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

[mtsilver_conquor]

"I'm guessing a network is something like a contact list, then?"

She shakes her head. "No, it's an artificial pokemon called a porygon2. It's basically a robotic AI I had custom-built."

[subcircuits]

He snorts derisively, covering his mouth a second later as he realizes how rude that was. "Not... quite. The network is..." He pauses. He's never had to describe the network before, because everyone's part of the network where he comes from. "It's a wireless web that connects everyone; it's the software-self of the entire World Government community. It's--" He physically grasps in the air like he's trying to summon a suitable descriptor for his network, but eventually just drops his hand. Anti-climatically, he finishes, "It's very important."

The words 'robotic AI' make his eyes light right up though. "You have a companion drone!"

[mtsilver_conquor]

"I get you," Eva says, face distant for a second for the rest of what he said catches up and-

her brain snags on 'He didn't blink at the fact I had it built'. Eva.exe has stoped working. Please reboot.

"Technically," Eva says after a bit. "It's actually a part of my business's security system back on Alola, well. Was. Here it's been pretty well gutted. If you want, I can show it off?"

Said as she unhooks Lele's premierball holds up the tennisball sized object. "And - seeing something on your Network doesn't mean accessing it, right?"

[subcircuits]

"My functions feel pretty well gutted here too," Devero says ruefully, "so I sympathize with it."

He's definitely looking on eagerly as she holds up a ball. He is, of course, uncomprehending of what that ball represents, assuming that it's the drone itself. He does look back up to her, giving his head a quick shake. "Of course not. I wouldn't go prying into someone else's system, that's rude as hell."

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Well, I'm going to allow you to see Lele on that network, so..." Maybe a little less gutted, there, at least.

She angles the 'ball up into the air, then taps the central button, and not even a second later, yellow light shoots several feet up into the air, where it bursts into an equally yellow cloud with yellow sparkles. It doesn't last long, as a very neon green -though somewhat dented- custom made porygon2 soon materialises in the air. Where it stays.

"Lele: Hover: My lap." Eva says and down the duck-like thing comes to 'rest' on her lap.

Devero might notice Lele's network ID is set to display as 'BT Glowstick Tree Monstrosity'.

[subcircuits]

Whatever Devero's expecting, it's not the lightshow, and it's definitely not a floating duck-looking thing the color of a safety vest. He's probably seen custom companion drones just as weird where he comes from, though, so that part only throws him for a moment. (He'll have to come back to the ball and the lightshow.)

Sure enough, there's a signal popping up to his hardware-self's senses. His gaze slides away from woman and pokemon, fingers moving slightly to bring up his sysmap. Lele's network ID is one dot on an overlay that's usually crowded with systems-- but one dot in the field is better than nothing.

--And he can't help but snigger at what that network ID actually says. "No mistaking it with an ID like that, huh?"

He leans into the aisle to peer at Lele. "Hey there," he says, and then peers up at her. "Is it reactive or just synced to you?"

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Satoru keeps trying to change it to 'BT Security Systems' at least once a week," she grumps, though there's no real bite to it. Yet the reminder of the weekly 'spat' over the network ID has a wistful look cross her face.

Legends but she misses him something chronic, and once this is all over, or he shows up, she's going to give him the biggest hug ever. The 'maybe trying to break a spine' kind.

Lele bobs its entire body in a 'hello'.

"Huh? Oh, it's aware of the surroundings though various sensors, but it only follows orders from me, if that's what you mean."

[subcircuits]

"Well that doesn't sound like any fun," Devero says with a crooked smirk. He's about to ask who Satoru is, but he sees the expression on her face and modifies his question. "Someone from where you come from...?"

That's not exactly what he means, but it's close enough to give him his answer. He nods. "It's very charming. Is it actually programmed for security work, or is it just a companion for you?"

[mtsilver_conquor]

"My boyfriend; I swear on the gods, as soon as he arrives, I'm making him my fiancé."

And she means it so much. The last, gods, almost nine months now, have proven just how much she misses him.

Still, Eva grins and focuses on the question. "Thanks! And, uh, both? Like, it was programmed to help run the security systems, but it does have human eyes helping it that task -or did?-, especially given I didn't opt-in for the self-learning stuff outside what's already capable of. That said, it's still a porygon2, so if I nee dit to battle, it can... Though I'm thinking I should get one of the learning programs."

[subcircuits]

"Then I hope he arrives soon," Devero says with a smile. He means that, too, if in a 'polite stranger' kind of way.

He nods along, following what she's saying without any issue until-- wait, what was that. "Battle? That thing's got offensive capabilities?" What.

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Thanks. I hope so too. Eventually."

Though, knowing Satoru like she did, she's pretty certain he'd show up at the worst possible time with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face. Or just call himself fashionably late and then proceed to bitch out the train limited him to one pokemon.

"Yeah...? Though it doesn't have any actual experience outside what I've had it do here. I can show you Lele's stats if you want?"

[subcircuits]

"Oh! You mean like in a game, right?" Obviously that's what she means, it would be ridiculous for her to mean anything else!! Devero's got it figured out for sure.

sorry for the slow :(

[mtsilver_conquor]

"No- Roro-" She's barly called for the phone before it's snatched out of the air, Eva flicking through photos and videos before she settles on a clip. Well. More a fast-paced gif.

It shows Princess as he races in, up against something much larger and bull-like, though that clearly doesn't deter the clefairy. The pokemon's eyes briefly glow a pale pink as the three-tailed bull is pinned in place, unable to move or even dodge as Princess rears back and lets loose with a sparkling icy breath that dusts the creature with ice.

"This is a battle. It's as safe as can be, of course, and pokemon do require it- think of it as exercise."

no worries!

[subcircuits]

Devero watches, and what he sees is something that looks like game footage. Very realistic game footage, something from a real hi-spec VR game, maybe-- or from a movie, something with a big budget. If she had showed him this without context, he would have filed that away mentally as fiction and moved on.

But he does have context.

He looks uncertainly from the clip up to her. "Those are both creatures from your world? Pokemon...?"

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Yep, just two of over a thousand recognised species." The official count, anyway.

"The bull belongs to my boyfriend and the pink thing to me," Eva says with a slight smirk. "This was one of our more recent battles, actually; a show one in Alola. He ended up winning."

There's a small pout at that. She was so close and then a Critical Hit happened!

[subcircuits]

"And it doesn't... hurt them?" He knows she just said it's safe as can be, but it's hard for him to wrap his head around that when they look like they're, well, fighting.

[mtsilver_conquor]

She could lie, but...

"I'd be lying if I said no. But," she holds up a hand. "The average pokemon can shrug off things that would otherwise kill a human, and it's all down to their biology."

[subcircuits]

He makes a face, but he also makes an effort not to be a judgmental prick about it. "Well, you know the creatures from your world much better than me. If you say it's safe..." He trails off and shrugs. "I'll have to take your word for it."