middleofsomewhere | Event: Healing Waters

"Good morning passengers, it is day twenty three of the month of Grasshopper. All passengers of the Voidtrecker Express require rest. Next stop Jema’grethy Island. All passengers prepare to disembark."

It is a very strange morning message that rings through the train on the morning of day twenty three but as the passengers of the Voidtrecker Express wake their screens glow with the colour of the void and a holographic screen pops up for them to read.

World #2554098133741: A world once inhabited by an ancient civilisation and now preserved as a historical site, nature reserve and well-being retreat. It is famous for its relaxing hot springs, calming atmosphere and beautiful beaches.

It is a popular void-traveller destination, particularly among void missionaries as a place to rest and recuperate after difficult missions.

The Voidtrecker Express will spend three days here, arriving today and leaving on day twenty six of the month of Grasshopper. The dressing carriage is open for your convenience.

It is time for a holiday it seems!

Preparation

For those who go to explore the dressing carriage they will find a variety of beachwear and wetsuits. One cupboard has a pile of tents and groundsheets in all four team colours.

One cabinet is exclusively filled with beach towels, in a kaleidoscope of colours, designs and patterns. Another is filled with different shapes and sizes of plain towel dressing gowns. There is even a cabinet with buckets, spades and small rock-pooling nets.

It seems they are in for quite an adventure.

Arrival

"Shortly arriving on World #2554098133741. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

The train lurches and rattles as it leaves the void they will get a glimpse of silver-purple sky and a beautiful ocean below.

However some passengers might be a little more than distracted, one staring at that table for a second too long, another seeming lost in thought for a couple of seconds, a longer than normal pause in a sentence. They see a vision, a glimpse of a life that is not their own. Not all at once, but here and there as the train descends to the island.

But then it is gone and things are back to normal. Just in time, as they come to land.

Jema’grethy Island

The train has landed on a grassy ridge, overlooking a beautiful beach of white sand and the ocean beyond. It is warm, but not too hot, a cool ocean breeze cutting through the heat making it pleasant. Behind them is a grassy plain, changing to forest in the distance. There is the sound of birdsong in the purple sky. To the west the land is more craggy, the silhouette of a fortress in the distance. In a word, it is idylic. A sense of peace permeates the island.

A little more worrying is the volcano-like structure in the north. But even a quick glance will show it is not a typical volcano. There is no smoke and the liquid slowly running down it in rivulets is pink and blue.

Exploring the passengers will find beautiful beaches, ragged cliffs to walk and caves to explore. Where it is more craggy the beaches are made of pebbles- perfect for rock pooling.

The place has no people, but it is clearly maintained. The eastern beaches have racks of shallow boats, both canoes and one- or two-person sailing dinghies. There is also a small building in which scuba gear is stored, along with several waterproofed manuals and instructional literature.

Ruins of ancient houses are scattered across the island, but the main settlement is built into a rocky section in the north-west that has been secured with ropes and stairways cut into the cliffs, perfect for scrambles and hikes.

There are no living quarters, but there are sheltered sections with basic toilet facilities marked as camping grounds in five different sections of the island - by the hot springs, within the ruined fortress, beside the harbour, on the eastern beaches, and on the northern face of the mountain.

Hot Springs

To the west are the hot springs. They have both outdoor and indoor areas; the indoor areas being wooden loghouse saunas, changing rooms and storage sheds, whilst the outdoor areas are a tiered series of pools spilling down the side of the mountain and shaded by brightly flowering trees. The waters are hot, mineral-rich and soothing.

Perfect for overly stressed, world weary Void heroes...

(OOC: More setting information is here, please feel free to go wild with the setting and have a fun and relaxing time. You can use this post as a catch all for your holiday or make your own posts on

middleofsomewhere. More information about how the memory event is structured is here!)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The distance didn't particularly surprise her. Either it was personal choice, understandable caution, or... just wanting to enjoy the luxury of getting to be so far away from a person. Wasn't much chance for it, otherwise. Her nod was amiable enough.

"Didn't know how cold it'd get, so..." she shrugged. Got a look at his tools, in the light. "Not bad. You used to living outdoors?"

"Also a valid point, this is an unknown climate."

Senku smiled, pleased, because he always appreciated people's observational skills. "Ten billion points to you." He quipped, as was his nature when people impressed him.

"Yes, you could say that about the world I'm from, although we aren't outside as much anymore, but just because I've evolved past the skills required to make these, doesn't mean I forgot how to do it, and since I arrived with absolutely nothing, I thought I'd take the opportunity. You never know when you need a knife. It's probably the most useful thing I could have."

She huffed an almost-laugh at the hyperbole.

"Back to school?" It was almost rhetorical, and she listened to him more seriously after getting that amusement out of the way. "Guess so. Ever think of teaching that sort of thing?"

The question about school had him laughing in surprised delight. He supposed he still looked young enough to be a student, didn't he? Had everything not shaken down, he most assuredly would've been one.

"Nah, we don't have that anymore." He waved his hand. "Well. Not entirely. There is a school now, but I'm not a student. Or the teacher. I'm too busy, but it's getting people to learn how to read and write."

Senku hummed at that and tilted his head. "Interested? I don't mind. I teach people scientific principles all day long every time we work on a project, or they come up with a question or something. Knowledge is meant to be for everyone."

"Knowledge is for everyone, huh...? That's one of our big problems, I guess," she murmured, turning back to look at the fire. "We're from so many different places, no one's on the same page. Pretty sure there are people who can't read or write here, either. Or make a fire."

"It would seem to me like something maybe that could be worked on, if people were willing to learn, although unless you want to learn to read or write Japanese, English or Russian, I might not be the best candidate for teaching. Depends on the person's language I'd guess." Senku hummed a little bit.

"Fire's a lot more universal, and with a bow drill, anyone can do it. It doesn't require any force, or particular dexterity, that's what the drill does. Humans throughout history, have been great at inventing tools to let them get around the fact we're not stronger than a lot of animals, or are we built in with claws or sharp teeth. Science has always been the equalizer between the strong and the weak, everyone can use it."

[ continued here! ]

Event: Healing Waters

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