middleofsomewhere | Race Against Time: Ongoing Mission

Once the training is over people can get to work pretty quickly, there is plenty to be done both out in the world and back at the hub for those not too keep on jumping straight in to a strange volcanic planet with creatures that probably want to eat them.

Hub

The underground hub is a centre of activity. It turns out there isn't all that much fuel for shuttles to get back up to the space station so trips are rationed, they will hold villagers and lindusi until they have full shuttles and then send them up. So the hub is busy with scientists, lindusi in holding pens and as the week goes on villagers who may not be too impressed with the evacuation.

There is food, usually large pots of soup that can be reheated whenever people are around. Though some heavier meals are provided at set times the people leading the evacuation are keen not to let any of their helpers, or those they are rescuing, starve.

Sleeping rooms hold bunk beds, usually around eight a room but as the hub fills up space gets limited. Sharing beds or sleeping on the floor may become necessary.

For those hanging around the hub as the week goes on there is plenty to do, small jobs, entertaining village children, logistics, communication. Or they can find a quiet place to rest before going back out on their mission.

Red

The skies are heavy with debris, both from space and the volcanic ash and rocks from the planet itself. The fighter craft are not difficult to pilot but nor are they easy. They cannot be piloted by one person, unless that person has four arms and space in the cockpit is tight for two people.

It's difficult work and it is probably good for everybody that the craft only fly for six hours before recharging, it means they have to work in shifts, and rest when they are not in the sky. The pilots from the world are generally friendly, if very focused.

Purple

Flying bubble pods around what seems like an apocalyptic wasteland may seem surreal and that's before they even get to the villages. The villages are mostly underground, bunkers where groups of people shelter. There are a range of ages. Some villages come easy, some do not. Diplomacy is key.

Watch out for falling rocks, rogue lindusi and angry villagers, all are threats that have to mitigated. As the week goes on the villagers get more stubborn, the earthquakes get more frequent and the villagers that are waiting to be taken off world get more impatient. It's a tough job.

Orange

The lindusi are scattered across the island. Mostly as far away from volcanoes as possible though there are a few that seem too curious for their own good.

The trucks to hold the lindusi in are kept in a central point in an area whilst the groups go out to try and round as many up as possible. The voidtreckers are encouraged to stick together as they don't know the area or threats very well.

Blue

The Blue team are to protect the scientists, both those collecting plants and other life samples and those with Orange rounding up Lindusi. Once they have the hang of the shield devices it's just a case of sticking close by, keeping both eyes open and being quick to activate shields whenever there is a threat.

There are plenty of threats, it's one thing this island has in abundance.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"What? No way." He cracks a yawn. "What would make you say that?"

Yeah, he wasn't even convincing himself.

Tony gave him a warm grin. "Because you look like I did on a couple of these missions. We're here for an important reason, but you're important too, kid."

He looked down at his hands with a sigh. It was a curse of a mechanic to get his hands dirty like this. "How's it been so far?"

Danny looks skeptical.

"Did you get that off a greeting card?"

He yawns again.

"We've evacuated a lot of people? But no clue how many more are still down there."

"Hallmark 99 cent bin," he tossed back with a chuckle. He's trying here, okay? So far the kid's reactions hadn't deterred him as he was used to another sleepy teenager who often put his foot in his mouth at breakfast. "Still true. You're one of us and that makes you and your well-being my responsibility." Because he's Iron Man™.

He nodded thoughtfully at Danny's vague report. He wished this place had kept better track of its population. "The volcanic activity seems to be increasing. Let me know if you need any more protection. We can see about increasing the fight crafts in the air if we need to." They were already doing shifts, but they could- if they had to- cut down some of the rest time.

And that put Danny's hackles up a bit. That was the kind of phrase Vlad liked to use, usually during his lectures on why he should give up on using his powers to help people and agree to be the older halfa's son slash evil apprentice.

But he was mostly sure that it hadn't been meant that way. And the mostly was because he didn't really know anything about Tony yet.

But at least he had a sense of humor? That was probably a good sign.

"Do you say that to everyone?" He tries to hide it, but a little bit of skepticism comes through. He'd spent too much time knowing that when someone said "one of us", it didn't apply to ghosts. Or half-ghosts.

"Can do." He'd already resolved that if he came down to it he would shield the crafts himself, even if it cost him his secret identity. "How much longer do you think we have?"

"Only the ones I actually like," Tony admitted with a chuckle. And no, he wasn't kidding. There were a small handful on the train he would find better things to do with his time than try and 'dad' at them. "Look, it's a genetic defect that once you're a dad, you automatically want to look out for young people. Ask Peter, Buttercup, Joss, or Kaito, it's really annoying, but I can't find the off-switch. So, forgive me when I want to make sure you've had some sleep and gotten some food."

He glanced at his watch. "We have about four and a half days of this left." He sighed at his own answer. He knew they were doing something important down here, but he'd gotten comfortable on the train for a reason. "Think you'll be able to keep this pace up?"

Danny waves back at the sleeping area and then his plate.

"Sleep, food, done. That good enough for you?"

Though he makes a mental note on the names that had been mentioned. It probably wouldn't hurt to check up with them.

"Do we really have a choice? I don't think a volcanoes going to wait to blow its top until after its checked to see if we've all had a full nights sleep.

Yes, he went there.

But to be perfectly honest, Danny intended to keep going as long as he needed to. It wouldn't be the first time he'd had to keep going for a while and then just collapsed once it was over. Walker and his ghost invasion, that time he'd been hunted halfway across the country by the government's ghosthunting goons, the thing with Pariah Dark and the ghost refugees... You got used to it.

Edited 2019-12-09 01:29 (UTC)

"Great, I can check you off my list," he said as though this was a joke. In reality, he did have a list of people he needed to check with. They were notorious for tending to their needs poorly. "I don't have to move now do I? I just got comfortable."

He shrugged, but Danny had a point. "True, but we have enough people here to help that you taking time if you need it won't be a detriment to this process." At least he was going to stick with that answer even if it wasn't entirely true. The more hands, the better. "But enough about that, you've gotten the message as well as you're going to get it." He waved it off.

He shrugs. "No one's sitting there, far as I know."

"You're about as cuddly as a porcupine, aren't you?" Tony teased lightly. Teenagers.

He caught sight of one of the men on the native crew looking for a pilot. "That's my cue. Take care of yourself, kid."

Race Against Time: Ongoing Mission

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