Race Against Time: Ongoing Mission

[voidtreckermods]

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.

Comments

[tinkerheart]

It is impossible to miss a huge spider lurking near the door. Fëanor did notice a couple of scientists who while clearly heading inside decided their business there was not all that important now that there is a giant spider sitting right there in the way.

"Oh, hello Charlotte. I thought you'd be out there lizard-wrangling."

Saying it so casually grants him a couple of horrified looks. Which he absolutely revels in.

[kumoko]

Well, yes, she can see why he would think that. It's her team's mission, and all. But. But! Did he know that they could be doing it more effectively! Given that he's basically an OP artificer with maxed out skills (she's so jealous), she assumes he does know this. So she throws him one of the capture devices.

'It's weak!' She writes, with another pair of legs. 'It should be paired with paralysis toxin for the best combo! Also, it's slow!'. Technically once it was paralysed the thrower wouldn't be able to carry that mob anywhere unless they could lift a dinosaur, but that was for people who couldn't bend space to their will.

Hm, actually, she could just tie a magical array into one, and teleport the dinosaurs straight into holding... maybe? She begins sketching that out too.

[tinkerheart]

Come on, everything can be improved!

Fëanor catches the device. He saw them before, already judged thoroughly and found them severely lacking. To have the spider of all ... train passengers to offer her thoughts on the device is new.

"That is a " he shakes his head "surprisingly reasonable suggestion."

He turns the device a couple of times in his hands. A paralysis toxin? Maybe.

"It could work on the small lindusi but for the bigger ones, a stunning toxin would be better. So they are disoriented and less panicky but still able to walk on their own. Dragging a completely comatose lizard of such size would be awfully bothersome."

That teleportation though... Interesting.

[kumoko]

See, this is why they pay you the big bucks. As expected of Fëanor, etcetera--

Just kidding, you're an unpaid intern-slash-prisoner here like the rest of us! Sucks to be everyone! But she likes the stunning plan. It's nice to bounce ideas; none of her parallel minds followed her from the labyrinth to the station, so it's been kinda quiet. Even the backhanded compliment just feels like business as usual, you know? Nostalgia is a wonderful thing.

'Yeah! What about the tranquilisers from the darts, added to the net? Skin contact's enough to make them woozy and weak, right?'

No idea how to soak the net in knock-out juice mid-throw, though. Hmm.

[tinkerheart]

Get him working on something and he can even forget that he's talking to a giant actually non-demonic spider.
About stunning dinosaurs.
On another planet.
To send them to space.
The situation cannot possibly go more surreal, can it?

"Two problems. One, you'll have to transfer the tranquilizer potion without being affected by it. Two, I don't know enough about the lindusi to infer that the skin contact will be enough. The darts are there for a reason."

They are, however, in close proximity of people in the know. Those scientists like their lizards so much, they should be able to answer questions about them.

[kumoko]

She follows his glance towards the scientists still giving them - her? no, it's definitely both of them, shut up - a wide berth. Yeah, it'd be great if they could ask them, huh? What's she been trying to work up to for all this time, huh?!

Deep breaths. See, now it's different. Now, she has a party member with positive social stats and no species penalty. Kinda. She pats him companionably on the shoulder, radiating forced camaraderie.

Good luck, Fëanor! She'll cheer you on from over here! Thank you for your sacrifice!

[tinkerheart]

Bold of her to assume he has positive social stats. At least he's not a spider so that's one definite plus. There are hours between flying shifts that he probably should spend resting but why would he when he can go and pester hardworking scientists about seemingly irrelevant details concerning the world they are currently on.

The good part is that now he's planning to nag them about a topic they will actually be willing to talk about. The damned lizards. If there's something Fëanor cannot understand it's why those creatures are so important to divert a significant part of the rescue mission resources, personnel and effort to lift them off-world.

"Good. Let's go and ask then."

Yes, that means you are going too spider.

[kumoko]

She said 'kinda', gosh. Anyway, intimidation is still absolutely a social skill. Or... unimpressed staring. Sarcasm. Vocal chords!

Also, no way, she's not going with.

She gestures again, a shoo-ing motion. She should stay back here, where it's safe! Where she won't scare off the intelligentsia!

[tinkerheart]

Rolling his eyes in public would be too undignified so Fëanor doesn't. Even if he really wants to. Instead, he limits himself to a resigned sigh. This spider is simply impossible!
While he can understand why people would be afraid of her, he does not why she would be afraid of them. It's not as if they're going to eat her. They might, however, have considerable doubts about the events going the other way round.

Oh.

So that's why she was lurking near the door and not going in!

"Fine! I'll go myself! You can stay here, you scaredy chicken of a spider."

[kumoko]

Good! Yes! You do that! She will!

She settles back righteously... for all of three of his steps, before pride stings her into scuttling after him. Ugh. It was easier to be lazy when people didn't expect her to be anything but a spider. Maybe they won't scream and run if she's trotting next to him like the ugliest dog in the world.

A-anyway, she won't be able to hear the answers if she's over there.

[tinkerheart]

Nothing rivals to a well-placed insult, doesn't it? It can truly work wonders on someone's motivation.

If she really wants people to believe she's a friendly spider, she needs to earn that title, and actually be friendly to people. It does help that she's not actively hostile, maybe just a tiny bit menacing, but Fëanor is of opinion that people have the right to their completely valid and reasonable doubts. So the burden of proof is on her.

He pushes the door to the lab open, looking at the spider before going in. See? Not that difficult.

"Hello again. I hope you don't mind if I have another question?"

There is no stopping him now even if they do. He has a spider with him this time.