A New Platform [Intro Post October]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

"Good morning passengers, it is day sixteen of the month of Horsehoe. Points have been updated on the system and new stock is available."

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. The first thing they may notice is that this platform is inside a basic shelter, making it warmer than the last couple at least.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Adora, Alex Hashimoto, Catra, Cloud Strife, Elizabeth Midford, Feanor, Gerome, Gladiolus Amicitia, Glimmer, Ifrit, Isabella D’Oro, Maru, Nari Reno, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum, Scorpia, Siobahn Chereshei, SXT-2, Tamamo-no-Mae, Tony Stark, Uta, Zidane Tribal

But on the platform itself there are many new faces. Wearing hoodies in all four colours 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 gloomy, even without the steam and fog. They are in a wooden building, open to the tracks on one side. It in a creaky shelter, cobwebs hang from the rafters and there is a peculiar whistle as wind finds its way through the cracks.

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 gloom 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.

A new carriage has been added, those that go to investigate will find a room full of lockers, designated as the Armoury. Even for passengers without weapons it is somewhere to secure possessions. There are instructions on how to use the lockers and enough for everyone to claim one.

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!

Comments

[gundamofthedesert]

Quatre smiled. "I try to be. It is something that I have always tried to maintain." Even during the war, he'd offered those on the other side the chance to drop their weapons and surrender and live. It hadn't necessarily worked, but he had tried.

"And you didn't have much choice about coming here either. So it is best to behave like adults."

Yes, he would probably still keep an eye on him, but he didn't want to assume that he would do something.

"Have you been settling in?"

[zechs_isonfire]

Zechs nodded his head. "By all accounts, you were successful."

He respected the pilots a good deal - one didn't even need a space heart to tell that much. His lips twitched a little at 'behave like adults.' An admonishment over his actions, two years ago? Hard to say.

So he took the subject change gracefully. "You may say that. I've spoken to a few about the situation we're in, gained some intel. There appear to be future avenues to find out how to get us out of this situation, and perhaps even discover more about the entity destroying worlds - if we remain alert."

[gundamofthedesert]

An admonishment? No, not really. He's still a teenager and he's seen a lot of adults behaving like children in his lifetime and here on the train as well. So it was more just a comment on people in general.

"It certainly seems like it. We did get some information that there is apparently a governmental body somewhere out there and they are aware the train is essentially rogue. Did they tell you about the strange things that happen here?"

[zechs_isonfire]

"I've read the pamphlet," Zechs told him, "and I've spoken with some of the other people who've been abducted."

He paused, and then said, honestly, "Truth be told, I'd trust the information about our situation more from you, or Barton, than any other person or creature on this train."

[gundamofthedesert]

"The pamphlet is definitely a good resource. I haven't looked at it recently to see if there have been any updates to it."

He smiled at the trust that Zechs had in the information they would provide. "If you have any questions still, I'd be happy to try and answer them. Do you want to get some tea?"

[zechs_isonfire]

"Yes, thank you," Zechs politely accepted the offer of hospitality. That he would appreciate the cup of tea right now didn't hurt, either.

He looked around, and if he could take a seat, he would.

Zechs thought for a moment, thinking of what he wanted to cover first. "I've seen a variety of phenomena here that I can't explain easily, magic or ki or wizardry, and so on. It's indisputable that it's real. But are those phenomena reliable? Do they work in some places, and not others, on these ... missions?"

[gundamofthedesert]

As they headed to the dining car, there were plenty of places to sit and Quatre would get the tea for both of them.

"Hmm... it seems to work in most other places. I think there was one since I've arrived where others with abilities were limited using their powers and it seems to be something tied to the planet. Once they returned to the train they were able to again. I know on the last mission, they were using what would be considered magic."

[zechs_isonfire]

"So it's unreliable after all," Zechs frowned. "At least the extent of these missions they'll send us on. Otherwise, on the train, such abilities could be at least used against other passengers."

Though, if he could manage to learn any, he could at least defend the small children that were taken aboard here - if he couldn't get a chance to take out the attacker with prejudice before much damage was done.

[gundamofthedesert]

"Occasionally unreliable," Quatre commented. "For the most part, very reliable. We have actually had an occasion where abilities have been used against others."

He paused for a moment, not really liking remembering this.

"One of the new arrivals at the time, he killed a girl that he knew from home. She came back as one cannot actually die on this train. Apparently someone else found out he had done this and attacked him, trapping his mind in some... world that was not good. The medic and several others were able to save him and he seems to be changed for the better, but... it was disturbing."

[zechs_isonfire]

Zechs frowned, his expression a little severe.

Seriously, he said, "Even if they're brought back - death is traumatic, and not something the innocent should experience. If anything, if there are those with a sadistic bent, I could imagine they'd enjoy hunting and killing someone over and over."

"There needs to be a way to contain those threats," Zechs thought aloud.

[gundamofthedesert]

"It is. The council on the train dealt with it and it seems that others keeping a close watch on the two offenders here. At least that I have been able to see. It is true that someone could potentially by tempted by that though I think temporarily anyone who might have considered that has been scared off it."

"There are also plenty with some strong abilities who have no intention of harming others."

[zechs_isonfire]

"What action did they take, to keep watch on those two - that served as such an effective deterrent to the others?" Zechs asked, a little skeptically.

He nodded slightly at the second point, but he kept his opinions to himself. Zechs wasn't going to share his concern about being unarmed, control taken away from him, left relatively helpless and potentially at the mercy of a threat he couldn't counter. How deeply paranoid and anxious that made him. Zechs was determined not to be so helpless for long.

[gundamofthedesert]

"The two involved were isolated for some time and under guard. They are now back out in the general population. But the one who attacked the murderer, the fact they were able to discover this and use it seems to be discouraging others. Not that I saw people wanting to do it in the first place."

He sighed, knowing what Zechs was thinking about. "I know it's not ideal, but the team leadership and council members are some of the strongest here and they are able to keep it in check."

[zechs_isonfire]

"Hm." Zechs had far more sympathy for the man who attacked the murderer, obviously. And he was far more suspicious of the other passengers. Just because no-one had attempted to attack another person yet, beyond those two? It didn't mean it was impossible.

But. Quatre was not naive, Zechs didn't think that at all. He'd lived through the same war he had, seen the same things he did. He knew that ZERO had been used by him, and had heard what he'd seen and done.

So he'd trust him, if he got an honest answer. "You trust this council, then?"

[gundamofthedesert]

Knowing that the attacker was trying to punish the murderer for killing a girl? Quatre had more support for them though he would admit that he thought the method was overkill except for the fact they were able to bring him out of it.

"Honestly? I trust them because there aren't many other options. As people, they seem to be reliable and haven't shown any sign of the contrary since I have been here. If they are doing what they say they will, then that is what we can hope for."

[zechs_isonfire]

Zechs' lips twitched. There could always be options, usually. But if they weren't competent - who would he replace them with? Not himself. He didn't have the right to be in charge of anything, not anymore.

"I suppose that's what we'll need to accept," Zechs said just a bit more coolly than he intended. He sighed, and shook his head. "You're right. I simply can't help but consider - especially with the risks posed to so many here, especially the children - there needs to be more effort made to solve this."

He could accept defeat, surrender, being beaten; he couldn't accept abandoning a fight.

[gundamofthedesert]

There were always options, but Quatre didn't feel there was a justified reason to take any of them at the moment. Aside from being stuck, they seemed to be keeping things orderly fairly well.

"There are a lot of risks. We've had some dangerous missions, but that's not determined by the council, but by the train itself. Those with powers do seem to look after the younger ones. Also it seems like a majority of the youngest passengers are on the blue team."

Go figure that. But truly, the biggest threat in Quatre's opinion is the train itself.

[zechs_isonfire]

Trusting strangers was not something Zechs was good at, so. Despite Quatre's efforts, he wasn't really reassured about that. But he could agree that the train itself was the bigger threat.

"It's the train that would be difficult to neutralize and subdue, though I am considering avenues," Zechs said seriously. "The real problem with that is our lack of options once it's stopped. Would we float in the void? Be stuck at one of these stops for a mission, or a train platform with a barrier we can't pass? It should return home those who not volunteer to stay, and I realize these are all thoughts which have occurred to you."

He frowned, mostly parsing it out loud. "The answer cannot simply be to bide my time."

[gundamofthedesert]

Quatre's good at trusting strangers... perhaps too good at it. But at least they agreed about what was the real threat.

"Difficult yes, and potentially dangerous. The void is not safe. They talk about people having weird side effects just looking at it. The safest would be the platform for a stopover, but that's still no guarantee its anything but a long stay. Platform would be more likely to have a way out completely if we could determine how to reserve what the train does in the first place."

He tapped his chin with one finger as he thought before continuing. "You should speak with Webmind. I believe he has been trying to figure out the computer systems on this train for quite some time."

[zechs_isonfire]

"I'll try and remember to avert my gaze," Zechs said, dry but honest. He didn't want something strange affecting his mind. "Next stop, I'll attempt and time the length we're stopped when picking up the new abductees. That will give us our window to work, if we do ever have a method."

Zechs nodded. "I can't say my skills are on par of ... some of your comrades." 01, most notably. "But I'll speak with him. Thank you."

[gundamofthedesert]

"It gets easier the more you train yourself not to look." Quatre wasn't going to say it, but he had had problems with being effected in the past, first from his father's death and Zero System and then from being mind-controlled. He couldn't afford to risk it.

"That would be a good idea, timing how long the stop is." He smiled. "If nothing else, it is good to have as much pooled information as possible."

[zechs_isonfire]

Zechs nodded to both points. He'd need to talk to Webmind, and ... there was probably more to be done. It's hard to say just what might arise as an opportunity to take advantage of, going forward. There was still a lot to learn here. For a change, he's without his usual resources.

So, new alliances needed to be forged, understandings needed to be made. He was feeling grateful that 04 appeared very willing to work with him, despite what he'd done.

"There's likely others who are attempting to discover as much as they can. And risks beyond merely looking at the void we're unaware of," Zechs reasoned. "If I learn anything further, I'll loop in with you or Barton."

He had no reason to believe the two of them weren't collaborating in some way, even without knowing of their relationship.

[gundamofthedesert]

"I'm sure there are. Probably more than I would know to speak to about it." He nodded his head once. "And we will let you know if we learn of anything as well."

Yep, they certainly were collaborating so assuming that was a safe thought. Even though they were a little closer than just teammates, but that would be a surprise for Zechs to discover later.

[zechs_isonfire]

"It's appreciated," Zechs said with a nod. And he did feel grateful he'd be able to work with the boys, instead of being on opposing sides once more. "I appreciate you giving me your time, and the tea. Thank you."

[gundamofthedesert]

Quatre smiled. It would be nice to be able to work with him rather than against him. This train had such an interesting way of making things happen. "You're welcome. I'm happy to help. I'm sure we will have more time to talk."