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

Taiki | Red

[longforgottenpromise]

Preparation

The last mission had not been terrible, all things considered and though Taiki would never be happy about being in a situation where there might be violence or bloodshed, he was feeling a little more confident this time round.

Only slightly. He and Lord Gyousou had read through the mission brief earlier and after a little discussion, Lord Gyousou had figured they could go with red team this time. Investigating orbs. He looked at the things in the luggage room, picking up a harness and some rope. Even if they weren't going underground it might be a good thing to have.

He can also be found in the greenhouse kneeling next to a plant. The kouji had grown enough now that there were a number of seeds. He packed one, it might come in handy. After all last time they had had to light a beacon, it would have been useful then.

A shock: Disembarking

The world was strange, not like anywhere he had ever seen and the heat hit him when the doors opened. At Lord Gyousou's nod he stepped off the train onto the platform, he looked around, taking in his surroundings.

When all of a sudden his heart plunged into darkness. The light of the ouki vanished. One moment it was there, Lord Gyousou had been right behind him and a moment later it was gone. He was alone, the train doors were closing, the train was leaving and he sunk to the ground where he had been stood, for a moment just staring at nothing.

Orb poking

He follows the others numbly. He engages in conversation if spoken to but for the most part walks silently, head down.

His interest is piqued when they come to the first orb.

He looks at it with a slightly tilted head, wondering if it is safe to touch.

Night Time

He sticks near those he knows as they begin to settle for the evening. He isn't expecting the sun to set so quickly. He definitely isn't expecting the monsters.

Eyes wide he stumbles in the darkness, fear and horror gripping him as fighting starts around him.

disembarking

[blitzcheer]

"Taiki?"

Tidus's voice is faint, if it wouldn't already be for the state that Taiki's found himself in. He's farther along outside, idly taking in his surroundings, but waiting to see familiar faces too. One of those being Taiki, though Tidus doesn't catch him falling.

Only once he's crumbled in on himself, head hanging low.

Tidus jogs on over almost immediately, the fiddling he had been doing with his purple hoodie (did he want to keep it on in this weather? probably not) discarded to see to his friend. Calling out his approach before he's by his side, "Hey, Taiki! Did you trip? Need a hand?"

And he'll offer out a hand even, once he's there. There's no shame in tripping!

[longforgottenpromise]

For a moment there was no answer, Taiki didn't move or aknowledge his name being called. There's not much to feel outside the rising despair. But slowly he notices someone in front of him and a hand...

The hand is attacked to an arm, attacked to a person. Tidus... Taiki's eyes flickered up to look sadly at him and then dropped down again, as if the weight of it were too much.

[blitzcheer]

"Taiki?"

This isn't tripping over.

Tidus is patient in his waiting at first; perhaps confused an apter description than that. But Tidus knows by the face that somehow manages to look up at him that whatever's going on, it's wrong--extremely wrong. And as that head falls again, so does Tidus, coming down on one knee and then another, his hands resting on Taiki's shoulders.

"Taiki, what's wrong? What's happened?"

There's a hushed but slow urgency as he asks, not pressing in an answer, but wanting to know. Waiting on Taiki to speak, at least for a while.

[longforgottenpromise]

He leans into the hands on his shoulder, a drowning man grabbing an anchor in a storm. He takes a shuddering breath as tears spring to his eyes. Tidus is there and he is not his king. But he is his friend. Taiki doesn't have too many of those and each one is a precious thing indeed.

"He's gone." He whispered, his voice cracking as he spoke. As if saying the words outloud make them more true. His next breath turns into a sob, which catches in his throat.

[blitzcheer]

Has Tidus experienced too many losses in his here? Or--no, he couldn't have, not compared to those who have been here longer. But he's seen the loss in others dear to him, remembering the pain and the cries of another. Maybe it's for that reason that when Taiki struggles, when he sobs, that Tidus brings himself in, draws his hands to sit closer to his back.

Would this be what he does instinctively again for someone else? Even before the confusion that slips off from his tongue.

"Who..." And it's an honest confusion, until-- who else? Who else hasn't he seen yet out in the open with them, but at the same time, Tidus knows Saku was there. Just there, that king. His brow draws in and this hastened beating in his chest. Is that Taiki's worry, or Tidus's own?

"Saku--? Didn't he get out? I've got a band--I can go find him, once the train stops!"

Right? Taiki was just this worried because of how much the two meant to each other. Taiki didn't have to worry, not really.

[longforgottenpromise]

Taiki falls foward slightly, letting his head rest on Tidus' chest. Trying to focus on the arms on his back, on the touch of another person.

He wouldn't blame Tidus if he pushed him away, but he had reached out first and Taiki felt ever so lost right now.

He shook his head at the question, leaving his head tilted to the side slightly so his horn wasn't pressed against Tidus' hoodie. "He's gone." He whispered again. "I can't feel the ouki."

Night Time

[theturksway]

Reno was a pro when it came to fighting and he loved it. He genuinely, truly loved a good fight. Whether it was with another person or even with a lesser monster, Reno was having the time of his life if he was was winning in a contest of skill and violence.

Not everyone was so capable. Reno thought everyone on Red Team was a fighter of some sort but suddenly he caught sight of a fleeing teenager. Damnit. What the hell was the kid thinking?

A flash of lightning lit up the night as Reno dashed towards not a monster but the kid fleeing one. "Hey! The hell are you doing? Running away from everyone is going to get you killed!"

Possibly not the best way to chide the teen for getting lost in the dark but he didn't have time to give the whole 'you're going the wrong way and no one can protect you if you go in that direction, dumbass' speech. He grabbed Taiki by the arm and pulled him away from the claws of a grey monster as it skittered towards them as darkness fell around them.

Reno lit up the night with another burst of electricity more because he needed to see the monsters to defeat them than because he had figured out the trick to defeating them yet.

[longforgottenpromise]

The fight was raging around him and the only possible thing he could think of doing was getting as far out of the way as possible. Eventually there would be injuries, of voidtreckers or monsters and he needs to move before the smell of blood makes him unable to.

He stumbles and trips when he is pulled, mostly because he is pulled by the strength of someone expecting to have to move the weight of a teenager. In reality Taiki weighed as much as a small dog and so was pulled a lot quicker and further.

"Sorry..." His voice is a mere whisper, perhaps not even audible as he scrambled back to his feet and away from another monster that had lunged at him.

[theturksway]

Reno didn't so much as catch what Taiki said as just heard the weak response coming from the kid and huffed in annoyance. This kid wasn't doing either of them any favors with this kind of attitude. What was he even doing here? This was going to be a pain in the ass.

Despite these thoughts, Reno didn't give up on the kid and leave him. That wasn't in his nature. Once he was onto something he stuck with it. He could fool people into believing he didn't care and easily gave up on things outside of work but he couldn't fool himself and he had a tendency to go back to things he pretended to be sick and tired of trying repeatedly.

Reno pulled the kid and whipped Taiki back around to the other side of his own body, using much less force this time since he realized the teen weighed practically nothing, but still with enough strength to put him right where Reno wanted him. He shielded Taiki from the rest of the creatures coming up after the electricity disappeared. Reno wished he could see better in the dark but had to rely mostly on his hearing whenever his baton took the two seconds to recharge for another attack. Since he was mostly thinking about physical fighting instead of using the light to attack for the moment he didn't worry about turning on his flashlight since it would really only help with visualization (so he thought).

He pushed Taiki back as he stepped backwards, back towards the small encampment a few of the Reds had made instead of wandering off or finding burrows to hide in for the night--although now that seemed like a good idea for the future--and kept his senses on high alert as he waited for the next attack.

He didn't have to wait very long. He stopped pushing Taiki very suddenly and his hand left the kid as he brought it around to help him push back the creature that he blocked with his baton. It was ready for another burst of electricity and now that the creature was practically on top of it, Reno figured it was now or never. The blue-white electricity crackled over the creatures skin as it flowed outward from the baton. Reno was surprised that the monster had no reaction to the powerful energy spreading across its body. But when it suddenly jerked back and away he felt a momentary pang of relief.

He wasted no time he turning back to the kid and ushering him further away from the creatures hot on their trail.

[longforgottenpromise]

Taiki for his part doesn't fight being pulled and pushed around. He does his best to move where the man is silently telling him to. To stay out of the way, to listen to the surroundings, so that he can try and avoid the monsters as much as he can.

He could keep his balance a lot easier once the man began pulling him with less strength. Somewhere a voidtrecker in injured and even quick healing leaves the scent of blood in the air. But he can cope, he can keep going.

He flinched as Reno dived at the creature, electricity crackling over it. Violence was an altogether bad thing and there was the usual twist in his heart at seeing any living creature treated so, even a monster. But he can keep his face neutral. No words of condemnation pass his lips.

He moves the moment he is ushered, going towards the place he is bidden. Still feeling very guilty for causing trouble, just by being here.

[theturksway]

The problem was Reno didn't know where was safe. Presumably it'd be better to be in the middle of the group fighting the creatures than out in the middle of nowhere so that the creatures could just find the kid and tear him to pieces while he had nowhere to run and no one to protect him. But was it really better? He still couldn't fight and the monsters were still surrounding them on all sides and darting in and out amongst their numbers with ease.

It was apparent they needed a way to limit the monsters' movements but the question was how. Did they have anyone with a magical ability that could create a barrier at least on one side so they'd have their backs again a wall? Even that little bit would help immensely. Reno couldn't remember if anyone nearby had that ability though. In fact, it was hard enough just telling who was around at the moment.

Should they all turn on their lights and hope it was enough to cover enough of the night so they could fight properly? There weren't really a whole lot of them and their lights weren't flood lights so it probably wouldn't be enough to help. It would just make matters worse, probably. Reno's lightning attacks were killing his eyesight enough as it was.

However, the idea of a barrier did give Reno an idea as he rotated back to it and trying to figure out if there was an alternate way to make a wall to put to their backs as they fought off the creatures. He stopped to cast a Summoning spell. The runes flashed in the night, illuminating just enough to let him see where his current opponents were in the dark and causing them to scamper further away. Was it just him or did these things not like being visible? Was that a tactic or--

He lost his train of thought as the little fox popped up in front of him. He ordered it to cast a Barrier spell and the light of magic surrounded Taiki and himself briefly as the warding magic fell into place. That should afford them some protection against the monsters if they got caught in an attack at least.

Reno grabbed Taiki and started to move them again. Not much farther, just enough to get their backs together with another of the team members fighting in the dark.

[longforgottenpromise]

It was a very disorientating and confusing experience, for someone who had never really been in any kind of fight before. Noise and shouts and the growing smell of blood, enough to make him on edge and slightly dizzy. He gritted his teeth though, he could keep going, move where he was told. Be as little trouble as possible, even if he was causing this man problems just by being here.

He was slightly surprised to see a fox appear and then some sort of magic shimmered down around him. He has very little knowledge of other-world magic. Magic at all really. But he trusted the man knew what he was doing. He moved when he was grabbed, stumbling after the man in the darkness, following him towards the fighting rather than following his instincts and fleeing.

He doesn't know where anyone else is. Tidus is in this mess somewhere. He just hopes he is alright. He hopes everyone is alright.

He shies to one side, as a monster gets close and his eyes flicker over the man.

"Are... Sorry... Are you hurt?"

Preparation

[sobothersome]

Noting the colours that his smaller guy was picking, Maru tilted his head, puzzled.

"Red team?" He asked. "... Not blue team?"

[longforgottenpromise]

Taiki looked up at the man and nodded slowly. "Yes. I am on the red team..."

He usually went with blue true, but he was red. As strange a member of red team that he was. He has no idea, honestly why he is on a team that seems to focus on fighting first and foremost.

The only thing he can think is that whoever sorted them had counted him as part of Lord Gyousou and therefore placed them together.

[sobothersome]

"Hm..." Maru thought about that some. He didn't look too happy to be on red, so why was he going with red? It was none of his business of course...

"Blue will miss you on the team." That was the right thing to say, right? "I hope you don't have to fight..." Because he remembered that much, this guy didn't like it. But he was sure that there would be people to protect him from that. Not that he knew much about the red team, he'd never been on it himself and doubted he ever would.

[longforgottenpromise]

"I won't fight." He reassured him with a small smile though he did wonder. How did this man know he wouldn't fight? He frowned for a moment, trying to remember if they had met before.

The voice... The blue...

"Maru?"

[sobothersome]

He lifted a hand and pointed at himself with a poke of his cheek. "That's me." At least it was the name Madoka gave him.

Maru tilted his head and looked down at the other, just now realising he probably hadn't seen him this way. He wondered if he should change. Would that make him feel better?

"Sorry. I'm that cat from before."

[longforgottenpromise]

"Oh." He nodded, he's a little surprised but not too much so. "Sorry... I didn't realise you had a human form."

He was a hanjyuu. Or something like that. A similar concept for a different world.

mission day 2, late morning-noon

[blitzcheer]

Tidus's fight had come in the night, in a way he figures now he should've expected it to come--it'd been the same back on the last mission, 'cause what enemy doesn't like coming out when you should be asleep? But for what grumpiness he was feeling from the small amount of rest and knowing what would be coming that night again (depending--Tidus wasn't seeing any good reason for them to stay outside a second night), there was work to be done, ideas to be thrown around.

Also, a drink run to get onto. One that Tidus needed some people to help him with, but...

"Hey, Taiki?" He's tried not straying too far from the kirin since they arrived, and so the sound of him coming over shouldn't be too surprising, not unless Taiki's in a daze. "You got a minute?"

Re: mission day 2, late morning-noon

[longforgottenpromise]

His head tilts out the sound of footsteps before he turns at Tidus' voice. He is pretty exhausted, the night had been harrowing and he doesn't feel brilliant. Luckily injuries had been low enough and healing quick enough that he wasn't experiencing the full effects of blood sickness but there is enough of a scent to make him restless.

Tidus gets a gentle nod. "Yes. What do you need?"

[blitzcheer]

"I'm gonna go over where Orange is to get some drinks and refills," Tidus explains. "And I was wondering if you wanted to come with. They've got full lights there and less going on with people getting messed up. I thought it might be better for you."

To get away from the fighting, especially against a foe like this and out in the open.

"What do you say? They need help too searching the lab."

[longforgottenpromise]

He looks confused for a moment, before he remembers that Tidus had joined the black squad, he had one of the spider arm bands and could ask to be moved around teams. And if Orange had found supplies, that was good. Most of red team were a little more prepared than Tidus had been but still. Their water supplies would not last too long in this desert.

The offer made him blink and then look down. "Yes."

He was nothing but a burden here, if every night was like the last was... He didn't want to be around the fighting and he didn't want to cause anyone trouble. Reno had protected him last night and he was grateful. But it was not right to add to red teams troubles.

[blitzcheer]

Tidus doesn't know how to take the dip of Taiki's head. All he knows is that it makes him concerned what the guy thinks, and he jumps up to speak.

"Hey, I'm not abandoning you, alright? We really need to know whatever Orange can find out in that lab, and more heads will be better. There wasn't a lot we could do last night, and to be honest, I'm worried after Fandaniel tried messing with one of those orbs and two showed up."

What did that mean for everything they did last night, when those creatures shattered away the same as they did when they took them out? Were there as many orbs out there now as there had been yesterday? More? Less? Tidus couldn't tell, and it made him concerned.

[longforgottenpromise]

He nodded again slowly. He still feels guilty. For being here. For leaving Tidus. For... everything really.

He wonders again why he was brought here in the first place. If it was truly because he was considered part of Gyousou why would he be left here when his king was gone.

His eyes filled with tears which he blinked away quickly lest Tidus saw them.

"Yes, hopefully we can find an answer..." Because... It would be bad otherwise. If the orbs really were multiplying. "The quicker we find them... the less you need to fight."