A New Platform [Intro Post December]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

It's only been a couple of days since the Voidtrecker Express took to the void once more, and many of the passengers are still recovering and recuperating after a very hectic end to their latest mission. Nevertheless, they are awoken by a familiar message.

"Good morning passengers, it is day sixteen of the month of Imagination. Points have been updated on the system."

They have indeed, and everyone can spend the morning shopping. Those who have been on the train for 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 the windows fill with the fog that means they are at a platform. It is warm outside with a pleasant breeze that flows down the platform, rustling the light spread of leaves that litter the floor.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing, walking silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Akemi Homura, Alfred the Poisoner, Donatello Versus, Chie Satonaka, Joscelin Fitzthomas, Ronan Lynch, Rose Tyler, Tangle the Lemur, Trowa Barton, Wester Mazaki and Whisper the Wolf all pass through the platform, not looking back before 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 swirling leaves at their feet, moving in flurries and rattling against each other softly. As their eyes adjust, they will see they are on a platform, cement and packed earth forming a very practical, plain-looking shelter. Behind them is a set of barriers, and in front of them is a single track extending both ways into thick fog.

They are standing, in clothes that are not their own and a style 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 eight 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's 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 lead to something terrible. 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 (see
'Publications'). The store rooms have been restocked with more jars of honey, the ingredient of the month of Imagination, as well as sundries.

A new carriage has been added right next to the luggage carriage. It is a second medical carriage, or triage carriage. Downstairs is more open with beds and chairs, upstairs are two surgical bays for those that need immediate attention.

For those intrigued by the claim of a parcel for every passenger they will find several large boxes filled with small blue bags. Inside each bag is ten dark blue coins imprinted on each side with a silver snowflake. Each bag has a small label with a passengers name. On the other side of the label it reads: Keep these safe for now.

Of course for any passengers that have bought items, these are also scattered around the luggage carriage as well.

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 taking advantage of the pleasant weather and the doors slide shut. Veteran passengers know what will happen next, but they may wish to brief their new companions.

The train sets off, the fog obscuring the view again 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

Rich Goranski | Be More Chill | OTA

[firewalled]

Platform

There are a lot of things weirding Rich out when he first opens his eyes on the platform - the intense fog, the huge train in front of him, the variety of people around him, some of whom don't even look human - but there's kind of something much more pressing than all of those things.

See, Rich would have thought this was just another weird dream his drug-addled brain was coming up with, and he might have even applauded himself for accurately recreating a train station despite never being on a train himself (not to mention the rad hoodie he was wearing), if not for the pain. He can feel it prickling on his arms and legs, alerting him that this is very clearly not a figment of his imagination. This is somehow very, very real, about as real as the burns he was still supposed to be healing from. Why the fuck had he left the hospital?

He bites down on his lip, hard, as he backs away from the train, trying to find a bench to set down on. He feels something digging into his back as he takes a seat, prompting a yelp from him, before he notices the rucksack.

A bit of frantic digging later, though, and he notes he's still screwed. "I make my fucking great escape and I didn't even think to steal extra gauze?" he mutters aloud, before rolling up his sleeve and - ew, yep, those need to be changed soon. He can only imagine what the bandages on his neck look like...

But as a wave of agony hits him again, his first aid needs are put to the side, and he just curls up on the bench, sucking in air through his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut, hoping next he opens them, he'll be back in his hospital bed.

You guys go ahead. He'll just. Sit here.

Sleeper 2-B

Once someone convinces Rich to actually get on the train, he'll slowly make his way to the cabin he appears to be assigned to, squinting inside curiously. It doesn't look terrible, really. Pretty much the same as the ICU, just with more roommates. He shuffles over to the bunk that doesn't look to be taken and sets his rucksack down, going through it a bit more slowly than he was when he was on a hunt for bandages.

It's all pretty normal stuff for a survivalist, he supposes, not that he is one. He kind of wonders who bothered to pack this crap for him, none of it's actually worthwhile-

His hands still, and then he very carefully pulls out a fuzzy teddy bear, covered in little felt bandages of his own. Rich's expression softens. "Aw, hell..."

He nearly forgot about this little guy in his panic. He looks intact and - after Rich gives him a cautious sniff - he still smells just like the one who gave it to him, spices and cinnamon gum and the faintest tinge of weed smoke.

Anyone who wanders by might see a teen who looks a bit too old for stuffed toys clutching the teddy to his chest, happy to find a little piece of home here with him.

Around the Train/Wildcard

"Aaaaand fuck this, and fuck that... Screw that noise..."

Rich is muttering to himself as he wanders the hallway, his earlier homesickness shoved aside. He doesn't have time to be sentimental, and he knows that now. What he needs is a plan. And the best way to come up with one, apparently, is to skulk around the hallways, probably kicking a door or two just to let the massive locomotive now that he's not cool with this.

"Where the hell is the emergency exit? I don't want to be on Final Destination number 54 or whatever the hell!"

He's... taking this super well, obviously.

Platform

[barenakedspirit]

Heavy footsteps that have a deliberate pitch to them, get closer. “Hey.” The tone is brisk but when Rich does open his eyes the tall, broad shouldered man making his way towards him is doing so with a bag slung over his shoulder. The same shorts and polo gear but the difference is his left arm.

Swirls of burns wrap around it from the wrist all the way up past his sleeve. Like as if his arm were literally wrapped in the flames. He comes to a stop before him and sighs, “I thought we were all kidnapped from reasonable times. This is bullshit. Hey, those look like you need them changed. Could get you taken care of on board.”

[consider8]

The sudden movement was enough to capture's Eight attention. When she saw what caused the tall man with the blue hair to run forward, she immediately understood the source of the alarm.

She didn't even think, the next moment she's mirroring Galo's footsteps, a pair of wide eyes looking to gauge the situation. Even though he just got their himself, Eight quickly glanced to his side. "Is he okay--?" And then immediately to Rich. "Are you okay??"

[firewalled]

Rich quietly muffles a groan as he forces his eyes open, and is surprised to see someone approaching him, a guy a little older than him. Probably the sort of dude his SQUIP would have insisted was the right level of tough to aspire to, though it may have made fun of the hair... the tattoo is cool too, until Rich realizes it isn't one. His eyes go wide for a moment before he tries to focus on what exactly is being said.

"Kidnapped? I, uh... I gotta go on board?" Real smooth, Rich. He's still trying to parse proper sentences when another figure appears, this one... wait, what is up with her hair? She looks kinda like an octopus or something...

"Um... I mean, I just got punted out of Beth Israel's ICU, so I'm gonna say not really okay..."

[barenakedspirit]

He glances to the side as they're interrupted and says, "Yeah, well, we all do. No one is ever able to stay on the platform after they show up." He offers his arm, the burn scarred one he'd seen the other guy look at. "I'll explain it all after we get you patched up, okay? Name's Galo Thymos! Fire fighter."

He jerks a thumb to Eight as he adds, "Don't know your name but up to helping us get on board? Less weight he has to put on those the better."

[consider8]

Eight wasn't sure what an ICU is, but could tell from the body language that 1) Galos was keeping calm and 2) the guy needed to get on board sooner rather than later to get those injuries looked at.

"I'm Eight." She puts on a brave smile and extends a hand to the guy, and possibly her shoulder if he needs it. And maybe even if he doesn't. "Don't worry, there's a medical car and a doctor on board that can look after you."

Around the Train

[tactlesstantei]

[You know what? Masumi gets that frustration with being dragged into this. No one here asked to come here, after all. That said, kicking random doors probably won’t help, so she decides to intervene.]

“Hey, the good news is this isn’t Final Destination, but the bad news is you can’t really leave.”

[Trust her, she’d leave if she could if it meant going home.]

[firewalled]

Why can't I? If I make enough noise, someone's gotta listen and let me out of here, right?

[It seems logical to him, and to be honest, causing shit is how he's gotten out of most things he didn't want a part of before today.]

[tactlesstantei]

"It really doesn't work that way, unfortunately. Once you're on, you're on and you can't just leave."

[Well, there were those people who had just left the train at the platform, but that was never by choice.

But in the meantime, she may as well introduce herself.]

"Anyways, welcome to the train. My name's Masumi."

[firewalled]

This whole thing is bullshit...

[He mutters it more to himself than anything, before he realizes how bad this looks. Being this pissed off isn't going to do him any favours with getting along with people. Isn't he supposed to be trying to do better? So he offers a slightly weak smile.]

Nice to meet you, Masumi. I'm Rich Goranski.

[He lisps slightly on his name, but there's no sense in him freaking out about that.]

Train

[10billionpercent]

"No one's found the emergency exit yet." Senku answered his probably rhetorical question in his deadpan manner.

"Also I'm pretty sure if we went out into the void we'd probably die." He added as an afterthought.

[firewalled]

Wow, who's this loser- wait, no, old habits. Just because he's got some weird mad science hair and some freaky looking scars, doesn't mean he's a loser. Though answering Rich's rhetorical question does get him to raise his hackles a tad.

"Ugh. That's stupid. Who the fuck decided we needed to go on a trip to the Twilight Zone? I have shit to take care of at home."

[10billionpercent]

"Don't we all." Senku quipped lightly. "However, you've been kidnapped by some train, apparently from what we can tell, and we're all here against our wills."

He shrugged slightly. "We're all pretty much in the same boat."

[firewalled]

"Just because we're all stuck here, doesn't mean we should just accept it! There's gotta be something we can do!"

You know, besides taking part in those bullshit missions or whatever the hell everyone had talked about.

[10billionpercent]

"I don't disagree with you, but the answers are coming slowly and are far and few between." Senku responded. "A lot of people have places to be, but from what I've been told time doesn't pass when you're here, in your world."

Around the Train!

[fun_thementalist]

Gen should probably keep well away from someone cursing up the storm, making his way down the train, with clear anger issues. Then again, someone lashing out like that could lash out at him by mistake, so. Better try to make nice so at least he'd leave a good impression - so he'd think twice before randomly kicking in his direction.

"Ah, I'm ... afraid there isn't one, my friend," Gen told him, hands raised a little, a gesture of surrender. "Though, heaven knows I looked for one too, when I first was kidnapped."

[firewalled]

Rich has... some anger issues, sure, but he's not about to lash out at a guy who isn't being an asshole. Maybe the guy's appearance will get an eyebrow raise, but that's about it. His angry glare is more focused on the train car aound him than anyone.

"There's gotta be some way! Trains don't just... kidnap you and trap you on them! Someone must've taken me here, right? And that someone can let me off?"

[fun_thementalist]

"Uuuunfortunately," Gen started, looking apologetic, sticking his hands in his pockets now, "as impossible as it seems? And yes, it's ... very, very, impossible-seeming ... this train can and does kidnap people. We've never seen any person do it, everyone just - blinks - ends up on that platform."

"And," Gen continued, "we don't have any control over who leaves this place. I'm afraid, for everyone who doesn't want to stay here, there isn't a way to get ourselves home."

[firewalled]

"... Great. Cool. This is really adding up to be a great second lease on life, huh?"

Seriously, he survives a house fire and an evil supercomputer controlling his every move, only to get transported here? How is he supposed to do anything to make up for things?

"How long have you been stuck here?" he finally asks. Maybe he can get an estimate on how long he'll be kidnapped.

[fun_thementalist]

"I know. It's ... really not great at all. At least they try to keep us fairly comfortable here, but, it's certainly not what I would've asked for as a forced vacation," Gen told him with a bemused little look.

Gen tilted his head. "Well. For me? A couple of months. But, uh. A lot of people have been here longer, my friend."

Cabin 2-B

[light_of_willpower]

Trunks was actually on his way back to the cabin to get changed before he hit the gym, when he found one of the new guys. A blink, and then Trunks checked the names by the door. He knew the other Cassie was the girl, and Zetta was the book.

"Guess it's time for a new room-mate." He murmured, stepping in. "We share this cabin with a girl, Cassie Lang, and Zetta--he's a book who claims to be an overlord."

[firewalled]

Trunks' response to his very helpful informattn is an indignant yell, as Rich hastily shoves the teddy bear he was cuddling under a pillow in an attempt to hide his shame.

"Uhhhhh! Yeah! Yeah, I guess I am a new roommate!" Rich laughs a little nervously, trying to play off his screaming, though chances are he won't be able to. "Nice to meet you, uh... there's a book that stays here?"

What.

[light_of_willpower]

Trunks will just pretend he saw nothing. Easier that way, and he wasn't going to judge. "Zetta. Apparently he's trapped in the form of a book, says he's an overlord. He is pretty powerful, but mostly just annoying." Just as if he was commenting on the weather.

"No one explained things to you yet?"

[firewalled]

"That's... pretty weird. You are aware that's an extremely un-normal thing to just mention right off the bat, right?" Sorry, but Rich comes from a fairly average world. There's no such thing as evil overlord books where he's from!

"Um... they explained the basics? We're all trapped on a train, can't get off, don't have a choice about leaving. Nothing about magic books or whatever the hell."

Granted, they might have been focused on making sure he didn't pass out.

[light_of_willpower]

"Very little about this train is 'normal', considering all of us are from different worlds." Trunks responded with a shrug. As if it was all normal. "Basically yes, we're all trapped here on the train, kidnapped essentially. We're all from different worlds, too, so what might be normal in your world isn't necessarily normal in others. Including people. We have Della, who's a duck for example. Rarer in my world, but not unheard of, but new to most people apparently."