middleofsomewhere | Not with a Bang Start and Ongoing

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Not with a Bang Start and Ongoing

"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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ DARNIT, NITA.

Why can't you just let him distract you so he can sneak out when you forgot why you stopped him in the first place, huh? That was the ideal plan here! ]

C-Can't we just keep it to looking forward to it for now? [ Inigo is aware of how dumb and desperate this sounds, that it's a flimsy excuse, but what else is he supposed to do? ] I think I really have to head out there right now.

[Nita tries to consider the problem a different way-]

Maybe we could camp in the woods? If you let me come with you, it'd get done faster, right?

[This is the part where Nita has to be told she's making a ~~interesting compromise~~ rash decision...]

Well, probably, but..

[ But that means keeping Nita from a few moments of rest until later either. And honestly, Inigo wasn't too sure when he was going to get to resting to begin with..

He scratches the back of his head, trying to think. ]

I mean, I guess having you around would help. You probably know more about all that technology stuff than I do. All I can do is get all the plants out of the way.

I can ask it more directly where the damage is, at least.

[Splitting the labor in this manner IS a good idea regardless.]

You know where the site you wanted to head is on the SCA maps, then?

[They... may just be doing this??]

[ He nods. ]

Yes. I already looked it up.. It's not too far from here. [ Which is why he thought he could just quickly and quietly slip out, but.. alas. It seems that plan has sailed. Though he's at least still getting the chance to head there, apparently!

Though as he looks ahead of them, and then back to Nita, he can't help but wonder-- ]

You know.. Can't you just ask those things to start working again? [ Is that how it works. ]

[Nita pauses again, because that... is worth considering, although:]

It's not gonna be that simple. But-

[Nita starts fiddling with her charm bracelet, gently shuffling the charms back-and-forth around her wrist.]

I can ask them what's wrong, what's stopping them from running properly. If they just have weeds in the way, or if there's rust, or a different kind of problem altogether.

[It's not necessarily that the stations don't want to work, Nita's mind goes on. They're just dealing with a lot more than they could have bargained for upon their creation.]

But whatever's wrong, I'm pretty sure we can fix... especially together.

[Nita smiles then, small but the most brightly she's done so all day.]

[ That sure is something he'll agree to. Although.. ]

That's such a big help though! I don't know a single thing about any of the technology in there, so if it can tell you what's wrong, then we're a lot closer towards knowing what to do about it.

[ Since Inigo definitely needs what to do with electronics spelled out to him. Preferably in the easiest fashion possible. ]

We should be able to clear them out so much quicker. [ So.. maybe a biiit of rest isn't toooo bad then.. he supposes.. if he really has to.. ]

[Nita gives Inigo's hand one last squeeze; finally letting go...]

You lead, then. I'll follow, and we'll see what that station has to say.

[And then - nap for them, hopefully? ~~Even if neither of them really want to.~~]

[ Thankfully Inigo doesn't mind leading the way, especially since he knows where to go to the nearest station thanks to the dots on his SCA display. And honestly, he's pretty curious to see how Nita communicates with the electronics. He's seen her do some pretty incredible and out there stuff before - never forget that time where she was just a whale - but this still feels new and exciting enough.

So he starts making his way through the jungle with her. The station isn't too far away, and before they know it, Inigo is already cutting away at the plants that seem to have grown right over the station's entrance with his sword.

A task easy enough that he has the brain capacity to be able to talk at the same time. ]

By the way, that vision you had before the mission.. Do you think it was just about what would have happened if that initial meteor had hit? [ If they hadn't prevented it. ]

[Nita's not entirely at ease just sitting around, once they get there - so the ones that are less In The Way receive a talking to, as she asks them to please move.

It's actually a very good thing Inigo's cutting down weeds, because she's able to point to them in a 'don't be that weed' sort of way.

Cutting off her latest 'conversation', she answers:]

What, with the screaming? ... I think we made that happen just by ourselves, honestly.

I couldn't tell if there was a second shield-smashing meteor on its way, at any rate.

[She turns to look at him, a frown creasing her brows.]

Why d'you ask, Inigo?

[... Apart from the concern from the future they both have in common, anyway.]

[ He shakes his head. ]

Just making sure.

[ And he's still keeping at it! The entrance is slowly emerging from behind all these plants now.. ]

I'd like to think we already took care of the biggest danger here, but.. you know, you can never know for sure. [ Inigo makes sure to say it in the lightest way possible though. Like it's not too big of a worry, but more just something he's thinking about. Then again, with his habit of downplaying things.. ]

And I really would like us to not get into that kind of danger again. One scare like that was enough for this mission, don't you think?

[At this rate, they'll be done in no time! ... Well, five minutes, maximum.]

That's what happens when you try to tell the future what to do.

[Nita makes quite a face.]

But you're right; one scare per mission always seems like enough. Regardless of what the scare is.

[Whether it's death from above or folks disappearing.]

[ ~~One scare is enough, and then the whole wild end of the mission happens..~~ ]

We're changing the future back home. [ Inigo doesn't look at her as he speaks, instead looking at the plants he's tearing apart with his sword and hands, throwing them off to the side. ]

But everything is so different here. It never feels as clear cut.

That's acting, though, not just words. When we move, when we commit to things, we're a force to be reckoned with.

[Both things could be true.]

But when we just say or assume things...

You're right, though; any place we could get the answers from, either we're cut off or they're cutting us off.

[Or, again, both could be true.]

Hey, are you saying we're not doing enough to change things now?

[ That's the very reason Inigo is out here, after all, rather than sleeping back there in his tent. He can't sleep, knowing that they could be on another timer for all they know. When they won't be fully safe here until they set up this whole system and shield the planet from whatever else could come for it. ]

As you can see, I'm not stopping until I'm sure we've changed things here too. [ Even though he may drop to the floor from a lack of sleep before that'll happen. ]

[Nita shakes her head, turning more of her focus back to the weeds.

There comes silence, for a time.]

But if we keep this up, for a week... it'll make a difference, I'm sure.

[Just... maybe not so much 'keeping it up' continuously.]

[ Sorry, Nita, what is that? Keep this up continuously for a week straight? No sleep? Inigo loves this plan, he's doing it. ]

Exactly. [ He smiles. ] That's why I'm not giving up.

[ .. and apparently just catching some zzz's for an hour is considered 'giving up' now. ]

I can sleep all I want once we're back on the train.

[And that's when Nita realizes something.]

Wait - Inigo, when was the last time you rested well on the train?

[See how the turns have tabled?

Nita even stops her work with the weeds, this time.]

[ There's a pause.

In Inigo's speech, though. He's still working, still pulling at the plants, even though he clearly is choosing to not say something for a moment, as if Nita may miraculously forget about this line of questioning if he just doesn't say something.

Clearly that isn't happening though, and so instead he finally says: ]

.. Define 'well'?

[ Look, he could say he sleeps well and not lie, but that's since his own genuine definition of good sleep is very, very poor compared to others'. ]

[Nita has to actually think about how to define it; good job, Inigo.

She may end up shaming herself here again.]

I'd say - not waking up sore, not immediately having your brain jump to things you think you missed the night before, or not feeling like you're better off just staying in bed.

[To name just a few qualities.]

[ He finally turns his head to look at her. ]

I think I'm winning here. I'm on a great two out of three. [ It's probably no surprise that the problem he does have out of those three definitely is his brain jumping to thoughts, huh.

It's mostly a joke to lighten the mood a bit though, since he's pretty sure Nita is talking about herself right now. And sleeping like that sucks. ]

Though my problem is that I'm a really light sleeper. I already wake up if a roommate rolls over a bit too loudly in their sleep. [ Or if Orisa moves at all. Thanks, robot parts. ] It's an old habit I can't break.

[The answer successfully makes Nita smile, all the same.]

That is good.

[And then Inigo explains further, and her expression changes to one of real sympathy.]

Ouch. And you just know that, the one day you do sleep through it all-

[Is the day something is Wrong. Anxiety or just visionary hunch, she's been in that situation before and it sucks, worse than just the lack of sleep.]

... This may sound weird, but: have you talked to Eva?

[Nita's been on the train long enough to have heard of Princess and his Sleep shenanigans, at this point.]

Eva?

[ Inigo knows who Nita is talking about, of course, but he's never really paid much attention to her.. So he doesn't instantly see the link here, though he's sure Nita is bringing it up for a reason. ]

No, never. [ (If not just because talking to girls he doesn't know is terrifying.) ] Why?

[Nita goes back to parting weeds - something she can do with her hands.]

One of her Pokemon - Princess, if you've seen him around-

[But then, most probably have at this point.]

Knows the move Sleep. It's supposed to give a few hours' undisturbed rest. I don't know if that means no dreams or not, but if you want to be able to stay asleep, without it being too long...

[ Now it makes sense why Nita would bring that up. He's seen the Pokemon around - he thinks, anyway, since sometimes it's hard to tell what's one and what isn't - so he has a vague idea. ]

Ah.. So, did you ever ask Eva for that then?

[ Because he's not too sure how to feel about that. He's kind of leaning towards not liking the idea, but he figures he might as well ask this first. ]

Not with a Bang Start and Ongoing

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assuming this is a wrap!