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

On the Platform

[deductiongeek]

Conan's first hint to realizing that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong is the suddenly missing weight of his glasses. From there, it takes mere seconds to take note that this was definitely not the same platform or train he had just been at, that these were not his clothes, and that he'd somehow acquired a rucksack.

A quick check, and he confirms that all of his concealed gadgets were missing, replaced by normal clothing. Even the Detective Boys badge was gone. His alarm was rapidly growing. Was this because of them? Had he been caught? But if that was so, how was he still alive?

For lack of any of other ideas, he turns to the rucksack. And there he sees his real name, printed simply onto the side. He stares blankly at it as he pales to an unhealthy extent, lost in the horror of the moment. Silently, he starts to panic.

This was... If someone knew, what could he even do now? Was this the end of everything?

Re: On the Platform

[runs_on_batteries]

He hadn't expect more passengers. It was logical if he'd looked at the number of cabins, but he hadn't thought anyone else's luck was as bad as his or Peter's (because no one had as bad luck as Peter). However when the train stops, there's a group of people on a platform that looked similar to when he arrived. It brought some rough memories of those first few hours on the train when he'd been.. well, this wasn't about him today.

Getting off, he looks about curiously before his gaze lands on a particularly small and particularly freaked out looking boy. God, he had to be young. Why train gods? Just why?

He approaches and gives the kid a sympathetic smile. "It's okay, kid. Really. Just take a deep breath. Talk to me."

[deductiongeek]

The only thing keeping Conan from descending into even further depths of paranoia fueled panic is that the man who approached him is not wearing black. That was no guarantee, of course. Anyone could be one of them. But at the least they weren't making it obvious.

"Who are you?" he asks bluntly.

[runs_on_batteries]

Huh, straight forward. He could respect that.

He offers his hand. "Tony Stark. A group of us showed up in this same fashion two weeks ago and have been on this train mostly ever since. We've all been plucked from our worlds and time to be here for good or bad. As of yet, we haven't been able to identify who our kidnappers are or what they want exactly, but none of us have come to harm so far."

His gaze slips to the rucksack that had the boy's name written on it. He sees the name, but there isn't any recognition on his face regarding it. "Where are you from kid?"

[deductiongeek]

A group of people? And taken in at least two different times? Despite his worries over the situation, the detective starts to work through the facts. Two different groups suggested that this was a long-term plan, whatever the purpose behind this was. And if the first group had been here for two weeks already, that suggested that the purpose was not immediate death.

Above everything else, nothing about this situation matched their usual operations. Conan begins to feel some hope that the culprits behind this were someone else entirely.

This was a puzzle, and that was something he could work with.

He reaches up and takes Tony's hand. "Conan Edogawa," he says firmly. Someone here knew his true identity. But if he refused to confirm it, that was a test of his purpose here in itself. "I'm from Beika City in Tokyo."

[runs_on_batteries]

His eyebrow raises at the different name, but he doesn't challenge it. Not yet. He'll give this kid a chance to hide while freaked out by the situation. However, he's totally on to you that you're weird. You're not acting like a tiny thing should. But Buttercup didn't act like she should all the time either so.. whatever. Also, you clearly didn't react to his name either.

"Nice to meet you Conan. I've been to Tokyo a couple times. I don't recall that name specifically." He shrugs, not all that concerned about it. "Let me know if you need anything. I'll answer whatever I can for you. Does it say on your ticket which cabin you're in?"

[deductiongeek]

"My ticket?" He hadn't gotten as far as locating that yet.

[runs_on_batteries]

"Yeah, look in your rucksack. You'll find clothes, supplies, and at least one object from home. From what I can tell so far, there hasn't been any kind of pattern with these items except that they fit in this bag." He crouches down and opens Conan's bag for him. He shuffles through it till he can point at the ticket tucked besides his notebook. "There's your ticket."

He helps himself to the ticket, pulling it out and reading it. His eyebrows rise. "Well, you're in with a married couple and a young man who is part of the military force back home. Dread, the husband, is a giant but don't worry he's harmless. I wouldn't go being mean to his wife though since Dread and I both will have to kick you in the ass for it." He gives Conan a teasing wink for that. "Now.. maybe you can tell me why your name is listed on here as one thing and you've given me a different one."

[deductiongeek]

He gladly seizes his shoes when he spots them in the bag, although he can't help the slight flinch at the realization that literally every item in the bag was labeled with his real name.

"Because that's not my name," he lies, pushing down the familiar mix of guilt and longing that came with his real name. It wasn't safe to claim it, here or anywhere, no matter how much he would have liked to. "Shinichi is my distant relative. Maybe someone got us confused?"

[runs_on_batteries]

Tony washes curiously as the kid's item from home turns out to be.. sneakers? Maybe they were some long lost aunt's as people around here had several items from loved ones. Whatever, he didn't really care.

He stares at Conan a moment before rolling his eyes. Wow. Just.. wow. "Okay, kid. A few things. One, no one gives a crap what your real name is since there's a very small chance anyone is here from your world. Two, that is a particularly bad lie. I mean, I'm not saying you shouldn't like about it if you're that uncomfortable but you're going to need to come up with something a lot better. Personally, I'd go with you have a nickname and Shinichi is your father's name or something like that. The entity that brought us here hasn't made a mistake yet so.. Lastly, I really am here to help. I'll let you off the hook for now about the name since it doesn't matter to me one way or the other, but I'm an ally and my goal is to keep everyone on this train safe."

[deductiongeek]

The boy's painfully forced smile instantly drops into a scowl. There was no point in pursuing the lie when it was obvious that it wouldn't be believed.

"A small chance isn't the same as no chance. I'd rather not build a lie that any person from my world could instantly spot." Not that he entirely believed this story about different worlds. He'd play along with it for now, but he hadn't seen any evidence yet to support such an outlandish theory.

[runs_on_batteries]

"That's fair," Tony concedes much easier than the boy probably expected. "I take it you're wanted for some reason and you're now having a code brown underoos because of it? I don't know if we have any artists, but we can get someone to maybe make some patches for you to put over the name on your bag and in the hallway at your cabin door."

He went over what kind of material they had on the train. There were extra blankets he might be able to rip a section off of. It wouldn't look anything like the material on Conan's rucksack though. Hmm. They also didn't have any way to embroider the name like it was now. This problem might take some thought.

[deductiongeek]

Ever want to be judged by a seven-year-old? Because Conan was judging Tony hard right now. He doesn't even dignify that comment with a response.

"Let's just say, where I'm from that isn't a safe name to be connected to."

[runs_on_batteries]

Well fine, Tony will laugh at his joke. He had a sense of humor.

He'll also judge you back because come on, what are you? You're not a typical kid obviously. Either way, he kind of liked this kid. Something about him was amusing and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious about this boy's story- he clearly had one!

"Right." That's what he said, wasn't it? "If anyone on the train gives you any trouble, just come find me. I'll protect you from anyone but Sarai. You piss her off, you're on your own."

Re: On the Platform

[knifewithnoname]

"You should be hurrying up and getting onto the train."

Someone younger than her. This was a relief. Being the only child on the train had gotten exhausting, far too much attention on her. She had to keep up the act every second of every day and she was tired. At least if there were others all the light addled heroes could try and look after them instead.

"I do no be thinking you do be wanting to be staying on the platform."

He looks scared, but he is very young.

Re: On the Platform

[deductiongeek]

"Why? Maybe I don't want to get on the train."

The first kid he'd met here, and of course she was still older than he claimed to be.

[knifewithnoname]

"Well then you can be staying here but there do no be being anyway out so you will be starving."

She shrugged, if the boy wanted to stay and starve then it made no difference to her. "We do be having food on the train and it do no be being that bad on there, just boring."

But it was better than starving to death.

[deductiongeek]

"How do you know there isn't any other way out?"

Conan, of course, had every intention of getting on the train. His nosiness wouldn't allow anything else. But he couldn't resist the impulse to ask the difficult questions.

[knifewithnoname]

"Well one person did be leaving. She did just be walking through the barriers. But I could no be doing it."

And there was no other way out that she could find... Not that she had explored this platform as much as she had the one she had arrived on. "We can be going and looking though if you do be wanting."

Because if there was a way, then she wants out.

[deductiongeek]

"Why not? What happened when she walked through the barrier?"

He thinks a moment and nods. "Let's go. I want to see all of this for myself."

[knifewithnoname]

"She did just be going through and then I could no be seeing her anymore." She hadn't been close enough and by the time she had gotten there there was nothing to see, only more smoke.

But she nodded and began leading the way. She's not sure how much there is still to learn but maybe a fresh pair of eyes will bring something new to the situation.

[deductiongeek]

Conan follows after her, carefully keeping note of everything he sees as they walk.

"Was there anything else there?"

[knifewithnoname]

"No that I could be seeing."

But she leads the way to the barriers. They are indeed just big barriers, she can stand on tiptoes to look over them but all she can see is more fog.

"It do no be looking like there do be anything there at all, but there must be something. She did be going through."

[deductiongeek]

Conan starts methodically inspecting the barriers.

"Did you see where exactly she went through?"

[knifewithnoname]

"It did be this one. Just in the middle I do be thinking." She had been a little distance away, she hadn't seen exactly but she had just walked up to them and went through.