middleofsomewhere | Not with a Bang: Side Missions

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Not with a Bang: Side Missions

On day nine of the month of Imagination voidtreckers may notice a new symbol on the SCA map. Lime green exclamation marks hover above several sections of Nion’s jungle. Tapping these exclamation marks will bring up additional tasks that need to be undertaken.

These appear at different times over the course of day nine and ten and do not seem to be linked to any specific team, anyone who wishes may follow their SCA to the marker and help solve the problems.

Task 1

Shield integrity is below expected levels in sector R-37. Potential for sabotage. Please investigate at the location indicated.

R-37 is a mile-wide area of jungle with a single solar station. and a cursory investigation will show that station to be the cause of the issue. Sirens wail and indicators flash red, both light and sound spilling out into the surrounding jungle.

The structure doesn’t seem to have taken any physical damage, but something is certainly wrong. The shielding in the air above this sector is flickering on and off, and no attempts to stabilise it work.
It will require a hard reset to fix; the map icon will pinpoint two towers on the corner of the station grounds from which this may be done. It will require a mix of people to physically climb the towers and access the controls whilst others reboot the system from inside the solar station building. The SCA will indicate locations and required interactions.

Task 2

Impacts upon the array have caused seismic activity in sector E-10, blocking a major river. Repair damage to the environment caused by the tremors.

It will be obvious when the Voidtreckers arrive in sector E-10, because the area is completely flooded. Trees are submerged and water is in places deep enough for Voidtreckers to have to swim, though for the most part they will be able to wade through the muddy water to find the source of the problem.

A sizable landslide has completely dammed the river running through E-10 at two points, causing the waters to swell and flood its surroundings. Whilst most of the wildlife is able to swim or climb and is therefore unaffected, one resident of the jungle is faring even better - the large plesiosaur-like reptiles that call the river home can now range much further afield in search of prey.

Voidtreckers should clear the river of debris, whilst avoiding dangers both environmental and reptilian.

Task 3

A violet panda pack has been detected in northern sector B-19, moving rapidly westwards. Given the lack of nearby solar stations, this movement is uncharacteristic. Please investigate.

Once Voidtreckers get into sector B-19 they will find the panda pack stampeding through the jungle. Some may wish to help them out and calm them down, but for those investigating the trail they have made through the undergrowth is clear.

Following backwards they will discover a blackened, smoking area of jungle, raggedly felled trees and a small crater where something has impacted heavily against the earth. The surrounding trees are partially ablaze, though the dampness of the foliage mean that none of the fires have grown large enough that they can’t be put out with concerted effort. A small river runs through B-19, within walking distance of the impact site.

Task 4

Solar Station 29 in sector Y-5 is taking fire from unknown assailants. None of its security drones are responding. Defend the station and identify the aggressors.

Their SCA will direct them to the entrance of Station 29. It is under attack by two large terraforming robots, identical to any of those already seen on Nion. There is also a complement of security drones with them, all painted with 29 across their chassis, and all attacking the station.

They are no tougher than any of the other automatons encountered thus far, but their attack is more coordinated compared to the simple self-defense of the stray robots. Even though they are focused on attacking the station, they will turn and fight anyone who tries to stop them.

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The priest dropped from his branch as the wood he'd been standing on just flat-out shattered. He landed with a graceful flip, a few dozen feet away from Senku. Somehow, none of those blasts had seemed to touch him.

"You can run, if you want!" Koumyou offered, throwing a hand out and sending a burst of power at the machine that had it staggering backwards like a drunkard. It would have been comical, if the thing wasn't trying to kill them.

...Still was, to Koumyou. He laughed, and hurriedly ducked behind a different tree just as the robot opened fire again. And then he added, with his usual cheer, "But you should decide soon, these '29' robots actually seem to communicate with each other!"

And indeed, reinforcements could be heard coming their way through the thick vegetation. If Senku ran now, he might not get caught in a flanking maneuver by the other machines. But only 'might'; it could easily turn out worse for him to flee from the priest's dubious protection.

"I don't really want to leave you..." He looked around, he could hear them, maybe.

"I'll come up with something, give me a minute." Senku took off a little bit, to give himself space from the robots, at least, he thought so.

There was a drone in that direction, which he found out, when he had to duck again with a yelp. That was not a wise choice, apparently, so he came closer to Koumyou.

"Fuck, they're closing in."

"They sure are!" Koumyou's enthusiasm couldn't be contained, really. He was fucking jazzed about this situation. Unlike Senku, he'd wandered into this trouble on purpose, and with gusto. Encountering a civilian in need had just been a happy accident.

He waited for the latest round of energy-projectiles to pause. The robots didn't have ammunition to speak of, but they still had to build a little extra power for those volleys. That left an opening, if you were fast enough.

"Guess I should start fighting back, huh?" And with that, the priest lunged out from behind his tree and charged at the first drone. It took one palm-strike, crackling with electricity, to topple the machine to the ground.

Not that it was done, but Koumyou didn't let it get back up. Nope, he climbed atop it and just started punching the shit out of the chassis, each strike denting the shell in further and further. He'd fought enough drones already during this mission to know where the key targets were. Cave this bit in enough, and it would fuck up something important inside.

"Uh, if you want-" Senku just stared as he took over attacking and pummelling that one drone.

"Okay, yeah, you do the fighting. Maybe I should investigate the controls and see if I can figure out how to stop them!" Senku looked at his SCA to see what direction he'd need to go.

"I guess I'll escort you, then!" Koumyou was a team player! ...At the moment!

"Don't worry~ I'll protect you from the science."

And a god damned troll, of course, but how many options did Senku have right now?

"It's not science that's the problem." Senku snorted. "It's the robots trying to kill us."

"Are they magic robots?"

One final punch and the machine he was on stopped moving entirely. Koumyou got up and looked over at Senku. Well. Behind Senku.

"Time to move!"

They were going to get surrounded if they stayed in one spot any longer.

Senku couldn't help but look at him with a look of pure exasperation. He would love to argue the point, but, that was a valid concern.

"Fine." He'd argue with Koumyou some other time.

Senku hustled out of the way, towards the station. As he ran in that direction it was obvious that his body hated it, but his footsteps were well practiced, natural obstacles weren't much of a concern.

And for the first twenty seconds or so, Senku was left to run on his own. The first volley of fire from the robots chasing the pair just... never reached them, swallowed up in a barrier the priest whirled and threw up behind them.

But then one of the bigger, terraforming robots turned away from the station up ahead, and aimed a much bigger weapon at them meant to level hills. Koumyou wasn't sure he could shield from two directions at once and catch whatever that thing was about to fire at them. And there was no real cover to speak of, between here and their goal.

"Well, this won't do!"

Time to run a hell of a lot faster, and scoop up Senku as he did so before leaping high into the air to avoid all the regular fire from behind and the Big Cannon from ahead. The ground they'd just been on kind of wasn't there anymore.

He'd been running, doing his best to get away and then he was grabbed by Koumyou.

His reaction was instinctive, his whole body tensed with the sudden intrusion into his personal space. "Hey, what the-"

His protested was swallowed by the blast as the ground that Koumyou just dragged him from vanished into what was a decent sized crator.

Senku swallowed his complaint, but looked rather irritated. He couldn't even argue that he could run fast enough, because he knew he couldn't.

"The science is getting really shoot-y!" Koumyou's explanation couldn't be any more cheerful. His long braid whipped around them both when he landed at the edge of the crater and immediately spun to take off again at full speed.

Still heading for the station, but at an indirect angle that would hopefully put the Big Guy out of line of sight for at least a few seconds. That cannon was easily the most dangerous thing on the battlefield, second only to the seemingly-inert paper slung over the priest's narrow shoulders.

"Do you suppose lightning would stop the big guy, or...?"

Oh, whoops! The drone brigade was in firing range again. Koumyou managed to swat their blasts away with the bullwhip crack of his chi, even with his hands full and at a full fucking run, but it sure as hell wasn't easy. The strain was actively starting to show.

Sorry Senku, it was probably best to just put up with the holy taxi ride for the moment.

"It's-" Senku started and then groaned. "Nevermind." He was tempted to correct him, but it was a dire situation where they might die, so he was willing to let it go.

He'd probably complain about it later to a willing ear.

"Yes, lightning might cause a short and it might take them down that way. It'd have to be really precise like-" Senku was cut off by the whole blocking things with chi.

"If you have some kind of magic, it might be useful right about now." Senku had no such things.

A holy taxi ride is not where he thought his day was heading when he got up that morning.

This situation was getting annoying enough for the sutra on Koumyou's shoulders to flutter gently, responding to the smallest of subconscious cues from the man wearing it. Senku might even feel it move, with the way he was being carried, the end of the holy parchment trapped between their shoulders shifting fitfully.

That wasn't from wind. It was easy to not notice when one wasn't in contact with it, or to write off, but a lot harder in such close proximity.

"Precise how?" Koumyou, unsmiling for once, actually sounded impatient. And just a little out of breath as he continued to try to outmaneuver the untiring robots. "Where am I aiming?"

That's right, aiming lightning. He could do that.

He might've felt the sutra move, but he didn't actually know what that meant and he would dismiss it as the force of them running and the wind. That seemed far more likely.

"If you've got good control, you want to aim for the gap under the head and if you can really push it, you want it to hit the centre of the torso, on the inside."

Melted robot parts weren't going to smell very good, but it would be an effective way of getting a short. It was quite likely the plates themselves had some sort of lightning protection against he elements of the weather.

"What about on the big guy?" That was the one that was the most concerning, after all, with that ground-leveling cannon. "Same idea?"

Koumyou's world didn't have robots, so the science nerd was definitely the expert here!

"Same idea." Senku confirmed. "The mechanical parts are in the middle and a big enough charge should cause a short which would end their movements."

Just in time, too, because he was running out of ways to Line of Sight that giant bastard. "All right, hold on!" Still running at full tilt, Koumyou freed up the arm from behind Senku's back, and flung his hand out.

The CRACK! of a full-blown, actual lightning strike from the priest's hand to the terraforming robot, was absolutely deafening at this range.

And because they were in contact, the scientist would absolutely feel the surge of power from within himself, too, ripping free in one instant to help fuel that strike. Chi, he did indeed have it -- even if he had no idea how to use it, it was definitely there!

To say he was surprised was the least of how he felt when that sudden surge of chi was borrowed from him and left him feeling somewhat exerted. That kind of power was not something he was familiar with, at all.

Senku wanted to ask so many questions, but at the moment they were still trying not to die from a robot attack, so it would have to wait.

"What did, no, did that work?" He leaned around to peer in time to see the largest robot short circuiting and toppling over.

"I'd say so!" Koumyou was noticeably more winded now; that attack had taken power from both of them, and he almost dropped Senku even as the machine toppled. The area around that gap in the robot's armored plates was scorched black, smoke pouring into the air. More than a short, things were burning in there.

But they were still being chased, so Koumyou kept running. Now finally bee-lining for the station properly, only to have another group of drones round the corner of the building ahead and come at them in a pincer maneuver.

...Right, these robots were actually communicating with each other. Smart robots. Koumyou slid to a halt, his expression stern. "I'm done with this."

Done running? Done fighting? Time for a trip to the luggage car? Both sets of drones would be in shooting range of the pair in a matter of seconds from now--

The sutra yanked itself out from between them, and then the world went white with blinding light. It was like the sun had suddenly touched down on the ground where they stood, an absolute void. Distantly, the sound of ruffling paper and screaming, wrenching metal could be heard, but the light seemed to swallow even sound.

It was the most unusual thing to witness, if Senku could even call it that, considering what he saw was blinding light.

His entire body tensed, a frantic stray panicked thought crossed his mind, not again, but it wasn't the same.

It was a completely different phenomenon and it was too bright. Senku had to shield his eyes, so he didn't really see a whole lot aside from the light. Whenever the light eventually faded, he'd find himself breathing a little bit quicker than usual, this was less exertion and more anxiety but he was equally going to pretend that wasn't an issue.

They had bigger things to focus on.

When the light did fade, it revealed that the entire area had been all but filled with floating, shifting tendrils of the sutra, now absent from Koumyou's shoulders. Most of the enemy robots were little more than oily confetti. Those furthest from the epicenter had merely been run though, now sliding, smoking and sparking, off the ends of the indestructible, holy paper.

The light was coming from all those tendrils, now down to a sparkling gold. Koumyou himself seemed to give off light, too, but much fainter, and colder. The moon itself reflecting the rays of the sun.

For his own part, the priest moved to set Senku back down on his feet, like this was totally normal. He stumbled a little, caught and stabilized immediately by one of the tendrils of his sutra, it responded so naturally to his subconscious that it may as well have been his own arm.

The golden light finally faded. And then just as suddenly as it had happened, the sutra suddenly vanished from filling the air and returned to laying peacefully on Koumyou's shoulders.

"Are you alright?" Why yes, Koumyou had noticed that panic. It would be hard not to, given the givens. And while Senku had his own reasons for that reaction, it wasn't exactly an unheard of response to a full firing of one of the five Founding Scriptures of Heaven and Earth. Especially when one was right in the middle of it.

Edited 2020-11-23 20:21 (UTC)

Senku had to rub his eyes as their surroundings came back into focus and the light stopped and he suddenly had the ground beneath him again. He also stumbled his first step, partly out of surprise, before he caught himself.

"Yeah, fine." He offered a bit of a dismissive wave to that.

"What was that?" He couldn't help but ask, it was in his inquisitive nature.

"The Seiten sutra, or the Light of Creation," Koumyou responded seriously, tucking his hands into the front pocket of his hoodie as if nothing strange had just happened at all.

Senku might deny what the sutra was, if he was the type. It wouldn't change the facts of the matter, and Koumyou wouldn't care. Had there been energy reading instrumentation of any kind within a mile of them, it was probably fried. And anyone sensitive to power, especially holy power, very well may have just been pinged with their exact location.

There were always risks to firing a sutra. If trouble came hunting for him accordingly, Koumyou would take care of it as he always did.

He wasn't a believer, certainly, but the thing was they were from different worlds so he had to begrudgingly accept that in some worlds religion might actually exist, or mean something.

So Senku wasn't going to argue over the contents of the sutra.

"Interesting." He said instead, moving towards the door of the station.

"I can't deny you probably saved me from dying unnecessarily."

That was his way of saying thank you. It didn't involve the actual words, it was just an acknowledgement of what happened.

"You're welcome," Koumyou said cheerfully, trailing after him. May as well stick around, in case more machines were on their way, or in case anything came sniffing after the sutra itself.

It would be kind of shitty, even for him, to just take off and leave this guy to deal with that kind of attention.

"I wonder what happened here -- shouldn't those robots have been protecting this place, instead of trying to destroy it? And they didn't seem to be lashing out randomly like the others I've fought so far."

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