voidtreckermods: (voidtrain)
VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] middleofsomewhere2020-07-13 05:43 am

Onward: Orange

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.
blitzcheer: (HUUMMM)

[personal profile] blitzcheer 2020-07-14 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
"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.
iamnotgod: Webmind projecting a smile. The robot is wearing an orange hoodie. (A smile!)

No spiders were harmed in the making of this post.

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2020-07-14 06:23 pm (UTC)(link)
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."
blitzcheer: (bluh bluh dad sucks)

don't be rude to miss spider

[personal profile] blitzcheer 2020-07-14 06:39 pm (UTC)(link)
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?"
iamnotgod: Many lines curving off into the distance and entangling, shaded in colors from yellow to purple (Default)

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

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2020-07-14 06:48 pm (UTC)(link)
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."
Edited 2020-07-14 18:48 (UTC)
blitzcheer: (fanart time yeaaa)

[personal profile] blitzcheer 2020-07-14 07:00 pm (UTC)(link)
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.
iamnotgod: Many lines curving off into the distance and entangling, shaded in colors from yellow to purple (Default)

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2020-07-14 07:04 pm (UTC)(link)
"Shortly after the attack began last night," Webmind reports.

"The timing may well fit, but there was no map provided on our end. What did your SCA say exactly?"

Hopefully the holographic text is still there for Tidus to click on.
blitzcheer: (and we spoke fondly)

[personal profile] blitzcheer 2020-07-14 07:20 pm (UTC)(link)
"Uhhh, I'm Purple," he says unhelpfully, with an apologetic grimace. "I read it off someone else's--they got a map telling them where to find the trapped Terrans and where it wants us to go."

But a thought blinks in his mind, seen when it comes by the ways his eyes lift. He points a forefinger to Webmind.

"--But Taiki should. He's Red. You should ask him!"

And as he says that, the Terrans come over, thinking they can get the problem fixed, but they'll need to see what tools and equipment they've got in the lab to replace what's been fried.
iamnotgod: Webmind projecting a smile. The robot is wearing an orange hoodie. (A smile!)

Fade-out for repairs?

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2020-07-14 07:35 pm (UTC)(link)
A disappointment. But!

"I shall contact him post-haste," Webmind replies.

And then both their attentions are redirected - but hopefully, with all due speed, they can fix things together.
blitzcheer: (mrhrhrhrhrhgghgh)

yes B)

[personal profile] blitzcheer 2020-07-14 07:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Let them just hope what they're looking for isn't in the basement............