A New Platform [Intro Post June]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

The days following the mission are relatively uneventful as people once more get used to the rhythm of life on the train. "Good morning passengers, it is day sixteen of the month of Fiddlesticks. Points have been updated on the system."

They have indeed and everyone can spend the morning shopping. Those who have been on the train a while will be expecting the second announcement that comes a few hours later.

"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 is a cool day, clouds gathering threateningly though it stays dry luckily.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Leviathan, Atsushi Nakajima, Spinel, Peggy Carter, Evie Grimhilde, Cal Kestiss, Gwen Stacey, Renee Corbin, Lan Jingyi, Waver Velvet, Aoko Nakamori, Namine, Jak and Marcus Wright all reach the barriers, show their tickets and disappear through, vanishing into the fog.

But on the platform itself there are many new faces. Wearing hoodies, in various states of confusion.

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 twenty six figures all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. The air is cool with a slight breeze. 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. Most are wearing the same hoodie in one of the four colours, red, orange, blue and purple though some are sporting different clothes in a variety of styles.

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 plenty more bacon as well as other staples.

Passengers who are not brand new will notice a new carriage. A second gym. This one is outfitted for training with mats, fighting pads, balance beams and even climbing apparatus to help get everyone ready for the missions ahead.

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

Train

[swansongs]

He'd seen some people's pets around the train before, but it was always a surprise to walk into a room and see a bird sitting there. He stopped short, raising a hand to gesture at said bird.

"Is that-" Of course it was, what else would it be. It certainly wasn't a dog. Dropping his hand, he added, "Did you just get here?" Which sounded a lot nicer than 'were you recently kidnapped by a train, too?'. Normally he didn't go around asking people that, but. Today was the day.

[aluciner]

Oh! She knows this one. Chainsaw raises her wing and flaps it in a manner which could, generously, be described as a wave. Ronan's been making her do this all day.

"Hi!" She turns toward Ronan, who's across the room. "Kerah, hi."

"Oh, you're scolding me about being polite now?" Ronan laughs, not even bothering to look over at her. Rude. "He's talking to you, Chainsaw."

[swansongs]

The fact that he'd been addressing Ronan with the last bit was completely forgotten when the bird actually talked to him. He couldn't help but wave back; it just seemed polite in this situation. "I didn't know crows could talk." He thought that was just parrots or whatever. And its name was Chainsaw? That was pretty metal.

"And I was talking to both of you, I guess."

[aluciner]

"Raven." Ronan finally looks over at both Chainsaw and Dyme. "Crows are smaller."

A fun raven fact: they're actually about the same size as a small dog. They also actually talk, although usually not as intentionally as Chainsaw does. Ronan only rarely teaches her words. Mostly she just makes up works for the things she likes and the things she hates, because a raven is only big enough to hold one feeling at a time in Ronan's experience.

"Hey, is there anyone named Blue or Gansey on this train?" He hadn't really thought to ask before now, but filling out the questionnaire made him wonder. Who he really wants is Adam, but that's a less unique name and if one of the others is her, they'll know if Adam is. "I'd also take Hennessy or Byrde, but they're not my first choice."

Actually, they're not even really his fifth or six choice. He's really only asking about them because he was with them before he ended up here and having another Dreamer around would, maybe, be useful.

[swansongs]

"Oh! Sorry. I'm not very good with different kinds of birds." He also had no idea what the difference between a crow and a raven was, except apparently their size. For a long time, he'd kind of thought they were the same thing, even.

Slowly making his way over, he shook his head. "None of those names are familiar to me, sorry." Didn't necessarily mean none of them were here though, just that he hadn't met any of them. "Are they friends of yours?"

[aluciner]

"I wouldn't call them all my friends, just people I'm looking for." After all, he's only known Hennessy for a few days and Byrde is still an enigma. "Is there, like, a list of everyone on the train? Or should I just go around reading the nameplates on the sleeper cars?"

Keeping that sort of thing updated seems like it would probably be a nightmare, but who knows. They had leaflets to hand out and everyone apparently gets a questionnaire so maybe there's a list keeper too. Seems like the sort of thing someone would decide was important.

[swansongs]

"Gotcha. And there is, actually." He gestured towards the ICP in the carriage. "They have a full roster. And a store. And some other stuff." The roster was handy at least, he just didn't understand all of the symbols and colors on it. He assumed it was always up to date though because it seemed to be managed by the train itself or whoever was in charge and not any of the passengers.

[aluciner]

"Oh, useful." Ronan makes no move to investigate it, mostly because if Gansey or Adam was here they would've checked immediately and probably found him by now. Which means they're probably not here. Everyone else can wait, honestly. "Got any other useful tips? Leaflet was useful, but I get the feeling it's bare basics."

[swansongs]

"Tips?" He froze for a moment, like a deer in headlights. Of all the questions he'd seen from new people, asking for tips had never been one of them. "Uh. Try not to die on missions? Sorry, that's probably morbid. Uh." He thought for a moment. "I dunno. I usually just listen to the train and follow other people's lead if something dangerous happens. People are pretty nice here."

[aluciner]

"Nothing about my life has managed to kill me yet, so I'll probably be fine." Not that he hasn't had some close calls, but at least he's not Dick "I'm deathly allergic to bees and refuse to carry my EpiPen" Gansey. Ronan never goes looking for dangerous situations; he just ends up in them. "Is there anyone I should look out for in particular? Good or bad."

He's not naive enough to think everyone is nice, even if most of the people he's meet have been, but having some idea of who is and isn't important beyond the so-called "council" would be helpful.

[swansongs]

"Good. I feel like a lot of people here have more experience with danger than I do, but that's...fine, I like having a danger free life." Well, he had anyway, until he'd ended up here. At least the danger wasn't constant.

"Um. I'm not sure. I mean, there's the team leads, but I don't know who all of them are, and I'm not sure what they do outside of missions." Nothing like a relatively simple question to make him feel out of the loop on things. Such was your life when you were fairly oblivious.

[aluciner]

"Not really into the whole hero thing?" That's interesting. Most of the people he's met so far were more like him than not. Well, not in ability, maybe, but in the sense that things like this just happen to them and they honestly might as well. "I don't blame you. It mostly sucks."

There's good points, like Blue, but mostly it's been garbage. Especially that period where at least two people were trying to kill them and Adam fixed it, but he'd had to ask Ronan for something that was almost worse than the thought of being hunted for the rest of their lives.

[swansongs]

"Not really, I guess? I'm a musician, I was just...happy doing the music thing. I donated to charities, but I didn't like, do stuff like this." This was all beyond him. He couldn't fight, he didn't have any special powers, he was just...him.

"Like, I like helping people, but the whole 'being in danger myself' thing is new." Well, relatively new. He'd been in danger before, and he hadn't enjoyed it, but he also wasn't going to talk about it.