Dream Station TDM

[dreamstationmods]

You dozed off. Or passed out. Or perhaps you were experiencing a more... permanent 'sleep'. Whatever the case, your eyes were shut and now they're not as you awaken sitting on a train. Around you, others in similar situations. At your feet sits luggage. It has a name tag on it with your name. Inside are some of your clothes and small personal belongings.

Out the window you see that the train is rolling into a sration. Cherry blossoms line the track leading up to it. A beautiful, scenic town lay beyond those gates.

Welcome to Dream Station.



Home Sweet Home:

As the train rumbles into the station and stops you step out onto a platform. A perfectly normal looking station, all things considered. There are people waiting. Guides here to help the latest batch of residents. People who live in this world. Either due to being born here or having been brought here sometime before and agreeing to help newcomers.

The guides explain to you the situation you are in. You otherworlders are common here in the city of Dream. Your guide reassures you that it's fine. They have accommodation for newcomers. And you are brought to the Sleep Tight Apartments. While outside it looks a little small, it's actually quite expansive inside. Must be magic of some kind.

Your apartment will be a one bedroom with a kitchen, living area and bathroom. But don't worry. There will be ways to expand later.

For now you are given a cellphone with an app installed on it for the local social media, Sleepr. As well as a Nightmare Tracker that will alert you when Nightmares crop up. And finally a little banking app where you will find you already have an account that has a decent amount of money for you to spend for the month. Don't worry about rent or bills. That's all covered in return for you helping with those Nightmares.

If you refuse to help... well. Best find your own accommodation and a job, friend. They can't help anyone unwilling to help in return.

There's a lot of new faces so maybe you should get to know your neighbors or get a walk around your new neighborhood.


This Is A Beach Episode:

The Dream Beach is open for business! Come lay out a towel and get some sun. Or go splash in the waves! Seashells are a plenty and there are designated fishing spots. Just don't swim too far out.

Hungry? Thirsty? The boardwalk has plenty of delicious options from icecream to fries to ice cold lemonade.

For those seeking something fun to do, there are paddle and pedal boats available for rent. And some diving to see the beautiful coral reefs. As well as a boat that will take you on a little trip out to an island resort!


The Resort:

I mean, you're basically all on vacation from your regular lives already in the wonderful world of Dream! That said, who doesn't love to spend a little time with their feet up in a nice resort?

Come out and stay in an ocean front room with complimentary continental breakfast and free room service. There are lots of little souvenir shops to check out, run by some bipedal frogs? They don't accept money here. But they'll glady trade their wares for any seashells collected on the beach. Lots of fun tropical themed goodies and swim gear galore!

For the adventurous sort, there is plenty to explore including a forest with hiking trails and a supposedly haunted cave. Legend says some tourists got lost in there and never came back out. They were looking for a treasure apparently. But... maybe don't follow their example and get lost in there?


The Nightmare Fuel:

So remember you were told about Nightmares? Seems they're cropping up throughout the city. Some are taking the form of shadowy crabs about four feet tall that are stealing from people and carrying them off in their little crabby claws. Give them a beat down or just trick them into dropping their stolen goods.

Others look like reverse mermaids. Fishy heads atop human legs. These ones are causing problems for the local restaurants and shops by slipping on in and stinking up the place. You can fight them if you want, but they'll be just as easily dispersed by herding them to the beach where they will return to the waters. They don't seem very threatening, just confused.

However while those two aren't very dangerous, there are some very aggressive bipedal seacreatures with the heads of crocodiles and some very sharp claws that have taken to lurking around the island out in the woods. These ones won't leave peacefully. You'll have to fight them or run away from them. Watch out they don't catch you. Those teeth and claws aren't just for show!

Comments

[jedi_scrapper]

Fortunately Webmind did not have to tell Cal. Doubly fortunately the small droid managed to somehow not trip anyone. How was anyone's guess.

The guides were kind and very helpful for some things, but they didn't have the answers to questions on how or why people ended up on the train.

Cal gave a sort of half sigh to Webmind. As much as he wanted to know, talking to these people also had him a little more at ease. (Hey, no one had shot at him yet, it felt like a record with how the past few years had gone.) "Well, I saw a couple things around I want to look at a bit closer, see if I can pick up the history on them a little?"

It wouldn't be much probably, but maybe something the guides hadn't noticed might come up this way?

[iamnotgod]

Webmind had had his own set of questions, and while the guides were quite pleasant they were still very much not secretly digital beings, and he got the impression he had overwhelmed them a little.

Oh well; he did his best to make apologies before he, Cal, and the rescued BD moved on.

(If BD ever wanted to, he was welcome to rest atop Webmind's own frame's chassis. More views from on high!)

"Picking up history - is this an ability, or something more like cold reading?"

He had heard of that trick, though at least by this point Webmind had had a few eventful months to get used to the idea of more unusual methods being normal on other worlds, as opposed to just in fiction.

[jedi_scrapper]

Cal looked back to Webmind and gave a small smile. Given that the Empire wasn't exactly here hunting Jedi, he saw no reason not to be open. (Because, of course, wearing a lightsaber on his belt was the epitome of subtlety.) "An ability. I pick up sorts of echoes in the Force when I touch objects, always have."

BD made a whistle that seemed to be a confirmation, and possibly more of a description. The little droid had seen him react to the visions enough times.

[iamnotgod]

Webmind altered his expression to one notably more intrigued.

"Does it work on living beings as well?"

Or, more importantly,

"Which objects did you have in mind to start with?"

[jedi_scrapper]

Cal shook his head. "But it makes sense, living beings change and provide their own voices? I know there were Jedi who could pick up overall emotions or talk amongst themselves, but I never really got training in that."

He paused, considering that a moment. "Some objects seem to kind of draw me? I guess the best way to put it is the echoes around them are louder than elsewhere. There was a bench we passed getting off the train, then a lamp post just outside. A couple other things like that."

[iamnotgod]

Webmind nodded once, to show he understood.

"... Does the train itself show any echoes for you?"

Or perhaps it counted as a living being; he could more easily imagine that possibility than he could have a few months ago.

[jedi_scrapper]

Given that he was already headed for the bench, it didn't take much to direct some focus up at the train itself. "I suppose it's possible, I'd have to try to know for sure. But, no none that are drawing me the way those places are."

[iamnotgod]

"That is alright."

They'd work with what they had.

"Let's see what's significant about this bench, then."

[jedi_scrapper]

"Sounds good." Cal said, pausing in front of the bench.

With an exhale he put a hand on it, swaying for a moment as he closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes he shook his head. "Well. It's not bad exactly, but it's not exactly encouraging for getting back home. Someone stopped by here a lot, trying to figure out how to leave, or if anyone they knew would show up. But... they weren't hurt or distressed, if anything I think they were happier the last time they visited than the first."

[iamnotgod]

Webmind's expression was much more neutral as Cal delved into the echoes - the Force - and he let the man say his piece before starting his reaction.

"So no harm came upon them here? Or no greater harm."

Which was better than the other extreme.

"That is one experience. Shall we find if any differ?"

[jedi_scrapper]

"Yeah, I think so." Somehow Cal was both disappointed and relieved by what he had seen so far. He seemed a bit less warm, but also less tense already than he had been on the train.

"So where are you from anyway?" Cal didn't note that he'd never seen another Droid of Webmind's model before. Look, he was curious but not rude. BD might have noted it as an aside in chirps though, and Cal shook his head fondly at the small droid, heading for the next echo that drew him.

[iamnotgod]

"I'm from Earth - an Earth," Webmind modified.

"But this frame is courtesy of the Voidtrecker Express, the train I was previously on. My mind, if you'll excuse the pun, is normally contained in a much more distributed fashion than what you see here."

He kept pace with them, smiling at BD in particular at his chirping.

[jedi_scrapper]

"I'm not familiar with any Earths, you, BD?" The beeping in response to that was a clear negative. "Where about was the one you're from?"

"So the chassis is from this other train? I guess that's why I haven't seen the model before." Did Cal just miss part of that explanation? Yes. Give him time. He'll probably catch it eventually. Probably.

BD was distracted too, hopping down to go check out the trees and other plants around the station.

[iamnotgod]

"I suspect 'the Sol System' won't be that much more of a specific answer," Webmind replied.

"But from what I've come to understand in the past few months, more exact stellar coordinates won't be of more help."

Which was a shame, but not all that large of one in the grand scheme of things.

"If you happen to be from a world where systems are known by numbers, I confess I would be surprised."

BD's not going to have that much of a chance to explore widely, at least not until they all know the area better.

[jedi_scrapper]

"Oh we use names mostly. I just don't know either of those. I suppose it isn't really possible to know the whole Galaxy."

BD paused in scanning the nearby tree to make a sound that was between confused and offended.

"Yes, that includes you, BD."

The exact response to that was unclear but earned a chuckle and head shake from Cal as he paused in front of the lamp that had drawn him. "I've lived on a few different worlds. Mostly I've been traveling. The Empire spreading doesn't exactly let me settle in one place. I admit I kind of like exploring though. So does BD, if that isn't obvious."

[iamnotgod]

"Even being digital doesn't guarantee that. It is to our benefit not to inherently know everything," he remarked.

"And it's better to enjoy exploring than feel merely obligated to it."

He fell silent, gesturing for Cal to once again take the lead.

"... If it helps, I do believe I know which Empire you mean."

[jedi_scrapper]

"I'm not sure it's encouraging that 'which Empire' implies that there is more than one out there," Cal said, smirking slightly as amusement made it into his voice. Look, the fact that it also made it sound like Webmind had never encountered them actually was a bit encouraging.

[iamnotgod]

"I could also say I know of Empires that are not terrible, but I both have none to name that I am well acquainted with and it would not be very funny."

His voice remained level.

"While on the Earth I call home, there are many governments with different kinds of rule, the ones that title themselves 'Empires' do not fare the best overall."

Even Rome did fall, though at least the Romans weren't spacebound.

[jedi_scrapper]

"And I wouldn't believe it until I saw one either. Not after the one I've seen. But I know we'll stop them. " He said that firmly. "I don't know how or when, but we will. We have to." Which is why he had to make it home. To help.

He shook his head, focusing his attention back on the lamp. "Guess I should check more about here, not rant about home."

[iamnotgod]

... Okay, Webmind did have things to say to that, but none of them felt right to say.

That, and he was fairly sure he lacked more exact temporal context on Cal's part; no sense giving him inaccurate information and thus falsify hope.

"One thing at a time tends to work best," he agreed, thinking ruefully of how he'd learned that the hard way.

"BD, would you like to sit on me for a moment?" He offered a hand, though he would not be offended if the little bot declined.

[jedi_scrapper]

While Cal closed his eyes, focusing on the Force Echoes, BD paused in scanning and went over to the offered hand. He looked like nothing so much as a puppy investigating a stranger's offered hand for the first time. Curious, happy, but also just a bit shy. They shyness only lasted a fraction of a second, though, as the little exploration droid had more curiosity than sense, and Webmind hadn't even shown any sign of being dangerous.

And within moments Bd had scampered up, giving an appreciative whistle.

Cal opened his eyes, expression amused. "A couple arranged a meeting here and argued over where to go eat, It got heated, but not actually serious." He shook his head.

It both was and wasn't as much information as the bench. If couples were meeting and arguing about food choices, this place was definitely seeming.. mostly safe. Aside from the Nightmares the guides had mentioned, he supposed. He'd probably find an Echo involving those sooner or later though.

[iamnotgod]

Webmind's expression looked thoughtful, even bemused, as Cal explained.

Letting BD come up and explore his current frame, he said, "That sounds like a scene that could happen in any city."

It was not a con, but its context was too limited to be a pro, in his opinion.

"Are there any other Echo locations in this station, or will we start exploring further to find them now?" he inquired.

Perhaps getting their bearings could be combined with getting any further arrangements... well, arranged. Both in terms of living situation and otherwise.

[jedi_scrapper]

"Those are the only ones that called me, there are probably more, but I think exploring further would probably help more more than just digging for Echoes here."

BD chirped an affirmative, bouncing from one foot to the other on the top of Webmind's frame, more than ready to find more places to explore and plants to scan.

[iamnotgod]

Webmind held up his phone.

"I have no problems with this plan. Also, if you happen to get any readings from any devices that look like this, please let me know; I may be able to help retrieve information, in those cases."

There really did seem to be something for everyone, here.

[jedi_scrapper]

Cal looked at the comm link that Webmind held up, or the locals had called it a cellphone when distributing them? "Works for me."

He considered the surroundings as he walked, not just the Echoes but the people. He might not be able to pick up anyone's specific emotions. But a general sense that things were not bad. There was some worry with strange things happening regularly, but no sense of dread.

"This place almost seems like a paradise," he said quietly after a bit, shaking his head. Look, he did not exactly have reason to trust a paradise.