Deep Dweller: Start

[voidtreckermods]

After the dreams some of the voidtreckers report on day Four of Grasshopper those that have been on the train for a little while will be expecting what comes the next day. Their SCA's glow with the colour of the void and a holographic image will appear.

Preparations and Arrival

As promised the dressing carriage is opened for optional extras. There are flight suits, similar to those they wore into space but without the helmets. There are instead hard hats and some basic climbing gear as well as bags to put supplies in. There are even a few red tents if any of those planning on tackling red's mission want to grab one, they hold six people in two inner compartments and are relatively easy to put up and take down.

They have a few hours of preparation before the announcement comes. Soon approaching system #789327772. Planet Terra. Drop order: Orange, Red, Blue, Purple. Orange to doors. Leaving the void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. A sharp jerk, a judder and the view from the window changes from the void to dark cloudy skies and very red sand.

They land smoothly, and indeed it seems they have landed on train tracks. A few moments later they pull up outside a huge metal and glass building.

Orange Team

Arrival

Jumping down from the train they will find themselves outside large metal gates. Noticable is the spotlights that shine even in the day time, reflecting oddly off the red sand. It is hot and dry outside, a slight breeze sending red dust rolling around their feet.

The gates aren't locked. There is no lock though they will notice devices that are probably security cameras. The doors are glass and inside is light and airy. They enter into a large lobby, a large circular desk in the centre and a glass walled waiting room to the side.

It is empty. No people at all. All the lights are on. Time to explore.

Exploration

Going up two floors and down five the lab is large and full of all manner of interesting things. Scientific equipment, monitoring stations measuring chemical levels in the air, temperature, water levels. Where to even start is a good question. The lights remain on, which might be annoying at night.

Red Team

Arrivals

Red team to doors. The train continues travelling along the train tracks, looking out the windows they will see endless rolling red sand. Factories rising up from the ground, dotted across the landscape. As the train gets close the air outside seems hazier, through the fumes. They may even see in the distance, strange silver floating orbs.

Eventually it pulls up at a station. Just a raised block really, but easy enough for red team to disembark.

The land stretches out around them. Train tracks criss cross the surface but apart from that there don't seem to be any boundaries. No fences, roads or sign posts.

It won't take them long to find the first orbs, strange silvery spheres and seem almost liquid, until they are not.

Night Time

It grows dark quickly after sunset here, which might take them by surprise. Taking them more by surprise however may be the scraping, scuttling noises in the dark. Skittering close. There is no light out here on the surface, they are far away from the research facility that Orange found themselves in.

If anyone manages to catch a glimpse they will see grey, long limmbed creatures. They shy away from light but anyone in the dark is likely to be attacked. They fight with claws and teeth.

When the sun rises they are gone.

Blue Team

Arrival

Blue team to doors. The train continues across the landscape, passing more orbs, just floating there silently. It stops at the entrance of a cave.

The cave slopes downwards into darkness and soon turns into small tunnels. They don't need to go far when they meet the first ground of Gry. A group of young Gry, practising with spears in an wider section of cave.

Despite being very surprised at the sudden visitors no weapons are pointed at the voidtreckers, instead they are met with curiosity. They are soon led further into the tunnels and soon come to the living areas.

The Gry lead simple lives but they are all pretty fascinated to see their visitors and will allow them to look around their home and answer any questions they have.

Night Time

Most of the Gry sleep in a large communal sleeping area and the Voidtreckers are welcome to join them, though the Gry won't be insulted if they choose to seek out a more private area.

If the Voidtreckers awake in fear in the night, after strange dreams they will find they are not alone. Many of the Gry have awoken too and will reassure the Voidtreckers, tell them it is an honour to communicate with The Burrower.

Purple

Arrival

Purple team to doors. The train continues on the tracks and soon enters a tunnel itself. It's a bit of a bumpy trip, this train was clearly not made for warren systems but after some uneasy twists and turns they pull to a stop.

They are at a train station, not that it's easy to see because it is pitch black. But it is clear there are people around, some looking very confused at the very odd train.

Once the last of those going on the mission leave the train it speeds off into the darkness.

The Terran's are large and tower over most of the voidtreckers but they are friendly enough, if a little confused, once it is explained that they are here to help. They will be led over towards the collapsed section of city.

There is a lot of activity. People digging at rubble, others using their sheer size and strength to hold up beams. There is an array of rescue equipment and a group of official-looking Terran's holding large devices that are comparable to a tablet-computer and discussing solutions.

There is plenty to do to help, smaller rubble to clear, injured people to tend to. Worried Terran's to calm and reassure. Those brave enough can volunteer to use their smaller size to help get supplies through to those trapped and those with any scientific know how, great strength or magic can put their skills to good use.

Rest Time

Throughout the day people are rescued and other parts of the tunnels stabilised. There is more work to be done but the Terran's seem to be working in shifts and they will encourage their surprise allies to rest as well. They will offer to host them.

They live in large groups and will happily invite the voidtreckers into their homes. They will be curious about the voidtreckers but will also answer questions. Telling them about the strange storm and the collapse of the tunnels. They are urged to sleep early and the next day it will be back to work.

(OOC: Information is here)

Comments

Xue Yang || Red Team || OTA

[xue_yang]

Departure

Xue Yang hangs back as most of red team disembarks. The fact that he is even allowed on this mission surprises him. But he has spent his time in solitary, mostly meditating, and so his punishment is apparently satisfied. Although physically fine his mental state is one still to be questioned. He stares at the open door, wondering if the others would even notice if he was simply left behind.

Orbs

Once he has been basically physically pushed out of the train and onto the landing, he found himself with the rest of the team by the orbs. He is fascinated by the strange material it seems to be made out of, pressing his hand into it.

"Any ideas on how exactly to get rid of something like this?"

Dark

Xue Yang has no weapon and no physical way of attacking these creatures. And so he hangs back, watching them as if attempting to figure out exactly how the best way to defeat them might be. Offering suggestions to any team member that gets close enough to hear him but mostly he just hangs back to keep out of the way. He can't exactly fight back against something with teeth and claws.

departure

[enthunder]

"Stage fright?"

Lightning has, grudgingly, thrown on one of the suits, covered by a wool shawl, and she's already looking like she regrets it as the hot, dusty air fills the train. She taps him on the shoulder, in case he doesn't realise it's him she's addressing, and then jerks her chin towards the doors. "You're with me... unless you've made other plans."

It wasn't like she'd avoided him after he'd woken up, but honestly, she'd just not seen the point in approaching him beyond an acknowledgement now and then as she moved around Medical. Probably should've, now she thinks about it, but. Too late now. She raises an eyebrow in challenge, and then hops down onto the Terran soil.

[xue_yang]

Apparently at least one would notice. Of course he knows that Lightning is one of the ones that first assisted with recovery. And so perhaps he shouldn't be surprised that she is making sure he goes along with her. Is this a way to keep an eye on him? But he doesn't think about it too much as he exits the train after her.

He was useful during the last mission and perhaps she is recognizing that fact beyond just wanting to make sure he can handle himself after his ordeal.

"I've made no plans. Even now I prefer to do things as the will strikes me." Not that his will is particularly strong right now.

[enthunder]

Personal responsibility is a terrible thing, really. Both of his assumptions are correct, and she nods approval without much thinking about it when he hops down beside her.

"Hope your will's ready to investigate some weird shit," she murmurs, squinting out into the desert to where the orbs hang, glinting in the sunlight. "I don't have a weapon for you this time. Piccolo vaporised 'em all."

[xue_yang]

"I'm not surprised. Apologies for the loss of your sword." Not that he regrets what he did with it..but that is besides the point. "I'll find a way to make due without. I figured out how to deal with the crabs when I was unarmed." And that was just fun.

He looks towards the orbs, not thinking those are going to be nearly as enjoyable as blinding crabs had been. "I think weird shit is the only kind of stuff the train really knows."

[enthunder]

"Losing 'em all is a real pain." It's a frequent gripe. Does she blame him for it? Partially. Is that gonna spontaneously generate a pile of swords for them? Not a chance. The whole thing's a mess and she's staying clear of it. "Guess we find some tools, or break apart some of these machines."

The brief has them on 'investigation', but. Yeah right. She'll believe that when she gets back on the train in a week after a boring holiday in this wasteland. She huffs grudging agreement at his comment. "Ten points says we don't make it to the third day before something freaky attacks us."

Departure

[blitzcheer]

"You on some other stop?"

Since their conversation, Tidus has been more begrudgingly accepting of Xue Yang's presence in his own cabin, though rarely in it himself and not making conversation again for much to be assumed. He doesn't agree with anything that happened surrounding that, and so this is the first time since he's spoken up to him.

But here he is now, two bags over a single shoulder, stuffed, one in purple and one red for the tent gear, not going for the weird space clothes but keeping to the standard train wear.

[xue_yang]

"Merely contemplating if anyone really wants me around. Not everyone is going to be so accepting of a murderer walking among them." Even though he had always been a murderer. And that fact really didn't change. But now people knew it and the murder occurred on their precious train. So now he is practically a public figure when he prefers to stay towards the shadows.

[blitzcheer]

"They let you out, didn't they?" Well, the council, unless Xue Yang was now just free to go wherever and Tidus missed the memo his slap on the wrist was over. Probably. "The least you can do is help the rest of us out on these missions. What good's telling you to stay back gonna do?"

Or that's how Tidus saw it, and didn't really 'mind' that the guy was here now. Beat leaving him in the quiet coach being useless. Unless Xue Yang was worried more for his own life, which wasn't crossing Tidus's mind.

[xue_yang]

Xue Yang had very little regard for his own life at this point. Perhaps even less now then he ever did. But they did let him out and so he might as well attempt to be a useful member. It might be what he needs to fix whatever is broken inside.

"Then I guess the only option is to go." He steps off onto the platform.

[blitzcheer]

...bah. Was the guy like this before? Tidus wonders, joining him with a small hop on his first step, as if being cautious about whatever level of drop onto the platform. He knows he's going to regret the hoodie he's wearing, but he'll deal with that later.

"Well? You wanna go straight and check out the spheres-- guess those are 'em," he says with a nod in the direction where the spread of the silvery orbs can be spotted nearby.

"Not a lot else around."

Dark

[stillnewatthis]

"I will keep you safe!"

A click and a whistle presage the force projector Orisa had fired striking the ground near him. A hemispherical shield formed, curving around and above him, as the robot strode forward.

"Stay near me and behind my shield!"

[xue_yang]

Keep him safe...faced with the fact he is helpless against these creatures and needs to be protected is a little frustrating. But there isn't much he can do to change that.

But he listens because..what choice does he have? Better to live through this battle and see how he can better serve the next. He stares at the robot in curiosity, having not ever encountered anything quite like it before.

"Have you been able to take any of them down yet?"

[stillnewatthis]

"I believe I have injured one. As with most creatures, the head appears most vulnerable."

Orisa had not yet made the correlation between light, eyes, and injury; her combat analysis had heuristically extended battle logic to these creatures. In some ways, this was lucky, because she did on occasion land a shot directly to the eyes; in others, less so, because she wasn't yet targeting them on purpose.

[xue_yang]

"That would make sense, though that makes for a very small target." Not usually a problem for him who is rather adept at having a small window to work with. His aim with a sword has always been true. But he is unarmed now so basically little more then a pest on a battlefield.

"Perhaps we should consider why they only came out at night."

[stillnewatthis]

"As they seem to be predators, their prey is likely also either nocturnal or vulnerable," Orisa said. Logical enough, albeit perhaps not quite as applicable to their current situation as straightforward reasoning would have it be.

orbs

[knifewithnoname]

"I do no be having no idea." She wrinkled her nose, "It do be looking weird."

She's not sure they can fight them. She's not sure they can be fought honestly. How to you fight a silver ball?

"Did you ever be seeing anything like it?"

[xue_yang]

"I have not.." He pulls his hand back out of it and looks to see if any of the orb is even still on it. But there isn't.

"It's a very strange constancy. I don't think it can just be cut into pieces and destroyed."

[knifewithnoname]

"I did no never be seeing anything like it either?" She wrinkles her nose at his hand, as if waiting for it to fall off or shrivel up.

Neither happens and so she gets brave, poking the orb with her dagger slowly, the dagger slid in a little way but then it got harder to move, as if she were trying to cut into a very large fruit. She brought the dagger out again, not wanting it to be stuck.

[xue_yang]

"I wonder if we could blow them up from the inside." Light something on fire, shove it in and step back. Wait to see what happens. Worst case the pieces fly everywhere and make a mess..perhaps reassemble. Best case, the pieces fly everywhere and the thing is done.

[knifewithnoname]

"That do be being a good idea."

It was a terrible idea. But it was an idea and it was more than she had so she nodded. "Do you be having anything that will be exploding?"

» dark

[kabe]

Having switched teams for the sake of a lover was something new to Yuna, and it didn't help that she had gotten a nice rhythm working with others in her original team. Thankfully she was there at the right moment when she noticed Xue Yang without a weapon. While she had been wearing her suit originally, she managed to switch to her gunner dress sphere and was swinging around with two guns hot from bullets she had just fired off.

"Here, catch!", she managed to say before tossing one of the guns to the man. She didn't have the ability to really defend him, but she did want to help.

[xue_yang]

He caught the gun and stared at it. He has never touched one of these before but he knows their application thanks to the previous mission. He wonders how useful they are against the creatures and it is going to take him some getting used to using it.

Xue Yang never expected someone to give him a weapon but he will certainly take advantage of that luck. "Have these been effective against them?"

[kabe]

"During the last mission I was able to shoot down the crabs with ease, right now it appears to be working but I'm not sure how effective it is against them.", she said, holding her own gun straight forward and shooting at the creature before them.

"We can try it out, if not I have other tricks up my sleeve.", she says, taking a look back at Xue Yang. The only downside of her other dresspheres is that they only had one weapon to work with (with the exception of her Thief one).

[xue_yang]

He watches out she uses it and then lifts it up, mimicking the motion and watching it to see where he might have to aim it. He lets out a single shot which ends up slightly off target but gives him an idea of hos the weapon works. He small smirk twitches the corner of his lips as he watches for his next opportunity.

"I've been told that if you aim for the head it will at least slow them down."