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.
magicurls: (Default)

[personal profile] magicurls 2021-01-15 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
"Okay!" Mami dodges into place, watching as the light unfolds. Okay, very nice...but she needs to continue threat assessment.

"I can fight, they just caught me by surprise---" A flustered stammer. She continues her threat assessment, preparing to summon and shoot should things get worse.
magicurls: (Default)

[personal profile] magicurls 2021-01-15 05:57 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm...not the best either," Mami admits. She can blast them into submission, and she'll keep doing so, but it's such a waste.

"Maybe we need more mechanics everywhere?"
magicurls: (Default)

[personal profile] magicurls 2021-01-15 05:58 am (UTC)(link)
"Okay. I think I see a path...but we'd have to climb a bit."

She points at an abandoned building, slightly out of the way but with a nice long stretch. "Think we can?"
magicurls: (Default)

[personal profile] magicurls 2021-01-15 05:59 am (UTC)(link)
"Don't worry, it's not."

The yellow petals swirl some more, and all seems to be well. She lifts the gem away with a small smile.

"There. It shouldn't hold you back anymore."
myblueskies: (being a bodyguard)

[personal profile] myblueskies 2021-01-15 05:59 am (UTC)(link)
Oh! He hadn't known Yoite could move that fast but it was good because it stopped Romeo tumbling to the ground!

He regained his balance, Yoite had stepped in front of him and now the helpmate was going towards him, probably wanting to hurt him too!

Romeo couldn't let that happen. "Line!"

A borderline sprung up between Yoite and the helpmate. Romeo touched Yoite carefully, just to get his attention. "I made the borderline so you can throw through it!"

It was harder to hold one like that, but he would try his best!
magicurls: (Default)

[personal profile] magicurls 2021-01-15 06:00 am (UTC)(link)
"Perfect," Mami breathes. She gets into position and picks the first one off. Then there's another rushing in---hopefully it won't be too many more.

"How's the view there?"
myblueskies: (of course!)

Re: Arrival

[personal profile] myblueskies 2021-01-15 06:01 am (UTC)(link)
"It is a bit eerie!" Romeo looked around again, "It looks like really big things could be kept in here! Maybe space ships!"

Certainly trains!
magicurls: (Default)

[personal profile] magicurls 2021-01-15 06:01 am (UTC)(link)
Mami watches with a satisfied smile. Don't worry, Rosetta's leaves are soft and nothing like a hedgehog spike! She quivers happily under the attention.

"Mm. I know you're going to do well! I stick to red because they tend to be in the most danger...we all are. But I'm ready to do my best this time too."
magicurls: (Default)

[personal profile] magicurls 2021-01-15 06:04 am (UTC)(link)
Mami notices this and worries---okay, she can come in swinging with a spare rifle. She doesn't seem to be too bothered by any strikes, oddly---fast healing.

"Don't worry, I'll cover!"

She summons a small wall of yellow ribbons---sturdy but not steel, and that pushes the bots back enough to give them some space to regroup.

"It'll only take a few moments." She's peeking around to blast them---oh boy, but they're coming a little fast. More ribbons pile on.
blue_ice: (:|)

[personal profile] blue_ice 2021-01-15 06:06 am (UTC)(link)
Fine. Got hit earlier, but it was a scratch.

[ He pulls together a few more wires, pushes a button, and there's an odd hissing sound. A break for now, it seems. ]

You holding up?
blue_ice: (asking questions)

[personal profile] blue_ice 2021-01-15 06:07 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, well repair this!"

Kaiba responds with a vicious hiss as he finishes drying his fingers, diving back in to hit the button. It'll take a few seconds to fully disable, but they're on the right track.

It's getting too close, though, so he'll have to try to kick at an odd angle.
blue_ice: (Default)

[personal profile] blue_ice 2021-01-15 06:08 am (UTC)(link)
Kaiba tries to picture that.

"...mm, I don't think we'd like the results if the train tried to blast through all this."

Speaking of...they now had a pole to slide down. He exhaled and latched around it.

"What I wouldn't give for wings...or a teleport pad."
blue_ice: (looking down)

[personal profile] blue_ice 2021-01-15 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
"Just what we need."

With that he moves to rejoin them, looking tired but pleased. "I know there's more---just need a minute to catch my breath."

And assess his leg, but he's not too worried. He rolls up the pant leg and sees a growing bruise, but...eh, had worse.

"I'm still interested in those cards."
blue_ice: (headached)

[personal profile] blue_ice 2021-01-15 06:14 am (UTC)(link)
"...I could use the hands," he mutters, still shivering. He makes room for Curufin beside him, holding steady while he starts to move the heavier piece into place.

"I think I'm camping at the spa when I get back," he snorts. "At least I'm keeping up with my heavy lifting."
bakegarasu: (all up in my grill like 'nevermore')

[personal profile] bakegarasu 2021-01-15 06:18 am (UTC)(link)
"I... good." He pulls his pant leg down and looks at the gem. "What... is that?"

It's not like anything he's ever seen before.
blue_ice: (locked heart)

[personal profile] blue_ice 2021-01-15 06:30 am (UTC)(link)
Three.

[ And with their combined reflexes it's done. He stretches on his toes to secure it further. ]

Mm, definitely glad to have you along. All clear for now...but they love to strike at the worst times.

How's your first mission so far?
tactlesstantei: (serious)

[personal profile] tactlesstantei 2021-01-15 06:37 am (UTC)(link)
[Masumi sighs, still wary but at least glad for the conversation.]

I know, but I just don't like heading into this without knowing what the actual problem is. Every other mission I've been on was at least more clear about what the problem was, even if there were still some surprises later.
so_dark_a_road: (in the unmeasured night #2)

[personal profile] so_dark_a_road 2021-01-15 07:25 am (UTC)(link)
Curufin reaches out and takes part of the weight of the pipe section. It is rather heavy. They walk it slowly and then set it carefully into its place.

"If only the train would find us a nice spa planet! That would be helpful. But our Spa Carriage would do as well, for now. I'd love to jump into the heated pool and bask for an hour."

He chuckles. "True, at least we're getting something like a gym workout, working with all these pipes."
goingthroughaphase: (pic#13971957)

[personal profile] goingthroughaphase 2021-01-15 07:31 am (UTC)(link)
Not last time I checked.

[ It wasn't a very good joke, she knows, but she can't really help it. She's beginning to understand why Kurt kidded around a lot. ]

I have the power to rearrange my molecules, so I can pass through the space in between atoms. That's why I'm able to pass through objects like that.
so_dark_a_road: (they came in the dead of winter)

[personal profile] so_dark_a_road 2021-01-15 07:32 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm not enthused about the artificiality of the place," he admitted. "I can live with technology and even work with it, but I'm an Elf. I love the natural world, and it worries me when the technological world takes over to such a degree."

He nods, too. "I didn't look to see what Senku is packing. But I agree, it's a good idea to bring a lot of nonperishables. We can always cook. And water! Never can tell what's in the water on planets of this sort, and I'd rather trust the train's filtered water."

Nita's a strong and capable sort of person, so she can manage a lot of supplies with no Arms Band.
goingthroughaphase: (pic#13969459)

[personal profile] goingthroughaphase 2021-01-15 07:35 am (UTC)(link)
[ She nods a little, looking to some of the half-finished pods. ]

I wonder if that's why people are building these to live here. To create a home that's different from reality.
goingthroughaphase: (pic#13971657)

[personal profile] goingthroughaphase 2021-01-15 07:36 am (UTC)(link)
[ As the Helpmates focus on Kairi, Kitty phases into the nearest one. Immediately it begins to spark and malfunction, and she slips out and moves onto the second one. ]
goingthroughaphase: (pic#13971676)

[personal profile] goingthroughaphase 2021-01-15 07:37 am (UTC)(link)
[ She shrugs. ] I dunno, maybe? I guess it's supposed to look nicer once they're all finished.

[ Still, she can't even imagine how that's supposed to look. ]
goingthroughaphase: (pic#13971654)

[personal profile] goingthroughaphase 2021-01-15 07:41 am (UTC)(link)
Glancing over at the other girl, Kitty then looked back to the shifting structure.

"Fair point," she conceded. "I can definitely help anyone nearby, but otherwise people will either need to find a way over it or wait for everything to change again."

Neither sounded like very good options.
goingthroughaphase: (pic#13969459)

[personal profile] goingthroughaphase 2021-01-15 07:44 am (UTC)(link)
What little notes we got said that this place is under construction. If it was abandoned, I'd hope they'd say so.

[ She does sound a bit doubtful, though.

Glancing around again, she gives a nod. ]
Right. What kind of...'hostiles' do you think might be around here?

[ Their instructions had been sparse at best. ]