voidtreckerexpress | A new Platform [Intro post~ August]

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"And you're not scared or anything..?"

After all, this girl was saying it in a way that was much calmer than Madoka would ever have expected someone younger than her to talk about potential danger. Then again, she's aware that she is kind of an outlier scaredy cat herself.. So maybe she's just using the wrong standard here.

"Of course I do no be being scared. I do no be being a baby." She scoffed. She wasn't scared of anything, couldn't be scared of anything. Not even trains that went through weird voids. Not even the thought of them sinking.

She wondered if this Madoka was like Peter, scared of everything. It must be very exhausting.

...

Suddenly Madoka feels outdone by a kid even younger than her. She can't escape the feeling of shame that very simple statement makes her have.. If only babies are scared, then just call Madoka a baby, apparently.

"H.. Haha, is that so.." Totally not sounding awkward here. (Except she totally is, Madoka can't lie worth anything.) "That's a pretty amazing attitude to have. If you put it that way, then I'll have to do my best as well."

"Yes you will be." She nodded, "You should always be doing your best in everything you do be doing."

It was important. Not being afraid, not showing it when you were afraid.

She smiled, she's trying to be encouraging.

Hey, as long as this girl isn't making fun of her, Madoka will definitely view it as her being encouraging. And she does mean what she said, anyway.. She really thinks she has to step up and do better when there's people younger than her being much braver than she feels like she is.

And even besides that.. This girl does deserve praise for being so brave. Maybe Madoka should focus on that, rather than feeling bad about herself.

"You're really smart, Buttercup. It sounds like there's nothing I could do that you couldn't do yourself to repay you for helping me out with looking, but.." She sounds like she's thinking for a moment. "If we really can't find Kyuubey, and I'm stuck here, then.. um, we could do something fun together in return for you having helped me, if you want?"

She smiled at that, she was smart. It was good when people figured that out. She tilted her head when Madoka spoke of repaying her. A game? She didn't know many games, just the one Peter had taught her. Maybe Madoka would want to play that.

"We could be doing. Peter did be teaching me hangman, do you be knowing that one?"

She needed to practice if she was going to get good at it, so playing against other people would be good for learning.

"I do!" See, now she's talking about something that's actually familiar to her and makes sense, Madoka can easily smile at the other girl. Maybe it might actually make everything feel a bit more normal if she plays games like hangman here.

"We can play that one. I'm sure I'll have to give my all if I'm up against you."

It's not even said in any patronizing way - Madoka is 100% honest about that. The other does seem pretty smart for her age, while Madoka's opinion of her own intelligence (much like everything else about herself) is rather low.

"You will be needing to." She grinned. Right so she had only played one game and lost. But not next time. Next time she would be much better, now she had the hang of it.

"I do no really be knowing any other games unless we can be finding dice or cards."

She knew a handful of games with both, taught to her by patrons of the inn who appreciated sharp eyes and quick hands.

Madoka does know plenty of games you can play even without needing anything special, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Which is why she doesn't remark anything about that problem, but it does make her think of something.

"Do you think there are maybe boardgames somewhere on the train? Has anyone found them before?" Now that'd be something fun to play with a whole group of people. "Like.. um.. Chutes and ladders! That one is so much fun!"

"I do no be knowing what a boardgame is. But I do no be thinking there do be being any because Peter did be being really board and looking for games before."

And had found none. She can make a guess on boardgame, either a game you play when you are bored or a game on a board, piece of wood maybe?

"How do you be playing chutes and ladders?"

Oh geez.. This poor little girl has never played a boardgame before? Let alone chutes and ladders?

At first that realisation makes her look surprised, but then she just looks sympathetic. How could someone live without playing fun boardgames! Clearly Madoka will have to find some way to make sure the girl can play them even if there's no boardgames on the train, if she's going to be stuck here. Even if she has to make them herself!

"Well, it's a boardgame.. Those are games you play on a board. Usually a piece of cardboard." It feels a little odd to explain something so basic - even Madoka's baby brother knew what those were! - but these are apparently the circumstances she has to live with here. "And for chutes and latters the board has a long path with numbers on it on the board, and the goal is to roll the dice and move up numbers be the first to make it to the end! But the chutes and ladders twist is that some of the numbers are connected by a chute or a ladder, which can move you up or down the path faster if you land on those."

Games you played on a board. The second option then. A long path with numbers, rolling dice to move up numbers and then go faster up and down. "So it do be being a race? To be getting to the end of the path?"

A very interesting idea.

"Yes, it's like a race!"

Madoka nods, smiling at how easily the girl understood the concept.

"And a lot of it is about luck, since the dice decide on which number you land. So you have to get really lucky to win."

So a race and a game of luck all at the same time. It sounded interesting. "I do be being lucky."

She grinned, "Will you be being alright now or do you want me to be showing you the sleeping rooms?"

"I think I'll be fine.." She's been taking up this girl's time for long enough already! And it can't be too hard to find the places where people sleep here, right? It's a train, after all, so she's bound to come across it sooner or later. Maybe she'll somehow still come across Kyuubey in the process too, and then it'd be better if she was by herself anyway.

"Thank you for your help. I suppose I'll probably see you later."

"You do be welcome." She turned towards the kitchens, all this helping people had made her hungry. "I will be seeing you later."

It was impossible not to see each other on the train, there wasn't many places to go.

A new Platform [Intro post~ August]

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