Not with a Bang Start and Ongoing

[voidtreckermods]

"Good Morning passengers. Today is day seven of the month of Imagination." The voice echoes through the train as passengers wake up in their beds. Not long afterwards their SCA’s glow with the colour of the void and a holographic image will appear.

Preperation

They have about an hour to prepare, a little less than usual but perhaps expected, given the urgency of the task.

The cupboards in the dressing room are open to reveal rows of tents, in all four team colours as well as some basic camp cooking equipment. They are in bags that should be easy enough to carry.

"Shortly arriving on System #6416. All passengers get ready to disembark. Next stop world 6416. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." The train rocks and lurches, bright colours of the void filling the space and then fading as they fly downwards towards a very green landscape.

Arrival and Initial Task

The train lands in a clearing, curving round in an attempt to fit. Once everyone who wishes to disembark has done it flies back into the air, vanishing from sight.

The air is heavy and humid, though it is not currently raining. The clearing is open to the sky and looking up will reveal a worrying sight. The sky is an angry red colour, colours shifting as if the clouds themselves were on fire. It's an unnerving sight.

Their SCA's show three points, one Orange, One purple and one that is half blue and half red. The three control centres. Each are a few hours treck through the jungle and it certainly feels like there is no time to waste.

Those that don't want to treck through the forest can start setting up camp, though the darkening sky might be a little distracting. As time goes on flecks of fire drift down, though they extinguish before hitting the forest floor.

Orange are to travel to the north, Purple to the south and Blue and Red must travel together to the west. Each route takes them through thick and unrelenting jungle. Flying is difficult here unless you can get up past the canopy layer, which means vision of the ground is severely hampered.

The control stations themselves are half buried in vines and require cutting into. If voidtreckers are unlucky they will meet their first security robots here, firing on the intruders. They might even meet their first giant Armadillos, the creatures are curious and may wish to investigate. They are not helpful or constructive to trying to power up the stations and prevent the destruction of the planet.

The control stations are simple enough to operate, but there's quite a lot that needs to be done in way of repairs and clearing. It will take a team effort to get it in working enough order to activate the shield.

The shield itself, when it is activated, is mostly invisible but there is a loud humming sound. The meteor, which has gotten more visible throughout the five hours, hits the shield and splinters, fire enveloping the whole sky. It is visibly terrifying, but no fire falls to earth, no rocks get through, the planet is safe.

Ongoing

Once the planet is safe the voidtreckers deserve a rest. But once the next morning dawns it is time to start with their next tasks, to make sure that this planet stays safe from future threats.

Red

The robots at the control stations are not the only malfunctioning security robots around. They roam the jungle, or are more often stranded in the jungle, powering up only when faced with a new threat.

Some are benign, terraforming machines whose only crime is using up precious power. These need to be dismantled so that power can be saved for the shield system. Others are security robots that will attack the intruders to the planet.

Though the machines are scattered they are often obvious, emitting warning alarms or flashing lights. Their SCA's will show some areas where there are larger clusters but machines can be found anywhere.

Purple

Their SCA's are filled with hundreds of purple dots, each a solar stations that needs cleared and brought back online. It's not the most glamourous job, the stations are deep in the jungle, the treck is difficult and most of the work needed is weed clearing.

But once the weeds have been cut away they will need to patch up the station, doing basic maintenance to get it back online. In some cases wires need to be patched back together but it shouldn't take any great feats of engineering to get the stations up and running.

They may run into some of the security automatons, needing to fight their way into the stations before they can begin the clean up operations.

Orange

Like the red team their SCA will show areas where there are clusters of the small insectoid automatons that need to be rescued and restored. However they can be found anywhere throughout the jungle, they are not too suited for the terrain outside of the stations and so they have gotten tangled in vines. They can be found powered down, stranded and in dire need of maintenance.

Tools and spare parts can be found in many of the solar stations that purple team have been locating. Actually repairing the robots takes some engineering knowledge but once they are restored they will go about their tasks in the stations. They will need help getting to the further flung stations as well as the main control centres.

They are very basic in design and follow pre programmed instructions rather than being able to hear and listen to orders. But once in the correct place they are very effective at their job.

Blue

Once the shield is up there is a faint humming that can be heard throughout the jungle if they listen closely and find it among the sound of rain and insects. But once they hear it, it is obvious where it is louder and more prominent.

Their SCA will pin point some of the larger control boxes but there are truthfully too many to show on a map. Not all of them have attracted Violet Pandas, but many of them have.

They are curious creatures, both of the power boxes and the voidtreckers. They are protective of each other but not so much of territory and therefore it is not difficult to move them on. Keeping them away is another matter, the power humming is interesting and they will unearth wires and chew through them. It doesn't seem to do them much harm, there is clearly safety stops in the system for such eventualities. It does however cut power off to entire solar stations and require a lot of patch work.

Good luck voidtreckers!

Comments

[flatteries]

Inigo doesn't move closer. He just stays at the exact spot he's at, even if that means he's not helping out right away, or seeing what Reno is doing so he can learn from it. Even with that baton down, Inigo can't trust the other in the slightest. Not after everything that happened before, the constant barbs Reno seemed to throw at him for no reason at all.

Call him paranoid, but he just can't let his guard down, not now. Inigo's body is so tight even as he's at a distance, like he's ready to jump into whatever he needs to do in order to save his hide. No matter how careless and much too innocent Inigo seems most of the time, he is a warrior, after all. You don't survive a zombie apocalypse without learning when to stay on your guard, when not to trust.

And Reno is at the very bottom of the trust ladder, even if he seems relatively docile - by Reno standards, anyway - right now. Not even a single explicit insult in what he's saying. A new record.

But that leaves Inigo unsure of what to respond for a few moments. What does he say when he can't just try and sling Reno's mud right back at him?

"I didn't imagine this was work you'd care to do."

It doesn't sound like it's actively trying to be an insult, more just a hard statement of reality. Reno totally seems like the type who'd rather be out there swinging at robots to take them down, and pretend they're innocent people for fun and kicks or something.

[theturksway]

Again, Reno ignored the way Inigo decided to stay far away from him despite the invitation. He let it slide and kept working at the wires at least right up until Inigo finally spoke again; then he noticeably paused for a second, processing, running through a gambit of emotions on the inside (without showing them on the outside) before settling on acceptance. It wasn't wrong after all. And there was no heat to it. It was just...insulting, somehow. Or at least it wanted to sound that way to Reno's ears.

He managed to suppress the instant urge to sling an insult--or even just a sarcastic response--back at Inigo. He had to get back on track. It wasn't like him not to roll with the punches. The red sky had reminded him of that. After Meteorfall everything had changed. Shinra, the Turks, everyone on the Planet had to adjust to the new way the world worked. Gone were the halcyon days of convenience at one's fingertips with instant power and function, no longer did Shinra's influence spread far and wide, their formerly iron-clad rule reduced to subtle influence and trying to regain trust. If he could conform to that surely he could figure out how to survive on this damn train.

He resumed working after a quick second, his thoughts hidden. He glanced over at Inigo from the corner of his eye and smiled crookedly--not dark or dangerous, just wry and amused. "Imagine me working on a town center monument, helping build it with my own two hands." He laughed at his own joke. "You're not wrong. I prefer the action over the mundane stuff. That doesn't mean I can't or won't do it. Whatever gets the job done, remember? My motto for the Turks--it applies to anything and everything I do."

And maybe, really, that was a hint to what Reno was up to here with Inigo. It hadn't really meant to be but in hindsight it was the perfect analogy. Whatever it took to get the job done. Even if it was just surviving this whole nightmare situation. Playing nice wasn't his favorite pastime but it wouldn't be the first time he'd buddied up with a former enemy. At least this one would probably make it easy, even if he was so skittish Reno would never actually be able to get close to him.

[flatteries]

Oh, Inigo sure does remember. That already came up way back during the first time they talked, after all - Reno talking about how he'd do anything to get a job done, no matter whether it'd cost innocent people their lives or not. That's not just something Inigo forgets, considering how important that sort of thing is to him. If anything, it's what he condemns Reno much more harshly about than the other's treatment of him.

And he knows he himself is the one not helping now. That he should probably get up, find another station, clear out the plants there. Help with the wiring here. But there's no way he can just sit there and work together calmly with Reno of all people. Way too much has happened between the two of them for that.

So he just prays to Naga that something out there can forgive him, that he'll work twice as hard later to catch up with these few unproductive moments.

"Did bullying me get the job done?" He finally settles on asking after a moment or two of silence, just the sounds of Reno fiddling with the wires filling the air.

Reno said it does apply to everything he does, after all. And while that may explain why he can just sacrifice innocent lives - even though Inigo would never agree with that either - it doesn't explain this to begin with.

"Does treating people who offer to help you harshly get the job done?" That's what started this whole damn thing, after all. Just him asking if Reno was okay, of all things.

[theturksway]

Reno stopped working on the wires again after Inigo asked his question. This time he didn't just pause but dropped the wiring entirely as if it was just too much trouble to continue. He didn't turn around to face Inigo but kept facing the panel with the wiring as if he would get back to it in a minute.

There was that word again. 'Bullying'. He'd heard it from Roland and every one of Inigo's damn friends lately. He'd never thought of it before the moment it was shoved into his face. It's not really like a bully to think of their actions as bullying while their doing it. It's just a sick game to play, a bit of entertainment to keep them occupied, maybe to hide something else inside them. For Reno it was all about getting a reaction out of someone and watching the scene unfold--entertainment for him to revel in causing. He liked that chaos, that high energy and tension in the air, it kept him going. Like a drug, it was addictive. If he wasn't in some sort of thrill he didn't know what to do.

You don't ask a coeurl to changes its spots. He might have muttered the same line he'd given Taiki earlier under his breath now without even realizing it. Maybe not. "I'm not like you. I didn't need your help and I didn't ask for it and I didn't want it. You don't walk up to a rabid dog and hold out your hand without expecting it to bite you."

Sudden movement--he slammed his fist into the panel next to the exposed wires with a loud bang. It hurt, and that felt good. He focused on that.

"I don't do nice. I'm the guy you send in to put holes into other people. Or drop a city into the slums." He took a deep breath and let it out in a huff that ended in quiet, manic laughter. "Playing fair isn't really in my ballpark. And I like it when I'm in a good fight. The thrill of my life!"

He stared at his fingers as he moved them around, worked out the ache from the unnecessary punch to the wall.

"So I play a little rougher than you, than most people can handle. That's how I like things. And it's not like I care what other people think of me. If I did, I wouldn't be a Turk."

[flatteries]

"Okay, Reno."

It's funny. A few moments ago he was so skittish, but now that's suddenly gone. Maybe it's since this was the very thing he was so on guard about. Knowing that Reno - inevitably, sooner or later - would go back to this. Like Inigo was just waiting for that bomb to drop, and now it's been dropped, it's not like there's anything really left to worry about.

Even the loud bang of Reno's fist against the panel doesn't seem to jolt him. Inigo doesn't even move from the spot he's sitting at.

"Where I come from, I'm the guy you send in to put holes into other people." Reno is free whether to believe that or not - Inigo figures he won't, but he knows he's telling the truth. Honestly, he's pretty sure that his and Reno's kill counts probably aren't all that different if you'd compare them. He's hardly ever let his sword drop from his hands for years, after all. "I'm a mercenary too, you know."

Though not by choice. Which is where the difference between him and Reno seems to lie, huh? Inigo was forced into this life, hates every moment of it, hates himself for it. While Reno - well, he seems to revel in it.

"But you don't see me being an asshole about it. There's already so much suffering in the world. Why add to it? Because it's fun?" That's an idea Inigo can't understand. Could never understand, so he shakes his head.

It's only then that he stands up, crossing his arms.

"A job doesn't make you who you are. It doesn't form your identity. That's what your behaviour does. What you actively choose to do, every single moment. And if you actively choose to be a jerk, like you've been doing all this time.. then that's fine." Well, not really, but look! He's trying to make a point here! "But don't expect anyone to care about you. Or want to interact with you. Even if you say you don't care what people think of you. You think I like talking to you, or even being anywhere near you, after everything you've done to me?"

He makes a hand gesture with one hand, like the answer to that should be obvious. "You want everyone on the train to just avoid "rabid dog Reno"? Yeah, that's sure going to be fun train ride for you."

[theturksway]

Reno laughed softly at Inigo's confession to being a killer. It really was hard to believe the kid could do anything so brutal. Reno could tell the kid had experience wielding that sword of his, probably monster hunting or something, but Reno thought of Inigo as so weak he had a hard time imagining the kid using the blade on another person. A full blown mercenary that fought more than a few monsters a month seemed out of the question.

He didn't interrupt though. He stifled his laughter with a hand to his mouth and tried to pay attention to the rest of what Inigo had to say. It was kind of hard though.

Yet there was a droop to the lines of his face, a certain amount of light that left Reno's eyes little by little as Inigo went on--subtle signs he clearly heard what Inigo had to say. Sometimes the truth hurt. Reno had dropped that painful reminder on people plenty of times in his day; he knew what it could do, how hard it could sting as if a blade had drawn blood. He didn't normally feel it himself. He ignored those kinds of truths--the ones about himself, the harsh reality of what he was and what it meant to the rest of the world. It was easier to be the carefree professional, wearing an expensive tailored suit like a privileged prick and flashing happy little grins at everything that moved into his line of sight. It was fun to play as the corporate gangster.

It was a lie so close to the truth it straddled the line precariously trying not to tip to one side or the other, and Reno enjoyed being lost inside that fat line of inconsistency. Not caring about anything was a whole lot easier than giving a shit. But Inigo had a point--someone as social and flighty as Reno didn't want to lose the attention of his audience. He needed that spotlight. Usually, it was enough to have the praise of his fellow Turks. They weren't here. He had no family, no friends to lean on. That left him with nothing but a bunch of dumb train passengers to bother and pester for entertainment. Eventually, he was bound to run out of options at the rate he was going.

"I don't care!" He insisted but even he was aware that it sounded like the whine of a disillusioned teenager. "What don't you get about that? Maybe I should just--!"

He swung around to face Inigo, a hand raised as if to strike the younger male. Prove my point were the words cut off by his own sudden horror at his actions. How easy it was to slip back into that part of himself that wanted blood. His hand clenched into a white-knuckled fist for a second, two--then released and he shook it out as if it had hurt to hold so tightly. He turned back to the panel and stared at it blankly.

"Why would I want a loser like you to want to be near me?" he asked, but his tone was dull, lifeless, no amusement or even bite to the insulting words. Like it was just a script that had to be read whether he enjoyed it or not. "I'd rather cut off my own arm than be friends with someone like you or anyone else on this dumb train."

He went back to fiddling with the wires in the panel, his eyes focused on what was in front of him but hardly seeing anything at all. They were dull and lifeless, too. It was hard to tell if he was actually getting anything useful done either.

"Didn't you hear me?" his voice raised slightly as he resumed speaking a moment later. "I said get the hell away from me."

[flatteries]

Reno dismissing Inigo's claims about himself is no surprise. Partially because it's Reno, but also partially since Inigo is sure most people would have a hard time believing that about him, considering the personality he displays around people on the train here is very different from the front he put up back home.

But the rest? The rest is a surprise. Even though a lot of the things the other is saying are still very distinctly Reno-like, there's an edge to it that Inigo hasn't really seen before. Reno is always so condescending, so jeering, telling people the worst possible things with a smirk on his face.

Now, however, he's throwing a tantrum. That's absolutely a tantrum. Inigo has seen enough of those to be able to tell that's exactly what it is, practically unbefitting of someone Reno's age.

It's a good thing though. It's like Reno is coming down to his level now. Like it evens the field between the two of them. Despite the bullying, Inigo has never seen Reno as much as a boogeyman as much as just a total jerk, but this makes him feel so much more human. Like Inigo isn't arguing out of his league. (Like Inigo managed to knock him down a peg, even. A strength he didn't know he had.)

So even when Reno tells him to go away, he doesn't. Inigo keeps standing there, unflinching even in the face of the violent gesture the other only manages to stop at the last moment.

"That's the problem, Reno. You do care."

Maybe Inigo is playing with fire. But he knows he's onto something here, and he can't let go now he's caught hold of it. Especially since he's always been entirely unafraid, unconcerned with his own wellbeing. Reno can't do anything to him worse than he already has.

"I'm not saying you're gooey. Or that you care the way I do." Naga forbid. Caring-wise they seem to be the complete opposite of each other, where Inigo cares way too much about way too many things. "But even you care. Even if it's not about friends, you don't want to be totally alone, with no one caring or paying attention to you. With no one to talk to."

Even if it'd just be because he'd get bored. Whatever. It still counts.

"But that's going to happen if things keep going like this." He can't imagine anyone appreciating Reno treating them the way he's been treating Inigo, after all. And Inigo really, really doesn't want Reno to pick on anyone else the way he's been picking on him. No one but Inigo deserves that. It's why he's saying all this in the first place, rather than just taking his chance to leave. "So stop being such a jerk to people. It's not too late yet. Think about what you're doing to people, and if you're not empathetic to understand what the consequences of it may be for them, at least think about what the consequences are for you in this place."

[theturksway]

A line of tension entered Reno's body as Inigo talked to the redhead. His hands grew stiff with the effort to keep moving despite the desire to curl his fingers into a tight fist. He wanted Inigo to leave. Why didn't the kid just leave like Reno told him?

It was the first line that set Reno's nerves on fire, and destroyed his attention span. He missed some of Inigo's prattling as his vision narrowed and his mind spun with the words: you do care. Why was that such a big deal? Why did it anger him so much?

Are you saying I'm soft?

The words repeated in his mind as he recalled a certain conversation between himself and his superior. He had felt called out and asked that question of the one giving him new orders.

It's not good for our image.

The answer had stung. The only thing he cared about was his job as a Turk, his reputation as the ace of the squad. He had a very specific image he cultivated to go along with it. And his superior had all but called him emotional. Doting, kind-hearted; too soft for a Turk.

Unacceptable.

Reno squeezed his eyes shut and tuned out Inigo a little longer. He didn't want to hear what the kid had to say. It was too close to the truth for comfort.

He heard the last part though and the silence that followed it indicating Inigo had finished his impromptu speech. At least think about what the consequences are for you in this place. He tried to focus on those words. He had been thinking like that recently--that he had to smooth things over, if just a little, so that he could go on normally while on the train. It was a small compromise to make for not having a mob stifle his style. He didn't have his fellow Turks to turn to when the going got tough so he had to play it safe and pretend he didn't mind playing nice. It was the smart move to make.

It's not good for our image.

But he couldn't get those words out of his head. He didn't want to play nice. He wanted to be a Turk. A good Turk. The best! Because that was all that mattered in his life.

He turned around to face Inigo slowly. His eyes, when he turned them to gaze at Inigo, were dark and hardened with a suppression of emotion.

"I told you to scram, kid. Don't you know when to listen? This isn't your chance to go all inspiring speech and try to get the villain to change his ways and join the good guys. I have one. calling. And it's all I care about. I don't want to join your merry little boy band. I just want to do my job, whatever it takes, and be the best at it. If I have to crunch a few bones beneath my heels along the way then so be it." He drew in a breath. "I. don't care. about anything else. I'm not soft! And I don't want to play nice!"

His baton was back in his hand without him even realizing he had gone for it. Its weight was awfully comforting though.

"Now, if you don't want to end up beneath my heel like so many others that got in my way... I suggest you do what I told you, and get the hell away from me."

Please listen this time, kid. Please just give up on this fool's errand. Don't waste this effort on him, of all people.

[flatteries]

There's a part of this that Inigo hates. Something about this specific image - Reno standing there with the baton, that look in his eyes. Inigo isn't even afraid of him, but it just brings back nasty memories of that day in the forest during the other mission. That day Roland stepped in. Would he know if something happened here now too? Would he show up again?

Inigo hardly cares if Reno would try to beat him up, though he thinks he stands a better chance now than the last time they fought. But if Roland would get involved again, or if he'd try to approach Reno if he found out afterwards-- that is something Inigo can't stomach.

Maybe he should be smart here for once. It seems like he's already given the other plenty to think about when it comes to changing his ways, right? No matter what he's saying now.

"That's funny." Inigo still defiantly meets Reno's gaze though. His own gaze isn't as hardened, as filled with emotion as Inigo usually is, but he doesn't look away for even a second. Doesn't hesitate. How could any part of Reno be scary after facing Grima? "I definitely said that you aren't gooey. I already acknowledged that. And yet here you are, feeling the need to say all the same that you're not soft."

He even dares to cock his head slightly to the side as he says that. Look, Naga, surely you can forgive him for wanting to tease the guy who's been making him feel awful all this time just a little bit, right... A little bit of revenge isn't so bad, is it?

"Sounds like you're already thinking." And isn't that all Inigo wanted? For Reno to even start to realize just slightly that harassing people on the train isn't going to get him anywhere. To protect the people on the train from someone like Reno. "So I'll go."

Making the grav-con appear from his Arms Band, he quickly backs out of the station door and activates it - and the moment he leaps off the ground, it quickly makes Inigo practically fly as he disappears into the jungle surrounding them. Look, he was at least smart enough to be prepared to make a high-speed escape here, okay.