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

[knifewithnoname]

Her eyes widened. She had been wondering about the knife, too big for it to be as concealed as well as it had been. But any thoughts of it being merely a very clever slight of hand were put aside when the hobby horse was taken out. That had definitely not been concealed.

"That do be being cool." She looked at it, studying it. It was a heavy weapon and one that could do a lot of damage, she thought. But where had it been?

[irrationally]

Probably even without fully realising it Alice looks slightly proud when the girl says it's cool. Alice thinks it's cool too, after all, but she feels like a lot of people might just call it silly that it takes on that toy-like shape, even with as edgy as it looks by now.

"You seem to have a good eye for it." And she can't help but notice the way the other is staring at it, almost curiously.. "Are you wondering about something?"

[knifewithnoname]

"I did be wondering where you did be hiding it." She admitted, she had decided this woman wasn't stupid, she had cool weapons and she had given her cheese.

So hopefully she wouldn't mind the question.

[irrationally]

"Hiding?"

She doesn't seem to mind the question, but she does look slightly surprised as she repeats the word. She does know what the younger girl means. But Alice herself has just never thought of it that way: it was mostly just more convenient to hold one weapon at a time, after all.

"Ah, I'm making them appear and disappear. It's just something I can do." Granted, usually she was only able to do this in Wonderland. It's rather curious she can do it here on this train too - although it might be for the better, considering what some people have told her so far.

As a demonstration she makes the hobby horse disappear from her hands again, leaving them empty.

"Is it not common for the people here to have that kind of power?"

[knifewithnoname]

"People do be having all kinds of powers. I did no be seeing that one before." So she had magic. It's good to know. Though people here, don't give or expect extra respect towards magic users some habits are hard to break. Some habits shouldn't be broken. She won't be on this train forever.

[irrationally]

At least it makes sense to her that people would have all sorts of powers in a place like this. It doesn't exactly seem like regular old London, after all. So she nods in reply to the girl's answer, as a small show of appreciation. (It's the best most people can hope to get from Alice, honestly.)

"May I ask you something in return then? What is the place you come from called?"

[knifewithnoname]

"Gauig. It do be being the name of a city and a country and I do be being from both." She smiled. "It do be being very different than this place."

[irrationally]

Gauig. Not a name she's heard of before. And while it's possible that it's another world entirely, it could also just be that it's a regular place on Earth and she just doesn't know since she's hardly been to school..

"I was thinking the same thing." About this train being very different from where she's from. "What is the biggest difference to you? Other than being stuck inside of a train, I suppose."

[knifewithnoname]

The biggest difference, that was a question. There were so many differences. "Well everyone do be talking different to me. People do be talking different in other places in my world but here no one at all do be talking norm... like me."

It was strange, maybe not the biggest thing. That belonged to being stuck on a train in a void but...

"Also they do be having a lot of things that do no be existing in my world. Like the train and also a lot of the things here in the kitchen and also there do be being machines that can be washing clothes."

[irrationally]

"Ah, so everyone speaks like that where you're from?"

Honestly, Alice is so used to people talking in strange ways that she didn't even pick up on it as being something too weird. But it does make even logical sense if it's just something like a dialect or an accent.

"I can't say that's familiar, but I do agree that there are quite some strange things around here compared to where I am from as well." She pauses, and although it's very tired, there's a hint of something like a near-smile on Alice's face. What can she say, she's just softer towards kids. "I was nearly surprised the teapot wasn't some mechanical monstrosity."

[knifewithnoname]

"They do be acting like weird monsters. They can be doing things by themselves." She knew now that it wasn't quite that way. That they used power- of a science kind and not a magic kind, to do things that humans could, but faster and in some cases better. But it was still weird.

"But you should no be stabbing them, or be putting your knife in the bread toasting machine."

[irrationally]

Maybe she shouldn't feel glad about having someone to commiserate with when said someone is just a child, but.. you know, sometimes you just can't afford to be picky. And the girl just happens to be saying the exact same sort of things she's thinking.

"That's too bad. It was fairly tempting." It's hard to tell if she's joking or serious. Maybe a bit of both. "I'm mostly used to stabbing things to make them go away before they can attack me instead. Not.." She vaguely gestures to the carriage around them. ".. this. It feels quite suspicious with nothing attacking us here."

[knifewithnoname]

"It do be seeming suspicious. But we do be getting attacked plenty when we do be being on missions so you will no be missing it too much."

The train was a place that was relatively safe, where the danger came from the other passengers rather than the space itself. But this woman would figure that out for herself, she was sure.

[irrationally]

"Oh joy."

It's said with quite some sarcasm, but it's flat, dry. She wouldn't make it too biting in front of a child unless said child was being a brat. And this girl seems fine so far.

"You seem as though you have been fine on these missions so far though." The girl doesn't look hurt, after all. Not to mention she seems to talk about them pretty calmly.

[knifewithnoname]

She must like fighting a lot if she found joy in being attacked by monsters. She nodded. "I do no be being weak or stupid so I do be being fine. They do no be being too hard."

[irrationally]

There's the very faintest hint of amusement at that particular answer. "Not being weak or stupid is a good start." Not that she would blame kids for being either. She'll judge the hell out of adults, but.. you know. Most kids can't really help it yet.

Still, it's good to hear that this girl knows how to fend for herself in a situation like this.

"Perhaps I'll get a chance to see what you can do at some point." .. and.. like, maybe keep an eye out for her. Just in case she's exaggerating her capabilities. You never know. "I'm rather curious."

[knifewithnoname]

"Maybe you will be being." Curious was good, but not too curiosity. She grinned at her, "I do be thanking you for the cheese."

She had more people to great, it was always good to have a decent idea of who had joined the train.

[irrationally]

Alice might not be the best with manners - and that's put very, very mildly - but she's willing to make an attempt in this case.

"You're welcome." What a cute kid.

(Yes, being overly interested in weapons and where they come from doesn't take away cuteness in the slightest in Alice's mind, okay.)

[knifewithnoname]

She waved as she skipped off. She had been an interesting person, which was high praise in her mind.