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.
light_of_willpower: (long-hair-armor-smile-confident)

[personal profile] light_of_willpower 2021-01-22 01:38 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm probably not a good judge either then." Trunks sighed, still watching out for rogue helpmates. "Check the dressing car before missions. Usually there are useful things in it, and if we have to blend in, there's usually clothing to allow us to do so."
light_of_willpower: (long hair profile talking)

[personal profile] light_of_willpower 2021-01-22 01:40 am (UTC)(link)
Well, that's all the more reason you should ask her, Father.

[Trunks might've let a half-smirk come to his face.]

That, and if she's anything like mom--and I know she is--she'll happily give you her opinion even without asking probably.
sciencegirl: (103)

[personal profile] sciencegirl 2021-01-22 01:46 am (UTC)(link)
"I don't remember much about them, just that they were smart and enthusiastic." Pretty much like her. But the memory is very faded. She can recall that her mother had similar abilities in her hair.

Entrapta has a bad history of taking shocks and being fine, even if she logically shouldn't be. Her survival instinct leaves much to be desired. But on Trunks words she hangs back rather than rush in.

She makes a little noise as she looks around. "Where do I disable the charge, oh man..." She pushes her buglike mask down over her face. "Alright! I've got an idea. You're pretty strong. There's a big loose drainage pipe I passed on the way up. I think it's too heavy for the Helpmates to move easily. But it might not be too heavy for you to move."

They can block off the part getting torn up until they can turn off the power.
light_of_willpower: (long hair profile talking)

[personal profile] light_of_willpower 2021-01-22 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
"Normally your company really isn't bad." Trunks called to his back, keeping an eye on Senku for a few moments. Just in case.
Edited 2021-01-22 01:47 (UTC)
pleple: (Pacifier)

o/

[personal profile] pleple 2021-01-22 01:52 am (UTC)(link)
"It looks like we should make steady progress after all."
light_of_willpower: (long-hair speaking)

[personal profile] light_of_willpower 2021-01-22 01:57 am (UTC)(link)
"I can do that." Trunks agreed, figuring out what she was suggesting. Studying the helpmates for a bit, Trunks turned back to her. "Alright, point me at the pipe and then see if you can get the helpmates away from the conduits. Just don't hurt yourself, either, alright?"

Back over the edge of the wall, Trunks having little trouble with the pipes as he half-flew, half-climbed over them and between them. Finding the set of drainage pipes, he pointed to one. "That one?"
pleple: (They're mesmerized)

[personal profile] pleple 2021-01-22 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
"...hm." That worked well enough huh? "I suppose we win this one."
10billionpercent: (I Sense A Plot)

[personal profile] 10billionpercent 2021-01-22 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
"It does seem to be individualized to a certain extent but as to the reason and method it's presently a mystery."

He saw her shift and looked in that direction.

"What a pain." Senku grumbled and sighed. He wasn't sure what to do about the helpmate that he probably couldn't disable, unless Entrapta could.

"Got any ideas?"
renegadeprince: (bulma 02)

[personal profile] renegadeprince 2021-01-22 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
[...she has him there, Vegeta letting out a huff of annoyance at her correct comment.] I haven't needed to before! I didn't know we wouldn't have easy access to the stupid train, or that this location wouldn't be supplied for basic life! [His snap turning into grumbling.] I didn't even bring any food. [And out of all things he could had not brought, that was the worse.

A sigh then hissed out from between his teeth as she instantly snuggled up to him, something that almost sounded like a rumbling from deep in his throat at her doing to this to him in public. But Vegeta supposes this is better than her yelling at him... Doesn't mean he has to be happy about it! Or... at least them being in the open for this. Having her close was nice.]
It's not my fault you humans are not better equipped for the cold.
azrthmtrnznthos: (....really?)

[personal profile] azrthmtrnznthos 2021-01-22 02:16 am (UTC)(link)
"Somewhat." She responded, aware that it wasn't really a very helpful answer. "I think I have the basics of the panel figured out, if you wanted to learn?"
subcircuits: (that crooked smile)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2021-01-22 02:29 am (UTC)(link)
"Neotek," Devero elaborates. "Means a kid with fresh Implants. I teach 'em how to use that new tech to control certain types of machines where I come from." A pause, and then, to be on the safe side, he adds, "It's a good thing.

"No candy in here," he says with a laugh. He checks the timer in his Interface-- still a few minutes to go. "They're supposed to be real food. Jury's out on that until we taste it, though."
gundamofthedesert: (I'm on the phone here)

[personal profile] gundamofthedesert 2021-01-22 02:33 am (UTC)(link)
[Quatre looked around]

Either a master panel, probably at a central location, or some object at a central location. Like a statue or something,
achickenformylove: (mdzs 33)

[personal profile] achickenformylove 2021-01-22 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
"It seems to be. The panel must be on the floor."

That was the nearest he could guess and it seemed to be the case.

"I know not. Perhaps it was easier to not have something standing in the way of the fields moving."

Then again, he wasn't good with technology.
subcircuits: (encouraging)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2021-01-22 02:39 am (UTC)(link)
"Yes, him!" Devero says. He pauses there, wondering for a moment if anything had ever come of his suggestion for Prisoner to choose his own name...

Well, he'll find out or he won't.

"You're right. When Gov introduced Global, we were all supposed to speak it the same, but over time it's kind of become two-- not two different languages, but definitely two distinct dialects. Global East and Global West. I had the hardest time understanding people at first when I was stationed in Kinshu, because I was used to Global West."
achickenformylove: (mdzs 4)

[personal profile] achickenformylove 2021-01-22 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
"Perhaps they know." Since he did keep rabbits, maybe something about him told them WangJi was safe. "Thank you."

WangJi continued the slow process of herding the animals back towards their grazing pasture. Some of them would begin to wander off, but when WangJi came around, they seemed to remember themselves and return to the group.

He looked up as Xingchen called to him. "They are. I do believe that I got all of them."
subcircuits: (that's some thin fucking ice you're on)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2021-01-22 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
Broad though the strokes are of the situation she's describing, Devero doesn't like the picture that's taking shape. He chews the corner of his lower lip for a moment before he says, "That sounds like the kind of shi-- stuff that triggered the apocalypse on my world.

"What did your... faction... do?"
gundamofthedesert: (confused)

[personal profile] gundamofthedesert 2021-01-22 02:51 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh, I see. That is quite a difference. I can certainly understand how this would a lot. I've been familiar with things like this most of my life... though we never let robots build without supervision somewhere."

Quatre looked up, blinking at the wall that was suddenly in the way. He glanced down at the device, looking to see if it was registered in their route. It didn't seem to be...

"Yeah, let's see if we can find another. It's pretty straight forward so we should be able to do that."
subcircuits: (the gentle man)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2021-01-22 02:54 am (UTC)(link)
Well, what can he say to that? "All right, all right." He laughs softly, and then obliges Trunks and pulls the breastplate on over his head. Is he being a little fussy as he figures out just the right way to place it across his broad chest?

He's definitely being fussy.
pleple: (The street desire)

[personal profile] pleple 2021-01-22 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
"So those colonies are... very, very massive, in the literal sense of having a great deal of mass." She taps her chin. "Which means that an... impact... from one of them is devastating."
rieper: (Default)

[personal profile] rieper 2021-01-22 03:02 am (UTC)(link)
47 was more a reactionary conversationalist. Let the other person talk and react accordingly. It went well with disguises he had little information on but others assumed knowledge for him. He learned a lot that way.

On the other hand, if he had something to say he wouldn't hesitate to say it. Right now it was easier to focus on moving than talking if the other was satisfied.

And avoiding other impromptu obstacles like that sudden gust of "wind" that decided to gust out of a malfunctioning ventilation shaft. Easy enough to go around at least without any backtracking from their backtracking route.
Edited 2021-01-22 03:03 (UTC)
subcircuits: (frustrated)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2021-01-22 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
"Hm." Devero stops and crosses his arms, cupping his chin in his hand as he considers the alpaca. After a moment of stillness, he takes a huge stride forward-- and that's saying something, given how long his legs are. The alpaca distinctly shuffle back in response, one of them giving a low cry that sounds more like a tiny foghorn than anything else.

"Yep. They're walking away." He looks down and back at the kid. "...Any ideas?"
subcircuits: (avoidant)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2021-01-22 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
Devero wouldn't call himself a strong fighter, but he stalks after the fallen Helpmate and dispatches it with a steel pipe through the head with perfect competency despite that.

He grunts as he stands up, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth as if he's tasted something unpleasant. "Wish there was some kind of way we could-- turn them off or something. Hate doing that."

Guess who hasn't figured out the panels yet!
lucklessgege: (Default)

[personal profile] lucklessgege 2021-01-22 03:22 am (UTC)(link)
"Ah...we used spiritual energy. It was kind of like speaking through our minds." It wasn't always the most reliable way of doing things but was pretty much the only way to talk to anyone in the Heavens while he was on Earth.
lucklessgege: (Default)

[personal profile] lucklessgege 2021-01-22 03:23 am (UTC)(link)
He laughs and holds up his hands, "If I touch it, we are not going to have a very good day. I have pretty bad luck and am not used to such technology. I might call an entire army."
lucklessgege: (worries)

[personal profile] lucklessgege 2021-01-22 03:26 am (UTC)(link)
"Perhaps we should regroup...informing others of what happened might be for the best. Others might have an idea what is going on and if we really do have to make it to the center then it would be best to get that map."

Xie Lian doesn't want to take any chances that they encounter more of those creatures without more information.