middleofsomewhere | Enemy Unknown: Conclusion

The third night is as long and creepy as the others...

It might be that they found the engine room, solved the puzzles and found themselves in the hangar bay with no way out. It might be that they were still in the station hiding from the invisible monsters. Or it might be that they had been plucked from the mission and were waiting in their holding room.

Either way morning dawns on the fourth day...

ENEMY: UNKNOWN

DAY FOUR

the trapped. THOSE WHO SOLVED THE ENGINE ROOM SPENT THE NIGHT IN A LARGE HANGAR THAT DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY DOORS. Their SCA's are working, so they can still communicate with those in the station, perhaps talk them through the engine room puzzles or tell them to stay clear. As morning comes all the lights in the hangar come on. Brighter than any lights so far in the station, harsh white light after the eerie red of the rest of the mission.

Everyone still in the station wakes where they fell asleep - if they slept at all. It's not long after most people are up and about that they will hear a high-pitched beep from their SCA, and then a blue light will envelop them and those around them. It might be they spot their friends vanishing before they too disappear.

They arrive in the hangar, reunited with those who spent the night there. All their gear is with them at least, but that doesn't solve the problem of being in a hangar with no obvious way out. Nor are any of those who vanished during the last three days here, their SCA's still go unanswered.

the vanished. FOR THOSE IN THE HOLDING ROOM, THEIR NIGHT HAS PROCEEDED MUCH LIKE THE NIGHTS BEFORE. One of the screens showed the hangar, and those that had succeeded in completing the engine room task. The lights had dimmed for sleeping and turned on again bright in the morning. For those watching the screens they will see those in the station vanish in blue light and turn up in the hangar.

Around half an hour later a voice sounds in the room. "Please gather your belongings and prepare for release."

It's another ten minutes, allowing them to make sure they have all their things before their SCA's beep. They are then surrounded by a blue light, taking them from the room they had spent the last few days in.

REUNITED

reunion. AN HOUR PASSES AFTER FIRST ARRIVALS PASS IN THE HANGAR. Suddenly, there is another flash of blue light, and the missing eighteen Voidtreckers appear with the rest of their crew. They will find they had all their gear as well, including their missing weapons.

They are left to their own devices for a small while, a time for reuniting with friends, but not long enough to exchange stories before a voice rings out in the hangar:

"THANK YOU CREW OF THE VOIDTRECKER EXPRESS FOR YOUR COMPLIANCE. YOU MAY RETURN TO YOUR CRAFT."
There is a loud mass of beeping as everyone's SCA's flashes at the same time, holographic messages popping up too fast to be able to read them in their entirety.

Voidtreckers come in.

All Voidtreckers return to the Voidtrecker Express
Voidtreckers evacuate now

Voidtreckers do you read?

Layers of holographic messages pile on top of each other but a moment later everyone's SCA's glow gold and everyone vanishes from the hangar...

LUGGAGE CARRIAGE

return. EVERYONE ARRIVES INSIDE THE LUGGAGE CARRIAGE, PACKED LIKE SARDINES BETWEEN SUITCASES AND TRUNKS. There is no announcement, no warning of returning to the void; just a lurch that is likely to throw anyone on the train unaware of what has just happened off their feet, no matter the carriage they're in.

They return to the void at what feels like breakneck speed. Colours fly past the windows, and it is a good few hours before they seem to slow to their normal travel speed.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Jin Ling follows without much complaints. He rather get out of the crowded carriage if possible. A place to sit seems reasonable. It's probably better if they do that so he can listen to Lan Wangji tell him what events happened in his timeline.

After all cultivating to immortality is a huge thing. Especially, when Jin Ling knows the Lan Wangji from his own world hasn't done it yet. Regardless, the fact that the man is willing to explain it to him is more than enough. It's a bit intruding, honestly. However, it will help him with differentiating between all of them.

"The Sunshot Campaign happened, and the Wen Clan was overthrown. The remnants were hunted down and killed."

He remembered the lessons that he had on this and following the second statement, he just nods as an acknowledgement. Of course, that makes perfect sense. The gesture is appreciated, though not something he expects from Lan Wangji, as they are not close even in his own world. He doesn't make a scene of it and takes the gesture as they walk.

"That goes without saying. I get a headache-- thinking about it and all."

He sighs. Well, at least he isn't alone in the matter.

"It's not like I'm expecting you to have the answers. I thought you might know since you have been here probably longer. Either way, it's fine. I guess we can figure it out as we go."

There are several places they can sit and chat, Wangji knows. But he prefers the quieter areas, like the garden carriage and so he leads them there. As he settles a little in the quieter space, he realizes something-
"I did not ask if you were hurt on the mission. Are you well?" Jin Ling looks fine, but any first mission has the potential to go badly.

He nods as Jin Ling talks about his time, the timeline is the same up to a point then.
"In my time, after Wei Wuxian died, there was a period of peace for over fifteen years. The second cultivation war happened almost twenty years after the first." He looks at Jin Ling for signs of confusion, this is usually where he starts to lose people.

When Jin ling talks about figuring it out together, he is quietly pleased. He would enjoy more company on these gaps between harrowing missions. He smiles.
"I am more than happy to share any knowledge I have, and collaborate with you on this."

Jin Ling doesn't argue with where they will go. Quieter places are much better than all the noise. His sensitive ears cannot handle all the noise sometimes. It gives him headaches.

"No-- I don't think so."

He checks himself over and shakes his arms and legs a bit. Nothing seems hurt or misplaced. He pats Fairy as he settles down on a seat somewhere in the garden carriage.

"There-- is another cultivation war?"

As if one isn't already enough. There's two. He is confused but he doesn't protest. After all, he needs to see the bigger picture before questioning this timeline. After all, Jingyi is a freaking dragon! What else can be surprising to him at this point?

"Well-- that's fine. We should work together if we want things to get better. Isn't that how it goes?"

It is good that Jin Ling is fine, Wangji can do immediate first aid but after everything he feels drained enough that it would be a larger effort than normal.
"There are several people who can heal extensive injuries, and a well stocked medical carriage if you are injured on a mission." He settles a little more at the lack of disruption while Jin Ling checks himself over.

"Mn." He sighs regretfully. "Seemingly only in my timeline. If Xue Yang is dead in yours, then you have little to worry about." That man was the source of a lot of problems for this Wangji and he was steadily ignored as a fellow passenger. "In my time, Wei Ying never returned from the dead. I cultivated to immortality as the second war progressed, along with my brother and I have held a variety of positions ever since."

It's a lot more brutal than that, with heavy losses and a slowly more lonely life, but this is probably already a lot to process.

He smiles at the idea, pleased to be included.
"Yes, working together is the best way forward. Especially in such a strange environment. Have you met many fellow travelers?"

With his cultivation back and the so-called parasite in his body, he was pretty sure he would be fine. He doesn't think the lather is a good idea to bring up to that person. Though, with his cultivation, the healing of his injuries should be a little better.

The information is helpful as he may need a medic of some kind in the future.

"Xue Yang-- he's definitely dead."

Jin Ling recalls the tense fight that happened. He hasn't seen or heard of Xue Yang, so he's pretty sure he's dead or gone. Either way he's not sure if he should feel relieved or not.

"So-- you're saying-- that you've been living for a lot longer than you look and that Wei Wuxian was never given Mo Xuanyu's body?"

He muses briefly, letting all of this process slowly.

"I--met a few. Some from different worlds-- others people you and I probably know...kind of."

The whole duplicates and other realities thing is a bit complex for him to word at the moment. He's still adjusting to it all.

Wangji breathes a small sigh of relief.
"That is good. He is more problematic than he appears, especially when we had no expert in demonic cultivation." He had been a very tricky opponent, at least in part because pinning him down was almost impossible.

A small smile when Jin ling mentions his age;
"Mn. I have been alive for one thousand years, seven months and twelve days. At least that was my age when I arrived. I do not know how time is effected in our stay here."
He pauses for a moment,
"Mo Xuanyu did try something, but if he was attempting to summon Wei Ying he did not succeed."

He looks a little wistful as he says, "It must be nice for those aboard who are travelling with their own family and friends."

Enemy Unknown: Conclusion

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sorry, i got sidetracked with all the recent threads ;;

no worries! Who doesn't in mission time?

Re: no worries! Who doesn't in mission time?

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