horseshoe 22, voice

[blitzcheer]

Okay, so, favour. Last time before the storm we got one of those info briefs, it was about the voidsickness, right? And it said it gave it to us because a bunch of us asked.

Can people take a minute to ask on the feedback option for info telling us why we get called to the conductor, and why those people end up getting to leave. See if it works? It put the stupid clocks up for polling, so...

[ There's a muttering here before an exhale. ]

That's it. If anyone wants something else asked about a bunch, share it I guess.

Comments

[so_dark_a_road]

Early one morning in the month of Bassoon, about a year ago by my time sense, we were awakened by the train announcing that the Ministry Inspectors had boarded the train, and that we should all have our tickets ready to present to them. We all experienced a feeling of foreboding, and our cabin doors were suddenly locked. In all the carriages, we heard a sound kind of like choral singing, but it also sounded like crying. Maybe that was a sound from the Void as the Inspectors breached our transport. Reigen and Renee and Jessie and I heard the stomping of metallic boots outside in the passageway, and then the Inspectors came in, two of them. I pulled out my goblin sword and dagger and asked them what they wanted. They told us that an anomaly had been recorded -- whatever the hell that meant! -- and that we must show them our tickets. I asked them what they meant by an anomaly, and they didn't give me any information, just said that we passengers were all an anomaly. Reigen argued that it was the train that was an anomaly, not us, since none of us had been asked for our permission before being taken aboard. The Inspectors demanded that I drop my weapons and threatened to take action if I didn't. I eventually did, because I didn't want to get my roommates killed. They took my ticket and read off my stats, and they did the same with my roomies' tickets. They also said to Reigen, "If you believe you have been kidnapped, coerced or press ganged into service onto this transport you may come with us to 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." Reigen said he'd go, but he wanted to take his advisor, me. They agreed, and we went with them.

They never asked us any questions, and they managed not to answer ours. They never gave us any contact information.

As I said, I don't remember the journey to that dingy little white-walled Ministry office, nor the journey back to the train. There was nothing but a desk and some forms to fill out. Reigen dealt with the forms, and then we were returned to the train via the Luggage Carriage. We were only gone for a day, apparently.

[blitzcheer]

[ okay

okay, maybe he took that all in?? Did he? Tidus hopes he did. It takes him a second to say anything, but... ]

Okay... [ Let's just repeat that a lot, inward and out. ] So all the doors locked -- but they could get into rooms, but you couldn't get out? And they haven't been heard from since except for that time they sent a message out to everyone in the void. And the train instantly tried to block that.

[ That's their timeline with the ministry so far, it sounds like. He wonders why the ministry hasn't been in contact with them since, but - that has to be because of the train, right? ]

No one else went? That you know about? Just you and this Reigen guy?

[so_dark_a_road]

[ It's a lot to process! ]

Exactly. The inspectors could cause all our doors to lock, and we couldn't get out, but they could get in. And no, we haven't heard a word from them since then, except for that peculiar Ministry APB that named the Voidtrecker as a possible criminal enterprise and advised all Void transports to be on the lookout for us.

[ Maybe the Voidtrecker is clever enough to avoid the Ministry? (Pun intended.) ]

As far as I know, nobody else went with the inspectors. Just me and Reigen. I didn't want him to go alone, so that's why I went along. I'm thinking that if the Inspectors had taken anybody else, we'd all have met in that little office.

[blitzcheer]

[ Tidus is quiet as he thinks. ...but that doesn't really last long, since he's not really great at it, and he just gets annoyed as he does. ]

Ugh. Didn't they take you people seriously? This is so stupid. [ He huffs- ] There wasn't anything about reaching anyone on that planet we went that screwed with our memories either! What are we missin'?

[ ughhhhh stupid void space place thing-! ]

[so_dark_a_road]

Hard to tell whether the Ministry took us seriously or not. Even if they did, they are sure taking their time about investigating.

Oh, you mean the memory share?

[ Very strange, the properties of the Void. If the Void is actually responsible for any of these odd events. ]

[blitzcheer]

Uh- yeah, the place that happened. Jema'grethy. The train said that void missionaries take breaks there, but I didn't find anything like... you know - anything where you could reach anyone.

I've never taken a holiday on another planet before, but you'd think there'd be some kind of building or info for emergencies. [ Like... a hotel would! ]

[so_dark_a_road]

Hmm. That's a little suspicious, a Void missionary resort with no Void communications facilities?

[ Scratches his head. ]

[blitzcheer]

Right! Doesn't anyone in the void expect nothing to happen when they end up somewhere?

No one's heard of emergency contact in the void, that's for sure.

[ Bahhh. ]