voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post September]

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A New Platform [Intro Post September]

On the Train

The days after the holiday on Jema’Grethy tick away until they are awoken one morning. "Good morning passengers, it is day one of the month of Horsehoe. 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. When the doors open it is to snow, crunchy beneath their feat and falling from the sky in a light flurry.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Alice Liddell, Arataka Reigen, Dread Thunderstorm, Duo Maxwell, Fandaniel, Guy Cecil, Kaito Kuroba, Khardeen, Rainbow Dash, Sarai Thunderstorm, Victor Creed, Xiao Xingchen, Yuna, Yuuri Wakasa. They crunch through the snow, not stopping for anyone.

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, as snow flurries around them, coating the ground around them in white.

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 five 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, with… teddy bear shaped luncheon meat being the main ingredient to be found. There are plenty of other staples including a lot of fish caught from their island holiday.

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

A new carriage has been added, those that go to investigate will find a library. A double carriage it has a less formal, comfy downstairs fiction area and a more serious study library upstairs. It is devoid of books, though hopefully those who have bought books before will slowly begin to fill it.

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 braving the snow 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

It's cold. White steam and cold snow and Gen felt bewildered, last he knew he was in Xeno's fortress - it wasn't this close to winter - his feet shifted and his eyes went wide. Heavy, uncomfortable clothes, and. His transmitter is gone. Everything he had on him was gone. He's wearing a weird backpack and he has a weird watch on his wrist. What is this. Was he drugged? Is he hallucinating? It seemed especially vivid, on all sensory fronts, to be a hallucination. It didn't make sense at all.

He looked around at the other people watching the train - they all looked bewildered, or angry, or lost. They're all in a similar position as him. They're all strangers.

Gen felt the pull to board the train, and, that's where there were people. He followed. Where there were people, there were answers. And that's proven very, very true in the leaflets given. Who is Eva? He'd need to find out. There's ... there's a lot he needed to find out here.

He didn't bother to look at the roster, because it's clear - whatever this place was? It would be filled with people and things as strange as the train itself. It seemed too unlikely he'd know anyone here, he'd just left them all, and there weren't any familiar faces on the platform.

Damn it, he was in the middle of something. His heart pounded. How was he supposed to help the others if he wasn't in the fortress? How was he going to carry out their plan? What would happen to everyone? To Senku? They were counting on him, and now he was here. Gen was terrified about what this meant for his friends, and furious he'd been taken.

[ A ] BOARDING THE TRAIN -

He turned and smiled brightly to someone, a stranger, likely. They were all strangers here. Didn't let on that he was furious. Instead, let himself look a little apprehensive, a nervous little laugh despite his smile, like he's only hiding anxiety.

"I don't believe I signed up for a vacation. Were you also taken unexpectedly?"

[ B ] MAKING HIS WAY DOWN~~town~~ THE TRAIN

Gen is looking between his ticket and the cabin doors, and allowing himself to not watch where he's going all too well, so he could better bump into people.

"Oh! Pardon me," Gen laughed sheepishly. "It's odd how big this place is, I don't think I've been in a train this size before. I'm Asagiri Gen, you are ...?"

[ C ] SLEEPER CABIN 6-E

"Hello?" Gen would knock on the door before he came in, looking around. "Is there anyone in here? I think we're going to be roommates ..."

He was very apprehensive. No telling who he'd be rooming with - every single person on this train that he didn't know could be dangerous, lethally so. He'd need to be careful.

[ D ] SNACKS?

Gen only had three points to his name, so he truly did not wish to consider wasting them on trivial things, like snacks. But he was still curious, and hungry, so he'd be making his way toward the kitchen. But, were those lollypops being waved around? Would, uh. Anyone be willing to share one? Maybe? He didn't disguise his interest in them, peering, and maybe smiling sheepishly if someone looked at him oddly. "Ah, I'm terribly sorry. Where did you manage to ... how many, uh, 'points' do those cost?"

He'd been through this song and dance before. The train stops, new passengers get on, although it seemed like this time was pretty short.

He was observing, he'd be greeting people if only to get a sense of who the new people were, and maybe what their skills were at the earliest opportunity. It was never a bad idea to know who were his potential allies.

That voice? He knew that voice.

Senku would wait, patiently enough, and watch as Gen had a conversation with another unknown passenger. When they were exchanging pleasantries and moving to part ways, he came up behind him.

"Oi, Mentalist, you've taken your sweet time getting here."

Gen froze in his spot, smile fixed awkwardly on his face, an odd rictus. He knew that voice too. He turned around. "Senku?!"

"You're - how -" last he heard, Stanley Snyder had thought he shot him. And at least Xeno's people thought that the sniper was very talented and accurate, but this was Senku, too clever for most. "He missed you?"

At some point, he'd figure out how he'd allowed his hands to reach for Senku's chest, as if feeling for a bullet wound made center-mass, when it's clear from the scientist's pallor and grin that he was uninjured. But then Gen blinked as his brain caught up past his surprise. Senku was implying - his eyes narrowed. "Yes, I've just left, and as far as I know, you've been on the Perseus. How long have you been here?"

Senku for his part, had his hands on his hips which wasn't unusual for him. If it was anyone but Gen trying to poke at his chest, they'd get told off immediately, and he'd move out of the way. As it was, Gen was the exception to nearly every rule he had, so he didn't move, he just let him touch him.

He was also confused, but he let his mind wander over the potential options. For one thing, Gen looked distressed, which means he thought something had happened to him. "Missed me?" He echoed slightly, brow furrowing.

"Ah." He said, as he came to that conclusion, that he'd taken some kind of injury in battle and it couldn't possibly be from Tsukasa, as he didn't take any serious injuries there, nor Ibara because the only injury he'd had was his arm. It was curious. When was Gen from?

"Two months." He responded easily enough. "Time here isn't connected to time in our worlds, from my understanding, time doesn't pass there while you're here." He wasn't sure about that.

"You've about confirmed it because I ten billion percent have no idea what you're talking about, except you think I've been injured by someone and I can't think of any reason you would think that. Meaning that you've existed in a time I didn't." He explained his conclusion. "And, presumably, I was there so it wasn't affected by my being here. Fascinating."

Asagiri Gen || Dr. Stone

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