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.
springforth: (004)

[personal profile] springforth 2021-01-28 07:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"I get it, I like the missions if only to get off this train for a while. Last mission was fun. This one is just.. Vague."

She pats at the Prinnies to gently nudge them off and wipes at her eyes one more time, checking her reflection in the mirror. She hates to look like she's been crying, you get all these questions.

"I shouldn't judge it before we get down there, huh?"
melodiouspacifist: (Default)

[personal profile] melodiouspacifist 2021-01-28 07:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Me neither. [ He shakes his head a little bit. ]

Guess we just have to hang in there, until something happens.
melodiouspacifist: (Aw We Do Too Have Hearts)

[personal profile] melodiouspacifist 2021-01-28 07:49 pm (UTC)(link)
They might have to, at the rate they seemed to be attracting the things and he switched it up again just to drop a pile of water on them this time.

"I can't help but think they're not that challenging an enemy." Demyx commented with a little smirk.

"Is this, I don't know, it for this mission? 'Cause it's kinda...boring."
irrationally: (now the past is gone)

[personal profile] irrationally 2021-01-28 08:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Alice hums.

"Pandas and armadillos?" She repeats the words as if trying them out. She definitely hadn't heard of them before - not even in Wonderland, and there had been plenty of strange creatures there. But fine, she can remember that, she supposes.

"Yes, those creatures. I'm sure the train can think up some boring and mundane, but safe tasks for those people, like that one. And then save something interesting for us who can handle the danger."

Another one of the glitched Helpmates pops up, and Alice picks her hobby horse back up, ready to swing at it.

"And by that I mean something more interesting than this. It's little more than a game of whack-a-mole!" Since these things don't even pose that much of a threat.
shutupnail: (Default)

[personal profile] shutupnail 2021-01-28 08:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, not this green guy. He tried for two point four seconds and then clamped his mouth shut when nothing came out. His jaw twitched. Then, "Right. Let's get going."
sos_pilot: by <user name=noimpulsecontrol> (i'll be holding you so near)

[personal profile] sos_pilot 2021-01-28 09:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, right!

[ That thing we were supposed to pay attention to! ]

... Maybe they kept it hidden?
happyends: (lies in the palm)

[personal profile] happyends 2021-01-28 09:11 pm (UTC)(link)
And somehow it was at this very moment that Yugi jinxed them into having to deal with animals with laser eyes later on...

Not that Madoka knows that right now though. No, she just assumes Yugi is trying to make a joke, and so - despite her still-present uncertainty - she laughs politely at it before nodding, starting to step a bit closer towards the alpacas.

"Yes, they just seem cute! I mean, they're just standing around and chew--"

Madoka's gaze turns from Yugi towards the alpacas as they start to walk closer.

Mostly since it's then that she spots the alpacas starting to walk away from them the closer they get.
reluctantjinrou: (Default)

[personal profile] reluctantjinrou 2021-01-28 09:19 pm (UTC)(link)
He sagged a bit in relief. "I appreciate that." Natsuno murmured.

"I'm glad someone does, I just don't want that to happen and I'm worried that's not enough." If pressed, Natsuno would have to admit he was still very young comparitively and that worry may come from that place.
reluctantjinrou: (Sleepy)

[personal profile] reluctantjinrou 2021-01-28 09:24 pm (UTC)(link)
"It's fine if you don't want to." Natsuno told her.

"I've probably told you more than I've told anyone though." He sighed. "Even though this past summer completely wrecked everything I knew."

He glanced at her a moment. "But if you want, I'll listen."
firewalled: (A prayer or two can take care of that)

[personal profile] firewalled 2021-01-28 09:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Rich's anger falters, fear moving in to take its place once again. It's not so much Jack's voice, so much as it is the question. Logically, the answer should be nothing, not revealing anything, but that wouldn't be honest either. And if Jack has already seen the document that was on the public computer, he should know enough to make some guesses.

So after a moment, he clenches his fists.

"Well, depends what you're aiming for. If you could get my SQUIP online, its quantum database would probably give you plenty of information for getting off this stupid train. Its quantum programming would be able to calculate the best plan of attack for you. And that would be great for you. It'd suck for me, because I'd be doomed to be psychologically tortured for the rest of my life, but it depends if you'd care about that."

He gives a bit of a wry smile, attempting to cope with humour, as usual. "Aside from that, I think people tend to want to kick my ass just a little bit less than they do when they see your mug."
happyends: (that can break)

[personal profile] happyends 2021-01-28 09:30 pm (UTC)(link)
She knows too, really. It's easy to understand the concern when the blue team has really had to deal with a lot during certain missions too - sometimes with even more than the other teams.

But Madoka knows she's grown. That she isn't the helpless girl anymore that she was back then. So even in the face of Tidus's concern she smiles, and maybe even a tad wider when he starts sounding more confident too.

She reaches out, gently clasping both of her hands around one of his.

"Thank you, Tidus. For being so kind, and caring."

For worrying about them even when he isn't with them. It's really sweet.

"I really appreciate it! And, um.." As her voice trails off, Madoka glances over her shoulder, seeing the blue team starting to get ready to leave - which promptly makes her release her hold on Tidus's hand. "A-Ah, you're right, we have to go!"

Definitely chatting later!

"See you later, Tidus!" She's already starting to move towards where the rest of her team is as she says it, raising one arm into a wave. "Do your best..!"
comefadeaway: (Hmm?)

[personal profile] comefadeaway 2021-01-28 10:10 pm (UTC)(link)
There were a few buttons. Yoite stared at them, uncertain what to make of them and waved his hand.

"Do we...just push all of them?"

He was really unsure about this. "What if it gets worse?"
10billionpercent: (Default)

[personal profile] 10billionpercent 2021-01-28 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"Do you cook at all?" Senku asked. "Because that's the most practical application of chemistry there is. It's an easy way to show and explain how chemical reactions work."
gentle_jim: (evil grin)

let's make a deal baby

[personal profile] gentle_jim 2021-01-28 10:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Rich's post had certainly given him some interesting information, but this further clarification made this particular 'fishing trip' all the more worth it.

"Let me get this straight- you think this squip thing would actually be able to figure out how to get off the train? If that answer is yes..."

A grin spread's across Jack's face.

"...then let me activate it. Ah, ah -" He holds up a finger, interrupting whatever protest Rich might be about to give.

"- Don't say anything yet, I'm not finished. Let me turn it on, get the answers we need from it, and then destroy it for you. How's that sound, huh? You do wanna get off this train, don't you, Rich?"
firewalled: (Unable to keep up this deception)

[personal profile] firewalled 2021-01-28 11:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Jack is smart to stop him. Rich certainly would have plenty of protests, if he had only heard about activating the SQUIP. He knows that's a bad idea. He knows he barely survived it the first time. He knows for a fact that even if it could help, there's a chance it would do irreversible harm...

...But that's all if it wasn't properly monitored. Jack is an AI himself... and the possibilities of what he could do are enough to get Rich curious.

"...Could you really destroy it? For good?" He's been looking for a solution to that since he woke up here, and he's desperate enough to try anything. Even those things that are clearly dangerous to him.
forleaving: (015)

[personal profile] forleaving 2021-01-28 11:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Adam laughed softly. "I don't know; this one isn't so bad," he said. "So far, at least." He felt useful this time, and he'd rather feel useful than like he was just getting dragged along.
onehandsomeslickninja: (eh heh)

[personal profile] onehandsomeslickninja 2021-01-29 12:08 am (UTC)(link)
"I have absolutely no skill in it!" As a King, he had people do that for him -- the alternative would just confuse and alarm everyone.
10billionpercent: (Ha Ha)

[personal profile] 10billionpercent 2021-01-29 12:09 am (UTC)(link)
Senku chuckled lightly. "That's fine. It's a good enough place to start. We can make something and I'll tell you how it ties to science. You'll be able to see it."
badassfreakingoverlord: (good guy zetta)

[personal profile] badassfreakingoverlord 2021-01-29 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
The Prinnies hopped down and promptly began exchanging high-fives, pleased they'd managed to help, dood!

"Well, we're doing it one way or the other, right? Might as well focus on the positives and stuff."
springforth: (pic#14210486)

[personal profile] springforth 2021-01-29 01:15 am (UTC)(link)
"How very evil of you. Focusing on the positives." She kisses his cheek, "But you're right. It's just been a whole week and all. Thank you."
subcircuits: (down for a good time)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2021-01-29 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
"No," Devero says with teasing horror, having taken his meaning immediately. "She didn't!" Except he can absolutely believe Cassie did, hence the amusement.
Edited 2021-01-29 01:33 (UTC)
subcircuits: (the earnest man)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2021-01-29 01:37 am (UTC)(link)
Devero rakes his hand back through his hair and releases a huge sigh of relief. "Okay. Good. That sh-- stuff's dangerous unless you know what you're doing."
subcircuits: (the thoughtful man)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2021-01-29 01:38 am (UTC)(link)
Devero nods, and turns his gaze into the fire. "Exactly. Who else would there have been?"
light_of_willpower: (long-hair looking down)

[personal profile] light_of_willpower 2021-01-29 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
"She did." Trunks confirmed, with only the ducking of his head at least, in shyness. No blushing this time.
subcircuits: (i see you)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2021-01-29 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
Devero stops about half a step later, looking between the girl and the animal. "I-- I don't know!" he admits. (He is really not an animals guy.)

But getting squirrely about it isn't an option when he's got a kid with him. So he takes a deep breath and says, "Listen, why don't you wait here, while I go a little closer and see what it does."

Right now all it's really doing is watching them intently. When neither of them moves immediately, it calls again.