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

[sendiintheclown]

Trowa cracked up laughing at that, unable to stop for almost a full minute. "To be fair, you're the one who brought up probing."

[maxwellsdaemon]

"Yeah, aliens! Not your roommate!" Despite the fact they were pretty much the same damn thing. But Duo was grinning. It wasn't often he made Trowa laugh like that, but it was always a great thing to see and made him feel damn good as well. Trowa's laughter was hard earned but they were honest.

[sendiintheclown]

"He's green and has antennae, doesn't get much more alien than that." Trowa wiped the moisture from his eyes and smirked at his friend. "You might not be his type, anyway." Not that he was in any hurry to ask the giant.

[maxwellsdaemon]

"He's not my type!" Duo huffed. Not that he really HAD a type, per say... But if he did it would be someone who could actually say words to him. Even if it was a weird little grunt...

"You're crazy, man." Duo shook his head and gave a low laugh. "But glad you're seeing the lighter side of all this."

[sendiintheclown]

"It's either laugh or have a stroke from the stress of it all." Shrugging, Trowa stuck his hands in his pockets. "Is it terrible that I'm glad you and I are the ones stuck here and not the others." Heero would hole up somewhere, Quatre would run himself ragged from trying to take care of everyone, and Wufei would be the one to have a stroke from it all.

[maxwellsdaemon]

Trowa was wrong on that front. Heero would have been livid to be trapped and probably would try and get himself killed getting off of it. And then hole himself up somewhere to lick his wounds once that didn't work.

"No... I'm right there with you. I mean, would I like them here? Damn right I would. Missing Quat already! But would they handle it well? I'm not so sure..." Quatre would adjust. Even Wufei would work it out eventually. Heero would have trouble.

[sendiintheclown]

Trowa sighed softly, his shoulders falling. He really missed Quatre. And Cathy, and the lion, and the rest of the circus. "At least we're on the same team."

[maxwellsdaemon]

"Maybe Fate isn't such a bitch after all?" Duo gave his friend a sympathetic smile and wandered over to reach up and placed a hand on Trowa's shoulder. "It'll be alright. We'll make the best of this." Mainly because Duo hadn't really had much in the way of prospects back home. The Sweepers and Hilde, maybe? But neither had been guaranteed things. Maybe this all could be a new start?

[sendiintheclown]

Hearing the optimism of his friend was a relief to Trowa, sometimes he struggled to be an optimist. "Think there's any alcohol on this place we can raid? I'd suggest sugar, but I've seen you on a sugar high."

[maxwellsdaemon]

"You think me on a sugar high is worse than me wasted?" Duo asked, grinning up at his friend. He would have claimed the other way around. Sugar was a lot better than getting drunk. But that hadn't really been the question. "I've no idea, man. Don't even know if they have alcohol on this train." Or if they'd be allowed to raid it.

[sendiintheclown]

Clapping a hand on Duo's shoulder, Trowa smiled at his friend. "I'd rather be drunk with a drunk you than sober with you on a sugar high. It's self preservation."

[maxwellsdaemon]

"Point." Duo conceded that Trowa was correct here. It would be much better to be drunk together than having Trowa not basking in a sugar high with him. Not that anything was really stopping Trowa from sharing that magical sugar high, but booze would work just as well. "Just need to work out if there's a stash. Somehow I'm guessing it'll be under lock and key. And guess who doesn't have a lockpick?"

[sendiintheclown]

"Seriously? I thought you always kept a lockpick in your braid?" Sugar really didn't do much to Trowa, so he wasn't overly excited by it. But he was quite shocked about the lack of the lockpick. "Hopefully there's a stash somewhere, though."

[maxwellsdaemon]

"Yeah, but even that's gone!" Duo felt lucky that he even had a hair tie in his hair. Though the simple elastic band was kind of boring and he didn't like it at all.

[sendiintheclown]

Trowa frowned at that. "That's really shitty. How dare they go through your hair." He was incensed on his friend's behalf.

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo laughed and reached out to give Trowa a friendly slap on the shoulder.

"Dude, think it through. We're not in the same clothes we were in before. I'll bet I'm not even in the same underwear. My lockpicks being gone is the least of my worries."

Which brought with it another thought. His hand went to his chest. Frowning, Duo looked down and pulled at his shirt. "... Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck... They took that as well!" His cross. His cross was gone.

[sendiintheclown]

"Was it in your bag? My clown mask was in mine, have you unpacked yet?" Hearing that even Duo's cross was gone worried Trowa deeply. The other pilot NEVER took that off.

[maxwellsdaemon]

"The bag? I... left it in my cabin." He'd given it a rudimentary look and had assumed it was all just clothes. He hadn't taken everything out. Now he wondered. He shot the door an anxious look and then Trowa. "... Would you be pissed if I ran off to check? It might be there... maybe? Do you think so?" There was a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that he hadn't realised until now. How long had he been without it?

[sendiintheclown]

"Go. Check for it in your things. I'll wait for you here." Trowa gave Duo a gentle push, urging him toward the sleeper cars.

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo flashed an apologetic smile and took off without a backwards glance. He ran like the hounds of hell were on his tail, dodging people left and right until he reached his cabin and let himself in. He dived for his bag and started tearing through it. And there, right at the bottom, was his cross. He could have wept with relief.

He dropped onto the bunk and lifted it and tipped his head forward to hook it behind his neck. Immediately he relaxed feeling the cool weight against his skin again. How hadn't he realised it was there? Maybe he was more disorientated that he'd thought?

With a shake of his head, Duo got up and returned to Trowa. When he walked back into the gym to find his friend, he had a big smile upon his face. "It was there!"

[sendiintheclown]

Seeing Duo return with a smile caused Trowa to smile back. He was happy for his friend. "I'm glad. I mean, I'd happily have made you a new one out of whatever I could find, but I know it wouldn't be the same."

[maxwellsdaemon]

"No, it wouldn't have. But thanks, man." His cross had belonged to Father Maxwell. It was, in his opinion, irreplaceable. But he appreciated the thought. The smile Duo wore now went beyond the jokers mask, it was happy. He'd really not realised just how much he'd missed that reassuring weight around his neck.

[sendiintheclown]

Seeing the genuine happiness on Duo's face, Trowa draped his arm around the smaller teen's shoulders. "Shall we get back to looking for alcohol?"

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo laughed and grinned up at Trowa. "I'm tellin you, man, I'll bet good money it's locked away or this is a dry train and all they'll have is tea and water!" Though if they didn't have alcohol, a soda would do just as well! "C'mon, lets go see what damage we can do!"