middleofsomewhere | Deep Dweller: Start

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)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He's attention is fully on the orb for the moment though he did notice the stance Rose was in. She's been turned into such a soldier and breaks his hearts. He shoves the thought out of his head and keeps his mind on the task at hand. The readings the orb is giving off don't make any sense at the moment but certainly it would later-once he had a better idea of what was happening.

"Well that's... interesting." He stated, storing the screw driver back into his top pocket. "A bit, yes." He says distractedly. "I can definitely see the similarities. But what are these? They're all over-what purpose do they have?" He mutters before poking at it, finding the feeling unsettling. He wipes his fingers off and then moves to lick the orb.

Immediately, there's a myriad of tastes overwhelming him-metallic, something he doesn't recognize and something else he can't quite make out. He wipes his tongue off and then glanced down to see a silvery substance.

"Aaah well. not the worst thing I've tasted." Although, his tongue is starting to feel a little numb.

Wait, is he going to...? Oh, yeah, he's definitely licking it. Superior Time Lord taste buds or not, it's still gross. The others are off doing their own things, so Rose allows herself the luxury of letting her disgust show on her face.

Rule 1 shouldn't be "don't wander off"; it should be "don't put unidentified objects in your mouth". Still, it makes her feel a little nostalgic, even when it's the wrong face. Even when it's the wrong man entirely.

She huffs a little sigh, equal parts exasperation and fondness, and retrieves a canteen of water from her pack.

"That's a ringing endorsement." She replies dryly, tossing the canteen to the Doctor. "Anything helpful beyond 'interesting'?"

He makes a face and wipes his tongue off, scraping it against his teeth before taking the canteen and taking several drinks. He probably will not be doing that again.

"Well, it definitely tastes metallic and a bit like dirt." He explains. "And something I can't recognize-something the sonic doesn't recognize." He takes another drink.

"Tell you what though-I'm going to go ahead and say it's not edible-very unpleasant after taste."

If Rose is laughing, it's mostly on the inside, though she can't stop a small smile at his childish reaction. She turns her head away quickly under the guise of looking at the mysterious orb.

"Good to know. I will definitely not try to eat it." She reaches out to touch the silvery surface but thinks better of it before making contact. She makes a mental note to acquire a pair of gloves; she's not keen on a repeat of the Dalek in the bunker. Instead, she uses a baton to poke the sphere.

"Haven't had a chance to ask, but how well has the sonic been working in different dimensions?" She knows that it works on her and on him, but they come from very similar realities, so it's not unexpected that the natural laws governing them both would be similar.

She can try and hide it all she wants, but he definitely saw that small smile and that's a victory in his book any day. He makes another face though as his tongue is still feeling a bit numb and that's not a normal reaction.

"Not as well as I'd like, really." He admits, eyeing the orb that she poked very carefully just in case. "I'd say it needs a software upgrade but the problem is more different minerals and substances it doesn't recognize." If only he had the TARDIS, then maybe he could figure something out. "But still-it works in a pinch and mostly seems to work fine on the passengers."

"So, probably no chance of that without a TARDIS." Rose sighs. It'd be helpful to be able to add new information to the sonic, though mostly she wishes she could be home just one more time. Well, if wishes were horses...

She takes a few steps back and considers angles and the positions of people. Without a word of warning, she throws the baton at the sphere, hard. It doesn't make a dent, bouncing off and flying back at her. She snatches it out of the air before it can hit her. "Weird." The surface had held but deformed under gentle pressure, but now it was acting more like hard rubber.

"Ooh, that's interesting." The Doctor states, having to resist the urge to try and pull her out of the way.

"Really hoping the TARDIS will turn up somewhere-or perhaps I could find away to do a software update without her-There's supposed to be a research lab out here-maybe I can find some supplies."

"But not particularly helpful." She tilts her head, idly twirling the baton. She half expected some sort of defensive mechanism to manifest itself when she'd thrown a baton at the sphere, but nothing. Was this not enough of a threat?

"I don't know that putting an eleven dimensional sentient time-ship inside another probably sentient dimension-ship is a good idea. Or that there'd be room for her." The train already feels small enough with its mostly humanish cargo, let alone a police box.

She tries to remember what she can about sonic screwdrivers. "Your sonics are mostly grown in the TARDIS, aren't they? But there were definitely non-Time Lord sonic devices..."

"Oh, but it is helpful!" The Doctor says excitedly, moving about the sphere. "We now know it'll protect its self from a threat-poking it-not very threatening-but throwing something like a Javelin? It felt the need to defend so it tells two things- this state that its in now is a means to preserve itself and it can most likely see us." Which poses a lot more questions that maybe he could answer faster with the right equipment.

"Yeah, they do have." He agrees. "Although they definitely pale in comparison-cheap imitations, really."

"So you licked something that can see or sense us?" Well, that's more disconcerting than usual licking of inanimate objects. "Good job, you. Hope you didn't offend them." A pause. "Or propose. Though stranger things have happened..."

"The mission brief said that the Terran scientists took samples back to their labs, though. A deliberate allowance on its part?" And a possible explanation for the reported explosions.

She makes a little non-committal noise of acknowledgement. "Hm. Still thinking you're so impressive, I see."

Deep Dweller: Start

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