Event: Abort! Part One

[voidtreckermods]

Until now there has been one mission in every month. The practice in Apple and since then one for each month. So for those that have been on the train for a while they will be extremely surprised when on the twenty fifth day of the month of Egret their SCA’s glow gold and a hologram appears. Another mission.

Strange or not preparations need to be made, the voidtreckers are needed, strange timing or not.

Preperations

As promised the dressing room is open once again and there is a collection of leggings, shirts and tunics. All are in bold, differing shades of team colours and are made of sturdy material. There are a couple of cloaks, like those they wore in the goblin world they look medieval in style but will keep rain off as well as a modern raincoat.

As usual they have about an hour of preparation time, to gather supplies, get changed and help those who need more help disguising themselves to do so.

Arrival

”We are now approaching world#27462947582. Warning: Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four,” Hopefully even those who are new know to hold on or sit down by now. ”Three, two, one.” A jolt and a lurch and the void from outside the windows disappears to show green grass and a blue sky.

The Voidtrecker Express has landed in a small dip between two hills. Tall enough to mostly hide it and once everyone who wishes to disembarks it vanishes.

The voidtreckers, on climbing the hill, will find they are inside the city walls, just. Here it is mostly farmland still but as they move towards the centre there are more houses and things become more crowded and bustling. The city is big enough that an influx of strangers doesn’t turn many heads.

Their SCA has a map, red team’s has a marker for the northern gate, purple’s show the position of guard posts. Orange and Blue’s shows the main gates that lead out into the kingdom beyond.

Red Team

Getting to the northern gate doesn’t take all that much time and they are let out without much fuss, though fair warnings about the monsters out there. It is clear that though this city is nominally guarded and walled, it has been a long time since there has been war here and people can come and go as they wish.

The desert is, much as can be expected. It is more a scrub land rather than rolling dunes of sand but the land is cracked and dry. They have to move at least an hour away from the city before they come across any monsters at all.

When they do they are strange almost-boar looking creatures. They are vicious and will attack on sight, charging with huge tusks and teeth that are far too sharp to belong to a natural creature. They are clearly intelligent, even if they don’t seem to have language. But they never come across more than five at once and there doesn’t seem to be any movement of them towards the city.

Purple Team

The guard posts are only have a few guards there at any one time. Though questioning any of them the voidtreckers will learn that there are other guards in the city, ready to come to the defence of the walls if the alarm is ever sounded. Those on the walls are there to keep watch.

It might take a little bit of persuading but there isn’t a huge problem with purple team being allowed up onto the walls. As long as they don’t seem to be causing or bringing trouble.

The surrounding countryside is clear. To the north is the desert but to the east, west and south there are rolling hills of green. The kingdom that this city is part of.

For them it is a few hours of tedium and anticipation. Watching the landscape, waiting for a threat. The other soldiers are curious enough that they could be coaxed into conversation or a game of dice.

Blue Team and Orange Team

It is very difficult to convince a city full of people who have not known danger in a long time that they have to pack up and leave.

There are difficult shop keepers, confused farmers, worried parents.

Some are able to be ready quickly and so can follow the Blue team out of the southern gates. It might take more than one group, with a few blue team going with each one. The kingdom isn’t particularly dangerous but who knows when that may change. Keeping everyone together and moving will be the challenge here.

For Orange team there are plenty of logistical problems to get stuck into. Animals need moving, people need help packing or wrangling small children. Older people need help finding carts to ride.

Not to mention the very stubborn ones who will take a lot of persuading. Those who were on the goblin world have had practice in this already of course, and hopefully have tips to share.

(OOC: Information about this event is here)

Comments

[pleple]

"But even we're fuzzy on exact details this time. It fits my act, but not my, ah, personality." Acting on incomplete information was difficult, when you weren't in your element to begin with.

[shutupnail]

"I know, it's frustrating not knowing what's the problem here. What kind of disaster should we even be looking for? Is it the monsters mentioned or some other invading force?" He shook his head in emphasize of said frustration.

[pleple]

"How do we fight or avoid it, in that case?" It seemed like a case of avoiding. "How dangerous is it really?"

[shutupnail]

"Exactly. Damn good questions. All we know is the train thinks it's dangerous enough to evacuate the people instead of initiate a siege. And is that really the case?"

[pleple]

"Our own judgment doesn't matter..." Which might be the correct decision. They don't know terribly well what the danger is.

[shutupnail]

"In reality, our own judgement is all we have. It's not like the train is giving us enough information ahead of time to make a plan--but when things start to get serious, it will be us who have to know whether we can handle it or not." Or, you know, the train could take that decision out of their hands, too, when it came. But Piccolo doesn't know that yet.

[pleple]

"We're not exactly choosing our assignments, on the other hand. Which is fine with me." She's not actually used to using her own judgment all that much. "But... you're correct in that regard."

[shutupnail]

"Knowing this group, it would probably be impossible for them to come to agreement on which assignment to take anyway, or be too late by the time they did. Best this way even if it is frustrating." Him? Make fun of other people? Eh, he calls it like he sees it.

[pleple]

Ple Two let out a short laugh. "You get it. Even if we just let the council vote I'm sure we'd find deadlocks."

[shutupnail]

"Undoubtedly. I can probably name one." And he wasn't the most social person on the train. In fact, upon reflection Piccolo wasn't certain he actually knew any of the supposed council members. That sort of thing just wasn't his purview. His skills were the type best left to the battlefield.

A topic change was in order. "What gave you the idea to go with divination to convince the locals to evacuate anyway? Do you believe in such things?" Piccolo didn't sound like he was skeptical or making fun of such notions, just curious. In his own world there were people who used fortunetelling to predict the future; some with more success than others. A few passengers of the train had mentioned dreams and visions of such things before this, too. Piccolo was curious what Ple Two thought of that.

[pleple]

"Seeing the future... not quite." But it wasn't impossible either, certainly, not here. "I have... some would call it a power or ability. Flashes of split-second insight and reaction to the intent of others the moment they act." Poorly studied and understood, alas. "With proper equipment, my brainwaves are powerful enough to control computers from afar."

She hums thoughtfully. "I suppose divination could be possible, but I'm simply trying to use what is closest to my abilities."

[shutupnail]

Well that actually explained a few things. Namely, the firefights they had shared in the last mission out in space. Ple Two had been able to read his moves almost before he made them. Now he understood it wasn't an innate ki sensing ability but more like psychic reading. He grunted at that and smirked wryly in amusement at making the connection. "Useful in a battle. I see why you're an exceptional pilot." He sounded sincere. An ability was an ability, and such were useful tools. He could accept it as a strength of her warrior prowess. It wasn't cheating if it was your ability to hone and conduct into a useful skill.

His nod led out of the expression and back to the conversation at hand. "I see. Such abilities--or something similar in any case--are rare in my world but aren't complete fiction either. I had wondered if such was the case with yours as well. Seems I was right. You do have it."

[pleple]

An adaptation of humanity to space - maybe. Possibly a common random mutation that may have a future, or may die out. It was difficult to say.

"Some have theorized that it could lead to a revolution in the ability for humans to understand one another, but so far... it's mostly been used for war, yes." Ple Two nodded. "And I use it as I need it."

She cocked her head. "Some Newtype abilities do vary a bit too."

[shutupnail]

"You would think that's what would happen," Piccolo mused with a wry tone. People still tended to fight one another though. Maybe it could be different if more people had the ability. Would it lead them to understand each other better? Or just resent other more bitterly? He didn't know. He didn't really like to read other people's minds. People tended not to like it, too.

"Used for war... I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. If only the warriors can use it effectively... then they'd be the hardest to defeat. Predicting the future, time skipping... that's hard to fight against."

[pleple]

Humans were good at war. The only real hope was for enough of humanity to develop to tip the scales. "Some feel that the entirety of humanity needs to move to space. Who knows if I'll ever find out." Whether or not she'll go home.

"I'm certainly quite good at using it. The weapons that use our talents are very effective as well, but I don't have that here." Mostly because giant robots don't... fit on the train.

[shutupnail]

"Why do they think that?" Piccolo's own world had it's conflicts, sure, but he didn't know the majority of it. Or how it effected the world as a whole. He wasn't the guardian of the planet anymore after all.

"I noticed. You did well out in space. Was that mission...was any of the stuff there similar to your old world then?"

[pleple]

"If we all develop empathic abilities from living in space... maybe we'll finally feel one-another's suffering long enough to stop killing each other." But that seemed like a pipe dream. "I'm just a soldier though. And space combat... is apparently space combat, no matter where you go or how they build the weapons."

[shutupnail]

Piccolo had to wonder what space had to do with developing telepathic abilities but decided not to comment on it. Different worlds, different rules.

"Combat, in essence, is combat. Even if you use weapons there are always rules of engagement." Even if Piccolo preferred it stayed as martial arts combat.

[pleple]

Come back when anyone in Gundam can figure that out. Warning: they never figure it out.

"I'm far more used to space combat than fighting... goblins with a sword, or whatnot."

[shutupnail]

"Hmm. You mean you're used to combating with spacecraft and guns rather than physical combat up close?" Piccolo questioned her. In his mind, the strategies were what overlapped even if the techniques used could vary. But if she felt less capable in melee combat there was something he could do about that.

[pleple]

"Absolutely. We do use humanoid vehicles capable of some measure of... punching each other, and using 'beam sabers', short range condensed energy weapons. I specialize in certain kinds of remote weapons, though..." Which she hasn't had any of at all here, dammit.

[shutupnail]

"Ah." Piccolo couldn't help with the remote weapon sort of thing. But he still wanted to help. "Well, if it would make you feel better to know more about fighting without those sorts of weapons, I could teach you a few things about martial arts to enhance your physical combat."

He figured she was already pretty capable, but more training never hurt anyone. He spent most of his time doing that.

[pleple]

"Always need to brush up..." It won't help them fight natural disasters, though.