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

[subcircuits]

He's seen them! And they are lovely-- but won't tell him if it's one car or five to his next destination. This is a long train.

"Ah." Living with and working under some of the top scientific minds of his world as he does, that is absolutely a mindset he understands. "No luck asking the train to stop in the middle of void space so you can poke your head out the door?"

[iamnotgod]

"I do not believe anyone has asked precisely that before - but given its track record of responding to questions thus far, I doubt it would answer, let alone oblige. Either we are moving within the void, or we have stopped at a void platform or world and pulled out of the void."

Almost a binary, that.

[subcircuits]

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the Abduction Express doesn't like to answer questions," Devero grumbles. But then he shakes his head, dismissing the thought, and looks over at Webmind. "Where to next?"

[iamnotgod]

"That depends on what you've seen so far - have you been to your room yet?"

Saying 'assigned' seemed both redundant and an unfortunate addition of insult to injury given their previous line of conversation.

"We have passed by it, at this point, but it's simply a matter of by how much."

[subcircuits]

"I know which car it's in. I... poked my head in," he says, perhaps a little evasively. (He means he stomped in like a hurricane. It's a good thing no one was there when he did, to spare him the embarrassment of an awful first impression.)

"Reminds me, though-- I thought I heard someone say the car just before this one is new?"

[iamnotgod]

Devero is not the first person he's met who was distinctly unpleased with having arrived here; he'd get a pass even if Webmind had been around to see it.

"Yes - you may have noticed there was a Medical car much closer to the front of the train? The Luggage car is where we return when we use our SCAs to evacuate from any particular world - the mechanism is to press the screen thrice, quickly. Recent events have illustrated to us and the train that the placement of the first Medical car was not... sufficient, to put it one way."

Politely, in other words.

[subcircuits]

"You needed a triage unit that wasn't about three miles that way, you mean," he says, jerking a thumb in the direction of the front of the train. So much for polite.

"You mean this last mission I keep hearing about, don't you? When you say recent events."

[iamnotgod]

Webmind's next vocalization is a self-deprecating chuckle, courtesy of vocal snipping and smoothing. The humor does not last long, however, and his expression shifts to something more neutral as he continues:

"Yes, precisely. And the latest mission was I presume our worst in terms of casualties. Some injuries were near-fatal, though I was not present for the central fight and could not confirm the accuracy of those reports personally."

Though he does trust the people who told him.

"But yes, missions can, to use a vernacular, 'get real' even beyond our ability to prepare, though we are looking to make improvements as a community as soon as we can."

[subcircuits]

"Is that going to be part of what this big meeting is about? Improving operations to reduce the chances of something like that happening again?"

[iamnotgod]

"Yes."

Webmind gestures for them to start heading back up the train again.

"The meeting will be in the Music carriage, on the upper level - it has been used before for smaller meetings, and those have gone well, so the hope is that the attitude will spread. And that there will be fewer avenues from which we can be caught off guard while on a world, let alone on this train."

But 'fewer' may be hard enough to arrange.

[subcircuits]

Devero starts to walk, preceding the AI out of the supply car and into the-- apparently new-- triage car. (He makes sure to snap and label a pic for his map when he does.)

He blinks. "Sorry, but you lost me. Is the train going to-- land again, before the meeting's due to start?"

[iamnotgod]

Webmind shakes his head this time, clarifying,

"No - but the other consistent pattern of this train, aside from the first week of each month usually featuring the start of a mission, is that something will happen in the latter half of each month, whether it be an accident, interaction with the void ministry, or otherwise learning something else new about our situation, or how the voidtrain operates."

As one might expect, that can... change things. Or just provoke reactions.

[subcircuits]

Devero's brow furrows. "That's... a strange pattern," he remarks as they head toward the far end of the triage carriage.

"What the hell's the void ministry? --No, you said mentioned this before, didn't you? Something about agents of void travel?"

[iamnotgod]

"It does mean we have time to breathe, metaphorically speaking."

If only somewhat.

Webmind nods this time at Devero catching himself, briefly walking backwards to check on him.

"Precisely. Most of us have not encountered any of their agents, though we have managed to acquire some of their literature. Unfortunately, we have also since learned not only that they view this train as an anomaly, but that they seek to eliminate anomalies. They do not trust us or our craft, and if we encountered them now they would likely act accordingly."

Meaning they were in danger from both the ministry and the world-ending shadows, if to different extents...

[subcircuits]

"...I see," he says softly. "So it's not just-- whatever it was that destroyed that world that we have to worry about, is it?" He scrubs as his face as they progress through the car. "Any other enemies I ought to know about?" He mostly means that sardonically. Please don't tell him there are other enemies to worry about.

[iamnotgod]

"Those are the only two main troubles we face - apart from what we face on missions, but none of those threats are recurring, and regardless of who is on this train or the resources we're allotted, all missions have been successfully completed thus far."

So, somewhat positive? Somewhat simple?

Except, of course, for where it isn't.

[subcircuits]

"Well. At least there's that, I suppose." Devero would be more relieved by that information if everything wasn't still so bad. "Thank you for telling me all this," he adds. "I certainly appreciate the primer."

Wrapping soon, you think?

[iamnotgod]

"We all have to help each other however we can," Webmind states.

"While there is a general guide, it is an eternal work in progress - and when there is a nearly steady stream of people who leave each month, keeping track of who is available to do any given task can be a struggle."

Maybe not so much for him, but in general.

Yes, I think so

[subcircuits]

"Of course," Devero says with a nod. "How else will the community thrive?"

He huffs out a breath. "I'd ask if someone was maintaining a database, but I guess that's not as easy as it seems around here, is it?

"--Well, maybe not for you."

Fade out next tag, probably. Thank you for the thread!

[iamnotgod]

"We do have places to store data - one of our passengers set up a computer in Standard specifically for that - but I cannot say how frequently it is updated with confidence. Given regular presence of people in that car, however, I would presume chances are high."

And he hadn't even been the one to do it! Surprised?

No, thank you!

[subcircuits]

A little bit! "I'll look into it, then." He's got a lot of stuff to look into, now, but that's fine with him. The more he can learn about what's going on around here, the better equipped he'll be to do something about it.

He gestures towards the end of the car, and walking at Webmind's side, the tour continues...