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.
unfavorableinstigation: Nita working with a Kernel (Wizardry Is Kid Stuff)

[personal profile] unfavorableinstigation 2021-01-27 06:06 pm (UTC)(link)
"It... feels more machine than biological, if that makes sense?"

Nita looks just a touch wry at the praise.

"If Kit were here, he could give a better answer; Dairine's had a try herself, with about as much success as me."

Though she did it less often.

"... I don't know how it feels about luck. Not sure if I want to ask."
so_dark_a_road: (flickers of light)

[personal profile] so_dark_a_road 2021-01-30 07:46 am (UTC)(link)
"That does make sense. I would think that if telepathy works at all between you and the train or between you and any other being, you'd be able to detect a difference between machines and biological beings."

He smiles at Nita's wry look.

"Why would Kit be able to give a better answer? And who is Kit? And Dairine's your sister, so it makes sense to me that you two would have similar abilities."

"I wonder if the train has a concept of luck? But in any case, I hope it appreciates you. I know I do."

[personal profile] unfavorableinstigation 2021-01-30 02:13 pm (UTC)(link)
"Wait, I haven't-?"

Nita looks briefly dumbstruck, before beginning to explain. "Kit - Kit Rodriguez - he's my partner in wizardry, I've known him for years. And he's my boyfriend," she adds, as a softer afterthought.

"And his first ability he picked up on was a better understanding of machines - and rocks, and related inorganic materials."

But she settles back down, bemused.

"... Thanks, Curufin. I appreciate you, too, you know."
so_dark_a_road: (in the unmeasured night #3)

Want to wrap this thread and catch up somewhere in the future?

[personal profile] so_dark_a_road 2021-01-31 05:42 pm (UTC)(link)
He guesses Nita means she hasn't actually had any telepathic conversations with the train, just collected impressions.

"If Kit is your boyfriend as well as your partner, then I'm sorry you two were separated when the train snatched you away from your world. I hope that you two may be reunited, somehow. And I can see why you thought Kit might be able to give a better answer as to the train's identity. If he understands machines and rocks, he'd probably know what the train is."

He grins at Nita. "You're welcome, and thank you, too. We make rather a good team, both in conversation and in action."
Edited 2021-01-31 17:44 (UTC)
unfavorableinstigation: Nita working with a Kernel (Wizardry Is Kid Stuff)

Sure! There'll be some pokeables on her toplevel tomorrow.

[personal profile] unfavorableinstigation 2021-01-31 05:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Nita smiles a bittersweet smile.

"Thanks. Worst part is, it wasn't even the first time."

Though she may have mentioned that, way back when she first arrived.

But she got a bit brighter again with the subject shift.

"Let's put our words to action, then. Better close up that pack!"
so_dark_a_road: (gaze no more in the bitter glass #1)

Then I'll be sure to poke them. XD And it's a wrap!

[personal profile] so_dark_a_road 2021-01-31 06:10 pm (UTC)(link)
He nods. "Then I'm even sorrier. Nobody likes separations."

His face brightens, too. "Yes! Let's get ready for action!" He swiftly finishes packing up and slings his rucksack over his shoulder.

"Off to our next adventure!"