middleofsomewhere | EVENT: Into the Unknown

"Good morning Voidtreckers and passengers of the voidtrecker Express. Today is day twenty two of the month of Symphony. As you are aware we have some guests on board and our next task is to deliver them safely to the void hub. The tethering kits can only keep them tethered to this craft for a short space of time. We will be arriving at the void hub tomorrow."

Until now the scientists have kept themselves to themselves, remaining in their room and rarely exiting out. However after this announcement they emerge more and more, interested in asking about the void hub, the ministry workers and what they might expect from the situaion.

The next morning, just before lunch, the train makes another announcement.

"Approaching Voidbase now. Prepare for docking."

There is no shaking, not leaving the void: instead those who risk looking out of the windows will see a large structure ahead of them. The void turns to metal around them as they enter the structure, and for a moment, there is nothing outside the train but darkness.

"Welcome Voidtreckers." A voice speaks over the ICPs. Not the voice of the train, this is a male voice, sentient. "The filtration process takes a few moments, so please be patient. Meanwhile, I am sending some information about our void base over to your SCA's."

They will receive a small pamphlet on their SCA's explaining about the void base, this is the same pamphlet as last time but will be useful reading for those who are new, or those who didn't pay attention the last month. It explains that the base was set up as a research base and has been expanded to provide living quarters for some of those rescued from system #78961112094711. It explains that they had made the decision to invite the voidtreckers there to further unravel the mystery surrounding them. They would be quartered in ministry sleeping areas, and have free access to the ministry part of the base. Anyone who wished to visit the citizens of system #78961112094711 could do with good reason.

It's not too long before the filtration process is completed, and the doors of the Voidtrecker Express open. This time they are greeted just by the scientists who welcome them back.

AT THE VOID BASE

~ VOIDBASE INFO ~ OOC INFO

SETTLING IN

They are shown to their sleeping quarters first. They are in small suites, which match their room assignments on the train. They will be given time to unpack and rest, and told that their SCA's have been programmed to allow them access to the general ministry parts of the base.

Their time here is their own, And though the ministry hopes that they will help out with the various experiments and research programs they have going on, they do not need to. If they wish to take the time to rest and enjoy the amenities, they can.

1. MULTIMEDIA. There are a few types of lounging rooms, chairs and cushions, tables for sitting at. Slim televisions sitting on walls, a few tables - that can be lowered or raised - joined with screens that can be more privately watched. Shows and movies are available in some rooms, gaming equipment in others. There is also a more quiet room for lounging in, with access to e-books and screen readers for them, audio options also available.

Relax, or get into a multiplayer game -- games that break friendships are available in the void.

2. FITNESS AND SWIM. For those looking for more activity in their 'rest', there's the fitness gym and swimming pool. In separate rooms but nearby, the fitness gym is larger than the train's gym, and more well-equipped. Muscle training, speed; there will be a Ministry worker to show how to use the variety of equipment, so that nobody has an accident.

The same will be for the swimming pool, with a shallow and deep end. Balls, floating pads and more can be grabbed. It's a swimming pool - what's not to love?

3. TRAINING. Beside the pool and fitness gym is the combat gym, where they will find small groups already exercising in a variety of fighting styles. Voidtreckers will be left alone to train if they wish, but any who take interest in partners will be allowed to join in with the ministry training. Magic, energy, weaponry; some of them use special batons, Ministry-issued, and the Ministry workers will show how to use them. If a Voidtrecker becomes well-trained in how to use one by the end of their stay, they can be given one to use on void missions.

The Ministry fighters will also introduce them to a special training tool, the hard- and holographic courses and 'dummies'. Quite a few fighting styles can be set to a holographic opponent, or even one made to mimic a voidtrecker after fighting them - they're surprisingly quick to adapt. The hard-light partner can listen and read sign-language, and will change on command. Want them to move faster, focus on attack, dodging? Now they will.

4. GREEN THUMBS, OPEN AIR. The last room in the relaxation area is a curious one, reading simply 'GARDENS AND SIMULATION' on its front. Opening it will lead to a simple and long corridor, five more doors on each side. Four devoted to gardening, labelled Hydroponics, Hot Houses, Ice Houses, and Land. Entering, each space will be larger than should be possible. But it is, with each an indoor type growing space except for land, which mimics a farming field. There's a sky above, a wind in the air; sometimes, it might be raining when you enter.

It might be a shocking experience for some, the first time round.

The last six rooms simulation rooms are less specific, but with plenty more options. Rooms of prayers, beaches, cities, open valleys; with some time spent learning the menu, people can recreate a realistic area. The rooms can be set to private, but some people may leave the spaces they've created - on purpose, at random, or on accident - free for others to wander into. Sharing is caring, and there's only six of these rooms, you know.

EXPERIMENTING

A lot has happened since they were last here and the scientists of the base will be happy to share their news as well as here reports on what the voidtreckers learned in their last mission.

PROGRESS They have done a lot of research into time and they think they have managed to replicate the Voidtrecker Expresses' ability to respond to catastrophes, they currently have a test crew on a new voidcraft furthering that experiment. They also believe they have found a way to stabilise the tethers of the Voidtreckers enough to loop them to the void base, this will give them an extra level of protection should anything happen to their craft. They are also very interested in speaking to the scientists found on system ##3721010010.

They will once again take any help in research or experiments and will be very interested in doing health checks on the newer voidtreckers.

2. REACHING OUT. At the top of the void base is an area with a clear domed roof, allowing in the light of the void. Here voidtreckers can attempt to reach out, to strengthen their connection with the train and through it try and find those that have left the train.

For those that did this last time they will find it easier now, practice and a lot of atuning make it feel easier to do, easier to reach out towards those specs of light. Those who put in a lot of work feel like they can almost touch them now, just a bit further and they could reach out and pluck them from the vastness.

It is still very hard work. It's easy to get lost in the void, though the room has ministry workers who are highly trained and will be able to help anyone who needs it.

They do say it might be easier to go in pairs, to meditate together and help guide each other, using each others tethers as a touch point. Anything is worth a try.

OOC NOTES

~ Questions.
~ This part of the event runs until the 19th August (Day 25)
~ Part Two will go up on the 20th August

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Very good, my boy," he said with a warm smile before twisting his staff. "THERMAL RAGE!" he began raising the ambient heat around Link to oppressive levels, keeping them just shy of dangerous.

Link blew a puff of air into his bangs, using Bending to change from his blue hoodie to a red tunic--the Goron tunic he'd used to survive Death Mountain and the Fire Temple.

"You're going to have to try harder."

"We're just getting started. I thought you physical fighting types liked to warm up," he said with a grin. "Just thought I'd help..."

With that he left the heat in place while feeding ice and cold into the floor under Link's feet, to try to spur the boy into action.

"Ever wake up one day and everything is suddenly trying very hard to kill you? You specifically?"

The sword was suddenly replaced by a hookshot, which the blonde used to zip to a corner of the room. He held the device in one hand and gestured idly with the other.

"You're not trying very hard."

"No, not all of us have been forced into the roles you have, my boy." He waved a hand sending a blast of lightning at the hookshot as his son was using it. Trusting his boy to keep that from killing him.

Link had been waiting for this. He spun quickly in the air, holding his sword once again, whacking the lightning right back at Clef. He landed on his feet, his face mostly expressionless, except for a fleeting bit of laughter in his eyes.

"Better, but, still a ways to go."

The lightning fizzled against his shield as he set the ground under Link's feet on fire.

"Wore this in a volcano," he reminded Clef, stomping out the flames. "If my boots were vulnerable, that would be a poor design choice on the Gorons' part. And mine."

What Clef probably didn't know, was Link was quietly assessing him. To see if there were any chance of Clef holding up against Ganondorf.

"Try again."

"As you wish, my boy..." He struck his staff again. "INVERSE SPEED!" and all at once bot only did the temperature go from sweltering to below freezing but anything between his personal shield and the shield over the larger training area would now move at reversed speed. So if Link tried to move fast, he'd move slow. It would take some getting used to.

Link sneezed at the sudden change in temperature, tapping the toe of his left boot to see if there was ice and if he needed his iron boots. The gesture didn't quite go as planned, ending up as a frantic tapping. Clef would get to see a genuinely puzzled Link for a change.

It took him a minute of trial and error to figure out what was going on, Link's breath creating little clouds before him. The youth experimented by waving his hand and swinging his sword at different speeds, until it finally clicked.

"Fast is slow and slow is fast...." he muttered, his sword vanishing as he pulled the Ocarina out of his tunic.

Link directed every bit of willpower he had as an Ashura and sent a rain cloud into Clef's protective shield as he played the Song of Storms.

Casting inside his shield. Neat trick and one he should have ben ready for. But there was an easy way to deal with Ocarina based spells. Well, several, but he knew how much it meant to him, so breaking it was out of the question.

But foiling it? That was easy! "Zypher FLASH!" Wind blowing all around him, including in and out of the Ocarina. A wind instrument could be easily foiled by wind, after all.

Breaking a sacred treasure belonging to the Royal Family would not help Clef in his endeavors to befriend Zelda. So, it was a wise choice.

Link closed his eyes and focused, looking a bit like he was standing in the middle of a hurricane. His hair whipped around him and he had to adjust his stance to keep firmly planted in place.

With a bit of Bending Link focused on shielding the Ocarina, directing the wind everywhere but the instrument, before playing a tune and vanishing from sight.

Clef reinforced his own shields the moment his son vanished, then grinned. He let the winds run wild within the larger shield but added powder to the wind, a clinging bright green powder, and he extended his senses to search for where it settled against an invisible but moving form.

There was no sign of Link, invisible or otherwise. Until...

He reappeared behind Clef at the same time a bucket of milk appeared over Clef's head.

And hit the shield. He gestured as he turned, the winds freezing the milk and sending the white ice at Link.

Link spun, sword extended, shattering the ice. He then jumped and perched on Clef's shield, crouched above him before putting the sword away, swapping it for the Ocarina once again.

This time, he played a lullaby. Not Zelda's, but a song he'd played to get a Goron child to go to sleep. Using his powers as an Ashura he added a bit of potency to the notes, making them soothing and soporific.

Sitting cross legged, he swayed as he played, waiting to see just how susceptible Clef would be to the suggestion of sleep.

Clef was able to fight the suggestion of sleep, but if that was how Link wanted to play it...

He stopped himself. Nope, he was not using an emotional manipulation spell. Not on his son. But what he could do...

He dropped rapidly, taking his shield with him. Dropped and moved to the side as soon as Link's body lost contact with it, while creating an illusion so that it looked as though he had created a deep body of water his boy was going to splash into. But it was still just solid ground.

He really really hoped this wasn't going too far, wasn't a mistake. He used more illusion to make himself and his bubble shield seem invisible to try and keep himself from panicking and undoing the water illusion.

EVENT: Into the Unknown

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