A New Platform [Intro Post April!]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

Two days after they return from their mission they are awoken as usual "Good morning passengers, it is day sixteen of the month of Egret. The shop has been updated and points have been applied to passengers tickets."

Those that go to check the shop terminals will find they have indeed updated, with the option to buy larger items and also animals. The morning goes on until just after noon there is a second announcement.

"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. Though the fog is thick, thicker than usual perhaps, there are patches on sunlight shining through and it is pleasantly warm.

The doors open and the first few to disembark do so with rucksacks on, hoods pulled up, silent and almost blank faced. Cu Chulain, Dio Brando, Disreputable Dog, Heiji Hattori, Loki Maedhros, Maglor, Naruto, Thor, Tobias Fangor.

They walk to the barriers, show their tickets and disappear.

But on the platform itself there are once again new faces. 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 as people begin to shift or call out it will become apparent they are not alone.

The platform is not large and it holds eighteen figures all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. It's warm but foggy making it hard to see much, but there are clearer patches bathed in sunlight found across the platform. 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, in case the passengers weren't bored of them yet.

Passengers who are not brand new will notice that the train has gotten yet longer again with a sixth sleeper cabin for new arrivals.

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

[maxwellsdaemon]

"Lovely? I feel like if I look at it too long I'm gonna start clucking like a chicken!" The mess of colours swirled in such a way Duo wondered if it was trying to hypnotise him. Maybe that's what was going on? They were all hypnotised into believing that this was all a thing? Nah, that was a dumb theory. But he did know the insane colours was making him feel dizzy. And for a guy like him that was a big accomplishment.

"I dunno. I've seen an aurora and those things are pretty as hell. But I guess it's as close to anything else I could name." Because Duo had never seen anything like the Void in his life.

[beastofthedeep]

Leviathan chuckled, shaking his head. "I doubt it's going to have that effect on you," he said. But he was starting to feel a slight headache from looking out the window, so he was just...not going to do that anymore. "But who can say for certain? I've never encountered the void before. Or been on a train, for that matter."

He was still going to stand by the opinion that it looked lovely, though.

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo held up a single finger. "I've been on one... And it was nothin like this!" Then again, what exactly was like this? He'd never seen anything like the Void either. Space, sure. He supposed that was as close as he could get to the Void but there wasn't as many colours as he could see outside of the window here.

"It's a weird train though. But hey, that makes it fun, right?" At least that's what Duo was hoping for.

[beastofthedeep]

"Fun?" he repeated. "I'm not sure anything about this is 'fun', but I suppose things will at least be interesting." And they were all alive and in one piece, which meant being kidnapped was going better than he'd always assumed it would. "I assume we'll see new places, as well." Since that was what trains did. They took you places.

[maxwellsdaemon]

"Life's what you make of it, man! Gotta find fun where you can otherwise life is just boring as hell." And Duo didn't do boring. A bored Duo Maxwell was generally a bad thing. A bored Duo Maxwell would decorate the inside of your Gundam's cockpit pink or fill it full of marshmallows. It was best to keep the teen entertained otherwise he would find ways to entertain himself.

"I'm told we get to go on missions and stuff." He grinned then and took a step closer to the other guy, and lowered his voice to a very amused whisper. "They call is Void Warriors, ain't that a hoot?"

[beastofthedeep]

"I'm well aware of that," he replied. He also had a lot of experience in his life being incredibly boring, but everything was different now. He just still wasn't sure that being kidnapped fell into his category of 'fun'.

"Void Warriors," he repeated, amused. "That sounds more like it should be the title of a novel." Or maybe a video game, though he'd never played any. "Do you know what sort of missions we're sent on?"

[maxwellsdaemon]

"I said space opera, but a weird sci-fi novel would work as well!" Duo nodded, wondering if anyone would actually read a book like that. Probably a few.

"Huh? Well they said something about a medieval world? But apparently we go and swoop in and help people in need." He never did ask if they got medals or rewards for being so damn awesome. He'd have to find someone else and ask.

[beastofthedeep]

He was tempted to ask what exactly a space opera was, but instead made a mental note to look it up later, if he was able to.

"How curious." The idea of him actively helping people was... well, he hadn't helped anyone in a long time, he didn't think, but he also wasn't sure if he was the best judge for that or not. "I suppose we'll all get a chance to be a hero, then."

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo chuckled. "Yeah, in my experience the hero isn't always the good guy. At least, isn't always appreciated as one. I prefer being the guy in the background blowin shit up." Yep, that was him. Stay out of the limelight, maybe people don't notice you.

[beastofthedeep]

"Blowing things up, hmm?" he said. "Well, hopefully there won't be any need to blow something up while on this train." Mostly because...they were on a train, and he imagined an explosion would be fairly devastating.

[maxwellsdaemon]

"Well not on the train, but maybe off it!" Duo hoped so. He liked to play to his strengths and sneaking in and out and leaving a big ass explosion in his wake was some fun stuff to do!

[beastofthedeep]

"Mhmm." He smiled softly. "Assuming you could get your hands on some explosives, at least." He had to imagine they weren't something that would be regularly stocked on the train. Though outside of it, he had no idea.

[maxwellsdaemon]

"They're easy to make if you have the right chemicals. I mean you could make them at home if you're not careful enough. If you are careful..." Duo laughed. "You can have a lot more fun."

[beastofthedeep]

"Are they, now?" He laughed, shaking his head a little. "I daresay you sound like you could be trouble." He was teasing, though. Honestly, he had the impression that if he needed firepower in a pinch, he knew who to go to.

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo chuckled and looked out of one of the windows again. "Depends. I'm trouble for a certain kind of people. But if I'm stuck on this train with you guys, I'll be a good boy." He promised. He wasn't about to go and cause a scene or kill people when he had to live with the rest of them. What would be the point of that?

[beastofthedeep]

"Ah. And would those certain people be considered 'bad' people?" He was curious, and he also didn't really care about hurting people, or who did what. It didn't bother him, in general; it was sort of hard to with his skewed morals.

[maxwellsdaemon]

"Those are the ones." Duo agreed. "Handy when you think we'll have missions where we'll have to go save people from bad guys, huh? Like someone planned it or something!" He laughed, but clearly someone had planned it and that was why people from all walks of life were being gathered.

[beastofthedeep]

"I fully support your type of 'trouble' then," Leviathan said with a smile. "And I do believe it was planned, if the things I've heard are to be believed." That they were here to help people and, presumably, make trouble for 'bad' folks.

[maxwellsdaemon]

"Oh yeah, I've no doubt." Duo pulled a face and then sighed. "I don't much like being manipulated. But I'll play along till I get more information." And depending on what that information was, he might be okay with it or he might cause a hell of a lot more trouble...