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.
blitzcheer: (prbly huffin' 'bout dad)

[personal profile] blitzcheer 2021-01-13 07:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Were the SCAs going to do anything for this mess? Tidus doubts it as the plan comes out of Reno's mouth, but he brings up his wrist to access his own map - a function he admittedly hasn't been paying close attention to, when they were still in the searching stages, and the map wasn't giving them a big fat 'go here' marker like the usual.

Even that was lacking from this process. But after a few moments or so- the screen shifts, the layout of the way ahead of them different from what it was before.

"Eh?" Where the heck was this leading them? "Great, well, there's somewhere to go." For whatever that something was. "Changing streets and a glitching out city. Fun."

But it's mumbling at most, and Tidus starts to walk despite it. There's only one way either of them can go for a mile or so, and standing around wasn't serving them any purpose. But one thing was becoming clear.

"If this keeps up, we're gonna need to get the tech heads to wherever all the controls are for this place. Unless we get lucky and this is just a day mission."

But by the scoff that accompanies it, Tidus doubts it.
theturksway: (023.)

[personal profile] theturksway 2021-01-24 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Had they ever had a day mission? Reno didn't think so. Not unless it was from before his time. Or unless Tidus meant something else by those words.

The redhead followed the new path.

"If we're lucky, that's where Orange is headed anyway. Someone's gotta fix this mess, right? Might as well be them."

Then again, Purple wasn't exactly escorting anyone this time around, now were they? Unless the Great-Autumn was someone to escort. And the Great-Summer was a big enemy to fight, and the Great-Spring was someone to protect, and the Great-Winter was someone or something to puzzle out. Just this mission was just peachy. (Not.)

So two young-ish guys walk down a path in annoyance and frustration for the current situation...

...when another wall grows out of the ground suddenly. "Oh, come on!" This place was cheating. It was going to take them forever to get out of this mess at this rate.
blitzcheer: (pouty times are here)

[personal profile] blitzcheer 2021-01-31 12:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Not only does it grow out the ground suddenly -- it near about knocks Tidus in the nose, except his foot kicks into it first.

"Oww-!" Fortunately, his reaction to move back stops from any further life-threatening injuries from occurring, Tidus hopping once, giving the foot a shake. A fist waving up like he almost considers punching the wall, but those brain cells get to work before he gets that far. Look, things that hurt and surprise usually deserve a punch!!

"Ugh, let me-" he's shuffling about in place, looking around at the limited options they have. Which is just turning back! "I'll get us over, but it's gonna be bumpy! Can you do water magic?"

As he asks, his chest glows a soft light, and out appears ... let's be real, likely nothing from Reno's perspective, as a creature that can only be seen by someone of a good, intentioned heart blinks down on the floor beside Tidus.
theturksway: (161.)

[personal profile] theturksway 2021-02-15 05:39 am (UTC)(link)
Reno was caught between laughter and concern for his fellow, putting his hand over his mouth even as he asked with a wry smirk, "I wouldn't-- heh. You okay there, buddy?"

Probably best that Tidus had stopped himself from punching the wall. Even if it did deserve it, the blond's fist probably didn't.

Obligatory inquiry over his physical state complete, Reno glanced up at the wall with some curiosity. How was Tidus planning on getting them over the wall? And why did it involve water magic?

"Nope, ain't gotta materia for water magic," he told Tidus casually. He was very limited with what the train would give him and what he could afford to boot. Frustrating. However, "Gotta coupla summons though."

Reno had seen a higgledy before though he'd never asked what the creature was. It had shown up with Roland one evening and clearly had been somewhat of a pet. It had amused Reno with its antics. He should have asked what the creature was but...he hadn't seen one again for some time now.

It was hard to tell what Reno saw now, too, as all he did was squint at Tidus suspiciously and keep his mouth clamped shut purposefully.