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.
stardustofdawn: (02)

stampede

[personal profile] stardustofdawn 2021-01-19 01:59 am (UTC)(link)
Wangji isn't alone to handle the animals, he has help this time. He joins him as the animals are running amok over the fields. It's a lot of running around.

"Do you need help? Let's guide them back to the safe areas where they grazed."
crimson_rain: shipping @ dw (01)

Exploring

[personal profile] crimson_rain 2021-01-19 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
Even though he's from a different team, from team blue, Hua Cheng joins up with anyone as long the mission is interesting. In this case, he joins team purple to explore the Autumn sector.

"Hope you don't mind if I join you. I want to explore." He remembers the boy on the platform. It's been a while.

He looks around as he walks down the path with the team through the sector. "There's a lot of empty houses in this village. I wonder why they built so many on this world."
unfavorableinstigation: Nita Callahan kneeling in the woods, drawing a glowing blue diagram on the ground while reading from a book. (Drawing a Spell Diagram)

[personal profile] unfavorableinstigation 2021-01-19 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
"What, the wizardry?"

Nita lets Entrapta head down first, so she can dismiss each stair after both girls climb it.

"Yeah, I can show you the air-compress work. It's - half-persuasion, half-math? Like most wizardries."

It's a non-chalant explanation, she knows - but then, with hair like that, perhaps taking things in stride was the way to go here.
achickenformylove: (mdzs 3)

[personal profile] achickenformylove 2021-01-19 02:24 am (UTC)(link)
WangJi glanced over at him as he came over. It was still in some way strange that he was able to see now, but it was good that he was. Missions were not easy on those who could not see.

"Yes, assistance would be helpful. They will be safer in their pasture."

He glanced around at the animals. "It seems that we might be able to herd them if we begin at that side."
azrthmtrnznthos: (cowl-up bored)

Re: malfunctions

[personal profile] azrthmtrnznthos 2021-01-19 02:26 am (UTC)(link)
Raven wanted to sigh, but couldn't really spare her attention to do so. "Look for a control panel of some kind!"
unfavorableinstigation: Nita looking right, holding a book. (I'm In The Book)

Hmm - is this edging towards wrap or not?

[personal profile] unfavorableinstigation 2021-01-19 02:27 am (UTC)(link)
Nita can't help but snicker, even through her uncertainty.

"My sister's the tech wizard, but I bet she'd agree."

Just so long as Persephone didn't insult Spot.

"Hopefully something else critical doesn't need repair along the way - I know these missions tend to have a time limit."

Whether it was hours, like on Nion, or days.
gundamofthedesert: (contemplative)

[personal profile] gundamofthedesert 2021-01-19 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
Quatre smiled. "Of course not. I would like the company." He was a social person by nature so having someone to talk to was nice as they looked around.

"That is a good question. It seems they were preparing this place for people to live here, but never got to that point. Or that would be my guess. Strange though that no one is here."
azrthmtrnznthos: (Casual)

[personal profile] azrthmtrnznthos 2021-01-19 02:31 am (UTC)(link)
It's a mantra, and yes, it has the name of Temple Azarath as part of it.
[Raven offered, although she didn't offer much more.]

Azarath, besides being the name of the temple, is the name of the dimension. Azar and her followers fled there to escape Trigon the Terrible. My mother was from Earth, but made her way to Temple Azarath, where I was born.
azrthmtrnznthos: (Dark Energy again)

[personal profile] azrthmtrnznthos 2021-01-19 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
"We could do that." Raven said, before holding out a hand, dark-energy coalescing around it. A circular disk of the same formed under their feet, and Raven was levitating them up for a better look.
azrthmtrnznthos: (casual conversation)

[personal profile] azrthmtrnznthos 2021-01-19 02:45 am (UTC)(link)
"They didn't do waffles too, did they?" If this place did, and couldn't make a decent waffle, then it must die.
nutkrusher: (Maaaaybe)

[personal profile] nutkrusher 2021-01-19 02:54 am (UTC)(link)
"No," Cassie says. "I shudder to imagine it."
azrthmtrnznthos: (Default)

[personal profile] azrthmtrnznthos 2021-01-19 02:56 am (UTC)(link)
"That sounds like a plan." Raven agreed, before letting herself levitate up. Trying to get over the walls, and get a 'bird's eye view' so to speak.
azrthmtrnznthos: (....really?)

[personal profile] azrthmtrnznthos 2021-01-19 02:59 am (UTC)(link)
Raven, likewise, keeps a wary eye on the prone Helpmate. Just in case. "I...think I understand enough of this panel now to turn them off, or call for more. Just not sure what's causing them to malfunction in the first place."
azrthmtrnznthos: (content)

[personal profile] azrthmtrnznthos 2021-01-19 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
"Absolutely." Raven affirms, pulling away. She's...still not much of a hugger.
azrthmtrnznthos: (....really?)

[personal profile] azrthmtrnznthos 2021-01-19 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
Raven just raises an eyebrow. "If they have a knitting shop, I will be most impressed." Again, the sarcasm is probably going to go right over Tidus' head.
light_of_willpower: (long hair profile talking)

[personal profile] light_of_willpower 2021-01-19 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
Might take him awhile to get here though, Mom. He's got two sectors to go through, and this is at least as big as a planet.

[Not that Trunks hadn't been pondering a visit to Cassie himself...]

You can always have my coat if you want. I also brought extra blankets for others, just in case.
light_of_willpower: (long-hair looking down)

[personal profile] light_of_willpower 2021-01-19 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
Trunks couldn't help it, he blushed a bit and ducked his head slightly. "...thank you. I think." He murmured. "I'm not usually on orange team, but I figured I'd come with you guys this time just in case. I can double as a back-up tech, too."
stardustofdawn: (02)

[personal profile] stardustofdawn 2021-01-19 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
"Mm. If we guide them back to the pasture, where they can eat, that would be good. I think the trouble is the helpmates. I think they are robots? They keep spooking the animals."

Glancing at the animals too, the frighten blue wooled alpacas. "Let's go after the helpmates. I'm not good with technology, but they could be shut-down or be destroyed."
lucklessgege: (Default)

[personal profile] lucklessgege 2021-01-19 03:41 am (UTC)(link)
Xie Lian stood up and dusted off his hands. "Well if we encounter any more of these perhaps it would be the best if we do the same. As long as we disarm them then they won't be able to attack anyone else."
lucklessgege: (Default)

[personal profile] lucklessgege 2021-01-19 03:44 am (UTC)(link)
"I guess we will have to see how we are going to best be able to assist without the knowledge of this type of world."

Xie Lian isn't sure how he will be able to help but he'll try his best.

"But I imagine there is an escape option if there isn't anyway to help..."
lucklessgege: (Default)

[personal profile] lucklessgege 2021-01-19 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm not sure." He stares into the pot. "It looks like it might be done."

He grabs a bowl and pours some of the questionable food into it. It is a color that should not be possible in reality, especially in regards to food.

"Here you go, San Lang."
lucklessgege: (Default)

[personal profile] lucklessgege 2021-01-19 03:51 am (UTC)(link)
He walks over to Raven's side, still watching the thing on the ground. "We would be in trouble if too many of those decide to show up all at once. Turning them off seems the best idea but perhaps the goal of all of this is to find out why they are broken."

Which is definitely not going to be his expertise...
light_of_willpower: (long-hair speaking)

[personal profile] light_of_willpower 2021-01-19 03:56 am (UTC)(link)
"Yes, because your company is so pleasant." Trunks replied back, with a hint of sarcasm. "I think I'll check on some of the others, but if you do need help, I'm around."
lucklessgege: (Surprsie)

[personal profile] lucklessgege 2021-01-19 03:59 am (UTC)(link)
Xie Lian follows, wishing he understood this world better so that he might be able to come up with a solid plan. Unfortunately his lack of understanding is making it hard for him to figure out the best action to take.

"These things don't seem particularly smart. We could probably easily lose it if we are quick enough."
forleaving: (008)

[personal profile] forleaving 2021-01-19 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
"What happened to your world?" Adam asked before nodding. "And sometimes trial and error is the only way to learn." But it was just as valid as other methods, like being taught by someone else.