A New Platform [Intro Post March]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

Luckily there are no more crises after the strange dreaming, except the ones passengers created for themselves and soon the month is turning. "Good morning passengers, it is day one of the month of Egret."

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 in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." 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 it is not raining this time. However it does seem to be quite blustery.

The doors open and the first few to disembark do so with rucksacks on, hoods pulled up against the wind. Amery Vallet, Steve Rogers, Darth Vader, Peggy Carter, Bran Corbie and Ash. They walk blank faced to the barriers, show their tickets and disappear.

But on the platform itself there are nineteen new faces, or rather seventeen new faces and two that some people have definitely seen before. All are stood, waiting for the train.

For New Passengers

At first all they can see is 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 ninteen figures all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. The air is cold and the wind is strong, blowing their hair, if they have hair, across their face. 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. 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. The store rooms have been restocked with an abundance of onions! Any of blue team who who go to check the luggage cart will find a parcel containing rainbow macroons. One for each of the blue team, including new members, come share in the reward!

Passengers who are not brand new will notice that the train has gotten yet longer again. A transparent domed carriage, with a grass aisle and soil beds, ready for the passengers to do with as they wish. Crates contain bulbs and seeds ready to be planted and there are all the tools a budding gardener would need for this task.

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. 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. The fog from the windows is gone now, replaced with a kaleidoscope of ever changing colours.

Welcome to the Void!

Comments

[thebiggestguy]

All right. Dread withdrew his hand, slowly taking a step back as he did. "I'm not here to hurt you."

[bethereprompto]

Prompto opens one eye and peeks up at the large man as his words slowly sink in. He waves the gun away and awkwardly sits up. The man was still huge, but Prompto didn't know too many demons who were friendly.

"Oh.. sorry. I just.. you sort of look like.. never mind. I'm sorry."

[thebiggestguy]

Hmph. That gun trick was a bit interesting, and perhaps a little worrisome considering the guy's first reflex... but putting that aside for a moment, the Roegadyn smiled. "It's the bigness, isn't it."

[bethereprompto]

He gave an embarrassed laugh. "Yeah, sorry. I was somewhere unsafe and.. where are we?" He looked around at the strange platform full of unfamiliar people- some not even human or anything else he recognized.

He slowly got to his feet. "You're not human, are you?"

[thebiggestguy]

Dread turned his head and tipped it at the same time, an expression he often used to express a level of skepticism.

"I'm not a Hyur," he said. "That's what you'd be called on Hydaelyn. I'm a Roegadyn. But we don't really think much of that difference. The spoken intermingle freely."

[bethereprompto]

"A Hyur.." He repeated, trying out the name. Huh, interesting. The other name 'Roegadyn' was equally as interesting, but he wasn't sure he could repeat that and get it right the first time. He'd save that embarrassment for later.

"That's cool that your society is like that. I think we'd need to make our buildings a little taller if all Roo-gah-din are as big as you are on Eos." That hadn't sounded quite right. And wasn't he trying to avoid admitting he couldn't say that word?

[thebiggestguy]

"Lalafell are half your height tops, so consider your buildings carefully." Dread let out a low chuckle, humor only slightly tempered by an awareness that the train itself seemed... ill-prepared for that sort of diversity. Which begged the question of why.

[bethereprompto]

He laughs, loving the idea of miniature people like this man in front of him walking around. He wondered if they'd have his dark skin color and white hair. That was such a fun contrast!

Although now that he was thinking about it, he glanced from the big man to the train and back. "Is it cramped for you on the train?"

[thebiggestguy]

"Wait till you see the beds." That ought to be answer enough. A far cry from Eorzea, where the average inn bed could easily accomodate a Roegadyn.

[bethereprompto]

He frowns, not wanting to find out how bad the beds were. "Can we just go home? There's an exit over there." He pointed to where the zombie-like people had gone through. "I don't think I want to get on that train."

Even as he said that, he felt a pull to get on board.

[thebiggestguy]

Dread shook his head, the gesture almost ominous because of how slowly he did it. "You won't be able to pass. Or stay off the train. It just doesn't let you go."

[bethereprompto]

He didn't like that answer. Nope. Not at all. He didn't like what was said nor how it was said, but particularly the part about not being able to leave.

"How does it make us get on the train if we don't want to? And what is 'it'?"

[thebiggestguy]

"You'll start to feel it soon." If he wasn't already. "A compulsion. A very bad one if you let it go. As for what 'it' is... good question."

Dread turned slightly, to glance over his shoulder at the train mostly hidden by the mists.

[bethereprompto]

Well if that wasn't super creepy..

"I don't like this place," he grumbled. He really didn't want to go back on another train.

"There's no chance people can uh.. fall from this train, is there?"