middleofsomewhere | 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

Esteban isn't too sure, at first, what caused the creature to back off. He's wavering at the edge, cautious, before he spots a flash of a hand, a head tucked near the beast's gargantuan neck. There's darkness that does not seem to be cloth covering the snarling animal's eyes, and it's enough to get the half-elf moving, dashing forwards as he tries to give whoever it is a hand.

Blinded does not mean incapacitated. He has to backflip-- grinning with pride as he lands-- away from a swipe of the claws, still dangerous enough to disembowel him if he's not careful. The towel comes to catch around a paw and Esteban tugs hard, hoping to disbalance the creature. It only yowls louder, a hiss pitching its tone into higher frequencies than expected, before the beast retaliates.

It tosses itself down, body and all, rolling with a yip as it tries to dislodge the annoyance at its neck, fury rolling through every inch of its body, snapping and growling at what it can't even perceive.

The name of the game is to keep in the shadow of the creature. Working in light is always a greater effort and he has too much work to do today to waste extra energy by letting himself linger in light when he's using magic.

Which means shifting along with the creature when he rolls, decidedly something less solid, keeping to the side away from the light without having to deal with the ground wearing on what little substance he has.

With the biting...

Well, honestly, might be best to wear the beast down.

He moves his free hand close to the teeth, letting it snap before he pulls it away, only wisps of shadow, to keep up the roll for longer. "Get the collar ready! Hard for me to get mine like this!"

Did... Did that person just.. let it bite their arm off?

Excuse him, Esteban has questions now!

But the beast yowls and snaps, bounding away, and the half-elf has to rush to keep up, tugging one of the biggest collars and holding it taut so that they can work in tandem to slip it on. He notices that the other-- whoever they are-- moves with a strangely fluid grace. There isn't even a cry from pain when the behemoth tosses itself down, so Esteban assumes-hopes that they are okay.

"What's the plan?!" He shouts over the snarls of the monster, that just rushed against a wall instead of the ground, slamming into it with all of its rage and anger. The stone shudders, but holds. Dust drifts down onto his hair, distracting, but Esteban keeps his entire focus onto the creature; all talons and hide and high-strungs shrieks.

Listen.

For as confused as Estban is, its also confusing the beast and that's the whole point. It keeps it thrown off when it feels like it should be biting something, but isn't, just bits more disorientation, much like how he keeps moving with the creature. He knows his form is going to be unlike most things in nature and if its messes with instincts?

Then it was a lot easier to control. To push and tug, to get it to go where he wants, and the wall is exactly what he wanted.

"Open it and toss it! I got it in shadows, that's all I needed!"

Because in the light, making the shadows do what he wants is draining, but its child's play in the shade, and the sudden fluidity isn't just him, but all the shadows of the wall, tendrils of darkness whipping out to constrict the movement of the beast.

The shadows aren't tangible enough to keep it fully still, but its enough of a limit for Shadow to get the collar on.

Edited 2022-04-27 12:57 (UTC)

There is a high-pitched snarl from the creature, heaving away from the ink-ghosts tendrils that reached and snatched it back to the half-safety of the shades. The beast is stubborn, and ripples of rage run though its raised hackles, but its claws find no purchase on the ground beneath it. The click and toss of the collar has it veer blind eyes sharply towards the half-elf, but bound, it can't do much more than hiss in its fury.

"Hey, it's okay." He can't help but feel strong pangs of pity for the creature so trapped, it's entire body tense with the urge to bounce away. A necessary evil, to bring it along with the rest of the zoo, to save it from an untimely end.

"You got it? Everything good?" Even as he speaks, Esteban uses the towel he'd been bringing along to wrap around the head and maw and hold it taut, trying his best to keep it from moving too much as his companion pins it in place. The head shakes, an enraged whimper rising from the creature, but he stands his ground, trying his best to hold it steady.

Edited (past tense to present tense for consistency) 2022-04-28 10:49 (UTC)

Shadow is having an easier time in ignoring the fearful, painful sounds. There were advantages to having low empathy. Made it a lot easier to do good without having to feel bad about the harder parts of it.

He's not entirely sure if that's good or bad, but it is what it is.

For now, he just focuses on keep close to the creature's neck, yanking its head to one side and the other to keep it off balance until Esteban gets the towel over it and he can shoot out a hand to grab the collar.

A normal arm shouldn't bend like that, but he gets it and pulls it too him, letting Esteban restrain the head while the shadows tighten as much as they can against such a brute, and he focuses on getting the collar around its neck...

And finally snap into place. "Got it! Get yer distance!"

The redhead definitely has questions, would love to ask them, but not now. He still has to refocus away from the monster, a split second of unawareness that earns him a swift shake from the beast's head. It slams into his ribs and rattles the fragile bones, but his companion's order to back out quickly comes beyond it, and Esteban lets go, momentum helping him flail away from the bruiser.

Step-step-step and a quick half-skip gives him more distance, watching wearily the creature that is slowing down, its voice growing to a soft churr as the collar nudges it to a state between wakefulness and sleep. It still tries to fight, a beak-like maw twisting to try and catch the collar and pull it away from its own neck. Esteban winces, moving forth to try and hold it back from doing so.

A sharp yowl is his warning, as the creature rears, the last of its fury propelling it in a bound that it can't even quite complete, limbs failing to catch itself. The great beast thunders down when it falls, and rolls to its side as the collar takes full effect. It lolls on the ground, a chest as wide as the half-elf is tall filtering air through great bellows of its lungs, slow, soothed and calm. Most definitely asleep now.

Esteban needs a second to calm the rush of his heart.

"Hey... Hey! You okay?" He calls out to his companion, warily reaching out to the creature's side, where, by all means, he'd seen someone, but really hadn't seen them, worried that they might be trapped. Shit, he hopes they aren't trapped. That beast won't move easy.

Crashing Down: Start

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