A New Platform [Intro Post July]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

Luckily for everyone the final couple of days of Fiddlesticks are quiet and mostly uneventful. Eventually though they awake to the announcement. "Good morning passengers, it is day one of the month of Grasshopper. 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. Also a loud pattering sound, which they will discover once the doors open are hailstones. They might want to grab their raincoats.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Ann Takamaki, Drizzt, Geralt, Huehuecóyotl, Ignis Scientia, Ivy Wakefield, Jiang Yanli, Lan Sizhui, Maebhrin Tillinath, May Parker, Nie Huaisang, Osomatsu Matsuno, Raven, Roxas, Shaw, The Iron Bull, Ultimo, Wei Wuxian, Yuki Sohma, Yuffie, Yukito Tsukishiro

But on the platform itself there are many new faces. Wearing hoodies and waterproofs, 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. The second thing they will notice is it is cold, hailstones rain down around them, though they don’t last long on the platform ground, melting into slush.

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 nineteen figures all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. 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.

Indeed whereas usually there is plenty time for people to be met and brought slowly onto the train, the whistles blow a lot quicker this time, as if hurrying the passengers along.

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, it seems carrots have taken over the bacon, though there are plenty of other staples.

Those from blue team who go to investigate will find a box of biscuits. There is enough for the whole team, including new passengers. Join in your team's success!

Those who are not new will quickly discover some changes made to make the train accessible to those who can’t see, including Braille translations of all the signs around the train.

There is of course the new music room to explore. A double carriage, the downstairs has instruments to learn and practice with, as well as a series of music screen points. Those who play around with the screens will soon discover their SCA’s can now store music and can choose their favourites to listen to around the train.

Upstairs is a performance area and holds a piano.

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 over the noise of the hail stones 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

around - medical;

[sunbloom]

Itsuki's still trying to figure her way around the train; there's a lot here for being a single hallway. She'd meant to look around the medical car, but as she poked her head into the open berth, she's surprised to find someone else there. A young someone else too. Hmm. Pulling back just a touch, she knocks on the door frame to announce herself, in case the girl was absorbed in her study.

"Getting a feel for things in case you get hurt?" She's... taking it lightly, but making an effort not to talk down to her.

[deage]

"Or somebody else," she answers with a flat tone. She closes the drawer she was looking in to turn towards the person addressing her.

Haibara gave her a cursory look over. Another young teenage girl, was it?

"I'm trying to get a feel for the train. Are you new here, too?" She didn't see this girl out on the platform, but the weather made visibility particularly bad out there, so she wouldn't be surprised if she overlooked her.

[sunbloom]

"Ah, I'll be happy to have the help, then," Itsuki answers with a smile. "If things go bad, I want us to be able to help as many people as possible. Especially since I'll be busy with... wrangling people, I think." Busy with fighting is probably not the impression she wants to give, oops.

She rocks an open hand up and down at the question. "More or less? I've only been here a couple weeks, so I know my way around, but not as well as I'd like. Did you just arrive, then?" She frowns slightly. "That hail looked like it could get bad, so I stayed off the platform today," she adds unhelpfully.

[deage]

"Are things normally so bad that you expect this place to get a lot of use?" She looks over some of the instruments and drugs available in this car. And then the next room was an OR, wasn't it? Interesting.

[sunbloom]

Itsuki's good cheer drains rapidly. "Well... yes and no. In theory, things are usually pretty calm. Except that, as I'm told, we normally have missions that can involve combat or dangerous situations, and beyond that, well, things can go a little strange sometimes even just among ourselves."

...she's visibly debating how much she wants to say about the whole thing last week to what looks like a seven year old. "There was... an incident the other day, and someone was fairly badly injured. We think it's more a mental injury than a physical one, though."

[deage]

Hm, an incident. "Better safe than sorry, I suppose." Still... "But what's this about 'missions'? Are they really expecting children to go do some dangerous work?"

Naturally, one might assume Haibara is talking about herself. But in reality, she's talking about Itsuki. To Haibara, who's actually 18, Itsuki is still a child. And since Haibara's ticket and room are labelled with 'Shiho Miyano,' her real name, she just assumes whoever brought her here is already aware of Haibara's real identity.

[sunbloom]

"That's the big question mark for me," Itsuki admits. "You've likely heard that part of the Voidtrecker Express' whole thing is to help other worlds. Those missions seem to happen about once a month, but I haven't actually been on one yet, so I'm not really sure what happens? They seem to vary pretty heavily, and they don't seem to always involve dangerous work, but..."

I have no idea but I know they're important, basically, in a lot of uncertain words.

[deage]

Hmm. Depending on the nature of these missions, and the dangers involved...

"You know, the Geneva Convention constitutes using children our age for military operations as a war crime."

Yes, that's a normal response to this topic of conversation for a child to mention.

[sunbloom]

Itsuki pauses. There are two things she wants to say here... "If we're traveling to other worlds, we probably won't be covered by that, you know. And how do you even know about that? I don't remember that being covered in primary school. I don't think it's been covered at my middle school," she adds, not sure what it means. Extremely precocious? Some really advanced school? ...Child prodigy?

[deage]

With a very matter-of-fact tone, she replies simply, "I do a lot of reading."

She's still in her first year of primary school, so she can't really fall back on her 'I was raised in America' excuse here. But this was fine. She says this kind of thing all the time.

"And if this train really travels to other worlds, I'm sure there are other laws it would be breaking by having us participate." She says this like a fact as well - except the skepticism about traveling to other worlds.

[sunbloom]

...well, Itsuki spent her childhood training, she can't exactly argue. "If you say so. In any event, I'm not so worried about laws - let's focus on getting through it first, then we can complain, right? I'm sure we can find a way to keep you safe when we get to the next world."

[deage]

"Do we have to participate? It seems like it'd be safer to just stay on board the train."

Well, trains were certainly not safe by default - after all, she spent her last train ride desperately evading the attempts of two criminal assassins, which included them using bombs to destroy an entire train car in order to kill her. But barring that, the train was probably safer than going off onto... other worlds.

[sunbloom]

"I don't think so, no," Itsuki muses, before adding, "But that'd be boring, right? And for myself, I'd feel bad if I could do something to help and I didn't." She hasn't made the decision to transform yet, but even if she didn't bring Sunshine's power to bear, she still would feel wrong not doing her part.

[deage]

"Aren't you supposed to say something like, 'Yes, you're a child, so you should stay back where it's safe'?"

Itsuki was mostly talking about herself here, though in Haibara's opinion, Itsuki was definitely a child, so she should also be hanging back where it's safe. But Haibara had to wonder what kind of environment she grew up in to think a child heading into danger was better than being bored.

[sunbloom]

"If I asked you to stay back where it's safe, would you?" It's a slightly pointed question, and she raises one eyebrow as she asks it, but she has a feeling she's on the money. "I know better than to ask someone to do something I know she won't do. We can figure out how to keep ourselves safe while we are out there instead." She's... not quite being heavy-handed, but accepting what she's got to work with. It's not like she isn't used to teenager-wrangling, what with her teammate that can't be bothered to think in straight lines.

[deage]

Haibara thinks that this girl is... making a lot of assumptions about somebody she doesn't know. "Why wouldn't I stay behind if staying behind is safe, and going on missions is dangerous? You should be staying behind, too." And she doesn't mind saying that. "Leave the dangerous stuff to the adults."

She pauses a moment. More logically, she adds, "Besides, it's also important to know your limits. Getting in the way and having to be protected isn't going to help anybody."

[sunbloom]

"I can't do that," Itsuki says softly, almost automatically. "There are things only I can do." She knows she can't stay behind if she's able to fight, she can feel it in her heart. "And the fact that you're here looking around tells me you don't want to do nothing, either. Helping in the infirmary isn't as dangerous as fighting, but it can go wrong in a hurry."

She lets out a breath. "I know I don't look like much, but you'll have to trust me when I say that if I need protecting from whatever's out there, we're all in a lot of trouble." Erika may not be here, but between the three of them, they can still bring a lot of power to bear. If that's not enough...