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.
myblueskies: (smiles all round)

Re: Preparation

[personal profile] myblueskies 2021-01-15 05:42 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh hello mister Roland!" He smiled, despite the sadness he felt. He shook his head. "I wasn't talking to anyone here sir."

He looked around the library. "My goddess, Elfnein! She went into a suitcase, so I was just promising that I'll work extra hard to help everyone on the mission!"

Just like she would, if she were here!
adregem: (khunbish pls dont blow this for me)

[personal profile] adregem 2021-01-16 02:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"Elfnein went into - "

Roland's eyes grow slightly wide, but he doesn't finish the sentence anymore. He knows what that means. It helps that the more he studies Romeo's disposition, he immediately knows he's taking it as well as anyone might, upon knowing a friend had to take a quick visit with the conductor, or to luggage...

"Hm." Roland holds his apology in. It's best he supports Romeo with more optimism than his natural instinct to be jaded will allow on a regular day. So he smiles and pats him on the shoulder. "And you're going with your team today, right? You've got the right attitude there, Romeo. I'm proud of you for staying so determined. Will you let me know if I can help you?"
myblueskies: (of course!)

[personal profile] myblueskies 2021-01-17 08:48 pm (UTC)(link)
He nodded sadly but then punched the air again, determined to keep his spirits up. "I am sir! I'm going to go with Blue!"

He would do his best to be determined and helpful! "Thank you sir! Are you going with your own team?"
adregem: (i've got it under control believe it or)

Sorry for the late ;;

[personal profile] adregem 2021-01-22 03:53 pm (UTC)(link)

The gesture is received with compassion. Romeo truly does try his best in all things, and it's the kind of innocence only someone as young and as tested by life can express. Roland acknowledges it with warmth in his eyes.

"Be safe then." He nods. "I most certainly am going with Purple. But I've got a way to get to you like Tidus does, so in a really big emergency and you can't think of anyone else, please call for me. Okay?"
myblueskies: (of course!)

no worries <3

[personal profile] myblueskies 2021-01-22 08:19 pm (UTC)(link)
"I will sir!" He nodded, "And you can call for me! I can't get other places but I will do my best to help you!"

Even grown ups needed help sometimes!
adregem: (the pledge of a second life.)

[personal profile] adregem 2021-01-24 08:19 am (UTC)(link)
"That's really nice of you, Romeo. I'll remember that. Though the best thing you can do for me right now is to make sure you take care of yourself first and foremost." Roland hopes his sincerity is more telling than the slight worry packaged in a minor nag. Guy can't help it.

"It'll be difficult to help other people if you're not doing so well yourself, right?"
myblueskies: (the world is beautiful!)

[personal profile] myblueskies 2021-01-24 09:33 am (UTC)(link)
"Okay sir!" He nodded, "I'll be really careful!"

He held out his littlest finger. "I'll do a pinky promise!"
adregem: (heh. i expect that of you.)

[personal profile] adregem 2021-01-30 03:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, that's -

Roland smiles, chuckling under his breath while his hand extends forward, pinky out to meet Romeo's halfway. There's no hesitation when he curls his own digit around the offered one, with a shake of the wrist once to seal the deal.

"Attaboy. Do you solemnly swear to abide by this promise on this mission, and on all the missions to come?"
myblueskies: (fated)

[personal profile] myblueskies 2021-01-30 05:19 pm (UTC)(link)
"I swear!" He nodded, his face a picture of serious as he linked his pinky with Rolands. "I'll abide with this promise on this mission and all the missions to come!"

adregem: (the hard work begins.)

[personal profile] adregem 2021-01-31 04:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"That's the spirit. I trust you." But more importantly than that, and he hopes it isn't too soon...Roland pats his shoulder kindly. "Make Elfnein proud."
myblueskies: (you have my loyalty!)

[personal profile] myblueskies 2021-02-01 06:53 pm (UTC)(link)
He nodded, standing taller at the shoulder pat. "I will sir."