voidtreckernet | Council Meeting #2 and #3

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Council Meeting #2 and #3

[Like the last one, this is intended to be face to face. This format is easier with multiple people talking at once like a meeting. The starters are topics of discussion, but please add starters if your character wants something else discussed too.

Both of these meetings are set up the same way- Tony has refreshments set up in the dining carriage and he makes an announcement earlier in the day to let the council members know it's going to happen and when and then a second one to say it's happening and get your rear over to the dining carriage.]

[Meeting on Basoon 27]

[Treats are pumpkin cookies with icing and lattes.]

[Meeting on Catfish 2]

[Treats are apple fritters that may or may not have been made out of the apple he got as a prize for the red team winning. Chia tea is also served.]

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[ Having been returned to the luggage compartment of the train along with Arataka Reigen the day before, Curufin responds to the invitation by turning up at the dining carriage. He gets himself a cup of coffee and then shares the following. ]

Yesterday I had the honor of meeting the inspectors and of accompanying them and Arataka Reigen to an office at some unspecified location, where Reigen filled out the paperwork to file a complaint with the Ministry of Void Travel. The grounds of the complaint was that none of the passengers have ever been asked for their consent. When we left that drab little white-walled office, we found ourselves back on the train. [ The word honor is said with sarcasm. ]

I did not acquire any more information during this little expedition than I had already garnered from the interaction in Cabin 2:A. When the inspectors were demanding our tickets and trying to get me to put my weapons down, they let us know that they are representatives of a mighty bureaucracy that spans the multiverse. They said that they were carrying out the inspection because an anomaly had been recorded, and that it was highly unusual. When Reigen objected that we are not the anomaly, the inspectors asserted that we are ALL an anomaly! But they said also, and I quote, "If you believe you have been kidnapped, coerced or press-ganged into service on this transport, you may come with us and file a report and your case will be looked into. The Ministry takes allegations of trafficking using Void transport seriously, and all cases are dealt with robustly."

They also mentioned an article of Interdimensional Law, Section 300, Subsection J, which limited the time they could hold passengers or crew outside their vessel. Lucky for us, then!

Reigen asked them if they had many transports to inspect, and were there many traveling groups in the Void, and the inspectors answered that they did not have the exact figures, but yes, there are many. Reigen also asked if all the Void transports were in the habit of going to other worlds to solve problems, and the inspectors replied that not all of them do, though many worlds that have achieved Void travel do use it for emergency work on other worlds. But Void transport may be used for private or commercial travel, interdimensional marketing, or tourism.

[ Smile. ] As you can see, it was mostly Reigen who thought to ask the intelligent questions. I merely accused the inspectors of being pirates or human traffickers themselves and having the intention of stealing passengers off the transports and never returning them.

Anyway, they did return us. And if they are to be believed, the situation we are placed in is far more complex than I had thought. I was imagining that the VoidTrecker Express was a one-of-a-kind phenomenon, faring through the Void on a mission of mercy that was good in itself, though not so good for anybody who has a life to get back to and is justifiably outraged by this kidnapping thing. But it seems this transport exists in a framework or a wide-flung network of criss-crossing Void roads or paths, and it is overseen by an interdimensional authority that is tasked with making sure regulations are followed. And the existence of these regulations, the inspectors, and the Ministry implies a government established by some sort of union of worlds. [ He makes a face. ] I really liked my picture better.

But, if the inspectors are not fakes, then the good news is, our case might actually be investigated, and if the VoidTrecker authorities are found to be in violation of the law, then those of you who wish to return home might actually get to go. And I'm thinking that in the future, the VoidTrecker might have to recruit people by asking their permission and explaining to them exactly what the mission is all about, and telling them what the length of service will be.

That's about all I have to say, unless anybody has any questions.

Edited 2019-11-06 19:10 (UTC)

I don't have much to add to that. [He's mostly just happy his son is back and in one piece.] Three things about the Inspectors themselves and one about the strange phenomenon that coincided with their appearance. [This is just the most recent crazy thing Curufin has done. Not the first. Certainly, to his father's perpetual heart-attack, not the last. Fëanor still wants to strangle Reigen. He won't but the urge is strong.]

First, I was quite surprised by how detailed information they had on every one of us. It is less surprising now that we know there's actual organized effort being all of this. Yet, to know for example my exact age they needed not only to have access to records of my world but have enough knowledge about it to factor in the correct count and difference in calendars. [And to take into account that all the years that passed from his death shouldn't technically be added to his age. They needed to know the very fact that he was dead.]

Second, when I have told them [Bless, Gwen, that girl is a living miracle. He wouldn't have been talking with them if not for her.] that I'd prefer to give my consent to any Void travel before it begins the Inspectors dropped a name: Void Travel Agency, as I understood it the organizer of this whole endeavor. The exact wording was "That is something you would have to take up with your Void Travel Agency." My Void Travel Agency. Meaning there is more than one.

The third thing is more of an observation as I don't have anything to support that other than my own perception of what happened. [There's a trace of irritation in his voice as he says that.] They might be versed in some sort of [He makes a pause to collect himself before he almost spits the words.] mind control. They tried to suppress me when I wasn't complying, in their opinion, with the inspection. It wasn't anything specific they did. Just a feeling. [It was enough to almost make him blow up.]

The phenomenon I mentioned is that most of us experienced different rates of discomfort. [What a roundabout way to say dread and horror.] The message we received through ICPs after the Inspectors have left stated it was due to, as it said, Void particles. Not connected to the Inspectors themselves but the fact they had to enter the train while still in Void. I am for once inclined to believe it might be true. There was one feature of this whole event that stands out for me. The singing. I heard it very clear. I know that at least Maglor heard it too. After everything ended and calmed down I realized that I have heard it before. In a situation that had nothing to do with the Inspectors. I was just passing from one carriage to the other and there I heard it. Very faint but it's there.

[Yes, he now wants to study the Void. Try and stop him.]

Very curious.

[This would take a bit for Tony to process, but it was a great start.]

I heard that others had been aware of voices or singing too. I was only aware of the emotional manipulation.

[He then recalled something the inspectors said in his room too.]

They mentioned that we were supposed to have agreed to this kind of work but we might have had some kind of Void-sickness and no longer remember agreeing to this. I wonder if it isn't the same situation when people leave and come back also not remembering anything.

I heard the singing.

The inspectors told you the passengers were supposed to have agreed but might have no memory of this? But if we forgot it due to Void-sickness, then why wouldn't we have forgotten other important things? And wouldn't we have some sort of symptoms of that sickness? I felt fine when I boarded the train, and so did everybody who boarded at the same time as I did. I find the inspectors' reasoning a little suspicious.

Even if people leaving and coming back find they've forgotten being here at all, that could be due to some sort of deliberate memory-tampering on the part of the train authorities.

Yes, that's what they told us. I, too, found it questionable. I would normally agree that there should be some kind of lingering effect, but there are at least three individuals on board who have been in a situation similar to this- like taken to a world outside of other worlds and weren't given any explanation or means to get home, but one of them had clear gaps in his memory. The other scenario is Evie's departure and return on the same platform. She's from a later point in her world's time than the one we previously met and has no memory of being here. While her example alone could mean she's simply from a different universe and is only a version of the same Evie that left, it's not wise to dismiss it with the other incidents. Not to mention that anyone who does vanish even temporarily has no recollection of the time in between being asked to speak with the conductor and waking up in a suitcase. So we know memory manipulation is a phenomenon here.

I'm not certain this is relevant either, not everyone who arrives here is well. Though two of us, Jessie and myself, it was a pre-existing condition. I'm not sure what the hell happened to that Uldren fellow.

[Someone please get this guy to stop rambling. Finding some kind of logic to this situation was quite literally driving him a little crazy.]

Very strange, the situation of those who have left and returned with no memory of their previous stay here. I have seen that happen a few times in the worlds I inhabited before I came here, so just as you do, I suspect that there may be different versions of the same person existing in different universes. But the memory loss that goes along with a temporary vanishing, I have experienced that myself. I can't remember anything between exiting the Void Travel office and finding myself in the luggage car. So I must agree with you, there is some memory manipulation going on here.

I wouldn't discount the state of health of a passenger in that matter of memory loss, however. Though I don't have the experience to make a judgement.

[ lol, Curufin won't stop Tony from rambling. He's in the habit of learning from anything anybody says, ever. The chance to pick up a new idea or perspective is useful to him, so he won't try to discourage Tony. ]

[Of course Reigen is going to show up to meetings if invited, talking in front of people is one thing he feels like he's good at! Putting down the pumpkin cookie he was scarfing down while Curufin spoke, he clears his throat to interject.]

Curufin basically covered what happened while we were over there. I wrote down as many of our names as possible on the paperwork: the more people loudly complaining, the harder to ignore it, right? I also think those guys were telepaths or magic users: whether it's their own power or something their boss gave them is another story.

[He shrugs.] Anyway, we were both chatting with Eva-san after we got back, and we managed to get a couple ideas on what the factor that makes us an anomaly could be. We know now that traveling to different worlds and stuff is normal for the whole void government thing, and crisis handling is a thing too. But what if... we're an anomaly because we've been changing the future?

[Reigen deliberately lets that question hang in the air before continuing. Hey, he has to be dramatic when people are listening to him.] Does anyone remember back at the fortress on that goblin world? Some prophet or whoever was talking about how the village had burned down and all the children were dead. But that never happened, we got those kids out! So maybe we're altering how things are supposed to go! It makes sense!

We still don't know what our conductor's deal is and why we were never given this supposed training, of course, but personally, I think Curufin and I made a huge breakthrough. No need to thank us.

[ Curufin smiles and nods, as Reigen contributes his story. ]

This whole adventure wouldn't be possible if there wasn't something very strange going on -- a train that travels through the Void between universes and teleports people on and off of the worlds we visit. If this scenario is possible in the first place, I could believe that it might be possible to alter the future of any of these worlds, and that somehow our presence makes this possible. If so, maybe the Department of Void Travel Inspection is getting worried for fear of what we might change.

And yes, Reigen, I think we did make a breakthrough! [ He offers a high-five. ]

Well I do thank you both. This was a very valiant, stupid, and helpful mission. So thank you and don't ever do that to us again.

[This has given him a ton to think about, particularly that they are creating the anomaly.]

In a way we did have training though. Before you and Curufin both arrived, we were sent to a world that was designated a 'training' world. We didn't really get the point- myself included in that- and simply enjoyed the time off the train. It's where all the healing and antidote potions are from.

[ Curufin smiles. ] You're welcome. I agree with all your descriptors.

[ Curufin thought the anomaly was nonsense when the inspectors brought it up, but after talking with Reigen and Eva, he thinks the idea of altering the future might be exactly what is happening. That gives him a lot to think about, too. ]

You went to a training world? I see. That way, the VoidTrecker authorities can claim they met the requirements for taking on recruits. Hmmm.

Yes well..

Curufin, now that you're home safe, would you please go tell your father I had nothing to do with this? He's been looking half-ready to kick my ass since you left.

Yes, I'll tell my father it was my idea to go with Reigen, and that you had absolutely nothing to do with it. He won't be kicking anybody's ass, except possibly mine.

Edited 2019-12-17 14:59 (UTC)

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Council Meeting #2 and #3

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wrap?

Yes, wrap!