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.
so_dark_a_road: (green army jacket)

[personal profile] so_dark_a_road 2020-07-29 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
"I would like a copy, actually. A while back, I heard some talk about information being stored, by you, I guess. But I didn't get the details."

Curufin's perspective on flattery is that it actually is a benefit. It lets a person know he appreciates them, even if they don't believe what he says.

"Do you think there's any way that you could get Void Sickness?"
iamnotgod: Webmind projecting a smile. The robot is wearing an orange hoodie. (A smile!)

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2020-07-29 12:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"That was an informational guide on void travel, not the train's own post, but I would be able to get you both sources all the same," Webmind replies.

He effects a pause, even as he's already built the answer in audio clips: "If all that is required is to be exposed to void particles directly during travel, none of us can claim to be immune."

In fact, all that it requires is that one be conscious - which poses concerns about the Voidtrecker Express itself, if it really is the source of those visions people receive before missions.
so_dark_a_road: (in the unmeasured night #3)

Okay if we wrap it here?

[personal profile] so_dark_a_road 2020-08-28 08:50 pm (UTC)(link)
"Thanks, two sources of information about Void travel would be useful to me. I'd appreciate that!" says Curufin.

"Void particles, hmm. I guess that means that you could get Void Sickness. And so could I, although I haven't yet."

That question of the source of the pre-mission visions has never been answered. Curufin would like to know, however.
iamnotgod: Many lines curving off into the distance and entangling, shaded in colors from yellow to purple (Default)

Sure!

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2020-08-28 09:19 pm (UTC)(link)
"If we treat ourselves responsibly, we may never experience it... though without a definitive end to our journey, that possibility seems slight."

A grim thought to consider, as this normal train travels on...