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!

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Gen wasn't offended, though. Senku called him an annoying pain in his ass, but that's part and parcel to his job, wasn't it? It's the role he needed to play for Senku.

Plus, someone needed to be the annoying sort of person who reminded Senku to relax and consider his own feelings.

"Reflecting on it, sharing how it affected you, isn't the same as dwelling and brooding on it," Gen pointed out. "That keeps it from being hidden away and festering. If you can trust the person you bring these things to, you'll find carrying those memories a little easier."

That's just psychology.

Psychology was not, and never had been his field of study.

He pressed his lips together and shrugged. "I don't think it makes a difference. I don't really have the luxury to let things affect me anyway."

That was an unfortunate truth. "Not that I want them to. It's counterproductive. And I'm fine, Mentalist. Really."

"Perhaps normally you don't," Gen knew how long the Senku he left on Perseus avoided talking about how their lives affected him, after all, "and while we've got our work cut out for ourselves here ... you've a few less responsibilities at this moment. You can afford time on yourself."

Gen grinned brightly. "If you don't want them to affect you, then this little conversation of ours will be useful! I'm so glad I could help you, Senku-chan."

"That, admittedly, is a huge drawback to this whole train vacation. I have been completely idle for two months. Two months, Mentalist." He groaned. "I can only think so much."

He was going to move past the conversation though, and despite everything Gen said, he did feel better about it, a tiny bit. It wasn't perfect, but it was something. He leaned forward slightly and tapped Gen's knee as he spoke. T Y.

"Anyway, about those skills I have...I'd been given an impression that there wasn't much medical personnel, so I said I could help. There appears to be a few people at any rate, so that might never come up. People are aware that I have skills in that area, though."

"So you're saying, as I've arrived, you'll begin to take on ambitious projects and work my poor, poor fingers to the bone?" Gen asked - his words were a complaint, but his tone of voice was playful and amused.

Gen put an arm around himself again, so he could brush his fingers along Senku's side once more. Did they need to express gratitude to each other in secret? Couldn't they say these words aloud, in private, where nobody could hear them? Well. If Senku couldn't, he'd respond in kind in the same way. N P.

"Mm, I've asked around and learned about the medical carriage. There's some people with ... healing magic? I was told?" Gen shrugged helplessly, but he added, "Now that's a skill that I'd want to learn, if I could try and pass it off as a flight of fancy. Could you imagine how useful that'd be?"

"I was going to anyway, it's just your luck that you graced me with your presence right on time." Senku grinned, just as amused.

It wasn't that they didn't have the privacy, but Senku wasn't comfortable expressing gratitude, for even the most simple things, so something as complex as forcing him to talk about something traumatic...he couldn't speak the words, but he conveyed them at least. That was something.

"I'm hoping to learn as much about it as I can. I'd learn that." Senku agreed readily. "If it were possible. Medicine is exceptionally difficult in the stone world." He grumbled. "And it's fine if I'm not the priority on call. I don't have a medical degree and I'm not really itching to get back into doing surgery again. But I'm not going to leave people to die when I can do something about it."

That was about par for the course, really. He hadn't really taught Gen much about medicine either, actually, now that he thought about it. The only doctor they had was him.

"Hm. I'd better not be seriously injured in your time because we'd be fucked, wouldn't we?" He said, just realizing that. He leaned forward with his knuckle, lightly tapping under Gen's chin on the side where his petrification scar had been. "What's going on with this?"

Gen sighed dramatically. "Your poor luck is contagious, that's the only explanation."

Senku would be the first to volunteer to save lives, medical degree or no. Gen knew him too well. But magic would make things a good deal easier if it was possible to learn, wasn't it? He hummed in agreement. "I'll ask around, see if there's anyone willing to give lessons in healing magic. The more people available to help others, the better."

It's really good he had an excellent poker face. Gen just managed to hide the blush at the close contact. "Ah, I suppose you were kidnapped before we'd come to that decision. It's a bit of war paint, you could say. To show our loyalty to the Kingdom of Science, my dear Senku-chan."

He looked positively amused at Gen's griping. "Oh come on now, Mentalist, you wouldn't leave me here would you?" He grinned. "Think of the situation we find ourselves in."

Senku arched an eyebrow in surprise. Loyalty?

"You know you didn't have to do that. I know you're loyal." He hummed, sitting back a bit again. He was the only one left of the original petrified humans with the scars on his face from the petrification, but it didn't bother him.

"A downside is that you can't see the night sky from the train windows. In fact, don't look out them, gives you a nasty headache." Senku advised. He'd tested it, of course.

"However will we spend our evenings?" He asked, all too amused.

"Surrounded by strangers on a train we can't escape from hurtling through nothingness, conscripted to complete missions working with people we've no familiarity with?" Gen asked archly, smirking a little. "No, I suppose I shouldn't leave you in that situation. You need diplomacy."

Gen chuckled. "It was a bonding exercise, my dear. Everyone is wearing it. And I believe I will continue."

Then, he had to think on that question, looking thoughtful. "It's rather unfair we can't see any sort of stars. I certainly don't want to hurt myself looking outside, and you shouldn't, either. I'd imagine, initially, we'll be plotting about how to manage the situation."

"Yes, yes, you're the star here." He was teasing, but also not really. "I'll have you know no one has tried to kill me yet." Senku informed him.

"There's no doubt in my mind who started that, Menatalist." He said, his tone fond, and amused. He nudged him slightly with his knee.

"There's nothing to see, it's an incredible disappointment. I did do some stargazing on the island, but I don't think they were Earth's stars. Interesting, but also unfamiliar. Despite the shifting of the axis, Earth's stars are still mostly those, just shifted."

Senku exhaled. "Yes, probably. Do you have other questions? You know how my mind wanders, if there's something I missed...also, I should show you the things I picked up. And, of course, where I'm staying. It's full so I'd guess we're not roommates here." That was a little annoying actually, he was rather used to having Gen close to him.

“Well done, I’m glad you haven’t made any mortal enemies quite yet,” Gen looked terribly amused, but internally, he was grateful. Not everyone he’d run into on the train even so far was friendly. “Do let me know if I need to smooth anything over before any attempts are made.

Gen smiled smugly, proud that Senku could tell he had a hand in that.

But it’s disappointing, more than Gen realized, knowing they lost their usual nightly activity. He really enjoyed stargazing with Senku. He was trying not to show how bummed out that made him feel.

“Mm, not that I can presently think of, my dear,” Gen said with a bright grin. “I’d be happy to see your collection. Your roommates won’t mind if I’m over to speak with you now and again, I would presume?”

"If you speak to someone named Fëanor, I suspect I've offended him." Senku reported dutifully with a bit of a shrug. "I haven't tried to talk to him since, however, so I can't confirm that, but that's the impression I got from Roland when he refused to give me any information about the void mystery."

He did not look terribly regretful about that, but then again, Senku never was. They'd have to come up with a new nightly activity. Perhaps they could play cards.

"Do you think I care if they do?" This was exactly what Gen was talking about, without a doubt.

Senku got up then, brushed past Gen and unlocked the door to let him out. "I'll show you where it is."

"I'll see what I can do, my dear," Gen mused thoughtfully, but got up to follow Senku out, sticking his hands in his sweatshirt pockets since he couldn't stick them in his sleeves.

Perhaps Senku offended Fëanor, perhaps not. But if he had information about the thing they were traveling through ... this void ... it'd be worth trying to get information from him, even if he didn't end up smoothing things over.

"What are your roommates like?" Gen was more curious to know if Senku really bothered to get to know them yet.

"One has a distrust of books. The other one is also interested in the mystery of the train and the void, but he didn't seem to know much. He did tell me that most of us are speaking Japanese or English because the communications went out once, and so we'd get by just fine, probably." Senku relayed with a bit of a hum.

He didn't really know much about the third roommate, but he wasn't that worried about it either. They were just there when he woke up, sometimes, with how the train was.

Gen felt a little sheepish. "How I've been speaking with the wide and varied persons I've met so far, didn't even occur to me. Surely they all do not speak English or even Japanese. More of the train's ... magic ... I suspect."

"I didn't really think about it until he told me, so it's good to know most people are speaking a language I'm fluent in, just in case." Senku observed wryly.

He approached his door, room B in the seventh sleeper cabin and swiped his ticket to get in. He'd taken a bottom bunk for himself, unsurprisingly since climbing was more exercise than Senku was willing to do.

"Here, I'll show you what I picked up."

Senku got down on the ground on his stomach and scooted under the bed slightly, reaching for his bag which was stowed beneath.

Gen was not surprised at all. It's not as if Senku was lazy - he knew he put in work that exhausted himself all the time, dragging him and Chrome and anyone else along for the ride. But Senku was easily worn down by physical activity, Gen knew well. As if he had poured all of his strength into his genius.

Gen was surprised, however, to see a familiar glint of something on his hip. A flash came back to him - Senku had been returning to revive Tsukasa - several things fell together.

He reached for that glimmer revealed along with a sliver of bare skin as Senku had reached over, wanting to grab the, "The Medusa weapon? Just when were you going to tell me you had the Medusa on you?!"

"Ow." Senku groaned as he whacked his head slightly in surprise at being grabbed. The weapon in question was tied to a rope of course, and looped through his belt loop that would normally deter sticky fingers, but then again that had never deterred Gen from nicking things from his pouches before. He let it go because if it was in there in the first place, he wasn't using it.

"I forgot to mention that." Senku grumbled, puffing a little bit as he slid back out from under the bed, rolled onto his back, looking at Gen. He had his knapsack in his fingers and he slid it out beside him.

Edited 2020-09-04 15:21 (UTC)

It was really simple work to slip off that knot, Gen wasn't even aware he was doing it. Normally he'd apologize for Senku hitting his head, a more reflexive amount of politeness than one he thought the scientist was even expecting. He's just too distracted.

"Hell of a thing to forget to mention," Gen murmured quietly, turning the device around in his fingers. He shuddered a little. "It had occurred to you, my dear, that if both you and I suddenly get kidnapped by this train - others might as well?"

Edited 2020-09-04 15:31 (UTC)

Gen could apologize, certainly, but Senku wasn't terribly worried about it. It wasn't like he'd meant to make him hit his head. He also could do something to stop him, but he wasn't worried about Gen taking the Medusa for his own purposes. They had shared goals after all.

Senku didn't interfere with what he was doing, he just laid still on the ground while Gen got the knot undone. He'd have to try for a minute anyway, it had been knotted more than once, but Senku knew the mentalist wouldn't be deterred by that.

"I think everyone gets some kind of item, that one's mine. I've been studying it and thinking about it while I sit here in sheer boredom." Senku quipped.

"Yeah, it's occurred to me, what about it?" He tilted his head slightly. Was there some threat he was unaware of in regards to the Medusa, which had one very weak charge in it?

"Yeah, I have my card deck," Gen told him absently as he examined the Medusa. There wasn't any real purpose in him looking at it so closely - it's identical looking whether it had a charge or not. But he felt compelled to examine it. It was incredibly dangerous, even though the charge left was so weak they could barely have it work on Tsukasa. "I'm not concerned about someone stealing that for their own ends, though."

Because that's exactly the point. Now that Senku was out from under the bed with his rucksack of materials - and that Gen had a good long look at the Medusa - he finally handed it back to him.

"We need to be careful," Gen told him, "if someone from the Treasure Island comes, they'll know how to use this and potentially steal it. It's only got a weak charge left - but not only does Tsukasa need that charge - someone with ill intentions could petrify someone else, and I have no idea how we'll make the revival fluid here."

He's very suspiciously minded. "Just in case, we shouldn't tell anyone that you have the Medusa, I think."

He hummed, one arm now pillowed under his head as he waited for Gen to decide what he wanted to do with it. "No one around here knows how to use it, nor do they know anything about the petrification, actually. Their worlds don't have that problem. Not a single one." Senku reported.

He took it back from Gen, deftly turning it in his hand with dexterity perhaps matching the mentalist's own. He set about untangling the rope from his belt loop so he could re-secure it, sitting up.

"We'd make it the same way we always do." Senku reported. "I'm not that worried about it. Nitric acid is hard to come by, but I bet I can order it from the shop." He would just have to make sure they had enough points to do that.

"In the meantime, I'm not planning on letting it out of my sight, or yours I suppose since you have sticky fingers." Senku commented wryly. "If you take my ticket and spend all my points on nonsense I'll be annoyed with you." He warned Gen, but notably he didn't say if he spent it on something useful he'd have a problem with it. Nor would he mind if he needed to come into his sleeper with it. Those tickets were important.

Senku also didn't expect to not occasionally find his possessions in Gen's fingers.

"A little late for that. There are a couple of people who know, if only because I was trying to get information and see if they could help. They can't though, this tech isn't known by anyone else so far. I'm really not worried about it. I'm not an idiot, no one knows how to use it."

"Someone from our world could arrive who does, and since we don't know who on this train could keep secrets, they could learn it from them," Gen countered.

He sat down beside him on the bed, easily co-opting his personal space. What. He wasn't going to sit on a stranger's bed, of course not. Gen hid the fact he was slightly offended by the idea that Senku thought he'd waste the points, by fluttering his eyelashes. "But, Senku-chan, what if I need all of the nonsense I can find to make myself oh-so gorgeous?"

He was planning on hoarding his just in case. Who knew how much nitric acid cost? Spending it on nonsense indeed. He continued to make a ridiculous face at Senku for a moment more.

Then, Gen sighed a little. "You're the smartest man I know, the smartest one alive, my dear, but you trust people too easily."

He offered an unrepentant little grin and shrugged as he moved up and sat beside him. "We'll deal with it if it happens." Senku was a planner, certainly, but that seemed a bit on the fantastical side at the moment.

He got a snort at the question though. "That hardly seems like my problem Mentalist."

Senku leaned back on the palms of his hands, looking up as he considered Gen's complaint and ultimately shrugged. "It's been working out so far. As long as that keeps happening, I don't see any reason to be too suspicious. I'll let you take care of that."

He was his strategic general after all, wasn't he?

He leaned forward to open his bag, and pulled out the first thing on top which happened to be a bunch of flowers that Roland had collected from the island. "Here." Senku said, without really glancing at Gen.

We'll deal with it when it happens, Gen thought. Just as they dealt with lying about the intact America later, but. That was a calculated risk they took - he supposed that Senku thought asking others about the device was that same, calculated risk. It's just one Gen would've been far more hesitant to take.

And Senku seemed to think it was his job. He gave him a wry look. "Ah, I'll only need to be more cautious for the both of us, then, to compensate for that."

His eyes went wide and surprised. A lot of his tricks used flowers - they're the first things he gathered for himself when revived after petrification. Gen could do all sorts of things with these. ~~Nevermind the cultural significance of a gift of flowers.~~

... Actually. Maybe he shouldn't disregard that. He gave Senku a bright, genuine smile, even though his tone was false and silly.

"Flowers, my dear Senku-chan?"

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