanding. No, more.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"Really just one, for the most part. Eblan was close to a source of monsters and mayhem, one that often ejected some foul beasts to assault our people." Because it was built with Lunarian skill, he didn't add, because that would be extra confusing.

[democratically]

"Ah." Nodding her head in understanding, as that makes more sense. "My planet is fairly peaceful overall."

Unless it is getting invaded.

[sensitiveapple]

"Oh! Wait, your planet is divided up into different things?" Because that's odd. Sometimes, there will be different races that don't really intermingle much on a planet but never divided up into different... things? She's not even sure what a country is.

She cautiously picks up the sandwich and takes a small bite, testing to see if she likes it. Well, it's not bad.

"Milk? From what animal?" Because there are some animals she won't drink from. Some she will. Just depends.

[sensitiveapple]

Misa smiles a bit sadly. "I'm sorry to have made you sad." She says, gently. "To me, it's all history. It's been twenty years since the peace accords, and twenty one since the Emperor died." She says, softly.

[sensitiveapple]

She cocks her head to the side. "How do you mean? I was put in the auction and the Mistress chose me to be her successor."

Well, not quite how it went, but that's the line she's been told part of her life, and she doesn't think it anyone's business just how much she'd been sold for.

[luckybucky]

"Mmmhmm," Bucky agrees. "We've got seven main land masses, and five of them are divided up into dozens of countries," he agrees. "I come from America, which is one of the five largest countries," at least it was, the last time he'd checked.

He pauses when she asks from what animal, looking into the fridge with a blank expression. "God, I hope it's cows," he replies, grabbing a familiar-looking jug and pulling the cap off, sniffing its contents. Suddenly everything in the fridge feels vaguely threatening. What else would he get the milk from, a goat? Was alien cow milk going to taste different? What if it was poisonous? He shakes his head and pours an inch of milk into a glass, holding it up to look at it.

He swallows heavily, like he's afraid of it, and then takes a sip. "Definitely cow," he decides, setting it down and filling the glass nearly to the brim.

[sensitiveapple]

She cocks her head to the side. "What type of cow?" She asks. Then, he pours some sort of white liquid into a glass. "What is that? Milk is green." She says authoritatively.

At least, that's the milk she is used to. She's not sure that she wants to try something that isn't from somewhere that she's ever heard of. Of course, the sandwich isn't too bad, but it isn't Freema food. But fluids are different.

She drops off the seat and goes to look around. She finds the proper milk and pours herself a glass. Then she jumps up into the chair again. "This is milk." She says, taking a sip of the greenish liquid, happily.If Bucky were to look at it closely, the green swirls through the liquid, and there's a slightly sweet smell to it.

[hashtagparkerluck]

He doesn't want to ask-he doesn't think that Kaito isn't smart enough for that it's just that's a pretty bold claim and he doesn't want to accidentally insult him while tripping over his words.

"You have no idea." Peter coughs, thinking about all thing things that have gone wrong in his life.

[democratically]

"The truth can do that, but it doesn't mean it shouldn't be told." Even if it is hard. Would that she had something else, someone else to ask, someone that she knew, or perhaps if she had lived through it herself. She'd be... In her forties?

[luckybucky]

"Holstein, probably?" He blinks when she says milk is green, and struggles to keep a straight face when she brings out what she claims is milk. "Oh that... I thought that had gone bad," he replies, putting away the milk he'd poured from for himself, and took a seat next to Misa, pulling his sandwich over and taking a bite.

When he was done with it, he offers her a lopsided smile. "I guess we come from really different places," he says, watching the green of her milk swirling weirdly. "I'm glad they have something from your home here. Comfort food is really important."