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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This was the worst. She was only here because Mami was, because she was trying to help her partner. But she was out her depth. She'd learned to swim, in the mission that required it and later in the few days they had spent on the island. But this was different and she was scrambling around trying not to fall in and avoiding the creatures.

Like that one there... Heading towards that figure. Some stupid person who hadn't even noticed it yet, she could yell, but then it would turn and she's too close to it to get away quickly... Staying still and quiet is smart. Even if the stupid person gets eaten. Saves them right... Right? No one could blame her for not wanting to be eaten.

But then his head moved slightly. It's the boy who taught her the magic trick. She sighed.

She should still let him be eaten... If he hasn't noticed then it's his own stupid fault...

"Be watching out!"

She grabbed a floating piece of wood as she scrambled over a tumble of rocks and tree trunks and used it to wack the pleiosaur as hard as she could. If you were certain you couldn't outrun a fight then the only thing you could do was run towards it.

Gen turned his head, and his eyes went wide with shock.

Not just because there's apparently a sea monster dinosaur thing behind him, though that would've been enough, let's be honest.

No, it's because that adorable kid is doing the impossibly brave, foolhardy thing of attacking the animal in order to help protect him. Whelp. It definitely got the creature's attention, large head swinging around with an angry hiss.

"No!" Gen shouted, horrified. If something happened to her -

He jumped as quick as he could between the logs and rocks to get to her. Gen knew he couldn't fight this thing. He wanted to scoop her up and run.

At least he had turned, the monster turned as well, hissing at her. She hissed right back. She doubted she intimidated the monster at all but it made her feel better as she swung the stick again, right at it's face.

It had huge teeth and she tried not to show her fear as she scrambled back on the rocks, trying to circle around to where Gen was running.

Maybe picking this fight was a bad idea, but she had done it now. Regretting a fight was for after you survived it, not during. She can basically hear Kant lecturing her in her head and it's very annoying.

She swings the stick again, scrambling as it snapped at her.

The animal had really way too many teeth and the little girl was very very brave and Gen couldn't help but imagine Suika there and he was terrified, heart beating out of his chest.

"Hey, lizard-brain!" Gen shouted at the creature, not much more he could do, was there? "Your mother was a Coach purse!"

The creature turned to hiss at him too, but most of his body was still heading toward the child, because she was the smaller, easier prey. Yeah, Gen wasn't having that.

He'd try to scoop his friend up and run away with her in his arms. Things that Gen wasn't good at were fighting, but he was very good at running, and he'd do that until his heart stopped or the animal stopped chasing them, whatever happened first. He would not let her be eaten.

Distracting, he was good at it but that monster was still coming, she swung her stick and again as it opened its jaws and...

And then she was scooped up, into Gen's arms and they were running, faster than she could manage on her own. The monster chased them, not willing to give up its prey so easily.

She clung to him, plunging into the emptiness, going still and blank in his arms. "We do be needing to be getting to dry land." Her voice was very calm, devoid of any emotion at all, she kept her eyes on the monster and her hand on her stick, ready to fight if they got caught.

"That's the goal!" Gen told her, and his false cheer was reflexive, probably just as reflexive as her blank and calm demeanor now was. In the back of his mind, he wondered what kind of history she had to cause that.

A question for another time.

She's a little heavy, but that didn't matter. The adrenaline running through Gen meant that he'd feel this later, but that didn't matter. He dashed from the Kingdom of Science to Might in a single day so they wouldn't be suspicious Senku was alive, therefore saving his - he would run as fast as he could with his precious bundle until they got to dry land, to save hers.

She nods, not disturbing his running as she focuses on watching their backs for any monsters that are following.

Gen is outrunning them though, he really is fast, she is very impressed as she clings onto him. Dry land can't be far and once they are there they will have the advantage over any stupid water creatures!

Finally, they're on dry land, and then, further on dry land, so they're well out of the reach of that creature's long neck. Gen finally set her down, legs wobbly, kneeling down into the muddy jungle floor.

"Are you all right?" Gen asked first. The most important question. "You're not hurt, are you?"

She kept her feet, she hadn't been the one running after all. She did crouch down next to him, looking him up and down to check that he wasn't injured.

"No." She shook her head, "It did no be getting me."

She looks unharmed, a few scratches, many bruises but nothing that wasn't typical after a few days living in a jungle and wrestling robots.

"Do you be being hurt?"

"Good," Gen said, breathing out with a woosh of air. "That's ... that's really good. I'm glad you're all right, little Bee."

He's in much the same condition, just muddy and with some scrapes from digging things up and working with sharp robotic bits. Gen knew what he could and couldn't handle, and didn't purposefully pick fights with giant robots or dinosaurs.

Not on purpose.

He gave her a bemused little look. "You were incredibly brave, back there - but you could've gotten hurt. I'm not much of a fighter, there wouldn't be a lot I could've done to protect you."

Gen was incredibly worried, and ran his mouth a little as the adrenaline left him.

He didn't seem broken or bleeding too much so it was probably okay. She looked around cooly, asserting that there was no immediate threat before dropping the emptiness. Fear and pain and adrenaline rush into her with force and she sways slightly.

She lets out a small laugh, "I do be being a fighter though, I would have been protecting you if it did be catching us."

She tries to sound more certain than she felt about that, it was half the task of a Warrior, to act as if there was nothing that could beat them

Gen saw the shift in her expression and wondered. Probably shock, coping with things and her mind allowing her now to process that she could’ve been eaten. Right? He wasn’t quite sure.

“I’m sure you would’ve tried, my dear,” Gen told her, “you were very fierce and fearless back there. But I think that thing wouldn’t care about how brave you were. It just would’ve tried to eat you.”

He sighed, though, and offered her a gentle ruffle of her hair, fond and relieved. There was no arguing with Suika when she decided to help them; there’s likely no dissuading Buttercup either. “I’m just glad you’re all right.”

"Of course it would have been trying to be eating me." She wrinkled her nose, "It do be being a stupid monster."

He wasn't mad though, because he was ruffling her hair and she smiled at him.

"You should be being more careful." She told him. "You did no even be seeing it."

He was not the only one who got to lecture.

And of course, Buttercup would call him out, just like Suika would. Gen winced. "Yes, yes. You're right. I should've been paying better attention to my surroundings. It could've been a dinosaur, or a man-eating bear, or a robot."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "And unlike you, I am not very brave. Running is about all I can do."

"Yes." She nodded, her tone chiding. Though she sighed. "You do be being a good runner though, so at least you do no be being completely useless."

He had saved her after all.

"Why, thank you, little Bee," Gen gave her a bemused smile. "I do try to at least be very slightly useful."

Taking a deep breath, he began to slowly get back to his feet. "Now. I think after all that excitement, it might be a good idea to head back to camp. Maybe get some lunch."

"Senku did be saying that you did be being." She nodded and looked around at the mud and the water.

"Yes. Food would be being better than smashing rocks."

Rocks could wait, they needed energy to clear them and fight the stupid monsters.

Gen's legs felt wobbly, a little, but he'd ignore that. His priority here was getting the little kid fed. He would reach out in an attempt to gently ruffle her hair.

"For some reason, after a near-escape from death, I'm always starving," Gen told her conspiratorially. "I'm pretty sure any work we want to do can wait until we're fully fueled up again, don't you think?"

"I do be agreeing." Near death situations were good for the appetite. She grinned at him and allowed him to ruffle her hair. He had saved her after all.

So she owed him. She doesn't like owing people, but she is getting used to it, that is how life is on this train.

She began walking, back towards the camp, and hopefully a good meal.

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Not with a Bang: Side Missions

Task Two

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