voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post October]

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A New Platform [Intro Post October]

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!

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[ He often wanders into the non-fiction section, just in case there's anything of interest to read, that he hasn't already torn through, which is the hope of every time they get new items.

He'll settle on a chemistry textbook, just for something to do, at least until he gets to work analyzing what he'd picked up on the last mission, but he wasn't up to that just yet.

He'll nod to the other occupant, but he was a horrible conversation starter, aside from a greeting. He could be easily ignored.]

Hey.

Hello.

[It's a casual greeting, and Siebren turns back to the shelves before he fully processes that the reader had been holding a chemistry textbook.]

[Well. That is certainly promising.]

Pardon me - you wouldn't happen to be familiar with the contents of this library, would you?

Relatively, but if you're hoping for a lot more reading material, prepare to be disappointed.

[ He isn't the sugar coating type. He holds up the book. ]

I was just going to read this because I was bored, but if you have an interest, you can have it.

No, thank you. Though if I need a chemistry review, I will know who to ask.

[Delivered with a smile - he does appreciate the offer.]

Is there any information on the train itself, or on the mechanics of dimensional travel?

[ He laughs. ]

I can review an awful lot more than that if someone wanted.

[ He hasn't met too many people who are that interested in his long winded explanations. ]

As for your question, I've been told the magazines hold information about the train, but I haven't really looked into them. Also, there's a series of train-oriented children's books.

[ He shakes his head. ]

I don't think there's much known about the void itself, I'd advise you not to stare at it, your tolerance gets worse the more you do that. I'm fascinated by the dimensional travel myself, and considering we have ended up in two different worlds since I arrived, and I've been told there were more, I have been wondering just how they are all connected, and if I could use theoretical physics to figure it out, but I haven't yet.

[He listens, and files away information for later - magazines and children's books, for what little evidence may be gathered there, and a warning not to stare into the void, lest it stare back. What intrigues him more is that there is more to this boy than initially meets the eye - he reads chemistry texts for entertainment, he is intrigued by dimensional travel, and theoretical physics-]

[Siebren is utterly delighted, and it shows.]

Well, when you do give it a try, should you require someone to double-check your math, I would be more than happy to volunteer.

[...they are strangers, aren't they. Credentials are required.]

You see, I am an astrophysicist.

[ He might be offended by someone volunteering to double-check his math, because really the amount of times he's had to do complex equations in his head on the fly and it never failed, he might think someone was underestimating him, but instead, he's an astrophysicist and Senku looks just as delighted instead. ]

Astrophysics! That's one of my favourite branches of science, with aerospace engineering and cosmology. [ He can't help but gush a little bit, because that's where his true passions lie. ]

[ Of course, if they are giving credentials, it's hard to explain what he is exactly. ]

I have so many jobs right now I can't really explain it like you can, but I studied enough to be an expert in just about every field of math, science or engineering you can think of. Tech stuff too, not that that is coming in handy in my world right now but maybe someday again!

[That did the trick. Siebren smiles - it seems he has found a like mind aboard the train, and he could not be more pleased.]

We shall certainly have to find time to talk, then.

[He listens - an expert in everything is a bold claim, to be certain - though there is something there that doesn't quite make sense.]

I am curious: you love aerospace engineering, yet technology is not a factor in your world?

[ A bold claim from a guy who looks 19, certainly, and it wouldn't be amiss if people didn't believe him, but he'd prove it over time. ]

It used to be, certainly, except all of civilization ended about 3700 years ago, give or take, when all of humanity was turned to stone.

After the petrification when I broke free, there was nothing left as you can imagine, since nearly everything manmade breaks up over time, given enough time, but it's alright I'm planning on getting us back into space again, after all, our enemy is on the moon. We need to check it out.

[...that is. quite a bit. He pauses and blinks several times, processing that influx of information.]

Did the Omniums not continue to function in humanity's absence?

Also, 'your enemy is on the moon.'

[Please explain that one. In fact, please explain both of them.]

Give me a definition for Omnium?

[ It's a question, even though it's not really phrased that way. ]

Ah, yes, apparently, he's been sending out a broadcast. First it was in morse code, now it's an AI voice. Very disruptive on our comms. We used radar to track where it was coming from, which was just as well, we were on a long boat ride. It was clear that it shifted with the movement of the moon.

[ He hums, hands on his hips. ]

Factories that produce Omnics.

[As if it's the most obvious thing in the world.]

[...ah. Differing dimensions.]

...fully sentient robotic life forms. Do Omnics not exist in your dimension?

[It's almost unthinkable to Siebren - imagine a world without the Omnic Crisis! - but dimensional differences must be taken into consideration.]

[As for Senku's dimension, he had described a world in which human innovation had disintegrated over several thousand years and mentioned having comms and radar in the next breath. To say that was quite an accomplishment would be underselling it.]

And you are certain this person is your enemy...what does the broadcast consist of?

No, that was a bit beyond our capabilities. Robotics while, fairly widespread in things like automation, actual robotic life forms that were performing tasks in perhaps a humanoid way? A bit beyond our capabilities, maybe by roughly a decade or so. Sentience would be longer than that.

[ He taps his finger on his hip, he's just thinking but at the question he offers a bit of a shrug. ]

We can't be sure, but let's assume we're just overplanning. If we don't need a plan because they're friendly, then all we've done is prepare for nothing. If they're not, and I'm leaning towards that at the most recent broadcast, then we have to come up with an appropriate plan. Unfortunately whoever they are don't seem interested in talking to me.

[ He's been dying to have that little chat. ]

The morse code message was simply the word 'why' over and over again on a loop. The most recent message is the command to petrify the Earth again, under the hopes that we had the Medusa close enough to the speaker. Fortunately the one we have is out of juice, so it can't achieve that.

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A New Platform [Intro Post October]

Library

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ten days later without starbucks

awww and here i was feeling an iced chai tea latte

1) get your own and 2) add pumpkin spice to it, because it is AMAZING

I will get my own, but I'm not bringing you any :P

That's fine! Social distancing :|b

Fair enough!