( world #2 - the storm. )

[acatamods]

I ▫ main IV ▫ premise       XI ▫ applications XIV ▫ activity II ▫ logs V ▫ rules VII ▫ bestiary   IX ▫ canon updates XII ▫ taken XV ▫ drop/hiatus III ▫ ooc VI ▫ faq VIII ▫ setting   X ▫ mods XIII ▫ reserves XVI ▫ players a storm approaches.This log is for everyone who signed up for The Storm investigation. Feel free to use the here to plot further on how you plan on approaching The Storm, and the issue. The mod questions thread is also open, if you have anything you would like to run by us. the investigation. It takes a day of preparation, and a day of discussion, before you are led further down into the tunnels. It's pitch black, but one of the BGs who you have become familiar enough with turns on a low light and continues further. You walk for ten, fifteen, twenty minutes, and then turn a corner into a large, open cavern. The BG explains that at one time, this had been an underground transportation system - old and unused for centuries, now, but still in working order. They file each of you onto a single car - it seems to be large enough to fit nearly a hundred, possibly more, bodies - so everyone has a space. The BG explains that they have already input the coordinates into the system, and that once they close the door, you will be transported to the last known location. The car will be programmed to wait for 72 hours, and then will return to this location. There is food and water supplied, and already packed, in the car. If you are not back in the car by that time, it will leave you behind. They then give their farewells, thank you for your help and readiness, and step away from the door - letting it close behind them. The car travels down a pitch black tunnel, and while the inside is dimly lit enough for the Circle Members to see each other and move around without hinderance, you can see nothing through the windows. It continues for a few hours at this rate - nothing to see, no idea where you are going. That is, until it seems to break through the surface, the track running through buildings and another, unknown area of the city. The streets and buildings are abandoned, the tech old and outdated, windows broken out and dust filling the street. The sky, like back in the city you knew before, is cloudy and grey. But these clouds are different - these clouds are dark in a way you haven't seen before. You travel for another half hour above ground before the cart comes to a stop, and during this time it happens twice. A low rumble, seeming to come from everywhere at once, and then a few heartbeats after, a disasterous flash of lighting - miles away, yes, but threatening and gigantic, brighter and more violent than you've ever seen lightning before. The crash shakes the ground under you, and the damage is immense. But the buildings are abandoned, the streets empty save for crates, old mechanical bits, dusty remnants of a society long forgotten by the Struxta you came from just a couple of days prior. This is The Storm you've been warned about. the storm. You have been asked to find out information that will help the BG's, and Struxta, to stop The Storm. From what you can gather, it does seem to be a naturally occurring weather phenomenon, as far as weather systems seem to work on this planet. However, rather than scattered thunder and lightning strikes, it seems to almost recharge and strike with epic proportions. It can damage, or destroy, buildings. It shorts out any and all items (and people) who depend on electricity in any form to function (Sorry Daylight and Conner, sorry to anyone who brought along technology) within a three mile radius. The 'darkness' the BGs were talking about does follow this storm, but they seem to have been referring to this electrical shortage that comes from the storm and it's strikes. If this storm does reach any of the still-occupied areas of the city, it will shut down the entire grid, as well as any of the robots, androids, or electrically based figures that exist there - essentially ending the life of every Struxta citizen that is effected. Plot, plan, theorize, and see if you can find a way to stop The Storm. If not, be back on the train car in 72 hours time, to return to the BGs and report what you have found. PROMPT IDEAS 1.) Discussions on the train - do you have any ideas for what to prepare? Any discussions you may want to have? You and your fellow Circle Members are caught here together for a few hours, driving into a situation you know very little about. What do you want to make sure you're prepared to handle? 2.) Scouting missions - the heart of The Storm is very much in the distance, and it is not moving quickly, giving Circle Members plenty of time to set out and check out the surrounding city. What you will find won't be much - this is a robotic ghost town in every turn of the phrase. Buildings have been abandoned for hundreds of years, covered in dust and left entirely undisturbed, except for the breeze that now seems to flit through this entire area. There are stores, warehouses, apartments, and buildings you can't even tell what they were used for, cleared out. Whenever, or whoever, lived in this part of Struxta had evacuated, quickly but efficiently. 3.) The Storm - The Storm is still a distance away from where the cart has dropped you off, enough that when your 72 hours are up, the heart of the storm and the lightning strikes shouldn't reach the car, or the track. This does mean that to do any closer investigation, you will need to go to The Storm itself. But be careful - the electrical output from these lightning strikes are dangerous, and can have all sorts of effects on both natural and mechanical beings. The wind, the closer you get to The Storm, will also pick up - making any kind of flying or air travel impossible. 4.) Planning - the car leaves everyone off at an old train station, which a large room attached. This room can be used as a kind of home base, as well as a meeting location. What do you plan on doing? Simply taking down information, or trying to take the storm head on? How do you plan on doing that? Will your abilities help? This room attached onto the train station is a safe location - no effects of The Storm will make it inside. Use as you would like!

Comments

[a_sharp_wit]

[A: train rides;]
[This train is a fair bit different from anything Elizabeth is used to. There's a pit in her stomach as they are all herded aboard something that is reminiscent of a carriage but not quite. It's much bigger, much longer and with more space than any carriage could hope to boast.

She looks uneasy once the train does take off. A good portion of that though is in the fact that absolutely nothing can be seen through the windows of the train itself. It's all inky blackness and with the meager lighting inside the train itself, it paints a somber picture of descending into an abyss of sorts.

Eventually Elizabeth gives up staring into the inky blackness in the hopes of divining anything and settles in a seat with a sigh.]

I do hope the BG know what they are about.

[She doesn't imagine they are wrong but this whole situation has her nerves a bit on edge.]

[B: the train station;]
[In lieu of scouting out the city at first, Elizabeth instead opts for setting up some type of temporary housing or medical facility within the station.

She is ready to help anyone else doing this as well as aiding anyone who comes back with any sort of injury.]

[C: scouting missions;]
[The group Elizabeth eventually accompanies first breach into what appears to be some sort of store. It's much more modern than anything Elizabeth knows at home but not unlike what she has found since arriving here in Struxta.

She brushes a line in the dust of one shelf and murmurs to herself.]

It seems they left quite some time ago.

[D: wildcard;]
[Feel free to hit me up with any prompt or situation you like.]

A

[spaceforged]

[They're far enough along into the journey that Shiro had changed to Lion shape. He looks up from resting his chin on his paws and rumbles with an agreement.

His mental voice, unmistakably Shiro filters in.]

I think they only know so much. They're hoping we can do something but...possibly because they're machines have never been able to get close to the storm.

[a_sharp_wit]

[This is the first time Elizabeth has seen Shiro in such a form and the effect of it is certainly not lost her. She'd already eyed the creature when she first entered the train but days of witnessing all manner of automaton had more than prepared her for seeing other mechanical beings.

Now that Shiro's voice rises from it -- mentally, at least -- a new level of comprehension and indeed wonderment arises in her expression.]

That must be the case. They did seem desperate -- for a proper reason, of course.

[A pause and then Elizabeth can't help but note with slight arch amusement to her tone:]

You make a handsome feline, sir.

[spaceforged]

Sometimes I wonder how the creator of the Lions knew what a Lion looks like.

[His wings shift, folding up against his body and making him look a little smaller. He opens his mouth slightly in a lion smile.]

Anyway, whatever their reasons. I think we can agree they lost whatever they might have known when they were flesh and blood. This is an open file kind of investigation.

[a_sharp_wit]

Indeed. And we seem to have less clues to work on than in El Minha.

[There had been some mystery there but nothing like here, at least in Elizabeth's opinion.]

I confess, I have not a ready idea for how we might negate the Storm itself.

[spaceforged]

The Storm has to have a source. The question is just what it is. It could be mechanical. It could be something in the sky. It's difficult to say right now.

[They could use lightning rods. He's just not sure how many they'd need. The storm itself is...they know so little. That bothers him and not just because he hates lack of information.]

We know this storm has been going for years.

B

[bleps]

[And here is Connor, who definitely is not going to get himself fried again out there. Of course not, no.

But currently, he hasn't gone scouting with the rest of the group just yet. Best to get an idea of where they're setting up, and where everything is oriented. He recognizes Elizabeth. Stepping forward, there's a vaguely... apologetic look on his face.]

Ready to aid others in case of emergency?

[Again? is the implied word that hangs in the air.]

[a_sharp_wit]

[This is honestly the first time she's actually heard his voice, though she recognizes him quite easily. His implied word hangs in the air and derives a light laugh from Elizabeth herself.]

Oh yes, I have become quite the nurse in this past month or so. Why if I only had this ability at home, I should easily enough find a career in such practice!

[She gives him a mock surmising gaze from head to toe, her tone light.]

Do not tell me you have returned for an encore, sir.

[bleps]

[It's the first time they've really had a conversation at all, and Connor is happy to use this opportunity to learn more about one of his gracious saviors. She seems amenable enough, even in this somewhat oppressive atmosphere.]

No. I'm currently functioning at standard levels.

[He pauses, then-]

About before, though... I still owe you my thanks. In person.

[a_sharp_wit]

[At that Elizabeth gives a light nod.]

I appreciate the gesture. Your thanks is most welcomed and I am glad to have it.

[That said, however.]

If you wish to show your thanks however, let it be through more cautious actions in the future. If you can do so, of course. I should not ask anyone to accomplish what they cannot in a given situation.

[bleps]

You’re not the first to tell me that much. It seems I’ve caused concern for many here — that or left a very inaccurate first impression.

[He should remedy that, he thinks.]

I am not the sort to run headlong into danger.

[He kind of is.]

Nor do I often do things without properly calculating the risks and potential outcomes before acting in a high-risk situation.

[Sometimes....]

This instance was merely the fact that I overestimated my own ability to retain information. It won’t happen again.

[Probably.]

( b; the train station. )

[sunborne]

[ when it's clear that the storm will wreck him and meddy pretty badly should they venture too far in it - and after meddy finally(!) recovers enough to get out of recovery stasis - the pair decide to see what they can do to help at the station. idle hands and idle minds are etc., etc., etc.

(after meddy and daylight have patched themselves up to the best of their abilities, of course.)

it doesn't take day too long to see someone in need of assistance, and his mood perks up when he sees who the someone is. ]

Hey! [ daylight smiles, trying to make it genuine with brightening his optics and wiggling his winglets as a sign of greeting. meddy gives a low bwooooop in greeting. ] Do you need any help here?

[a_sharp_wit]

Not at present, thankfully. It would seem most are in good repair at present.

[Daylight looks cheerful and well enough. She tilts her head some, knowing what they say the Storm does to those of a more mechanical nature.]

I trust you have not ventured too much outdoors as of yet?

[sunborne]

[ meddy and day share a long and meaningful look with one another at the question, knowing full well that they had ventured too far while outside and... you know.

experienced the consequences of it. something daylight makes plain as, well, day as he rubs the back of his neck and ducks his helm in embarrassment. ]

Actually... It's why we're sticking around here. Learned the hard way that the storm is not the best place for us mechanoids. I was lucky the others were willing to help me get Meddy back when they fell behind.

[ meddy lets out an unhappy trill at this point, agreeing with their charge a lot. ]

[a_sharp_wit]

[She gives Daylight the slightest of frowns but doesn't launch into chiding him. It was an honest mistake after all and the fact that he had returned spoke of his caution.

She offers out her hands to Meddy after his unhappy trill. Her intent to offer healing is clear enough, given what the pair know she is capable of.]

An unhappy mistake indeed then. I'm very glad you are well in spite of such. The Storm seems to be more than a little unforgiving.

[sunborne]

[ meddy happily goes to elizabeth's side, their trills easing into beeps and whistles that show their trust/faith in her abilities.

day stays where he is, wanting meddy to get taken care of first in case they or he had missed anything during their earlier slapdash repairing. ]

Yeah. I'm glad too. The storm is pretty mean from what we've been able to tell, before we had to turn back. [ and he's having a hard time believe that this will get worse because how else can it get worse? ] I think the storm is at its worst when the lightning strikes. It felt like my processor was going to melt off...

[ a pause. ]

... again.

c

[lonered]

[Keith is honestly a bit creeped out by the whole ghost town thing. It's... well. It's eerie, to see something so empty, so abandoned and left that way for such a long time.

A frown as he hears Elizabeth speak.]

A real long time ago. This place has been empty for a long time. It's entirely cleared out. It's... eerie.

[a_sharp_wit]

And yet the way they cleared it out must have been quite thorough and careful.

[She gazes out over the other shelves.]

After all, they seem to be uncommonly still in place, do they not? One would assume a great rush would lead to some mess at the very least. And yet here...

[Here the shelves are in perfectly neat rows, dusty though they are.]

[lonered]

You're definitely right about that. But then agian, the whole society seems all sorts of precise and efficient. Maybe that's not that surprising. But... it looks like they knew they weren't going to come back.

[An evacuation that expected to be permanent.]

[a_sharp_wit]

[A thought strikes Elizabeth. With raised brows she glances over to Keith.]

Do you suppose there were any humans left at the time?

[She shakes her head a little after that, as if answering her own question.]

No, there could not be. They have been gone quite some time before our arrival, I believe?

[lonered]

According to Shiro, they're still around. Their consciousnesses have just been transferred, into the BGs.

[At least some of them. But Keith shakes his head with a frown.]

And even then... no one's really been clear with how long organic life has been gone.

C

[smallprince]

They have left but the town where they have lived is still there, a silent reminder of what had happened.

[This place had been full of live at some point in the past and now it was a ghost town, ruined and probably forgotten from most of the population. He got the impression as if he was standing on a battlefield.]

[a_sharp_wit]

It would seem so. It is a pity indeed it was left to such a fate.

[She's almost afraid to speak very loudly. The area is quite silent, save for the footfalls of the group they are with and, of course, their own.

Her eyes are sharp as she looks over the shelves themselves. They seem somewhat stocked still, as if those who left simply picked up and did so. Nothing is mangled or seriously disturbed.]

It does seem they had care as they left though. Perhaps they hoped to return one day?

[smallprince]

[It was a depressing image he had, when he though of how the citizen of this city must have reacted once it as certain that they could never go home.

But the city was still here waiting for them to return. And it would probably stand here for the next generations and maybe even for eternity. He took a closer look at the stuff that was still on the shelves.]

I wonder what this is. It could be possible that some of these things we see here aren't known anymore. Like old traditions from early generations.

[a_sharp_wit]

[That thought seemed to hold some weight with Elizabeth.]

I cannot imagine such things being forgotten. And yet...

[The bits and bobbles on the shelves still looked high tech enough to her, someone from a time so removed from this one and indeed from the times of most here.]

Time does indeed move forward, whether we wish it to do so or not.