voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post July]

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"If you know I'm a book, does that make you a book?" Zetta countered. "Or is it just blatantly obvious?"

"I don't recall book and nerd being exchangeable words," Nita snarked.

"But I'll leave that logic up to you."

This is much more engaging than just focusing on rest&recuperation, though. At another time she might have thanked Zetta for that.

Buuut maybe that would be a little too much strangeness.

"It's the same principle, damn it! Your rule of takes-one-to-know-one doesn't WORK!"

Zetta certainly wasn't intentionally helping Nita. The thought hadn't occurred to him. But yelling solved everything, didn't it?

"I think I'd know if I was a book," Nita deadpanned. Sometimes keeping a level head was the best way to handle things. Sometimes.

"Nerd, at least, I've been called before."

By friends, not just bullies, so it's not as if it's just the one context she's drawing from...

"It's pretty damn obvious." Even Zetta could tell! And he was, well, Zetta!

And Nita just squinted at him.

"Maybe we should have this conversation when I'm less bed-bound, okay? Not sure I made sense of that one."

"Oh please, you love it. If I left you'd last thirty seconds before misery set in. 'Oh Lord Zetta, please come back, I'm so lonely!'"

Zetta's Nita impression left a lot to be desired, much as Zetta in general did.

"How come you're so generally mild, anyway? You could be a total weapon of mass destruction."

... She was just going to assume Zetta thought that way about everyone; it seemed a safer assumption than most.

"Beeecause I have a sense of self-preservation? Including knowing what battles to pick?"

Most of the time; certain people who knew her would laugh if they knew she'd said that.

Unfortunately, most of those people weren't on this train.

"What did a sense of self-preservation ever accomplish anyone?" Of course Zetta would take that argument. "That's just another way of saying you play it safe. Risks are how you move forward! Risks are how you accomplish your goals!"

"Different kind of self preservation," Nita said, at last moving to pick up her magazine again. Maybe she should try a different tack herself.

"'Death by criminal levels of embarrassment or stupidity' is arguably worse than dying to save someone else."

"Then you don't DIE! You just WIN!" Dying to save someone else was indeed really stupid. "You can't tell me there's nothing, no principle or idea, you don't hold important. But how can you advance that if you play it safe?"

Nita nodded.

"Yeah, that's true. Though, uh, remind me how we got here again?"

Was that a comment on the conversation or Nita asking how the Voidtrecker Express recruited people?

... Yes.

"I have no idea how you gave yourself brain damage!"

Concussions were technically brain damage, right?

"Look... I'm not letting this go, so you know. I can't stand to see wasted potential."

"... By hitting my head on the inside of a suitcase? Pretty sure I said that much."

Zetta was right, though.

"Sure; as long as we have something to fall back on in an emergency."

To talk about, she means.

"Right. It's a suitcase. Those aren't normally metal or stone or whatever!" Come on, Nita, even he knew that!

"And anything can cause a concussion if you hit it hard or fast enough," she pointed out in turn.

"I'd take that bet if I had a head." Zetta was pretty willing to bet he could find an endless number of things that wouldn't give him a concussion.

Nita tried not to facepalm, only to accidentally compromise by faceplanting into her magazine instead.

"... Fine. Get yourself a head back and we can test it."

"I'm WORKING on it!" Sheesh! Zetta gave her a vigorous glaring so she could feel the full weight of his disapproval, then huffed.

"Get some rest or whatever the hell. Get better." Order given, he spun in place, got scooped up by a minion, and made his exit. He'd made his point!

A New Platform [Intro Post July]

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Think this makes for a good thread wrap? (And thank YOU for the lovely tags~)

Yup!