Onward: Orange

[voidtreckermods]

A Stormy Night

The night of day six of Grasshopper begins to get blustery, and rain begins to fall shortly after the sun sets. Just after midnight they are facing a full-on storm. It’s quite interesting to watch, for those who need a break from investigating. Especially up on the top floor, where the glass roof gives a good view; all the instruments are set up to monitor weather patterns and are operating perfectly, a fascinating watch for those interested in such things.

It’s a little noisy, but not too bad for those that want to sleep; it’s just another distraction along with the perpetual light. Still it is, for the most part, a peaceful night.

Lights OUT

Peaceful, that is, until about an hour before dawn on day seven, their third day on-world. A large clap of thunder booms overhead, a massive flash of light brightens even the sky around the station… and something hits the facility so hard that it seems to rock. The lights go out.

Every single light and screen in the building go dark at once. 

It’s only a few moments before the machines whir back to life. Monitors and equipment rebooting, a cascade of beeps and whirrs and start-up tones. The lights, however, do not come back on. Clearly emergency lighting has never been a concern for a people that can see in the dark.

It’s a concern now. From across the facility, everywhere there was an orb, there are now monsters. A lot of monsters. Grey, long limbed and ready to attack.

Luckily for the Voidtreckers, the monsters on the very bottom floor have found something more interesting than hunting them. Within moments, they smash through the grates along the floor, and begin clambering downwards.

Downwards seems to be through some kind of service shaft, though easily big enough to fit a person in. They skitter down into the darkness, if any of Orange try and follow they can. It will be a steep, treacherous descent; they may need to break out that climbing gear to descend safely. 

Something Approaches

Back in the facility, the monsters that didn’t descend are instead attacking anyone they find with mindless savagery. A little while after the attack starts those near the top floor will hear a siren, ringing out into the darkness. It is not constant, rather it peaks and fades. Anyone who goes to investigate will find it comes from a black metal machine on the top floor, its screen showing a now constantly flashing, wavy green line and the words SIGNAL FOUND. As time passes, the green wave on-screen grows taller.
Luckily, they only have to last the remaining hour until dawn and when the sunlight shines through the glass of the facility the monsters shatter. In their place rise familiar orbs. Any monsters on the sub-levels remain active whilst the facility is in darkness.

The alarm subsides during the day. The machine’s wave remains the same size, pulsing only occasionally. Once night falls on the third day (Grasshopper 7), it shrills, and the wave continues to grow.

Comments

grasshopper 8 (mission day 4) hoppin' over for a few hours

[blitzcheer]

arrival

Tidus arrives just before noon after sending out this SCA call thanks to help from the Spider, a pair of Terrans towering over him but with friendly--if dirtied--faces. He searches for the first people he sees, asking until he finds the right person. "Hey, we're here to help with the lights. Which way you need us to go?"

heal/food

It's still light, which luckily means time for people to get the rest they can and prepare for the night later. Tidus goes between the few immediate rooms that doesn't take him too far into the lab, poking his head in with a-- "Hey, everyone good in here? Anyone hurt?"

He's also keeping an eye out for anyone who just looks exhausted, having a boost for that. But he's also got food to offer and hand out from the bag he's brought. Onigiri balls, delicately made in appearance--"These ones are plain, but these ones have veg in 'em," he explains, the bag carefully held and his hands noticeably clean. His face too, though the red sand does stick to his tattered purple-team outfit, dried blood in the places where tears can be found, but no wounds.

update

Otherwise, as much as Tidus would like to stay and help out, Red Team have more Terrans to locate and. But he does want to check out and ask, for those who don't seem immediately pre-occupied, "Hey--so have you guys found out anything? Or heard anything?"

All Tidus knows right now is that everything is chaotic. Hopefully though, there's some good news to be found in it all.

Arrival (request NPCs, or handwave Terrans fixing things?)

[iamnotgod]

The Terrans may or may not be surprised by this digital face, but Webmind is happy to see them all in turn.

"Greetings! I believe the damage is on the outside of the facility. This way," he says, gesturing with a hand

"Have you recovered well on your way here?"

Small talk, for both small Tidus and the large Terrans, to hopefully help the latter adjust.

handwave the terrans, mods have a few NPC threads from what i saw!

[blitzcheer]

The Terrans have had to deal with a fair share of 'unusuals' lately, but Webmind is a newer sight than the humans they've been around since getting of the underground. Or their 'hole', which one refers to it, '--recovering well since gettin' out of that hole' with clear relief.

Webmind is being followed by the trio, with Tidus speaking up with a note of relief of his own. "Glad it's outside than in somewhere dark. How's everything been going? You been here the whole time?"

works for me!

[iamnotgod]

Webmind nods in response to their answers, setting a brisk pace towards where the storm damaged things.

"I have been here at this lab, yes; the literal storm followed by the storm of monsters was a rather jarring contrast to the silence in which we'd arrived."

[blitzcheer]

"Yeah," Tidus says with a sigh on hearing that. "I sent a friend over the day of the night from Red. Nobody's been too badly hurt though, have they? I can go 'round if you need a healer."

He'll likely have a look around anyway, just to see how people are. Look for Taiki, and whoever else he knows.

No spiders were harmed in the making of this post.

[iamnotgod]

Given how much of a shuffle there had been even before the mission drop off, Webmind could not say he was entirely surprised.

"No one has died, fortunately. Some of us have been taking more risks than others, however."

coughcoughCARRYINGANORBAROUNDINWEBBINGcoughcough

"We are trying to keep the injured on the ground floor and above, where there were fewer orbs in the first place."

It is then that the majority of the storm damage can be viewed; Webmind allows for the 'slowlife' to take the sight in.

"What sorts of tools do you believe you'll need?" he asks the Terrans.

"Tidus and I can fetch them while you take a closer look."

don't be rude to miss spider

[blitzcheer]

People taking risks? No surprises there on Tidus's side, and he's more relieved to hear about the lack of deaths. LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY.

"I'll take a look before I go then," he says, before they finally reached the site where the wiring and all else was to be found. Some noises made between themselves before they round the pair and take a look; seeing what's been fried by the storm and the extent of the damage.

They'll be able to tell better, however, what they'll need with a quick look. And in the meantime, Tidus takes this free second to stretch his limbs, his hands and arms going behind his head and bending in his spine. Uggghhh. Rubble digging.

"Sooo," he decides to throw in while he has the chance, resting back down his risen heels, "don't suppose you found a big file explaining everything going on?"

:v I'd have made it about Eva, but I don't know what she's done yet.

[iamnotgod]

Webmind doesn't need to stretch, per se, but checking in with Tidus works just as well by him.

"Unfortunately not," comes the reply, emoticon-face shifting into an appropriate frown.

"The only files recovered were mundane, routine almost. Reports about pollution levels, finances, status updates on various tests - even attempting to learn their programming leaves many holes of knowledge behind."

And Webmind doesn't like even saying that.

"But there is a device on the second floor of this building that has detected something approaching. I have not been able to acquire information from that computer, either."

[blitzcheer]

That gets Tidus's attention, his arms now down by his sides, and he stops leaning his head forward for tiny-neck-stretch. Be glad for not having all this nonsense squishy human stuff, Webmind.

"It detected something? When?" Did anyone on Red bring up about...? But he might as well share now, just in case: "Red Team got told to get moving the other day to some new threat. Don't know if it's connected. This device got a map or--anything?"

Coordinates? Dots? Because the SCA is loving it some dots.

heat / food

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufiin greets Tidus with a cheerful wave. "I'm good, and so is everybody else, so far as I've been able to keep track. How are you doing?"

[blitzcheer]

That brings a look of relief on Tidus's face, a pull of his mouth that's not quite a smile, but comfortable.

"Fine, fine--better now we know we've got people around who can just make food outta thin air!" Which you know what, Tidus doesn't care how bizarre it is. It's useful, it works, it's keeping the whole 'basic necessities' covered. "Still can't tell you anything more about those creatures though. They're a pain! We keep figuring there's gotta be something we can do while they're a orb, but nothing's worked so far."

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin gives him a real smile in return.

"I know! I've been trying to kill them for hours, and they've been trying to kill me for hours. And other people, of course! I haven't tried to destroy the orbs myself, have others been attempting that?"

[blitzcheer]

"We're surrounded by them in the desert," Tidus explains with a wave of his hand, "so we've tried seeing if you can stick light in them or something else to make them--whatever." Go bye-bye. Do anything. "But, nope. All we found is that they double easy... like, I'm not even sure we're really killing them when they're not orbs."

[so_dark_a_road]

"That's peculiar, orbs in the desert. If the orbs are the monsters' eggs, then maybe that's where they put them to keep them safe. Or. . . maybe they aren't created naturally, maybe they're made by some other process controlled by an unknown power? Well, that's frustrating, that you can't destroy those orbs."

He makes a face. "I've got the same concern as you do, I'm not sure the monsters are staying down when I put them down with my sword. I'll tell you what does seem to work, though. If I can get close enough to them to shine my SCA directly into their eyes, they disintegrate. That one's a little dangerous, though, since I don't want my arm to get bitten off or anything." He rolls his eyes, making humor of something that wouldn't be funny at all if it happened.

"And I've been experimenting with another approach. I have a few sorcerous powers, and one of them is the ability to cast a vision-spell on a person or a creature. I craft a vision in my mind, and then I radiate it outwards and impose it on the other mind, and that mind thinks it is a literal, sensory reality. So! I make a vision of an extremely bright light that is beaming directly into the monsters' eyes, and they not only think it's real, but their bodies think it's real, and they fall back and disintegrate. That solution doesn't require me to get as close, so I don't get chomped." Another grin.

[blitzcheer]

Well, that's a solution, and it's pretty impressive. It's too bad they couldn't all do that. ...It's too bad they all couldn't glow like Glorfindel, either.

"That's great. All most of us have for light on our side is lightning. Thankfully, one of our number is like a walking generator for it." Or did well in treating herself like such, but when they had the elixirs, a few other magic casters there, they were doing what they could to make things easier on everyone.

"But about the monsters, the orbs--that's the thing. We covered one in darkness, right? When it was light. The orb melted into the ground and about ten of those fiends showed up there instead. They all died too soon as we took away the dark--but then there were two orbs."

He lifts his hands, palms facing up. "So we're putting them down for now...but I don't know if we're really getting rid of them completely, you know?"

Temporary, and temporary is better than nothing, but that sure wasn't going to help them in the long run.

[so_dark_a_road]

Being an Elf from Arda is no picnic, but it is fun to have Elvish powers! If Curufin could give those powers to all the Void Warriors, he would.

"Lightening, eh? Oh, I know who you're talking about. I've just never seen her using that power. Very lucky to have her along on this mission!"

He listens to Tidus' description of the experiment. "Uh-oh, I was afraid of that, that if the orbs were the monsters, one orb might be able to produce a host of monsters. And then the light changed them back into orbs, but more than one? So, that's how they literally multiply their kind."

He smiles a little at Tidus' shrug. "We'll just have to keep doing the best we can. To kill them for now, even if they aren't permanently dead. And to figure out the mystery, so that perhaps the time may come when there will be no more of these monsters."

[blitzcheer]

"Yeah," Tidus sighs, though still an agreement to Curufin's point. His voice picking up some after. "You guys are still checking out the labs and seeing what you can find? You got any clues yet?"

He remembers something about an upturned computer and scorch marks, feeling like forever since he heard than the few days it has been.

addicted to taggin you it seems. Heal/food

[longforgottenpromise]

The days are blurring into one, sleep is far away through a haze of low level fever. It's not the worst he has ever felt, but it makes rest impossible and his movements sluggish. He has been hiding as best he can, trying not to cause anyone trouble. Trying to hide from the fighting.

He is very relieved to see Tidus, face lighting up, though it clouds with worry as he sees and smells the blood.

"You're hurt?"

good i'm glad, never leave my inbox

[blitzcheer]

Tidus himself brightens visibly to see the guy who's been in the back of his mind at each opened door, a "Taiki!" coming out as Tidus steps in without hesitation. He's heading towards him with the bag, but stops at the mention of blood; eyes lifting, before he looks down at himself and his shirt.

"Oh--it's fine, this is old!" He's jovial, cheerful genuinely for the first time in a while, wiping his hand once over the shirt before remembering he shouldn't do that, the hand going over the side of his arm. The fabric there has been ripped in particular, a memory of where a wound used to be still in his mind. "I got completely healed. Yuna wouldn't let me go anywhere 'til she knew I was as good as new."

And he looks at Taiki, grinning.

[longforgottenpromise]

"Oh..." He nodded and stepped closer, though he shouldn't. The wish to be away from the blood warred with the desire to be with a friend and the latter won out.

"I'm glad... that she could heal you. How... How is it going?"

[blitzcheer]

Tidus doesn't hesitate in closing their distance once he's done speaking, in Taiki's step towards him. He's pleased to see the other guy--not looking completely well, but who does right now? And maybe Tidus can give him a little good news. A different kind of light in this annoying time.

"Those things are a pain outside, but we found some Terrans to help with the lights here! So you guys should be okay. Plus I heard Seto saying he found flood lights." Because he told him directly.

"Red Team got redirected too. You see about that?" He looks down, towards Taiki's hands. He would have gotten it on his SCA, right?

[longforgottenpromise]

"Oh... That's good." The more lights the better. If they could get the lights back on. That would help a lot.

"Yes." He nodded again, looking at his SCA. "It... It wants them to go not too far from here."

He frowned, "There's a signal upstairs. It alarms every night. Almost constantly. The line keeps getting bigger..."

[blitzcheer]

Tidus looks up at the mention of the alarm, curious, asking as he looks back down at Taiki, "Where from? Is something coming here?"

Coming closer? What was it signalling?

[longforgottenpromise]

"I don't know. It is just a line..." He shook his head, "I can show you... If you want."

Tidus might have a better chance of understanding it. The more people who tried the more likely they were to figure it out.

[blitzcheer]

What does Tidus know about technology and lines? ....nada, but nonetheless-

"Alright, let's see it! Maybe there's something we can do!"

There's no harm in checking it out!