A new Platform [Intro post~ August]

[voidtreckermods]

For those on the Train

"Good morning passengers, it is day sixteen of the month of Apple." The train announces as always as everyone wakes up the morning of the sixteenth. "Due to your success on Hub World #5739 your team points have been updated on the system. The on train shop has unlocked new stock."

For those going to investigate it might seem like the boredom of the last two weeks will be alleviated a little. More so after a few hours when there is a second announcement.

"Shortly arriving into a designated void platform. Exit from void imminent."

By now they should know to hold on as the train jerks and jolts. There is only fog outside the windows but the train soon comes to a stop. The doors hiss open.

As they exit into the fog they may notice Hibiki exiting from the luggage carriage door. She hasn’t been seen since the Hub World and they might be forgiven for believing she stayed behind. But here she is, backpack on her back as she walks through the station. She heads no call, reacts to no words and cannot be stopped as she walks to the ticket barrier and disappears through it.

It is impossible to follow. But you soon may be distracted because this platform is far from empty.

For new arrivals

At first all you can see if steam. Billowing around you as you come to your senses. You are standing, in clothes that are not your own, styles you might not even recognise. You are carrying a rucksack on your back. For a moment it seems to just be you, alone in the white haze but then the steam begins to fade and you realise you aren’t alone.

The platform is not very large, but it hold twelve figures all facing the tracks, all wearing similar clothing, even if one of them is a spider. The tracks stretch left and right into steam, or perhaps fog. Nothing can be seen to either side. There is a wall around the platform and the only entrance is a ticket barrier. It cannot be open, nor do there seem to be any staff.

What there is, is a train. Jet black and gleaming where it stands on the rails.Voidtrecker Express is emblazoned in the engine in gold. There is a hiss as the doors slide open.

Out step a selection of people, wearing clothes just like yours.

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.

Once on the train there is plenty to explore. A new sleeper carriage has appeared as has a medical bay. Neither were there before those already on the train had disembarked to meet their new travelling companions.

Each ICP shows the same message. The food stores have been topped up with new fresh food, though it seems that eggs are still predominately on the menu.

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. Those who boarded two weeks ago will know what is coming next.

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

[happyends]

This whole situation was already strange enough. Sudden train out of nowhere when Madoka was most definitely in the middle of something just now. Weird different clothes. All these people suddenly being here. All of it was extremely odd.

But something just had to top all of it, and that was the fact that when Madoka turned to look to her side, there was just.. a spider.

A huge spider.

Madoka's reaction almost comically mirrored the spider's own. The moment she noticed her, Madoka also froze up, and then also started shaking, as if they were in sync.

Was this one of the witch's familiars? But how was she going to fight it without magical powers? Madoka had no idea, but in this moment all she could do was let out a high-pitched shriek.

"A.. Ah..!"

[kumoko]

The shriek brought her out of the rabbit hole, just a little. She'd noticed the people around her in a theoretical kind of way, but usually her mind was full of information lovingly gathered by Appraisal. The human girl next to her was making noise, though, so she fixed her array of eyes on her and looked her up and down. 'A-Ah'? Isn't that her line?

More to the point, isn't that girl way too cute? It's against the rules to look like that even in just a shapeless blue hoodie, isn't it? If she had to meet any kind of human first, this would definitely be the best.

"Hey," she tried to say, but it came out as a clicking hiss.

[happyends]

Unfortunately the hiss did very little to make the spider seem less intimidating. In fact, it did the absolute opposite, with Madoka wincing the moment she heard it. Things really weren't supposed to go this way - she couldn't die here now in this strange situation, not without finishing what she set out to do!

But with little means to defend herself, she instead just held up her hands in front of her, whimpering, "P-Please don't hurt me..!"

Even Madoka knew that pleading with a witch's familiars (because surely a big spider like that couldn't be anything else, right) didn't do a whole lot, so she quickly started frantically looking around her. "W.. Where did Kyuubey go.." Here he had been harassing her the whole time to make a contract, and now she wanted to do so and defend herself he was gone!!

[kumoko]

Wait, that was absolutely Japanese that she was speaking. Is it possible? Has she ended up in another world that actually has the cheat-like ability of universal translation? So many questions.

Don't hurt her? Oh, yeah, humans would obviously still be scared of big spiders no matter where you were. That was natural. Yeah. She skittered around to face Madoka, and then froze again. How was she meant to show she wasn't going to kill them? And with all these people around? She shivered again, sharp forelimbs clacking against the platform, and looked around. Human, human, hu-- elf? Okay, that could be looked at later. Her eyes caught on the thread trailing behind her, automatically spun out without her thinking about it, and an idea came to her. Well, an old idea came back, but if there was a translation system here, then...

She quickly dragged the white thread around to lie between her and the pink-haired girl, and arranged it into characters.

'WHERE AM I'

[happyends]

Madoka was just about ready to go into a panic when no matter how much she looked around her, she couldn't spot the white creature anywhere, leaving her totally clueless in this situation and - worse so - defenseless in the face of a big spider.

Her brain was racing, trying to come up with any way to make sure this situation didn't end entirely badly, but then stopped the moment she noticed the thread on the floor. It made the girl freeze up again, but this time to think rather than just from shock. It couldn't be a coincidence that the webbing formed letters, right? And familiars usually didn't talk.. or, well, not coherently in any case.

But.. then what was this big spider?

"You.. mean you don't know..?" And here Madoka thought she was the only one feeling so lost in this incredibly strange situation.

[kumoko]

A pause as she spun more silk, and then some more arranging on the floor between them, 'NO'.

Did the girl mean that she didn't know either, or that she was surprised that she didn't know? Ugh, conversation was the worst. She really missed her skills, she'd kill for Appraisal to be working right now. Literally. Just show her who to kill.

'? ? ? ? ?'

[happyends]

(Please, no killing.)

All of this was so weird though. Seeing a big spider like this was weird. Communicating with it now - especially without it trying to eat her - was even weirder. But the fact that even this freaky spider didn't know where they were.. That was the weirdest part. Just what was going on here with this strange train platform?

"S.. Sorry, I assumed that you were from this place.." Wherever 'this place' was to begin with. It was odd enough to suit a big spider creature moreso than a regular teenage girl, as far as Madoka was concerned. "But instead I think we're in the same situation.. I also just ended up here without knowing what's going on."

[kumoko]

She has now seen a spider shrug, which is only moderately weirder than the situation as a whole. So she didn't know where they were either, but the girl understood Japanese or there was a translation effect in place, so there was definitely some kind of weird reincarnation thing going on. Or maybe like one of those web-novels, 'I woke up in another world and introduced capitalism and healthcare and also I'm a princess for eight hundred years!' or whatever.

She jabbed one leg towards the train. It'd be good to explore, right?

[happyends]

Madoka glanced between the train and the spider. Not since she didn't understand what that spider jazz hand pointing leg was most likely trying to say, but mostly since.. even this was odd. Was she really on a train platform, thinking about exploring a train with a spider?

Apparently she was. It wasn't like she had much of a choice. Kyuubey wasn't anywhere here on the platform as far as she could see - maybe she'd find him inside of the train? And if she already had a - kind of terrifying - big spider with her, then surely she couldn't run into anything more terrifying. The worst had passed.

Probably.

"If you want to look in there, we can take a look.." Madoka glanced back at the other. "Ah.. I should probably introduce myself, right? Do spiders do introductions..?" Yes, that last part was a little more mumbled to herself.

"My name.. um, it's Madoka! Madoka Kaname, it's.. nice to meet you..?"

She didn't mean for it to be so hesitant, she really didn't want to be rude! But she couldn't help it in this odd situation.

[kumoko]

More spider jazz hands were her reward. Ah, even her name... With a person this pure-looking with her, there was no way she'd get attacked straight away. It was the perfect plan. Yes, Operation 'Leech Off The Cuteness Of New Friend' was a-go!

She was even treated to the spider placing her two sharp legs together and bobbing into a greeting bow before scuttling towards the train doors.

[happyends]

There were only upsides to this situation for the spider, really. There was also just the fact that Madoka was too trusting at all times to even consider said spider may be leeching off Madoka's ability to make anything look harmless. And while she did think a giant spider was still a little.. odd, let's put it diplomatically, Madoka was also more than willing to give her a chance. After all, she even bowed! A spider that knows how to politely greet couldn't possibly be bad, right?

.. Maybe? Probably.

Either way, Madoka followed the spider over to the train.

"Ah, are you going aboard first? Please be careful, no one knows what might be inside there..!"

Yes, Madoka was telling a scary spider to be careful as if she was instead talking to something as innocent and helpless as a small puppy. This is just how Madoka's over the top politeness works..