middleofsomewhere | Deep Dweller: Start

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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

Preparations

Lea examined the climbing gear, and quickly found that he couldn't make heads or tails out of most of it. "Probably better leave this stuff for people who know how to use it," he said, mostly to himself. He did grab some rope, as well and both supply bags and hard hats for both himself and Xion. Once underground, he'd likely suggest Xion exchange the hood for a hard hat for safety's sake.

He held off on the flight suits though. He would bring a change of clothes, but didn't need something like that. More important would be food and water, and he could see if he could bum a bit of Megalixir off Tidus for each of them too. And make a note to reciprocate, when he got some potions of his own.

Arrival/Daytime

Lea took a moment to watch the young Gry practicing, a fond smile on his face. It reminded him of himself when he was a kid, though he'd never been much for spears. "Too bad Dilan isn't here," he said. "I bet he could give these kids some pointers." He didn't realize the pun he'd unintentionally made at first, but when he did he couldn't help but chuckle.

Much of the rest of the day was spent exploring the community and getting the lay of the land. If they hadn't been there for a mission, Lea would be tempted to linger at various points around the little community to talk to the Gry a bit more in depth about specific things, but business before pleasure and all that. Things seemed pretty peaceful for right now, but after the last mission, he knew that that could change at a moment's notice.

Nighttime

Lea had opted to bed down in the large sleeping area, having found himself and Xion a cozy spot for the night. All seemed well, at first. Until he started dreaming.

His dream were full of darkness, deep and foreboding. It shifted and swirled, but unlike the Heartless, it didn't take a form that could be fought. It was just everywhere, thick and smothering and seeming to swallow up all the light around him.

He jerked awake abruptly, dream darkness replaced by more normal darkness. The feeling of deep fear was slower to depart though, leaving him sitting awake for some time afterward. He nodded mutely, keeping his own thoughts on this 'Burrower's method of communication to himself for the moment. He wouldn't mind a bit of conversation to help settle him back down again.

Edited 2020-07-14 02:57 (UTC)

Xion's answer to swapping the hard hat for her hood was to put the hat on over her hood. After first discovering that it didn't quite fit UNDER the hood. She did try though, and the attempt was probably pretty amusing.

She was very confused wondering who Dilan was. A Somebody he knew from before? Somebody from Daitu? The only one she knew of who used spears was Xaldin... Oh. Odd. She had met Sora briefly. She knew Axel was more or less the same with his heart back. so was Roxas. But Saïx was so different. She knew all that. What was odd, she realized, was that she had never really wondered much about what the others Somebodies were like.

She looked down at her gloves. Other than Sora who she shared with Roxas she didn't really have a Somebody. She was made from Sora's memories, and even if she was becoming her own person... it was still... it still made her different. Having never been alive before. Having started as a Replica. Still being a Replica.

She kept close to Axel as they explored, on edge and trying to be ready for anything. But as anything kept not happening her mind kept wandering to the other Nobodies. And what their Somebodies might have been like. Anything, really, to not think about how Roxas should be with them and wasn't....

Before they went to bed, she had made a soft comment about how again they were somewhere they couldn't see the sunset. But she did take the bed he found for her and laid down on it the way she always laid down when given her druthers. Fully clothed atop the sheets.

She also slept poorly, fear pounding through her. But it was his waking that woke her. She turned her head to look at him. "Axel?" she asked quietly, her voice was trembling as she looked at where he was sitting nearby. As scared as her dream left her, seeing AXEL scared... that scared her more than anything the dream could have done.

Lea had largely given up on trying to get Xion to adopt more normal sleeping habits. If that was how she was comfortable, it wasn't really hurting anything, and one had to pick their battles, as it were.

When they both woke from their nightmares, Le attempted a smile, but it came off pretty weak. "You too, huh?", he asked, then glanced around the room. "And seems like we're not the only ones..."

She pushed herself up a bit and nodded. "Yes, but I am used to it." And he didn't seem to be. Was there something she could do for him?

Xion was used to having nightmares? He filed this information away for later; it was concerning, but not really relevant to this particular situation.

"Something tells me this wasn't a normal nightmare," Lea said. "The Gry don't think so either." He frowned. "Though not sure why they'd consider something like that an honor..."

"An honor?" she asked, confused. She did pull her hood back up, though, wondering when it had slipped.

"Yeah," Lea said. "According to them, the nightmares were actually an entity called 'the Burrower' trying to communicate with us. The Gry worship the Burrower, so to them, communicating with it is an honor. Though I can't say I'm too fond of it..."