Event: Expulsion (Day 24)

[voidtreckermods]

"Good morning passengers, today is the twenty fourth day of the month of Apple." The morning announcement sounds as usual as dark turns to the ever shifting colours of the void outside the train windows. Some passengers may stir. It might be that they are an early riser or bad sleeper and get out of bed the moment the announcement wakes them or perhaps they roll over and go back to sleep.

Either way the morning rolls on for a few hours whatever they might be doing. Until a sudden judder runs through the train, followed quickly by another. Much like bad turbulence. Really bad turbulence. A third follows and there is a crackling sound before an alarm starts going off blaring loudly, the lights begin flashing red, white and red again.

"Warning. Void engines failing. Warning. Void engines failing. Warning Expulsion from void imminent." More shaking, worse each time, enough to knock them over and then a bang, the train plummets into darkness and lurches, sending everyone flying...

… They never crash land. Instead they float, suspended in the air. In the darkness it is hard to orient themselves or even understand what is happening. There’s a roar in their heads as pressure builds, their ears pop. "All systems critical." Breathing is hard, for one terrifying moment there seems to be no air to breathe.

"Oxygen levels stabilising." They can breathe, the pressure in their heads fades, their ears eventually stop ringing. "Pressure levels stabilising." They are still floating, suspended in darkness. "Gravity systems critical".

Emergency lighting flickers on finally, a red glow from either end of each carriage, in the cabins and along floor strips, enabling them to move without bumping into anything. If they can figure out how to move at all that is. Outside the windows is dark. Not the blackness of the void at night but the deep vastness of space. A few moments pass, enough time to just about process that fact before the voice over the speakers is heard once more.

"Passengers of the Voidtrecker express, due to technical issues we are currently experiencing void engine failure. Thank you for your patience as we endeavour to continue our journey as quickly as possible. We ask that all passengers help in securing the train for re-entry into the Void and on behalf of the Voidtrecker Express I apologise for any inconvenience caused."

Then there is silence. Broken only, no doubt, by the passengers on this now stranded train.

(OOC: Event information is here.)

Comments

kitchen - immediately after engine failure

[kumoko]

[ She's in the kitchen when the shit hits the fan, taking a break from the serious business of another day of The Floor Is Lava. The first jolt has her grabbing for the wall, the second has her chirp with distress and a little bit of nausea, and by the third roll she's secured herself - and probably anyone else in the kitchen - to the side of the carriage with threads. They have a secure front-row seat for the next string of emergency alarms.

Systems critical? Engine failure? Oxygen, gravity, pressure-- that's so many flags! Who made this piece of shit train?! Ah, she knew it was too good to last, and now she's gonna die in space--

Like hell! Time for Hero Spider to shine!

First things first, how are the other people in the kitchen doing? Second thing, why is the air full of knives?! ]

[afterburner]

[Briefly, there's a voice. It might not be understandable at first, but it does resolve when the language filter comes back on...] --kind of a jank outfit is this? The engines freakin' failed??

[ Look, it's the fabled spider! But Pete has said she's friendly, so instead of flipping her own shit, Renee has herself locked to the floor--instead of momentum due to lack of gravity, she's using her powers to keep herself fused there instead. It's why she's good at The Floor Is Lava too--why use the floor when you can use the ceiling? If it gives Tony more gray hairs, that's a bonus.]

Oh, hey, 'sup--the FUCK??

[Yeah Renee just realized that those were knives in the air.] Can you even get out of the way of those knives? You might want to. I'm gonna do to them what I've done to myself...

[She's got the grace to wait until Kumoko situates herself, and then in their spin through the air, all the knives just--stop. Gravity doesn't reassert itself--her powers don't involve that particular force--but they don't spin any more and they do seem to be frozen in place.]

Okay, at least we can get them in the drawers again or something--preferably before Pete shows up and impales himself or something. Please don't let Pete show up and run into a knife, dear God in whom I don't believe.

[tinkerheart]

Elves may not sleep like humans but they do rest. Feanor was dodging it far too long. So there finally came an hour that he found himself drifting into the visions of the past.
It is already enough that he hit the upper bunk bed while trying to sit up in his place to make him upset as he’s still a little spaced out. Then everything around him shakes and than starts to float. And the howling doesn’t improve his mood.

By no small amount effort he’s able to get out of the cabin. Slowly, grabbing every possible support he can, he’s able to propel himself through the corridor in direction of kitchen. This is completely ridiculous. What kind of devilish trick that is?

The situation in the kitchen is even more dire. To his horror Feanor spots the spider, and Renee and all the cutlery free floating in the air. He knew that!!!
He knew she was up to something sinister! But no, everyone else insisted she’s friendly! Now they will see!

What are those bundles on the wall? Are they people? What is planning to do with them? What is the purpose of all those knives?

“It’s you again! Release these people immediately!”

[kumoko]

[ Yes, yes! Exactly! Is this train made of tinfoil? Isn't its main job not to break and kill everyone aboard? She could go so far as to say that that's the only job of a train, and it still managed to mess it up? Ms Conductor, this spider has a complaint!

Well, whatever, she throws out a fan of threads, each one with a blob of adhesive web on the end, and snags as many of the floating objects as she can while they're still being held still. Sure is convenient that this girl has telekinesis, but she'll take it. Her accuracy isn't as good as it was when the system's aim assist was around, so it's good that she can even snare half with her help. And another spray of threads for the rest--

It's just that... suddenly there's an elf? Ah, crap! She automatically aimed a thread at him when he started yelling! Miss, thread! She's never wanted anything to miss so bad! ]

Cabin 1A and out in corridors later - Engine Failure

[hashtagparkerluck]

[ Thankfully for all involved, Peter's actually not in or near the kitchen when jolt happens. He's actually tucked away in his bead snoring softly and dreaming about something ridiculous to do with school, an incomplete math test and that stupid DailyBugle.net. He wakes up right before the harsh jolt thank to his spideysense and has no time before he's slamming into the ceiling. ]

Owww....

[ Peter whines, feeling a bit dazed from where he'd smacked his head. Another jolt he smacks his head again because his plan to use his webs doesn't work so well when he took his webshooters off to sleep. This time, he stays up against the ceiling despite that he's not trying to stick to it. ]

Not even out of bed and somehow got a concussion.

[ He shakes his head and immediately regrets the action. ]

....where'd the gravity go?

[afterburner]

[The nice thing about her kinetic powers means she can stop other things, too. Renee could tell by the look on the spider's face (face? mandibles? okay?) that she did not want to throw that blob of web at the LARP reject. That it was Not a Good Thing. Especially if it hit the guy...

So she stopped it. Probably a little too close for anyone's comfort, but it didn't hit...]

I don't think the spider's got anything to do with this, mister--she wasn't threatening me and the knives were like this when I got in here. [Also, Renee's not floating. She's got her feet on the ground as if she were a normal person--which isn't the case, since both the soles of her feet and her eyes are glowing a vague ruby color as her mutant power manifests itself.]

[knifewithnoname]

Standard Coach

She was on her way to the kitchens for something to eat when it happened, walking through the standard coach. She almost stumbled a few times as the train shook. Stupid train. But the shaking reminded her of when they went in and out of the void, were they going to another world? She looked at the device of her wrist and poked it a few times but no words appeared.

A moment later all that was forgotten as she was flung off her feet and into the air. Where she stayed. The next few moments were terrifying, her head felt like it could burst, she could barely breathe and it was pitch black. The voice was saying words that made no sense, words about oxygen and gravity. Lights flickered on and she was still in the air. She panicked, kicking out with her arms and legs, trying to reach anything. She kicked off on one of the chairs.

And off she went, off a window, a ceiling, the floor, a chair, a table. Like the ball Conan had been bouncing around in the gym. Except the ball was her. "Help! Be helping me! Anyone!"

It's even more terrifying than when she had been grabbed by the eagle. At least that had made sense. She had been in danger of death but at least she knew it. Right now she knows nothing, not even which way is up and the emptiness is far away from her, slipping far out of her reach, like any semblance of orientation.

Stores

Some time after that particular starting stumble has been dealt with she makes her way slowly, ever so slowly, clinging onto chairs, rails, anything that she can grip, towards the store room. She still doesn't really understand what is going on but the voice had said secure the train. She doesn't know what that means either but if everything is flying and it probably needs to not be flying. So she enters the store room and stares around in bafflement.

"But how do we be making it all no be flying..."

Spider-Man to the rescue!

[hashtagparkerluck]

Remember what Peter had said about his ears being good? They are. and with the sudden change in pressure and the brief feeling like couldn't breath his senses go on overload. So even though he's in his cabin, still dealing with the terrible headache, he hears Buttercup calling for help.

He quickly locates and applies his webshooters before firing a web to the door and then swiping his ticket so he can head right for the little girl, he gives himself a boost because he knows how this works and moves as fast as he can possibly get himself to go.

When he sees her floating helplessly, he fires off another web to attach to her pull her in closer.

"It's okay, It's okay, I gotcha!"

Re: Spider-Man to the rescue!

[knifewithnoname]

Up is down and down is up and she bumps off one thing to bash into another. Her arm hurts, her head hurts, her hip hurts. Everything hurts and she feels sick and then something wraps around her wrist and she is being pulled towards someone.

Peter. It's Peter. Stupid leaky eyed Peter is rescuing her again and all she can feel is relief. Glad for his webs and the fact that he didn't just leave her to bounce around like a ball after she upset him so much. She tries to stay as still as possible as she is pulled towards him, she's curled up in a ball, only the arm that is being pulled is extended away from her.

"What do be happening?"

Voice - over the ICP

[enthunder]

[ the ICP chirps again less than a minute after the final announcement. ] Hm... Lightning speaking. Everyone, respond on your nearest ICP. Just your name is fine, but if you need help, say where you are.

[tinkerheart]

[He's not fully convinced that the spider is not plotting something. Most probably she is. Why would she attack him otherwise? The lady, indeed, is in no danger.]

She's definitely not fond of me.

[He points to the ball of spider silk floating mere inches from his face. It would have hit him if she didn't stop it.]

Thank you.

[He can hear, and see, the Power singing in her. A strange song. One he does not know nor understand. One that's not exactly human but also strangely is. One that she's comfortable revealing. That's interesting in itself. His attention no longer on the spider.]

What are you, if I may ask?

Voice - over the ICP

[afterburner]

[At least the response button's easy to find in the somewhat dark. Renee stabs it with a finger--she's responding from the kitchen!]

Yeah, it's Renee, and the spider's here with me. Charlotte? We're safe. [Safe enough at least with floating knives about, but Renee's helping take care of that...]

[siriusly]

Manabu here. Does void engine mean anything to you?

[siriusly]

Cabins/Corridor: Initial check-ins
Wow, he'd even been dozing off about life back on the Galaxy Railways, and here we are -- back in zero-G. For a bleary moment, Manabu thought he was back in a simulation, but...no. No, the lights are a universally bad sign, and a jarring one at that, and he's up and at 'em without a word.

"Hey! Everyone alright in there?"

Right to work, Manabu takes to drifting from cabin door to cabin door, pounding on it and calling the same thing, waiting for response and using the overhead rail as a means to anchor and move himself along in a steady float.


Medbay

"Ah, jeez...!"

Opening up, Manabu finds quite the mess floating around -- can't exactly bolt down iodine or surgical instruments, can you? But the sharp-pointies can't be left floating around for people to drift into or collect for their own devices, so Manabu takes to gathering up what he can, using his pockets and a biohazard disposal bag as a means of carrying them until he can get them stored away.

"Oh, hey--" Glimpsing someone drifting in, he turns himself partway. "Here to help, or here to get help?"

[enthunder]

The engines keeping us in the void, right? Never heard of them until now.

[siriusly]

Me, either. But apparently the void is in zero-g? That's new, too.

[a beat.]

...Think maybe there's access to the engine now that power's out?

[enthunder]

The security field might be down, but if the emergency systems are in there...

[enthunder]

Thanks for checking in. You've got that end of the train?

[siriusly]

[right.

which means busting in there could be dire.

but also when's the next time they can actually even try.

a very conflicted silence ensues.]

...Right.

I'm going to scour the cabins, make sure no one's hurt.

[kumoko]

[ Whew, her entire disappointing life just flashed before her eyes. She doesn't like the elves much, but she doesn't want to fail her special ongoing quest 'don't kill anyone' just like that.

Anyway, they're entertaining themselves. Excuse her while she just... tows all of the cutlery down. And then looks from the floating objects to the drawers, and back again, and then just stuffs the whole lot into a drawer, thread and all.

Sorted. That can be a problem for future her. Or future anyone but her. She hopes Feanor has to sort it. ]

[enthunder]

[ She's just as conflicted - they have no way of knowing how dangerous this chance is, or how rare. ]

Still, I'll back you up if you go for it... once we know everyone's safe.

[siriusly]

First thing's first, right. Then maybe we discuss with the others.

[deductiongeek]

Gym Car
Conan had been in the gym car when it happened, running though more soccer drills. The first of the turbulence nearly throws him off his feet. The second shock succeeds in tossing him onto the floor.

Before he can do anything, the lights are out and the gravity is gone, leaving him to figure out how to move anywhere when he was stuck floating in the middle of the darkened gym car.

Hallway outside 1B
Conan had decided that the worst part of this was the cold. He could get used to the darkness(although he really missed his night vision glasses. Navigating in zero gravity wasn't that difficult as long as you stuck close to the walls.

But even wearing every item of clothing he possessed and carrying a blanket everywhere he went, he just couldn't seem to keep warm/

Medbay

[runs_on_batteries]

Tony had been sleeping a little later today than he had recently. He'd started up a regiment of taking sleeping pills to avoid his nightmares and it seemed to have done the trick. Those don't really work though when you abruptly are thrown into the bunk above you and into the wall next to you. Those were mild irritations compared to what happened next.

The knowledge that he was on a stranded vehicle in space had crippled him with panic for several long minutes in his room. He'd somehow pushed past that enough to get himself moving to the medbay.

By the time he was navigating himself into the room, he was feeling shaky and fighting back memories that kept wanting to take over his mind. He shoots Manabu a stressed out glare and grunts as he pulls himself further into the room. Between clenched teeth, he hisses, "Anxiety pills. Quick!" He takes a labored breath before he can clarify a little more. "Ativan. Blue jar."

[siriusly]

Manabu barely has time to finish his question before he clams up at the sight of the dire expression on Tony's face. His own expression sobers just as quick, hesitating only at the request -- he doesn't understand right away.

"What-? A, oh--" But he does, quick enough despite the beat, and turns back to the floating mass of jars and bottles he'd been trying to corral. "Uh, hang on, uhh..."

How blue is blue? There's a few shades here and there...oh, whatever. Just grab a bunch! Sort it out in a second; Tony sounds wretched and needs him to help!

"Ah! Here!" This one is definitely blue enough to be blue -- and its label started with an A at a glance, so that's good enough for him. Manabu bends back so he can tilt his head and eyeball where Tony's drifting at before lightly lobbing the jar and sending it floating over his way.

"Head's up!"

Medical officer he is not, clearly: It's only in hindsight that he realizes he ought to be asking what's wrong before chucking drugs around. So while he turns back around to face his friend, he grimaces.

"He-hey, what's going on? Did something happen?"