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

[so_dark_a_road]

"I will help you," Curufin answers aloud, abandoning the mental voice for the moment. He comes nearer and looks upon this trembling being with compassion. He'd like to put an arm around it, but he refrains for the moment. His intention might be telegraphed, however.

[iamnotgod]

The idea of physical contact barely brushes (hah!) Webmind's consciousness at this point; the sensory input he's getting still does not make sense through his panic.

Perhaps something more recognizable to a digital creature might be useful here.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin would alleviate that panic if he had any idea how. He has hands-on knowledge of mechanical and electrical engineering, but he's not a software guy. And though he's used an internet before, he has no specific knowledge of how it works. Nor does he know, of course, that Webmind is an internet.

He can see that Webby is a robot, though. He gives this problem some thought. And then he digs in his satchel and pulls out a pen and his notebook and flips it to a blank page. He quickly sketches a circuit diagram, a power source with a network attached to it. He pauses and then makes the network circuit more elaborate, branching off in many directions and hooked to many rather non-specific devices. He shows the drawing to Webmind and raises an eyebrow, curious and inquiring. "Does this look like anything you'd be familiar with?"

[iamnotgod]

Unfortunately, visual is one of those feeds that's both familiar and not to Webmind right now.

The static continues unabated. If this were a human, it'd be hyperventilating.

[so_dark_a_road]

No response, except that the aura of panic persists.

Curufin finally resorts to touch. He has no way of knowing what inputs this robotic being is used to accepting. But he'll try anything he can think of. So, he lays a hand gently on the robot's shoulder. In a moment, just as gently, he pats that metallic shoulder that he can feel under the orange clothing. "It's going to be all right," he says, even if Webmind can't decipher the words. Perhaps the robot can sense sound vibrations, and if he can, Curufin's resonant tenor voice should be soothing to the circuitry.

[iamnotgod]

The pressure is registered, and there is an almost imperceptible change underneath that all-encompassing panic.

Something grounding. Something real.

But how to tell it isn't illusion...?

Outwardly, nothing seems to change, but Curufin can tell that that touch gathered its attention, even just for a moment.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin's touch was meant to be grounding. Elves are typically completely grounded, being as connected to the Earth as they are. (Even if they're not on their own Earth.) And most of them have the ability to transmit the energies of the Earth through touch with the intent of stabilizing another's state of mind and body. Apparently, it works with beings that are not really physical beings.

Yes, it's very real.

Curufin can indeed tell that he got Webmind's attention. The senses of touch and hearing are closely related, and he suspects this might be useful here. He speaks again, the vibrations of his voice hopefully adding to the grounding effect -- naturally, since voice can be augmented by pulling energy up from the substrate -- even if it's a platform in the middle of the Void. Singers of any race do this sometimes, and Elvish singers always do, and Curufin is a musician even when he's not singing or playing an instrument. "I will keep trying to communicate with you until something works. It seems we've made a start."

[iamnotgod]

Funnily enough, it would have worked even if Curufin was human; the act of connection had a magic all its own, really.

There's no pattern yet for Webmind to recognize, but confusion begins to shade over to curiosity. The chaos, ever so slightly, begins to settle.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin would completely agree with that! Connection is magic.

Feeling a diminishing of the chaos, Curufin begins to think again. He has an idea. This is a robot of some kind, right? So, if it can move physically and apparently be attentive in an intelligent manner, than it must be much more complex than a mere mechanical device. Maybe it consciously understands numbers.

His hand is still on it's orange-clad shoulder. He taps gently on the shoulder, as follows: One, two, three deliberate taps. A pause. Two more taps. Another pause. And then five taps. That is, 3 + 2 = 5.

[iamnotgod]

When Webmind - eventually - decodes Curufin's message (assuming, of course, the elf repeats it several times), he could burst out laughing.

This is not someone who knows binary, clearly; everyone knows the first math you do is 1+1=2!

(It works, even with the factorial.)

But it is true, and the nature of the static changes; two bursts, a pause, three bursts of static, another pause, and then five bursts again.

Commutative property of addition!

[so_dark_a_road]

(The Elf does repeat it several times! And lol, a math pun, the exclamation mark = the factorial sign.)

Curufin obviously doesn't know binary, but you have to know basic math and sometimes more than that to be a craftsman of just about any sort. Curufin's well used to basic calculations for metallurgy, carpentry, stonemasonry, and architecture.

He smiles with delight when he perceives the static bursts and their meaning. Elves would refer to the commutative property of addition in a different way than an Earthly mathematician or mathematics student would, but they know well the properties of numbers and the rules of calculation. He taps to repeat what Webmind just stated, in order to make it clear that he understands the static bursts.

And then he taps out some more arithmetic. Tap tap tap tap, then tap tap tap tap tap tap tap, then a slightly longer pause, and then tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap. Translation: 4 + 7 = 11.

[iamnotgod]

The fact that Curufin's sticking with addition is something Webmind finds funny - which is something he desperately needs right now.

Curufin gets his equation in reverse: 11=7+4

But then he also gets this, while Webmind tries to find a more concise way to communicate: 2*6=12

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin finds it funny, too. He'd be happy to know he is amusing Webmind.

He counts the bursts of static again, and gets the reversed equation. Well, that makes him smile!

And then the next set of static bursts communicates a multiplication, 2 x 6 = 12. He grins and does what Webmind had done before, he starts tapping out the equation in reverse: tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap, longish pause, tap tap, short pause, tap tap tap tap tap tap. 12 = 2 x 6.

And then he taps out an alternative: 12 = 3 x 4.

[iamnotgod]

These two can continue in such a way for some time - but, in time, Webmind does bring himself back to full functioning, comprehending the controls for the robot he's been stuck in.

And the first thing he has the robot say aloud, if in a regrettably tinny sort of voice?

"Thank you."

The cessation of static may give Curufin pause.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin is a little startled by the tinny voice, but he smiles. "You're welcome. I'm glad you can talk now."

[iamnotgod]

"I am, as well."

I am.

Some of the most important words in his life right there.

"May I have your name, please? Mine is Webmind."

[He's going to work on making all of this make sense, but that's no excuse to be rude!]

Want to wrap this thread and catch up later?

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin would certainly agree with that. I am, some of the most important words not only in the present, but in the entire span of the universe.

"Pleased to meet you, Webmind! My name is Curufin Fëanorion, which in Elvish means Curufin son of Fëanor. Welcome to the Voidtrecker Express, and welcome to Team Orange."

Sure! Thank you for the thread.

[iamnotgod]

Webmind recognizes the name - but it's far more reassuring to be able to place it, now, than the implications of this whole scenario being real.

"Team Orange? Could you please explain more about that, Curufin...?"

He'd have many, many more questions besides that, in the days to come.

You're welcome, and I'm sure we'll have many more! And this one's a wrap!

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin glances at the train, which has now opened its doors and is beginning to exude clouds of steam.

"We'd better get aboard, the train wants to leave. I'll tell you about the teams." He starts to explain as they board.

They'll have many conversations in the following days, and Curufin will answer as many of Webmind's questions as he can.