middleofsomewhere | Mission: You are Not Alone

After the missive from the ministry, voidtreckers might be expecting a task. On the eighth day of Symphony their SCA's glow with the colours of the void and a message appears. They have a few hours to prepare before they arrive in the system. Now will be the time to plan, with the warning of a catastrophe mission put out. What supplies will they need? Who will go where?

After half an hour, they hear the Voidtrecker Express again.

Shortly arriving in system #3721010010. Exiting voidspace in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

The train shakes as it leaves the void, into a wreck of a world.

MISSION 18: YOU ARE NOT ALONE

SYMPHONY 8-11 ~ TEAM OBJECTIVES ~ LOCATION INFORMATION ~ OTHER DETAILS
ASK QUESTIONS ~ SHENANIGANS ~ TEAM PLOTTING ~ MISSION REWARDS

RED TEAM: THE SOUTHERN CONTINENT (WEIRWICH)

"Red team to doors. Approaching drop point."

From the windows, they will see what was likely once a sprawling metropolis of a city, now reduced to size - but neither abandoned, nor submitting. Smoke and debris wafts up in the air from activity, pockets of action seen as exchanged gunfire even from their distance, especially to the north, and there's a burst of light in the air as some kind of weaponry hits one of the buzzing dots in the air.

It's safe to say that the city under heavy fire. The train descends, covered in its own cloaking technology, bringing Red Team and anyone else looking for a fight down close to a wrecked street to jump down onto. Sounds of gunfire now join what they saw before, and the Voidtreckers will want to move quickly. If they're to figure out how to go beyond the skies, they'll have to deal with ground level first.

1. SEARCH AND DESTROY. The heaviest assault is happening at the north wall, though moving through the city will give them some early indications of what they're up against. Stalking through the streets are the searcher units attempting to gather intel, but to also take out targets from behind.

They might also come across some flight units, trying to get further into the city for sabotage or taking key defensive areas, before the walls are even breached. They attack anyone in their path, and so if it is a fight the red team are looking for, they will find it here.

Once they get to the wall itself they will be facing the larger tank units. The fight is desperate and the human lines are close to breaking. Some fresh fighters might be what is needed to turn the tide.

2. UNDERGROUND BASE. Once things calm (relatively), Red Team will be able to find out more about the world's space presence through conversation (and by confusing the locals, if you aren't good at being discreet). Their ships are underground, the dome shelters around the northern wall actually where they come out from, and their base of operations is underground too.

Going there, you will find a chaotic but organised system. There are spaces that act as infirmaries, sleeping quarters; but not hard to find is where they keep the fighter ships, close by to where battle plans are made. There is a call for everyone who can to come later in the day, to prepare for a search in space for the enemy's ships. They have some coordinates, and they're desperate for any good news on finding those damn things. The more accurate markers on the SCA's might just be that good news they are looking for.

Piloting: Not all those who volunteer to go are experienced, and if Voidtreckers are willing to take the time, they can learn about how the ships work: the controls are surprisingly simple, as long as you're familiar with video games, and even come with automatic flying in a pinch. There's a room with headsets and fake steering, used as a means of training people for flight. There's not much time, but the people would rather let someone spend an hour or two training than crash a space ship.

It's not the most sophisticated, but an army trying to keep standing against a vastly superior army.

3. OUT IN SPACE. The spaceships, it turns out, are simple because they are designed to be programmed in advance, towards a target, for exploration and research. The controls are there for emergancies, moving away from danger. They aren't really designed for the task of searching a relatively large area, but work by their coordinates and travel towards the pins on the voidtreckers SCAs.

There is no artificial gravity, and so everyone needs to be strapped in or they float around freely. The people from the world with the voidtreckers are all trained, at least a little bit, but there is a real sense of fear as their tiny ships drift off into space, towards enemies that they cannot detect.

The cloaking is good at confusing the human ships' sensors. It will take getting close enough to these ships to to use the zooming features on the screens to see, just barely, what gives them away: ripples in space, the darkness acting differently. If they push through this bubble, then they will be able to see the ship.

It's huge, all harsh angles and fucntional metal. Built for carrying troops it sits, a fortress in itself - and a fortress not defenceless. Clever planning will be needed to take down these mammoth ships, and to not lose your own lives.

PURPLE AND BLUE: THE NORTHERN CONTINENT (MEDBOROUGH)

"Blue Team and Purple Team to doors. Approaching checkpoint."

While the sight of Red Team's drop off point had been bad, this new city is a mess. It's hard to find even one building that has not been destroyed, rubble and glass litter the streets, cars smolder and as for people... It is silent.

A silence that is almost sound itself. Their footsteps sound impossibly loud as they tread through the wreckage.

1. AMONG THE RUINS. This was not a walled cit - one of the reasons it has fallen so fast - but they are definitely dropped on the outskirts, where the ruined buildings are less tightly packed together. There's some cover capable amongst the rubble, but it doesn't take them long to be noticed. From the nearby streets searcher units attack, a small scouting group that hit hard, and make enough noise to make it dangerous to stick around for too long. Drawing attention is not a good thing.

2. FIRST CONTACT. It might take the teams a while to figure out where anyone is, and if there is even anyone left in this city to help at all. But then they will spot someone, darting between buildings or creeping through the burned out cars.

If they spot the voitreckers, they will gesture sharply to stay down and lead them towards the nearest tunnel entrance. These are guarded, but human voidtreckers will find no trouble being let in- others might need to talk sharpish or have others to back them up. Once through the guards the tunnels get lower, off the main passage and into smaller service ducts, places they hope the larger enemies won't be able to follow them.

Here in nooks and crannies are the survivors of Medborough and the surrounding areas. Gathered in groups of twenty or so in makeshift camps, children run messages through the tightest passages- which seems to be enough to be keeping them occupied and the panic at bay. The adults fashion weapons, cook meagre rations or sort through salvaged scrap. It's a whole city network down here, as safe from the enemy as they can be but very much besieged.

3. NIGHT TIME. It's hard to even tell when night is, but there is a definite sense of time to rest, as well as they can. As the caverns quiet the sound of the enemy above can be heard, booming footsteps and distant fighting. There are still people out there, and the adults take shifts keeping them away from tunnel entrances.

There's an argument that carries throughout this tunnel, one that has the beats of a well trodden one. Should they try and evacuate? Where would they go? Could they get the children out? Could they run fast enough? Elsewhere a child starts crying in their sleep, and another calls out that they can't sleep at all. In another part of the cavern, someone begins to sing lowly and so the night begins.

And it will lead to a new day of fighting to survive.

ORANGE TEAM: THE EASTERN CONTINENT (STARBURY)

"Orange Team to doors. Approaching checkpoint."

From the map that orange team have been sent the first facility to search is on the outskirts of Starbury and so that is the city they arrive in. Here the fighting is some distance away from the city, the human defences keeping the enemy at bay.

The train has them disembark just inside the perimeter. Far enough away to not be targeted but not close enough to the city to frighten people. They step out into what were once the suburbs of the city. The twisted remains of houses and trees telling the story of the battle here as the human defence pushed the enemy away from the city. It is silent, not even the sound of birds. The ground is charred and churned.

1. ARRIVAL. For those who wish to draw closer to the defences will find blockades of trucks, sandbags, hastily made barricades of furniture. They have weapons, including some large guns pointed at the air. They aren't under heavy attack right now, though some searcher units are keeping the defenders busy. Flight units can be seen at a distance, waiting for a weakened front to take their turn.

2. FACILITY. On the outskirts of the city, the first facility is calm. It is not quite abandoned: there are people in there and a couple of guards, though they are on the look out for enemy combatants rather than fellow humans, making it easy to enter.

Inside is a bit of a mess. There was clearly a fight here recently, and things have been left scattered, but in a way it makes it easier to start looking through. At least they aren't disturbing things. From a surface look at least it seems a normal facility, predominantly researching the oceans and marine biology. There might be void research hidden away in here, but first they must go through a lot of data about plakton.

3. STARBURY. The city is packed with people. As desolate as the other places have been, the streets here are full, and there are clearly more people than homes to place them. People move from building to building, and though there is a strong sense of welcome, they are being turned away at the door. No Room.

It is full of noise and confusion. There isn't any traffic, and it seems any fuel has been taken for the military, and so people walk the roads or sit in the shade of buildings. Children play, as children do even in times of great strife. There is some organisation, if they go looking for it. It becomes clear there are some people very desperately trying to organise all of these people, find places for them to stay and ration food. But it is a momentous task and they are in desperate need of extra hands.

OOC NOTES

NOTES:

~ Transgates will be set up between Weirwich, Starbury, and Medborough by the second day thanks to Thanatos, Seto Kaiba, and Wei Wuxian.

~ Communication will be key on this mission, in finding ways to establish contact between the different continents and how to help them bring their might together.

~ Take note that it will take time for the locals to be willing to let obvious non-humans fly their spaceships, perhaps by the third day if they've been engaged in fighting before that. The sudden show of inhuman powers and non-humans is going to have many people alarmed, even if many will welcome it too.

~ We're interested in any attempts of research, aid, or any other ideas your character has in investigating and helping out on the planet. Are they good with computers? Will they and establish good relations with the people of this planet, gather info and work with them? Do they have any skills you think that could be useful, or aren't too sure and want to know if they can be? Maybe they can help with the trouble they're having in tracking the enemy ships...

~ We always welcome any questions, and will help you get involved if you're feeling unsure. And if your character is going to be trying to put their skills to the test in a noticeable way, leave them over on shenanigans!

Further Prompt Ideas: (Click to expand) 

Fighting: Every location will have enemy forces coming in to try and infiltrate over the 3 days. While they won't always be large groups, any of the searcher units can be encountered at any point, even outside the cities (most likely the beasts and wasps).

Fighing: There are also enemy camps, locations where they have based themselves for their attacks. The big ones near the cities are not going to be easy to attack but there are smaller ones around the place that a small team could hit and thin out the enemy ranks.

Fighting/Space: Wasp Units will start being deployed after the first day, and will acting as pests to chase or bring down people searching for their transport ships.

Strategy: Pushing the enemies out of the city is one of the goals. Finding ways of setting up defences, planning among one another will help with such large areas. Can the materials around the cities be used?

Aid: Not everyone is in a city. There are still pockets of people trying to get there, trying to find shelter elsewhere or mounting ill advised revenge attacks on the enemy. Seek them out, and bring them to safety quick.

Aid: Healing and comfort will always be useful, but will every person be accepting of magical talents? The people are more welcoming of humans than obvious non-humans, but there will still be mixed feelings about these strange people now amongst them.

Aid: The people of Medborough have lost a lot, including their own culture. Even entertainment is a rarity, and so anything that can be scavenged - entertainment, books, clothing and jewelery - would bring small pleasures to the people.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I was thinking more trying to build the story around songs we already know," Bruno said. "Maybe with just a few changes here and there to help them fit better."

"Though anyway, we should probably get started. Did you want to go first with the story, or should I?"

"That sounds like a good plan," Nell said. "Maybe I can start with a kind of call and response gathering song. Get the children and anyone else to sing with us and come together where we can tell the story."

Bruno actually brightened a bit at that. "Sure, that sounds great," he said. "You start then, and I'll jump in when I see the cue, OK?"

Nell started a simple song and encouraged some of the children to sing with her and pass it on to the others. Before long a group of children and some curious adults were singing along with, 'Everybody gather 'round (Everybody gather 'round), Together we make joyful sounds (Together we make joyful sounds), Stories start when all are found (Stories start when all are found)'.

As they gathered and sat in a group together, she slowly faded the song down and nodded to Bruno."

Clearing his throat a little bit in preparation, Bruno jumped in right on cue. "Alright now, we all know that most stories start out with 'once upon a time, a long time ago', but in this story? It's not all that long ago at all. But it is in a far away land, in a little village hidden deep in the mountains. A wonderful place, surrounded by lush forests, and fresh air, and with a beautiful, clear river running through it. The people there called it their Encanto, their blessing, because it was such a wonderful place to live. Still, they might have had things a little rough, if not for one thing."

Here he paused briefly, for drama, and to allow for anyone asking 'what?' "You see, everyone in that village? Had magical powers. Each child, when they were five years old, would open a magical door prepared just for them, and get their special gift. There were some who could heal. Some who were super strong." He briefly flexed a very unimpressive bicep to a small cluster of giggles. "Some who could make plants grow, some who could talk to animals, or change the weather. Some could turn little cards into friendly creatures, some could make fire or ice just appear out of thin air." He made a 'poofing' gesture with his hands indicating the sudden magic effect. "Some could even shape shift or see the future. Yeah, everybody had an amazing magic gift..."

"Everybody except one girl; Mirabel. When she went to her magic door, instead of giving her a special gift, the door just faded away." He brought one hand slowly downward, twiddling his fingers in the air to demonstrate the fading. "That left little Mirabel as the only one in town without magic. And even though the whole town liked her and was nice to her, she still felt like she wasn't special at all. But little did Mirabel know, that she was exactly the kind of person that the Encanto was going to need."

His setup complete, he indicated for Nell to take up the next story bit if she wanted.

Nell sang a song about people being special just for who they were, repeating the chorus so the children could join in. "Her parents always told her that she was special and they loved her just the way she was - even if she didn't have a fancy gift like the others - but that didn't always make her feel much better. She wondered why she'd been passed over."

Bruno nodded. "Still, she usually was able to pretend she was fine. She didn't have magic, but she had a loving family and a beautiful home; that should be enough. Right?"

"Except it wasn't; not really. Then eventually it came time for her little cousin, Antonio, to get his gift. He loved her dearly, and wished he could give Mirabel his door. And she loved him too, assuring him that it was alright."

"But later that night, as her family celebrated little Antonio's new gift, Mirabel couldn't hide how she felt any longer." There it was Bruno who inserted a song. He'd heard Mirabel; how could he not? And while he couldn't quite hit the notes that she could, he thought he got the emotions across at least.

"Now rather than ruin her little cousin's big night, she'd left the party and wandered off alone. But that was when she saw it. There, proudly displayed on the windowsill of the largest house in the village was the magical, ever-burning candle that was the source of the Encanto's magic. Suddenly, she saw that candle began to flicker, while cracks appeared spreading all over the streets and the walls of nearby buildings!"

"Naturally, Mirabel was scared. She ran back to the party to tell her family what happened to try and warn everyone that their magic was in danger."

He gestured to Nell, letting her take it from there. He wondered how the story would change with her telling it.

"The family was frightened," Nell went on. "No one knew what to do. They just knew the village was in danger. It couldn't be fixed by growing a plant or being super strong or changing the weather. It was scary, just like it is here. They had to find a way to save the magic."

She looked out at all the children. "What do you think they did?"

The children called out various answers and one little girl firmly said, "They had to all work togeteher to save it."

"You're right," Nell said with a smile and turned back to Bruno.

Mission: You are Not Alone

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