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.
soldier_blade: (mkx_ring attack)

iv

[personal profile] soldier_blade 2021-01-13 04:18 am (UTC)(link)
Sonya's exploring one of the panels when she saw one of the 'helpmates' attacking one of her 'temporary' teammates. Immediately, she turned her attention to the attacker and set off several energy rings at it.

The pink, static rings buzzed as they struck the helper, causing it to crumble to the ground. Smoke rose from the panel on its back, bringing the smell of frayed wires and burned metal.
worthallthis: (annoyed 2)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-13 04:52 am (UTC)(link)
That's just not fair. "Where do I get weapons like that," Soldat asks, looking very enviously down at the fizzling hologram, until it flickers out entirely. "I have a goddamn bone knife." Well, and the metal arm, but while that's technically a weapon, it's also just their arm.
soldier_blade: (MKx_observing)

[personal profile] soldier_blade 2021-01-13 02:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"This came with me from home." She answered, getting on her knees to check out the paneling. If they could find out how these things ticked, they might be able to take them out without frying their circuits.

They were only here for a few days after all; the people would still have to deal with them if they malfunctioned. "But if you save enough points you might be able to buy one in the void shop."
worthallthis: (you dumbass)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-13 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
"Gotta get some decent body armor first," Soldat says sourly. "And more knives. But something like that's gonna be up there when I have enough."

The creature itself was a hologram, vanished once defeated, but there are panels everywhere for controlling them. Soldat crouches to inspect the panel in the floor, as well. "Wonder if there's a way to hack these things. Just turn them all off."
soldier_blade: (30-not buying it/unhappy)

[personal profile] soldier_blade 2021-01-15 02:42 am (UTC)(link)
Sonya knelt to one of the lower panels, carefully opening the door. Thankfully, the wires weren't damaged, even with all the electrical surges and crazy weather.

She pulled out the small tool box she'd brought with her. "I'd make knives a priority." She spoke with her attention on the panel. "Body armor can usually be acquired, atleast that's how it's been on various missions that might require you to wear it."

That was certainly the case in past missions; true, it had to be earned, but it was still provided. "Weapons are a little hard to come by."
worthallthis: (Default)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-15 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
"I have two knives. Bone and. Kitchen." They look mildly disgusted by having to admit that, but, well, it's what they have to work with. "I'll see how many points I get. Nobody seems to know how they're counted." A pause. "Also could stand a box like that."

Those look like useful tools.

Soldat knows how to do maintenance on their own metal arm, and how to repair things like radios and car engines, but this is... well beyond their skill. They peer into the panel, then decide they'd be much more useful by standing back a little to standing guard instead. "Any ideas for that?"
soldier_blade: (30-study)

[personal profile] soldier_blade 2021-01-16 03:23 am (UTC)(link)
"This is as basic as I could get and it still be useful." The soldering kit wasn't perfect, but it would suffice.

She studied the panel, trying to figure how each switch and wire went with what. "What's your name?"

While this was something she needed to be able to work on in a hurry, she knew that one wrong switch and the holograms might go haywire again. This, of course meant that someone had to stand guard and keep watch.
worthallthis: (distance)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-16 05:55 am (UTC)(link)
Good thing Soldat is really good at that, huh. Their eyes rove around, watching the remaining helpmates, looking for any moving away from their stations. For now... nothing incoming yet.

"Soldat," they answer without looking back. If her version of Earth has Russian, she might recognize that the word literally means "soldier"... but it is at least meant as a name. Sort of. "Yours?"
soldier_blade: (MKx_observing)

[personal profile] soldier_blade 2021-01-16 07:56 pm (UTC)(link)
The name caused her to stop and look over her shoulder. Russian was one of several languages she was fluent in, but even if she wasn't, even she would get the similarities in the word. She certainly recognized a code name when she heard one-regardless of the language.

His prerogative of course. So long as he didn't prove a threat to anyone on the train, his background was his own business as far as she was concerned; perhaps something happened back in his past that he wasn't comfortable giving his real name.

"Sonya Blade." She went back to her work. "Lets see if we can't get these to be more helpful."

Taking the iron, she began fusing some disconnected wires.
worthallthis: (determined mean)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-16 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Hey, congrats on being one of the only people to make that connection, Sonya. All she'd have to do is look up the passenger roster to find their real name, anyway. It's just a comfort issue, at this point.

Of course, as soon as she starts tinkering is when a handful more helpmates start twitching and turning away from their stations. Soldat warns, "Incoming. Keep working. I'll keep them off you."

And they step further out from her, to give themselves room to fight, and take a swing at the first approaching hologram, sending it stumbling back into the second. So far, only three, but they expect more. As if they don't want to be reprogrammed.
soldier_blade: (battle ready)

[personal profile] soldier_blade 2021-01-18 06:00 pm (UTC)(link)
"Got it." She disconnected the wires, understanding now their effect, while only keeping a cursory eye on him. Not the same time, but her own first mission wasn't on her designated team either; on missions especially, they had to collaborate.

The guy was definitely military. At the very least, he knew procedure and how things were on the field, but then with a name like his it was almost too obvious.

She tried to fix two more wire ends, hoping that this will be what gets them to stop attacking.
worthallthis: (skid)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-18 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
The current batch don't stop coming, but no more come to investigate, so there's that. Soldat settles into the rhythm of fighting off the three helpmates while she works. They stutter, flickering in and out, while she works-- though it's not necessarily helpful, because a swing at one goes through and leaves Soldat off-balance, having to drop and roll to recover and avoid the re-solid hologram's retaliation.

"Might be onto something!" they call back to Sonya.
soldier_blade: (mkx_had enough of your shit)

[personal profile] soldier_blade 2021-01-20 08:00 pm (UTC)(link)
She said nothing, only keeping a slight eye on him. Her objective now was to get them to stop attacking him, and she sure as hell would know either way without fully putting her focus on him.

Two more wires were fused together, before the holograms stopped where they were. "Fucking finally."

She quickly noted the wiring and format of the panel, knowing they might face others that needed fixing, and if the 'helpers' were anything like what they'd seen before, they couldn't afford to slag off.
worthallthis: (Default)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-20 11:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Gears in the metal arm whine as they slow down, Soldat waiting warily for the holograms to start moving again. When they don't, they back up a step, towards Sonya. "Thanks."

The holograms shudder a little, glitching out, before turning back towards their stations and once again ignoring the two intruders. "Don't suppose you've got some wires you can cross. To turn them off," Soldat asks, watching them. They're mostly not serious. Mostly.
soldier_blade: (30-dressed up and armed)

[personal profile] soldier_blade 2021-01-21 07:54 pm (UTC)(link)
"In theory," Which, of course, meant that in all likelihood it wouldn't work-or if it did work it would be a straight 'shot in the dark. "But given that this was a rush job and I'm working blind, for all we know any more tampering would send them all at us."

In other words, better for them to set the panels as they were, so atleast the holograms would be helpful rather than being a hindrance.

"Atleast now we know how to get a handle on things." And hopefully she'll be able to repair any messes.
worthallthis: (regret)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-21 09:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, that makes sense. Soldat huffs out a reluctant sigh, but nods, and prowls back to look at the panel, to memorize the configuration she left it in. "Where did you unplug that wire from? If we're separated. I should know how to do that, too. Maybe show others." They can't sauter without the tools, but they can maybe hotwire the shit. They definitely know how to hotwire.
soldier_blade: (30-*sighs*)

[personal profile] soldier_blade 2021-01-27 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
She shows him the connection of wires that got the holograms to cooperate. These she was able to solder, but if he was careful, and had back up, hotwiring should still be possible; however it would only be a temporary fix.

"I don't think splitting up is a good idea," Granted, getting split up might not be something they'd be able to help, but deliberately going in their own direction-definitely not something she'd currently recommend. "Not with how the holograms are."

Sure as hell couldn't reprogram them unless someone was providing cover.
worthallthis: (distance)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-27 09:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yes," Soldat agrees, memorizing the wire placement. "But it might happen anyway. The team ranges out on a wide grid. Separations happen." After all, there's currently only the two of them here, though Soldat knows where half a dozen other red team members are right now, doing their best to keep track of as many people as possible.

They push back fully to their feet, looking around. There's Otoha on the far end of the warehouse they're passing through, and a glimpse of Buttercup through a window. "We should find the others. Make sure they're not running into the same problems."