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

[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."

[firewalled]

"...Well, that's... weird," Rich responds. "I mean, I guess it's a good thing, but how can they take someone from one time and drop them back without time passing?"

[10billionpercent]

"That's an interesting question! Unfortunately I don't have much of a theory on that, unless you don't believe time is linear perhaps, but actually it's harder because there's a whole unseen side of it. I don't even know if I'd remember what I did here when I went home, because I haven't been." Senku rambled, hopefully that was the kind of answer Rich wanted.

[firewalled]

"Um..." Yeah, that wasn't exactly the answer Rich wanted. Particularly because it was too confusing for him to make heads or tails out of.

"Wait, so, you were back home, sort of, but also weren't, because time moves different here? How did you go home and then come back here?"

[10billionpercent]

"Not to me. I arrived here when I did a few months go, but my friend who has come from the same world came from later in time. He had no idea I'd left at all." Senku explained.

"That means if we do leave, we must go back to when we came from."

[firewalled]

"This is... such bullshit." Rich mutters finally. He has seen time travel plots in movies, but he'd never really expected he'd have to live one himself. He rubs his head to fight off the mounting stress headache.

"Whatever. I guess I'll just figure out how to get off on my own. Thanks for the info, uh... Sorry, what's your name?"

[10billionpercent]

"I'd be very interested to hear what you come up with." Senku said truthfully.

"Ah, Ishigami Senku." He said, by way of introduction. "Senku's fine, that's what everyone calls me."

[firewalled]

"Rich Goranski. Just... Rich, please. I'm not much of a thinker, but I'll do what I can when I'm healed up."

He knows that he's probably going to get scolded if he tries to push himself too hard this first little while.

[10billionpercent]

"I'm a thinker, so maybe if you get an idea I'd enjoy chewing on it." He grinned.

He glanced him over at that and he nodded. "A lot of people are still healing up form the last mission, you'll fit right in."

[firewalled]

"That... really doesn't sound great either. Are people getting hurt on the regular here?"

What the hell is with this stupid place?

[10billionpercent]

"From what I know, I don't think so. The last mission was terrible but the one before that wasn't like that. I don't think there were really many people that got hurt at all. In this one our base camp was attacked." Senku explained.

[firewalled]

"That still could mean more dangerous missions are coming. If whatever we're fighting is attacking the base camp now..." Which, what are they supposed to be fighting, anyways? Rich doesn't have experience doing battle with anything except his inner demons. And maybe Japanese supercomputers.

[10billionpercent]

"That's a possibility, but I don't really know. I'm not sure anyone does." Senku commented, looking like he was considering that.

[firewalled]

"I guess... It's just something I thought people might be considering. I don't..." He hesitates. "I shouldn't get hurt any more than I have."

[10billionpercent]

"I'm sure they are, but I don't know that we actually know who attacked us this time." Senku mused.

"If you're not a fighter, there's usually other things to do. In this particular time while they were attacking the base camp, I was repairing a sabotaged control station."

[firewalled]

"It's not that I'm not a fighter, but I mean, normal human strength isn't much help, I don't think. Even with the training regimen I was on. Or, I guess I was supposed to just do PT now."

Sure, Rich is pretty buff, but that was before he went and tried to burn himself alive.

[10billionpercent]

"I don't know, all the fighters in my world are just normal humans with skills I don't have." Senku chuckled.

"You'll probably figure it out, but whatever missions they give you can pick the one you want to do."

[firewalled]

"Huh. I mean, I guess that means I could help, but I haven't had much experience actually fighting anyone 'sides a couple nerds. And supercomputers, but I lost to that."

He's more interested in the choice that he has here. "Huh? So I'm not gonna get in trouble if I don't stick with the team?"

[10billionpercent]

"Not at all. I just haven't found a reason to leave the orange team yet, personally." Senku hummed.

"Since I'm strictly a non-combatant, I'm looking for something I can do without those skills. From what I understand, just let the team leads know you're going with another team and go."

[firewalled]

"Oh... huh. Are the orange team mostly non-combative? Funny they put me on that one, but I guess I won't be much help otherwise..."

Even if he kind of wants to fight, just to prove that he can.

[10billionpercent]

"So far, that's what I've observed, but that's not necessarily true. Some people on the orange team have combat-oriented skills. I'm just not one of them." Senku explained.

"I suppose if all four missions were ever a combat mission, I'd have to think of a plan. I kind of accidentally walked into a combat situation on the last mission through bad luck too." He was considering better ways to protect himself. "And needed to be rescued."

[firewalled]

"Huh. There still must be a reason they divided us up like this. Unless it's just trying to balance teams..."

He's kind of wondering now if there's some sort of hint they can get about the missions from seeing what kind of people were pulled in to deal with it.

He winces at the mention of the bad luck Senku suffered. "That sounds rough. Maybe there's some simple fighting you can get taught, just in case that happens again?"

[10billionpercent]

"We haven't yet figured out how the teams are balanced." Senku answered with a bit of a shrug. "It's one of the lingering questions."

He hummed thoughtfully.

"If I had any strength or stamina to speak of, maybe. I did what I could, but it wasn't terribly helpful against giant lazer shooting robots." Senku didn't find his crossbow helpful against Tsukasa either. One more incident and he was going to think it was completely useless at this rate.

[firewalled]

"Seems like half the things I actually wanna know are unanswered questions," Rich grumbles, before the rest of what Senku has to say grabs his attention.

"Wait, you fought a giant robot?" Okay, maybe that's something Rich would have a little more knowledge about.