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.
reluctantjinrou: (Determined To Win)

Battle

[personal profile] reluctantjinrou 2021-01-13 06:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Admittedly, Natsuno was caught off-guard when he came across Mami being smacked by a helpmate, but he moved instinctively, slamming his fist into it.

It stopped moving with a crunch, as he was a lot stronger than he looked.

"Are you alright?"
reluctantjinrou: (Stoic)

Weather

[personal profile] reluctantjinrou 2021-01-13 06:40 pm (UTC)(link)
He happened to be using his SCA to navigate and just barely stopped himself from walking into Alleyana.

"Sorry." Natsuno apologized with a little bow and looked at the fire with an irritated sigh.

"Looks like we're going to have to double back. Again. This place is a mess."
melodiouspacifist: (Aw We Do Too Have Hearts)

[personal profile] melodiouspacifist 2021-01-13 06:53 pm (UTC)(link)
"Nah, this is my first mission." Demyx said, shaking his head with a bit of a shrug.

"I'm not sure what to make of all this." He said with a bit of a sigh. "It's kind of more boring than I was led to believe."
melodiouspacifist: (pic#9960772)

[personal profile] melodiouspacifist 2021-01-13 06:56 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm totally confused!

[ Demyx exclaimed, not far from her, hands on his head. ]

I'm trying to follow this map and just getting turned around because of walls and just, gah.
melodiouspacifist: (Nort Whaaaaaaaat)

2B

[personal profile] melodiouspacifist 2021-01-13 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)
I....WHAT?!

[ Demyx exclaimed, looking alarmed. ]

I don't know how stuff like that works!

[ Ignore that orange shirt Roland, it's totally misleading. ]

happyends: (so it's now or never more)

[personal profile] happyends 2021-01-13 07:01 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a good thing they're better behaved than the pandas, huh. Else they would have to start an alpaca jail too. Romeo and Madoka would just become straight up jail wardens during each mission.

"They do, right? They're just standing there, all calmly.." Even though all these odd humans they have never seen before entered their.. their weird biosphere place! That clearly must mean they're friendly.

"It's just.. I'm worried about bothering them. Maybe they don't want to be petted!"
melodiouspacifist: (Aw We Do Too Have Hearts)

Helpmates

[personal profile] melodiouspacifist 2021-01-13 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
He happened to find Xie Lian while he was looking at a panel and he waved a little bit.

"Hey, guess we're both still here, huh?"

Demyx had been ignoring the helpmates for the most part, but one of them was charging at him with a wrench.

"Whoa now!" He said, jumping out of harms way, and reflexively pushing an admittedly small, unimpressive ball in its direction, but it would be enough to knock it over temporarily, buying time. He glanced aside and there was another one already looking in his direction.

"At this rate, I'm gonna have to get serious."
melodiouspacifist: (Nort Yeah yeah I'm on it)

Turned Around

[personal profile] melodiouspacifist 2021-01-13 07:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He might be in orange, Della, but don't be fooled, he's no tech-wiz either. ]

Uh, do you know how to use a computer?

[ He's definitely Not Allowed to touch Ienzo's computer. ]

Oops. [ He stifles a giggle at her tumbling. ] Uh, you okay?
stillnewatthis: (determined)

Prep!

[personal profile] stillnewatthis 2021-01-13 07:09 pm (UTC)(link)
"The concept of a Dyson Ring is impossible according to known laws of physics," Orisa mused as she checked to see if anything in the carriage was of use to her. (Spoilers: nothing was.) "The tensile strength of the necessary materials is unachievable, the rotational stresses impossible to overcome, and the gravitational balance completely unstable in the face of almost any exterior impact or gravitic fluctuation. I am very curious if we can find out any information on how this is possible."
melodiouspacifist: (Default)

Malfunction

[personal profile] melodiouspacifist 2021-01-13 07:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Look at this lazy boy, just sitting back and admiring Cassie's fighting skills. Sure, mentally he was tallying her skills and enthusiasm, but also he looked like he was just letting it happen so he didn't have to get his hands dirty.

His uniform suggested he'd wandered onto the wrong team, but oh well too late, they're stuck with this orange disaster.

He clapped when she took it down.
happyends: (the ancient magic i dreamed of)

[personal profile] happyends 2021-01-13 07:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you, Piccolo, for already arriving at the obvious conclusion to all of this.

Although Madoka wasn't planning on asking it as directly, really. It'd feel like she may be putting a bit too much pressure on Piccolo, which she definitely doesn't want to do. But from the way Madoka is still standing there, nervously pressing her fingers together, it's already obvious there's a little more to all of this.

"Well, I tried carefully walking over to them earlier.. And, um, they walked away.."

See the problem? Madoka can't pet them from afar! She doesn't have magically extending arms, after all.

"So I thought that maybe they don't want to? Or maybe they just don't like me.."
melodiouspacifist: (Nort Huh??)

Exploring

[personal profile] melodiouspacifist 2021-01-13 07:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Demyx let out a surprised yelp when someone came jumping over the wall, which to a keen observer, they might notice that caused a bit of water to materialize around him for a moment and then splash to the ground in a collection of a few droplets.

"That's, you, you can't just go surprising a guy like that!"
blitzcheer: (prbly huffin' 'bout dad)

[personal profile] blitzcheer 2021-01-13 07:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Were the SCAs going to do anything for this mess? Tidus doubts it as the plan comes out of Reno's mouth, but he brings up his wrist to access his own map - a function he admittedly hasn't been paying close attention to, when they were still in the searching stages, and the map wasn't giving them a big fat 'go here' marker like the usual.

Even that was lacking from this process. But after a few moments or so- the screen shifts, the layout of the way ahead of them different from what it was before.

"Eh?" Where the heck was this leading them? "Great, well, there's somewhere to go." For whatever that something was. "Changing streets and a glitching out city. Fun."

But it's mumbling at most, and Tidus starts to walk despite it. There's only one way either of them can go for a mile or so, and standing around wasn't serving them any purpose. But one thing was becoming clear.

"If this keeps up, we're gonna need to get the tech heads to wherever all the controls are for this place. Unless we get lucky and this is just a day mission."

But by the scoff that accompanies it, Tidus doubts it.
longforgottenpromise: (turn)

5

[personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2021-01-13 07:20 pm (UTC)(link)
"Tidus?" He would recognise that voice anywhere. "Tidus? Where are you?"

Had the street changed. He had just been here a second ago but now it all looks different, he looks around in confusion and then goes still, trying to pinpoint where the sound is coming from.

"I can't see you."
nutkrusher: (Rifle)

[personal profile] nutkrusher 2021-01-13 07:22 pm (UTC)(link)
If you need it, I've got a rifle you can borrow. I'm a bit attached to it, but with the way I channel my qi through it I'd risk blowing a hole in the ceiling.

[Cassie reaches into her ARMS band and pulls out the aforementioned weapon.]
badassfreakingoverlord: (animated laughter)

Helpmates

[personal profile] badassfreakingoverlord 2021-01-13 07:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Zetta, as an Overlord, had many powers. Possibly the greatest of which was completely ruining the tone of any sort of confrontation or clash.

For just as the woman engages one of the Helpmates in what looked to be an epic clash of a skilled warrior and a massive machine, suddenly half a dozen of Zetta's minions came running in from the side to fling themselves onto the thresher. Said machine tipped dramatically to the side, then rocked back violently as they began battering it with swords, axes, and a fishing pole.

"Fools! These things are no match for the might of an Overlord!" said the book, floating in midair back from whence they'd came and flanked by three more minions.
badassfreakingoverlord: (disgruntled)

Preparation

[personal profile] badassfreakingoverlord 2021-01-13 07:24 pm (UTC)(link)
"Uh. Hey, kid."

Cue the appearance of the Overlord, floating there in the distinctively awkward position of a demon in a book who did not want to be having this conversation.

"You, uh... still functioning okay?"
stillnewatthis: (determined)

Helpmate

[personal profile] stillnewatthis 2021-01-13 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"HALT!"

A gravitic distortion shot by, then detonated with a click to heave the helpmate up into the air and away from the girl. Immediately, a hail of fusion packets filled the air, as Orisa provided covering fire to keep the thing away from the girl.
longforgottenpromise: (confused)

pewpew

[personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2021-01-13 07:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh um... Yes...

[The sudden violence had taken him completely by surprise, the Helpmates had shown no sign of aggression before. But Roland's voice broke through his fear, stopped him from standing stock still as he processed the fight beginning.

He tries to ignore the gunfire, tries to push the worry down. Luckily Helpmates don't bleed...

He saw the panel on the wall and ran towards it, hand shaking as he tried to figure out what to do.
longforgottenpromise: (confused)

Arrival

[personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2021-01-13 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
"No..." Taiki, who was dressed in a red hoodie but in the purple area with the rest of the purple team, smiled softly at the man who was at the panel.

"They are all different... They aren't usually as... Technologically advanced as this one."

They had been on a space station once. But even that had felt... Different to this. This was even more advanced, a whole artificial world.
sciencegirl: (019)

[personal profile] sciencegirl 2021-01-13 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, that's neat! And something to remember to ask about later because it's very convenient. In the meantime as she doesn't realize the 'stairs' are still existing for the both of them, she crawls up the incline using her hair in a terribly arachnid way.

"Alright! Just keep her busy, she-"

The Helpmate has a wrench, and when Entrapta reaches her very not-hair and very-human-meat hands towards the wiring to save it, it tries to swing at her. It turns into an uncomfortable game of trying to keep it from batting at her like a hateful under-blanket cat.

"Hey- HEY! Stoppit!" She tucks her hands against her chest, most of her hair doing the work of holding things together and holding her away out of its reach.
unfavorableinstigation: It is dark, but Nita is inside reading a book. (Reading Indoors)

[personal profile] unfavorableinstigation 2021-01-13 07:51 pm (UTC)(link)
"Hey!"

Again Nita calls - this time towards the Helpmate - and pulls the previous drill over to her.

Holding it like a laser, she turns it on.

"Unless you want me to take the wrench from you, drop it!"

She can deal with the previous Helpmate picking it up - if it hasn't already been fixed thanks to Entrapta's work at the panel - later.

The hair thing is also a very cool trick, and Nita makes her own note to ask about it.

"Please! Just- hold still for a second, okay?"

Though the whining of the drill might be declaration enough at this point.
10billionpercent: (Ha Ha)

[personal profile] 10billionpercent 2021-01-13 07:59 pm (UTC)(link)
That got a laugh out of Senku. "Yeah, I'd say it can't go worse than last time, but we both know that's not true."

He just shook his head. "I'm gonna try and be careful, anyway, I heard enough complaining last time."

Senku would probably forget about that by the next mission.
longforgottenpromise: (confused)

Closed to Inigo

[personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2021-01-13 08:00 pm (UTC)(link)
"Inigo?"

Being with purple had the advantage of being near Inigo, even though Tidus and Roland were around Taiki still worried.

Especially with his recent disappearance and how worried Inigo had seemed after that.

He had spent most of his time with Lord Gyousou obviously but he had spotted a very familiar head of blue hair and hurried towards him with a smile.

"Are you alright? How are you finding things so far?"
10billionpercent: (Default)

[personal profile] 10billionpercent 2021-01-13 08:00 pm (UTC)(link)
"The best I can do, is be a distraction." Senku warned him.

"But I can do that." If one of them came at him with malice, he'd run and pull the attention. He'd deal with the consequences later.