VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] middleofsomewhere2021-01-11 05:58 am

Fierce New World- Mission Start!

"Good Morning passengers. Today is day six of the month of Jelly." 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.

Preparation and Arrival

They have a short time to prepare for their mission, enough time to read their briefs, make decisions, meet in their teams and gather anything they may need.

A few hours later there is another announcement. "Shortly arriving on System #2207385. All passengers get ready to disembark. Next stop world #2207385. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

The train judders as it leaves the void, the colours from the windows turn into the blackness of space but quickly white as the train descends into the entrance of the biosphere.

The doors of the train open and passengers can enter the large white-walled holding bay. Currently, they are the only vehicle inside. There are four large doors around the bay each labelled with where they lead. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

The doors open easily, and their SCA’s show a basic route, though the non-linear nature of the sectors mean that obstacles will need to be navigated. While they are in a closed world, there is a day and night cycle: the panels far up above are designed to make it seem like there is a natural sky, brightening and dimming every ten hours.

Red/Summer

Empty Streets

Wide streets divide sealed-off factories and manufacturing pods that tower up towards the ‘sky’. It is hot here, though the fumes from the factories are vented out, leaving the air breathable if overly warm.

Sometimes the pods are not yet finished, empty shells that can be sheltered in. There are also stations for living, with plumbing and basic amenities scattered through the sector. Places to rest as they move towards the center and the Great-Summer that they seek.

Helpmates

Where factories are still being built they will find Helpmates, operating machinery or moving materials.

They will not pause in their tasks for long but are programmed to answer questions so can be drawn into a conversation. Or, if the Voidtreckers are unfortunate, they will find those that are malfunctioning turning on them as they approach.

They aren’t too difficult to fight, but can do some damage with the machinery if they manage to take a Voidtrecker by surprise. They can be fought with weapons or magic, or for those that think to use the panels they can be shut down outright.

Wild Weather

Though warm, the corridors remain a constant temperature that is not too unpleasant for people. For the most part. Unfortunately, due to the malfunctioning state of things routes may become impassable. Boiling air, freezing blasts, electricity crackling across a pathway.

Their SCA’s do a good job of warning them, allowing them to change direction or shelter in nearby buildings.

Purple/Autumn

Exploring

The Autumn sector is the least complete of the sectors, with shells of habitation pods and not much else. No one is expected to live here until nearing the end of construction, and so the pods are unfurnished, many missing doors, some missing internal walls.

Outside the streets are wide and clearly made to be pleasant to walk on; it is airy, bright and spacious, if a bit eerie due to the quiet.

There are panels on the walls, to call Helpmates to appear. Here they are primarily for helping citizens, giving directions and offering aid.

Malfunctions

Since there are more helpmates there is more risk of them malfunctioning. They attack with or without weapons, using any tools they can pick up to attack. They can be fought with weapons or magic, or for those that think to use the panels they can be shut down.

They won’t chase people into the houses, their privacy programming preventing them from doing so.

Turned Around

The roads seem simple, built in a grid pattern around the houses. However, whatever is going wrong here is affecting the very streets themselves. Sometimes there will be a wall where there wasn’t before or roads go in circles. Sometimes they find themselves at a dead end, trapped until structures shift again.

Their SCA’s do their best to keep up but it can take a while for them to reroute and by the time they do, that path might be blocked too!

Blue/Spring

Patchwork Forest

The Spring sector houses the hydroponics and pastoral sections. It alternates between grazing land and more heavily forested areas with rows of pine-like trees in a checkerboard pattern, with empty plots interspersed. Walkways divide each square, but all squares appear able to move about as required, as though on a conveyor system.

There are clear walkways to avoid stepping on any newly growing plants. In the grazing land live flocks of camelid creatures resembling alpacas with blueish wool, on average a metre and a half tall at the shoulders. Helpmates appear here as if on a timer to feed the animals and tend to plants.

Destruction


If the Helpmates here malfunction they attack anyone nearby, cause havoc to any farming equipment and frightening the animals.

They can be fought with weapons or magic, or for those that think to use the panels they can be shut down. The panels here are less obvious than they are in the more urban sectors, low to the ground, looking almost like energy panels. But once they know what to look for they will be able to use them to shut down the Helpmates.

Stampede

Frightened animals are likely to flee and unfortunately in this case it means rampaging across the grazing land to the newly growing trees.

They will need to be calmed, returned to their grazing lands and the plants restored. Or it might be that the Voidtreckers can stop the Helpmates before the creatures get too spooked.

Orange/Winter

Exploring

The Winter sector’s primary concern is life support. Huge banks of air scrubbers form artificial cliffs, while other sections are tanks filled with water in varying stages of processing or recycling.

The paths here are a lot narrower than they are in other areas, sometimes requiring moving between pipes or scrambling over layers of railing.

There doesn’t seem to be any easy or straightforward path through the sector, their SCA takes them on wild winding routes through the machinery.

Help or Hindrance

The fluctuating temperatures here are causing problems with many of the pipes, several sections are flooded, others are in danger of being so.

There are patch kits in easily opened panels, designed to be used by the helpmates and indeed there are many helpmates out.

But some are less helpful, those that are malfunctioning are more likely to cause more damage than they are there to fix. They will attack any one who tries to interfere with them. They can be fought with weapons or magic, or for those that think to use the panels they can be shut down.

Patch Job

Once the malfunctioning Helpmates are dealt with the pipes still need to be fixed. The patch kits do not have any instructions but are simple enough that anyone with a basic knowledge of how to fix things should be able to figure them out- though the more knowledge and expertise they have the better the fix!

For those that don’t, many of the jobs will need more than one person and so for those that don’t mind taking instructions they will find an extra pair of hands is always welcome.
irrationally: (now i can't sing; i can't feel)

[personal profile] irrationally 2021-03-03 10:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Alice just seems amused. She's probably catching on to the fact that it's not entirely serious, but she would be all up for it all the same, really. Exploring weird other worlds is so much more fun on your own terms than the train's terms, she'd say.

"It wouldn't be the first time I've visited another world through a mirror," she points out, definitely not kidding. Even though there's still a hint of something more amused about her.

The girl gets back up on her feet.

"I'm going to look around and see if there is anything at all worth seeing in this place for now though."

Even if it didn't seem like it so far. No matter how far they walk, it seems like there's just more and more of the same. And it's all so bland.
flatteries: (and sat in the back booth)

[personal profile] flatteries 2021-03-03 10:42 pm (UTC)(link)
".. hmm, I'm fine."

If not just because sitting down for a moment together really was just an excuse to make Roland do just that - sit down and rest. At least on the train Inigo can count on their mandatory sleep period to make sure his father at least gets some rest between all the work he does, but out here on the missions? It's clearly up to Inigo instead to make sure he isn't all just about business or constantly working.

(Is it hypocritical, considering Inigo overworks himself too? Maybe, but it's not as if Roland hasn't turned this exact same trick onto him before.)

"We can keep going again, if you want." Though Inigo is still sitting for a moment, lingering in this space - or perhaps just in this moment as a whole. "But.. father, just know I really like it when you tell me things about yourself."

There's a slight pause, but then he smiles.

"Even when they make me view you in an entirely different light." Roland the teenage rebel. Who could've ever imagined that?
inquisitor_lavellan: (pic#14480611)

[personal profile] inquisitor_lavellan 2021-03-06 12:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Alley just waves her singular hand in parting, and goes back to simply resting.
adregem: (no secrets between king and consul)

[personal profile] adregem 2021-03-06 01:45 pm (UTC)(link)
He's in the middle of fixing Inigo's hair, not quite fussy but attentive all the same, when such a thing stops his hands and stills his movements. Roland blinks quietly at Inigo before the corner of his mouth twitches into a small smile, barely there but genuine regardless. The closest hand he has raised rests against the top of Inigo's head, two gentle strokes downwards until he pulls him into an unexpected hug.

Moments like these, even when they happen during otherwise dangerous missions (though right now it's not really that clear how an empty dome could be dangerous, but Roland's got his guard up) is what endears him to the boy. The caring, the relentless affection. Roland appreciates kindness in its many forms, having seen so little of it back home...It's the beacon that keeps him from drowning under the darkness.

"Thanks. For listening to me." He answers softly, eyes gently drooping half-closed. He knows he shouldn't let his guard down, but...heh. What can he say? He's a weak dad when nobody else is looking his way. And even if he isn't fond of telling most people about himself or parts of his life he tries not to reminisce, Inigo is not most people and this feels more relaxing than Roland ever expected.

"Tell me about the stuff you did one of these days, too. Back when you were a little puppy running around. Heh. I want to know Inigo before I met him just as much. Is that okay?"

Roland draws back in his embrace to look at him up close, asking for that permission to be let in. Knowing how important it is to Inigo to look forward, yet not wanting to forget that he had a life, a family, before the mess of Grima and the world ending dropped unto his young hands.
flatteries: (you don't get)

[personal profile] flatteries 2021-03-06 11:02 pm (UTC)(link)
This is exactly why he did this. All of it. Asking for a moment of rest, sitting here with Roland. All because he wanted to change the other's mood around. Inigo has a hard time giving himself all the credit for this - he just thinks he managed to play his cards well in the situation, it's not like it's just because of him that Roland's mood has flipped - but he can't help but delight in the end result all the same.

Because all he wants is for Roland to not think about how not so great this mission seems so far. Or how disasterous the last one was at certain moments. He'd much rather take this. The hugs, the genuine affection. Roland just being a weak dad.

(Which is fine. Inigo, too, is a very weak son.)

Inigo smiles, almost shyly, as he lowers his head.

"That's okay." He's not sure how many stories he can remember from back then, but of course he's willing to share them with Roland. Especially since the older guy has a harder time opening up than Inigo does, so maybe it'll be easier for Roland in turn if Inigo is willing to lead the charge. "We can just do this again next mission, after all. Then you know you'll have something to look forward to when that rolls around."

All you have to do is do your best to be positive during a mission to get a cute son story in return, Roland!
kingcat: (This shit's exhausting)

[personal profile] kingcat 2021-03-11 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
Grimmjow took a second to squint at the horizon, and shook his head. "Got too wrapped up in fightin' to keep track of directions, and can't tell from where people are right now, they're too spread out," he sighed softly, looking at the SCA. "I guess we better evac."
strawberryprotector: (smile)

[personal profile] strawberryprotector 2021-03-16 05:57 am (UTC)(link)
Grimmjow wasn't the only one unsure of the way back. Nodding, Ichigo reached for his wrist. "See you back on the train?"
kingcat: (This shit's exhausting)

[personal profile] kingcat 2021-03-17 04:19 am (UTC)(link)
He nodded, watching Ichigo closely. Mostly because he didn't know how to use the SCA to return to the train yet. "See ya."
strawberryprotector: (smile)

Wrap here?

[personal profile] strawberryprotector 2021-03-23 03:52 am (UTC)(link)
Before he hit the button on his SCA, Ichigo made sure Grimmjow could see what he was doing. Then with a press, he was gone.
hotheadwarmheart: (Small smile)

[personal profile] hotheadwarmheart 2021-04-08 04:54 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm sure we'll run across some worlds where traditional locks are a thing if we stay on the train awhile longer," Lea said. "Or if we get a bit of metal and someplace I could safely work with it, I could probably make him one too. Probably wouldn't be too hard."