voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post November]

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A New Platform [Intro Post November]

On the Train

The morning after the Halloween party passengers are once again woken by a familiar voice.

"Good morning passengers, it is day one of the month of Imagination. 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. But through the fog comes sunshine, causing patches where the light shines down to warm the concrete. Looking up passengers will not be able to see the sun through the fog, or much of the sky at all.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Bryn Pendragon, Bucky Barnes, Colden Rollins, Elena, Fai D Flourite, Jiang Yanli, Juliette d'Aubigniy, Misa, Peter Parker, Samata Mahto, Satou Kuroneko, The Doctor, Tohru Mutou, Zuko, 10 Vigilant Gaze Purges The Horizon. They all walk silently and do not look back as they disappear through the barriers and into the fog beyond.

But on the platform itself there are 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 the thick fog, penetrated by beams of light. As their eyes adjust they will see they are on a platform, behind them are a set of barriers and in front of them is a single track.

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 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 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.

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 and Honey is the newest ingredient, jars of honey stock the shelves and the ICP's in the kitchen have recipe ideas for the month.

A new carriage has been added, those that go to investigate will find a small but function-able spa, complete with a small hot tub and even a steam room. It is a relaxing room with sun lamps and relaxing music or nature sounds available through the ICP. There are a couple of massage tables, with a course for how to give massages for those eager to learn.

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 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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Zechs was looking out to see if there were any new red team members in this batch of abductees - and it didn't seem as if there were. He frowned slightly. In fact, there just seemed to be less people kidnapped this time around. Likely for the best.

He saw, out of the corner of his eye, Yuuki looking rather ... conflicted? ... as he saw those who were departing. Zechs was a rather poor choice to comfort others, but he still found himself asking, his voice quiet for his privacy, "Are you all right?"

He glanced over at Zechs, frowning slightly and he sighed. "I suppose I will be. My best friend did just leave, but...there's little I can do about that now."

Things between them had been so complicated, he felt a bit like he hadn't done enough.

"I'm sorry to hear that," seemed like the polite thing to say. Zechs did realize, "Whether or not he wished to remain or leave - people that can be trusted are often difficult to come by."

"I wish it was that simple, but I can't even say that I trusted him. Things were complicated between us, mainly because we were from different times. I didn't want him to know the future." Natsuno admitted with a little frown.

Zechs imagined certain a certain person who he knew, who he once called a friend, suddenly appearing here - and the complicated feelings that'd arise - and there's a flicker of a grimace, sympathetic.

"I see," Zechs said. He made an educated guess from what little he knew about him, "He didn't realize you had died."

"No." Natsuno agreed with a bit of a tighter frown and a shake of his head. "Nor did he know he's going to die either."

Tohru was going home and he was going to suffer a lot, there was nothing he could do about it.

"I didn't want to tell him, because he's the one that killed me."

A clear wince now, more obvious than before. Zechs agreed again, "Yes, I would've avoided that topic if I were in that situation, as well. Whether or not he had any choice in the matter, the mere topic sounds ... painful."

"I hadn't realized you had been a soldier in the past," Zechs told him, a slight note of apology.

"I wasn't. I was a regular, ordinary high school student who ended up in an incredibly unusual situation." Natsuno said, by way of summary.

"Nothing I could say would save him. He died fairly early on, and killed me not that long afterwards. I'm glad if he enjoyed himself here."

Zechs made a small sound acknowledging that, considering. A terrorist group, maybe, he thought. If it impacted the passengers of the train in any way, or if they lived in the same reality, he'd have more questions. Under the circumstances, however?

He just mentally earmarked Yuuki as being potentially much more useful than he'd initially let on in their first meeting.

"It's some small consolation," Zechs agreed with a note of seriousness. "And perhaps he wouldn't have wanted to return home, if he knew his fate - but since our returning or leaving doesn't seem to be under our control, it's a moot point."

He was potentially a lot more useful than he was letting on in general.

"I wouldn't want him to know. I don't..." He sighed. "He'll get his rest in the end anyway."

Natsuno would miss him, that was all.

"You're correct about that, there's little I can do, considering I'd rather not be here either."

Frowning slightly, Zechs said, "Until such a time we can actually control when people can stay or leave."

But Zechs shook his head. While he would seize any opportunity to try and better their situation and improve the intelligence they had on it here, it was best to contemplate it privately rather than ruminating on it in the middle of a doorway.

He looked at Yuuki. "It's my understanding we have some manner of mission in the upcoming weeks?"

~~Small talk from Zechs, pretty much.~~

That was a valid point, it would be a lot more worthwhile if they could stay or leave.

The question caught his attention and he finally glanced away from where Tohru had been.

"So they say. I went on the last one. It's your first mission?"

"Yes," Zechs told him plainly with a slight nod. "I don't really know what to expect, or how exactly this motley crew will be expected to meet the goals we'll face. Things seem ... slightly disjointed here."

But he had come from a regimented, military background - that even could be said of the civilian terraforming project, in a way.

"I can only tell you about the last mission. The beginning was something like free time in a little town. Then, being on the red team, I faced some of these fire wolves that were corrupted and trying to attack us on sight."

Natsuno explained the words in his usual monotonous voice. "After that I was tasked with carrying a crystal up to a volcano to recharge it."

Zechs made a note of that, so they just ... defended more vulnerable targets from the wildlife. Well. Better than being used as a hit squad against sentient life, he thought. He'd done worse, but most everyone here likely deserved better.

His eyebrows raised. "To what end? I assume this crystal was yet another ... 'magical' sort of device."

"I believe it was meant for clearing the problem that was causing everything to go feral. Some kind of attack of some sort. I didn't really catch what it was about, I just did as directed." Natsuno commented.

"Fair enough," Zechs nodded. And really, if they were never returning to these places they're carted off to for missions - did it really matter, how things worked, or why the creatures behaved in certain ways?

It still bothered him. He knew - it was obvious - they were being blatantly manipulated to accomplish tasks they had no say in. They were completely reliant that the version of these briefings they're given were true, as well. What if there was a solid reason for those feral creatures to exist, what if they solved some other problem?

It was hard to say, and Zechs tried to set that aside. Dryly, he said, "It'd be interesting to find out just how the train or its invisible crew seem to find out what places to send us to, and how it gathers the intelligence to create the tasks in our missions."

"I don't have the slightest idea about that and honestly I'm not sure how you start. It's not like there's some kind of library full of information we can access. There's an empty, somewhat useless library." He quipped sarcastically.

It bothered him that he was subject to someone else's whims, but there was little he could do about that.

"Yes, I saw that," Zechs agreed with a similar tone Yuuki had. "Anything of use in there - informative or recreational - has been provided by the passengers, is my understanding."

He shook his head a little. "And apparently we must play a guessing game on what it'll actually accept as an order, even when it's fiction."

"That is true, I couldn't even imagine what to even ask for." Natsuno admitted with a bit of a frown.

"I haven't really tried to order anything at all."

"You don't have anything you've found yourself needing?" Zechs asked, calm but curious. "Beyond food and clothing, the train doesn't provide much."

"Not terribly. What could I need?" Natsuno asked. "There are enough distractions on the train to occupy my time."

Zechs nodded thoughtfully, though he couldn't relate. He'd been finding himself restless here. The less he had to do, the worse he was. Still. "You might eventually change your mind, if the books ever are exhausted, or the films become repetitive."

A nod, "Though, there's plenty to be said for saving these points for some emergency."

"I suppose you have a valid point. I wasn't keeping them for any reason, I just didn't really consider what I could possibly want at this point." Natsuno admitted. He had never been terribly materialistic in the first place, and now he was dead, of course.

He wasn't the sort who'd tell anyone how to live their lives, but Zechs offered, "Think on it, perhaps. Until then, at least our barest needs are taken care of."

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reluctantjinrou - 2020-11-16 00:46 (UTC) - Expand

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