middleofsomewhere | Crashing Down: Start

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Crashing Down: Start

As the Voidtreckers are going through their morning routines on the 24th Quicksand, there comes a train announcement over the comms. When it ends, their SCAs glow and bring up a holographic screen as is common before a mission. There's a few hours to prepare before a new announcement:

Shortly arriving at system #78961112094711. Leaving the void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

The train shakes as it leaves the void. As explained by the mission brief, those who are not wearing their SCA will not be able to physically leave the train.

But for those that do, they will find their SCA lights up with their stopwatch. Counting down from five hous.

CRASHING DOWN: START

QUICKSAND 24 ~ TEAM OBJECTIVES ~ LOCATION INFORMATION ~ OTHER DETAILS
ASK QUESTIONS ~ SHENANIGANS ~ TEAM PLOTTING ~ MISSION TASKS/REWARDS

HOUR ONE

The Voidtrecker Express lands them within a voidcraft multistorey, the same one as when they came to holiday at the Irue Grotto. As soon as it does, their SCAs vibrate and bring up a message, audio and transcript (including brialle) become available from a Ministry worker: the tethering station is on the first floor, and there will be people and gear waiting for them, depending on what jobs they're taking up.

Evacuation plans have already begun, and everything is going to get hectic, fast. Voidtreckers will have no end of work available.

1. PROCESSING. For the more tech-minded, plenty of help is needed. Containers of SCAs in storage need to be scanned and made sure they're not faulty before they're loaded up and sent off to communities outside the Irue Grotto. It's a simple if tedious process, but necessary. There's also helping to process people, getting visitors to the planet back to their voidcrafts, so they can leave and make room for more voidcrafts to station.

People can help civilians through the health scanners, or help manage the cyro-pods that they'll be placed into, Setting up the pods isn't too difficult, it just requires hands and the ability to follow an instruction manual. The void scientists happily give this task to any voidtreckers availible to help so that they can get on with the tasks that require more know-how. ( ORANGE1 )

2. GATHERING. The Ministry also need help with bringing in people. Hover trams will help take officials - including Voidtreckers - into the Irue Grotto, to pick up people at farther parts of the city, and who can't walk to the tethering station. Directing people is necessary, as well as making sure that people have caught the message of the evacuation in the earliest hours; but also those less keen, not taking the call seriously will need to be persuaded.

People are also needed to begin going to further out communities. There are emergency broadcasts throughout the planet but the ministry and the local governing groups are aware that not everyone is going to have heard them. The ministry scramble to give the voidtreckers official passes, to help give credibility to their announcement of evacuation. ( PURPLE 1, BLUE 1 )

3. JOIN THE QUEUE. Help will be needed to help keep some semblance of order, to create a flow to keep everything running. Out in the streets, or even in the tethering station, people will become more panicked if they think they've missed their ride, if they have to wait for too long. It's not yet violent, but people with presence will be useful for helping keep everyone sensible. ( RED 1 )

HOURS TWO AND THREE

The work continues to bring people from their lives to the tethering stations, now packed by anxious individuals. There's aid needed for people outside the Irue Grotto, a call for drivers and more volunteers to stay back and help with tethering processing to get people onto the liminal stations. Panic rises with the tension, and there's also signs of disbelief for what's apparently going on.

The Ministry are handing out SCAs to be taken to those who can't come to the stations, to help with the tethering process. With quick training, people can tether themselves, and arrive at the liminal stations awaiting them.

1. ALL ABOARD. Even in the most busy of void hubs, the tethering and platform systems are not designed for an entire planet to arrive all at once. Those volunteering can access the void by a device at the tethering station. The ministry workers explain that it won't disrupt their own tethers, and they will be able to freely walk through the barrier back to the ministry building. The platform is larger than any voidtreckers have seen in their time in the void, closer to the transport station. There are rows of train tracks, but also docked air craft, space craft, there's even a port with voidcraft that look like traditional ships that would sail through water, if there were any water in the void.

All those tethered have tickets and so should know where they are going, but volunteers have been given tablets with an ever growing database to match passengers up to their voidcrafts. From there, it's a case of helping direct people, carrying luggage, and hurrying children along.

For those who would rather not be around panicked people, there's plenty of work loading animals, be they pets or animals from the zoo, who have their own dedicated voidcraft. ( ORANGE2 )

2. THE IRUE ZOO. Outside the Irue Grotto the planet is pretty rural. Not far from the city is The Irue Zoo, a clutter of domed conservatories customised to house creatures from across the system's planets: avians, reptiles, creatures that don't match anything Voidtreckers know. The zookeepers have already had collars delivered- devices similar to SCAs but for use on animals. They do however need help getting them on the creatures. For any tiny animals, there are chip guns - but, you'll need good aim.

Using drones, those piloting them can also help to make sure an area has been cleared and no one left behind, without the person piloting even being physically present. ( PURPLE 2, BLUE 3, ORANGE 3 )

2. OSIGA VILLAGES. In the villages, there are families who just don't have easy access to reach the Irue Grotto: not everyone has a vehicle. Some eagerly climb into the Ministry ride that Voidtreckers take to reach their communities, while others will need help to go to them instead. They might have family members who can't make the trip, others are more worried about their pets or farm creatures, for those lucky to have indoor farms. Luckily the SCA packs that voidtreckers were given also contain the animal tethering collars- the ministry had factored that into their evacuation plans.

More of a challenge are those who refuse to leave the lives they made, who've barricaded and are making it difficult to be helped. They might not trust the ministry. They might not believe that the threat is real. Or they might resist the idea that this threat cannot be fought, after all they are Osigan, not a weak people at all. ( ORANGE 3, RED2, PURPLE2, BLUE3 )

HOURS FOUR AND FIVE

As their countdown clocks tick to two hours remaining there is a message from Anan. The main bulk of people have been processed by now, freeing up those helping in the grotto to move out to further flung communities. Almost all efforts are now on the portable tethering kits, voidtreckers encouraged to travel by speeder to get to as many places as possible.

1. OFF WORLD. Anan waits at the main transport hub next to a space ship. It's not particularly large, clearly made for short inter planet journeys rather than long durations in space. She looks understandably worried, Chiff sat like a hat on her head, but she welcomes people on board for half an hour before they leave.

They're headed to a space station, getting there not for the faint hearted as it's situated in an asteroid field. Luckily, Anan can pilot her way through safely. The station is mostly occupied by elderly people and small children, suspicious people, a couple even tangry at Anan for leading strangers to their door. She takes their ire with humility but is quick to get down to business.

Here like on Osiga people have varying reactions to the news. The children are frightened but generally tough souls. Some of them know Anan and Chiff already and that helps with coaxing them. ( RED 2-3, BLUE 3, PURPLE 2-3 )

2. ON PLANET. The easily convinced have been evacuated by now, which leaves those who are, for variety of reasons, more difficult. Some are the furthest away from the Grotto, the travel time longer. Here, there is often unrest. There's been a couple of hours for people to work themselves into a state of panic. Even those ready and prepared to be evacuated are frustrated.

As they travel they might even find bands of people moving towards the grotto, angry and assuming they have been forgotten, abandoned. They can be calmed, especially when they learn that the voidtreckers have tethering kits and are here to help. But it will take some loud voices and calm personalities to break through that fear and anger. ( BLUE 2, PURPLE 3 )

3. THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE. But what of those who are adament they will not leave? The refusers are not one homogeneous group. Some refuse to believe what is happening. World eaters? Whose heard of them? Who are these strange people who are trying to empty their world? They never did trust the ministry, setting up in Irue like that...

Others truly believe that leaving their home to an otherworldly threat is an act of cowardice. Surely they should stay and fight. Stand against this threat and drive it back. They have weapons, surely if everyone just made a stand they could stop what was about to happen.

Others just can't bare to leave their homes. They are old and would rather face their fate in the comfort they know rather than leave to go to the void- they might know of it but that doesn't mean they trust it. Others are very aware of what this means, they survive but their bodies do not.

Some can be convinced, others are more stubborn. It may be best to focus on those who do want to leave, but there is no easy answer. ( RED 2-3, BLUE 3, ORANGE 3, PURPLE 2-3 )

All the time the skies are calm and clear, no sign of the approaching danger present. In some ways, this makes it harder; te only indication they have is their SCA clocks counting down. Hours turning to minutes, counting down to catastrophe.

OOC NOTES

OOC Post ~ Questions ~ Shenanigans ~ Tasks Check-In & Rewards
This event will last for 1 IC day, and OOCly runs from 16th to 22nd, with a conclusion going up on the 23rd.

CHARACTER AID: Lan Jingyi will be offering transport over distance, Lea can create keyblade portals to move people; Thanatos and Tidus will have functioning transgates to allow movement between where they are and back at the tethering station. Elidibus will also eventually be creating portals and force-teleports.

Art Credit: Header

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Yes sir!"

He does as he is told, leading away through the now very very quiet zoo. With most the animals gone now and no people except those tethering the remaining creatures it's a bit eerie.

"This says they can be a bit bad tempered and might throw rocks, but they like fruit."

He hopes they can get them all tethered!

Likes fruit...of which he doesn't have any of. But perhaps there is some by their enclosure that he can use to lure them closer. He can move quickly but he wants to make sure they are close enough to do so. Because if they are intelligent then they are quickly going to grow wise to what is happening after a few have been collared.

"We will avoid the rocks. BUt we will need to find fruit."

"I bet there's some somewhere!"

He grinned at him. "If they like them I bet the zoo keepers give them some for a treat so there might be some in the store room!"

He nods and notices that their destination is drawing close. He can count a few animals in the enclosure but not nearly as many as he was worried there would be. "We will find that first and then continue with the task."

He looks around and points towards a little building next to their enclosure.

"Okay!" He nodded, looking around. "Over there, that looks like the zoo keepers hut for these animals!"

So it should have all the supplies right? He's never really been to a zoo before.

He nods and heads towards it. He needs to strategize how to deal with the other animals but he can't do that until he has the supplies that they need to do so. First they need to figure out if the necessary items and food are in the shed.

He walks towards the shed and reaches out to open it. He looks inside and there does seem to be the items they need. He starts to collect some of it, "This will do."

Romeo helps as well, gathering some fruit in one of the buckets.

"I think.... One of us should distract them whilst the other puts the collars on. That will be good teamwork!"

"You should distract." He feels like that will be the easiest of tasks. Get the monkey creatures to stay still and Lan Wangji can come up and put the collars on. His relfexes are fast and he is quiet. It is possible he can get the collars on before the creature even knows he is nearby.

"Okay! I can do that! I'm good at distracting!"

Especially animals, he got a lot of practice at helping animals on all the missions they've done before.

He grabbed the bucket and got to the gate to enter the enclosure. "I'll try and stop them throwing rocks!"

He nods and follows him into the enclosure. Then he gives Romeo a little space so that he will be able to attract their attention. Hopefully he will be able to keep them from getting aggravated enough to get violent. OF course they might chose to get violent after the collars are on but they will just have to see what happens.

Romeo moved into the centre bit with the bucket of fruit. Straight away some of the monkeys came to investigate and he smiled at them and held out some fruit.

"Do you want some. You got to be good though. Only good monkeys get fruit."

They were very cute, one came up to him, clearly not afraid of people and held its hand out for the fruit.

"Oh they are very well behaved!"

He waits until they get close before he comes in. He might be coming in from behind but he tries to make just enough noise that they don't get startled upon his arrival. He is sure that they are aware that he is in the pen with them. He doesn't want them to see him as a threat.

Once he is close enough he very carefully places a collar around one of the Monkey's necks. Making sure to not pinch him in any way but moving swiftly so that he doesn't have a chance to run at the first feeling of it.

Romeo keeps up the work of distracting them with the fruit, handing the monkey more fruit as the collar is clipped around its neck. It notices though, reaching up to the intrusion around its neck and trying to tug at it.

"No. You gotta keep it on!" Romeo chided it, it turned towards Lan Wangji, reaching out to grab the bag of collars.

The bag is quickly hidden from the monkey's grasp. He can't let it think that they are a toy and just try to run off with them. Not when there is still a few more of them to go. But he is hoping that when the others see that the collar isn't hurting the creature that they won't be too bothered with also being outfitted with them.

"You cannot have them all. The others must also get them."

"Yes!" Romeo hurried over to give the monkey more fruit. "Everyone needs one!"

He spots another monkey so runs over to try and coax him towards Lan Wangji.

"It's one each though, you got to share!"

He reaches out for the next monkey, making sure that they are distracted by Romeo before closing the collar around its neck. "This one gets a treat." Since he now has a collar around its neck. It lets out a displeased sound and scratches at the collar but quickly forgets when he sees the food.

This process is not a quick one but Lan Wangji is not one to rush anything.

"Yes! They were very well behaved!"

So they get a treat! Romeo fished some fruit out of his bag and handed it over, grinning at the monkey.

It was working! Romeo was glad, they were going to be able to save all these monkeys!

He will continue until all the monkeys have their collars, moving a little quicker as a pattern gets established. The monkeys are smart and once they see that food is given once the collar is in place they are more willing to take part in this activity. He steps back once the last one is finished so that it can receive its food as well.

He is also glad that they are able to save all of them without too much fuss.

Romeo is glad to and he grinned at Lan Wangji.

"We did good teamwork!" He held up a hand. "Do you know what a high five is?"

Because this definitely deserved one!

He shakes his head but holds up his hand. Clearly a high five is...his hand held up. But he doesn't quite understand the concept or why that is a sign of celebration. But if that is how the other is used to showing a job well done...then he will oblige him.

Romeo grinned at him encouragingly and brought his hand to hit Lan Wangji's. "Like that! You clap your hand with another persons and that means you did really good teamwork!"

Obviously. Now Lan Wangji has learned something new.

This is a very strange tradition but if it is what the other is used to then he will accept it. He nods to indicate he understands and drops his hand back down. "A job well done. We can now move on."

"Yes!" He nodded. They didn't have much time.

"Let's go save more animals!"

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Crashing Down: Start

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