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

[cannibalartist]

As the man said it was indescribable Uta hit his limit and had to look away from the scene outside, blinking away the afterimage of colors and trying to discourage the headache that had decided to take hold. He looked towards the man he was speaking with.

"It certainly is unique." It reminded him of a liminal's sky, but the liminal space never hurt someone like this swirling color vortex did. "If we are to believe what we're told, it's a void of some kind." Not helpful, he knows. He tried to look back out to the void, but looked away and back to the man. "It reminds me of space. Like the movies where someone is traveling through space and they go into a warpspeed, or a warp gate." Or something like that. He wasn't super fluent in science fiction, but he'd seen a thing or two.

Uta would agree that this wasn't the most beautiful thing he's seen, but it was up there on level of fantastical. He would rank it up there with some of the stranger places he's been, but part of that is because of the harmful effects of it. Weird.

[kindlepitch]

"It's not any space or void I've ever seen," he said. Void was supposed to be empty, not full of colors like this, and space wasn't like this, either. "It seems more like magic than science fiction." Not that he consumed a lot of science fiction, so maybe he was wrong, but he was also used to magic being the explanation for just about everything. He couldn't even begin to figure out what kind of magic this would be, or how many magicians it would take to make it functional, but what other explanation was there?

[cannibalartist]

After meeting the magic scholars of another world Uta didn't really see a difference between science and magic - one of the people he spent plenty of time with was a scholar of magic and she explained that much of the magic could be illustrated through complex maths and geometries. Magic could very well be the reason, but from what he's been told, magic is the world we live in and the air we breathe.

"Magic could very well be the answer." He wished that his friend who studied such topics were here - she would have plenty of thoughts about it all. "Who's to say, though. The people already here don't know much. It seems as if we are all about on the same page."

[kindlepitch]

"I hate being kept in the dark," he said. He liked answers, knowing what things were. "But I guess it's too much to expect our kidnappers to tell us everything." They were rarely so kind. Or never, in his experience. Though he didn't think the numpties had been cruel on purpose. They were just, well, numpties.

[cannibalartist]

Wanting to know things is something that was reasonable, especially when taken from home without your explicit permission or desire. Uta was particularly angry - he felt the Arcana shunted him to an Elsewhere because they had become privy to his plans and thought he should be removed from the game because of it. The fact that nobody had any clue what was going on just served to confuse him.

"It is quite rude, isn't it?" There is a wryness that seeps into his voice. "I would say they deserve a stern talking to when we find out who they are, but I imagine everyone else on the train is already beyond that point by now." More quietly, "besides, I think such a person would have been found by now, with how many are here already."