voidtreckermods: (voidtrain)
VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] middleofsomewhere2020-11-13 04:28 am
Entry tags:

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!
blitzcheer: (mmm kimahri)

[personal profile] blitzcheer 2020-11-24 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Because I need to sell this risky but incredibly useful idea to you? [ And he may be skipping through those words quickly to get past the 'risky' part and all, but doesn't he sound so sweet-voiced saying it? He's not not acknowledging the danger! He's just proving what a good reward it is! (no he isn't) ]

And if we ask Roland, he's going to ask both of us that this is a good idea. [ and maybe he will word it in a way that makes it sound not as bad as it --

as it won't be. No. it won't be bad at all! ]


And it is if we're careful...

[ Their middle names. ]
flatteries: (so tell me; i need to know it)

[personal profile] flatteries 2020-11-25 07:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Stop preying on my heart!

[ At least Inigo doesn't sound angry when he says that - loud enough that it's a really good thing there aren't any robots nearby right now or there would be a whole crowd of them pulled towards them this very instant - as much as he sounds exasperated. And flustered. All in one. DON'T PICK ON THE POOR GAY GUY, TIDUS. ]

Also, you can't tell me you'd be able to say to Roland that this is a good idea with a straight face.
blitzcheer: (what'cha doooiinn' heyyy)

[personal profile] blitzcheer 2020-11-26 01:05 am (UTC)(link)
[ Heheheh! As if Tidus can hold back a grin at a whining protest like that, turning more playful at what - you guessed it!! - sounds like a dare. ]

This, [ he says, with all the disbelieving grandiose that can be mustered with Tidus's mouth, ] is the best idea I have had in my life.

[ you can practically hear the sparkles around him. sparkle sparkle. I AM GOING TO KNOCK ROLAND'S SOCKS OFF. ]
flatteries: (the questionnaire never changes)

[personal profile] flatteries 2020-11-27 09:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ SCEPTICISM. There is so much scepticism here in the air right now. Normally Inigo would not yuck on Tidus's jam like this, but if Tidus is playing these dirty, dirty tricks on him, then Inigo is allowed to at the very least be sceptical in return! ]

I don't think Roland is going to fall for that. You have to try a little harder. Say something logical!
blitzcheer: (whatcha gonna do about iiitt)

[personal profile] blitzcheer 2020-11-27 10:25 pm (UTC)(link)
What do you mean, logical? [ As if what he said wasn't logical enough! Huff! But fine, let him think...! ]

I've got the best idea and you've got nothing to worry about!

[ THERE. See!! STILL TRUE. ]
flatteries: (everyone's scared someone knows)

[personal profile] flatteries 2020-11-28 09:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Tidus.

[ Just the way he says that name is enough. Just the tone already indicates the whole sentiment. Tidus. Tidus. Tidus, please. ]

Believe me, you're passing with flying colours when it comes to confidence. But Roland isn't me, you know? You can't just tell him 'trust me' and have him immediately do so! [ Not everyone has a weak spot in their heart for your dumb ass, Tidus.

.. then again, maybe Roland does too, just in a different way. ]


You need to convince him with-- with logical arguments! Roland loves those.

[ He means you should argue like a lawyer.

But Inigo has no idea what a lawyer even is, so no way he can explain it like that. ]


You have to prove why your plan works!
blitzcheer: (huffy duffy puffy)

[personal profile] blitzcheer 2020-11-28 09:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The way he says his name is the same way Roland would. Ugh. Inigo is turning into Roland. He's going to talk at him, isn't he. UGHHHH. ]

You're really making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. [ Like he can't just trick Roland into letting Bambosh come with him. But no, now it's as if he needs to prove to Inigo that he can convince Roland than anything else. What kind of situation is this?!

But fine. Tidus stops, sighing as if being put upon. ]


Alright. [ Fiiine. Ahem. Flatly: ] Roland. Please let me borrow Bambosh to run a scientific test of fire burns plants. I know what you're thinking - fire burns plants too good! But, that's where-

[ Tidus rolls his hands, spreading them out with his arms opening. ]

-- we run the test of making small fires! And have Gibbs on backup in case we need to put any out.

...

...

Happy? [ Well?? ]
flatteries: (count your blessings)

[personal profile] flatteries 2020-11-29 03:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Yes, Tidus, there's no escape from this now. Inigo won't budge until you do this! Dance, monkey, dance! ]

Happy.

[ It's a simple reply, but he means it! This is all he wanted you to show, geez, Tidus. He's just making sure you make a good impression on Roland without having to trick his poor old father into anything! ]

There's no way he's going to refuse if you put it like that. I was just preemptively saving your hide here! [ Like a good bro! ]
blitzcheer: (no promises there)

[personal profile] blitzcheer 2020-11-29 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Tricking is so much easier than going through the correct channels though, bro...! ]

See? I already told you I've got this! [ Sigh! When a pal just won't take your word for it. ] Alright, come on. Let's find that guy and get this over with. We'll be leaving with Bambosh without a hassle!

[ COME, INIGO. LET US GO TO GIVE ROLAND WHITE HAIRS. ]