Domino Day 18 [Video]

[so_dark_a_road]

Good morning! As you probably already know by now, Eva Iden'no has departed from the VoidTrecker Express. She was a good team leader, a good friend, and a thoughtful train companion. I think we will all miss her. I know that I will.

But on to business matters. Tony Stark has asked me to replace her as Orange Team leader. I'd very much like to take on that responsibility, but I'd like to hear what the rest of Orange Team has to say about that. I'd be proud to be be your leader, but let me know what you think.

If by some chance Eva returns, as the departed sometimes do, I will give her back the team leader's job, if she wants it.

[ OOC: Passengers who are not on Orange Team are welcome to comment as well. ]

Comments

Video

[really_sketchy]

Hello. I am on the Orange Team and I know that I do not know you but if it's something you'd like to do... Well, then I'm sure you will do well.

I admit. I am not sure what the leaders do or what the teams are for.

[so_dark_a_road]

Hello, and welcome to Team Orange! Thanks for the vote of confidence. We haven't met, but my name is Curufin Fëanorion, which in simply means Curufin son of Fëanor. I've been on the train for five months, and I can tell you about the teams.

The train's purpose seems to be to go to the aid of groups of people who are in trouble in their worlds. We, the passengers, are the Void Warriors, the ones who do the rescuing and the fighting and give other kinds of aid. In order to do this, we are organized into four teams, Red Team, Blue Team, Purple Team, and Orange Team. When we drop out of the Void and into a world in trouble, each team has a designated task, which we learn before the drop. The train authorities decide the team assignments. The team leaders generally rally their teams before the event and get some sort of organization underway, and that sometimes means gathering supplies or deciding who does what. The leaders don't have absolute authority; they're more like facilitators and cheerleaders.

I've been on three missions, and each involved helping solve some serious problems. We don't stay long, though. We just do what we can, and by the time we leave, the people of each world are able to take over and finish the work.

If you have more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[really_sketchy]

Oh? Then the colors mean we have to stay with our teams?

[She still really doesn't understand but she's trying.]

Are you a good cheerleader? I don't know. I didn't go with the Orange Team on the last task. It wasn't something I thought I could help with. If teams are important then team leaders are important too. Right? [Naminé doesn't really understand government either. She gets a little uncertain when there are people telling others what to do. That has... never ended well for her.]

[Audio] + Action for 4B!

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Oh hey! That's her team here, isn't it?]

Well, I've only just gotten here, too; do we use each others' cabins to coordinate for missions or something?

[That explanation to Naminé was definitely helpful, as much as it echoes to her of what wizards do for the worlds...]

video;

[adropofsunlight]

I mean being asked by someone means they believe you can do the job right?

If that is the case I would see nothing wrong there.

[deductionrival]

You'd make an excellent leader, Curufin-han!

[He doesn't normally add the honorific, but he's trying to encourage the new leader.]

[so_dark_a_road]

I think the colors are just so that we can see each other a long way off. These missions involve some very dicey situations, and it's helpful to be able to keep track of each other. And no, we don't have to stay with our teams. For instance, if you look at the team assignments that are posted on the ICP and you realize you'd be better at some other task than the ones your teams are given, you can go with another team on mission day.

[ Social organization is always complicated! Even Curufin doesn't find it simple, and he's been at it two thousand years. ]

I hope I'm a good cheerleader. [ Smile. ] And even if I'm not, I'm good at other leadership tasks. I know you didn't go on the weather machine deactivation mission, or I'd have seen you in the ice labyrinth. It was good that you made your own decision about going or not going. Only you can really know what is right for you.

[ Another smile. ] I believe there's an ongoing debate in every culture I've ever been exposed to, including my own, as regards what leaders are actually for. Giving orders is the least important part, no matter what anybody says. And not all leaders actually give orders.

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Yes! Nita's on Team Orange! ]

Welcome to the VoidTrecker Express!

Most of the coordination is done on the local internet connection here, which we access via the ICP devices in our cabins, in the passageways, and in each of the coaches. That allows us to talk together while being in different places. People can use their cabins to talk and plan further if they need to, of course.

[ An interesting parallel, though there aren't many magic-users on board the train. But the all the team members have their own skills, and often these are as useful as wizards' skills might be. ]

[so_dark_a_road]

I hope so! Tony seems to have confidence in me, or he would have asked someone else.

Thank you! I'll do my very best for Orange Team.

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Too true~]

It doesn't connect to any internet that's available on any of the worlds we end up on, does it?

It does make more sense to be able to access records, as well as meet up in person.

[so_dark_a_road]

Thank you, Heiji!

[ Curufin doesn't expect him to starts using the honorific, since he's just Curufin, but he gets that Heiji is doing it to be encouraging, and he's grateful. ]

Your vote of confidence means a lot to me.

[so_dark_a_road]

Nope. It only allows us to talk to each other while we're on the train, and it allows the train authorities to post messages and announcements to us.

But the train is obviously keeping track of us when we're not on it, because there is that other helpful device, the SCA on everyone's wristband. If you tap it three times during a mission, the train will teleport you out of that world and back onto the train. That does imply an electronic connection. But we can't use the SCA to talk to each other or to connect to the internet on any of those worlds we're sent to. And the ICP, as I mentioned, can only connect us to each other, and only while we're on the train. And it allows the train to talk to us.

[deductionrival]

We have a large enough team, shouldn't we have more than one person anyway? If Eva does come back, I think you should still be a lead.

[so_dark_a_road]

We'll see what happens if she comes back! I guess we'd have to talk to her about that and see what she thinks.

[ Heiji, you're such a nice guy! <3 ]

[unfavorableinstigation]

[If this were video, Curu could see her wry expression.]

Authorities, huh? Has anyone ever seen them, or are they all automated-sounding messages?

[The peridexis pokes her for that one: /Are you suggesting I am an automated-sounding message?/

'No! Not in the least.']

But we could make our own devices if we wanted, or gather them on the worlds we visit?

... And what's the train said so far?

audio

[kumoko]

[ a now-familiar Google voice: ] All hail Curufin. All hail Orange team.

[faithfulsupport]

I do believe congratulations are in order then.

[Someone is happy about this]

[really_sketchy]

You're right! Thank you. I've asked a few people about the colors and you're the first to give me an answer.

[She smiles.]

I think you are a good cheerleader and a good team leader and if you need help, the whole team is here to help you too. I don't know if my opinion matters. I have only been here for a little over a month but I think you'll make a great leader.

video:

[democratically]

I hadn't met her, but congratulations on the appointment.

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Curfuin throws up his arms in glee and chimes in. ] ALL HAIL ORANGE TEAM!!!!

[so_dark_a_road]

Thank you, Ignis!

[so_dark_a_road]

She was a wonderful team leader. I'll have to knock myself out to be half as good. But thanks for you good wishes!

[so_dark_a_road]

I think the colors were something of a mystery to all of us. But that's what makes sense to me.

[ He smiles back. ]

Thanks for your good will. I think it's actually the other way around. . . I'm here to help the team. Or better yet, we're here to help each other. But your opinion matters to me, even if you haven't been here long. I'll do my best to live up to your opinion.

[hashtagparkerluck]

Awesome! Congratulations!

My Aunt is on your team, please look out for her.

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Even if he can't see the wry expression, he can hear it in her voice. And he likes wry humor, so he laughs softly. ]

Nobody's ever seen the train authorities. They've got the locomotive's door sealed so tight that even my father with his fire powers could not blast it open. I was tempted to synthesize some dynamite and see if that would work. [ Grin. ] But probably that's not the best idea I've ever had.

You have a point there. Maybe we could make our own communications devices? Tony Stark has established a small workshop in one of the compartments of the Quiet Coach, and I know he sometimes works with electronics. Do you have modern technology skills, by any chance? I have a few, but mostly with mechanical and electrical devices, not so much with electronics or software. I wonder if we could collect them from any of the worlds we'll visit in the future? The ones we've visited so far seemed not to have modern devices. But maybe in the future, some world will have stores where we can simply buy them?

So far, the train has posted regular advisories when we're about to visit a platform and pick up new people, or when we're going to participate in a mission within a few days, and then again when we're about to drop out of Voidspace onto a world. It also posted to invite us to make suggestions, and it posts to explain the train and its features to newcomers, and it gives a list of passengers and our cabin assignments and our monthly work detail assignments. But it doesn't seem too keen on having actual conversations with us.