epidemiology | EVENT ★ COWBOYS VS. ALIENS

STATE OF THE PLANET

Efforts in convincing the Qorral to stop drilling have been tentatively successful. Longterm solutions have been brought to them and, perhaps most importantly for the immediate, the fracking fields have been destroyed. The entire field has collapsed in on itself, taking mining equipment with it and creating a barren wasteland. In effect, the Qorral can no longer drill for argecite here, which means they will be leaving earlier than expected now that there is no use for the mining colony. It also means that the planet has been saved from being hollowed out completely.

On the other hand, attempts at dealing with the Deemers have been a little shaky. By now, it's known that Miz Poppy is host to the Mother, the queen of this Taraxa hive. She remains elusive, slipping through the fingers of any who manage to find or capture her. Meanwhile, the infested Qorral have been dealt with in many ways: some opting for wholesale slaughter, some hoping to extract the Taraxa in the field, and some sending both extracted Taraxa and infested hosts back to Oska to be examined.

As varied as the Deemer solutions have been, they have all resulted in the Deemer population being decimated. The numbers have dwindled as their camps are hunted down by ALASTAIR recruits, and attacks on the town of Perdition's Rest halt.

But the Mother is still out there and free, and that's a problem . . .

THE INVASION (DAY 1)

In the morning, the ships come.

Visible from the ground are massive spaceships in the upper atmosphere, gently drifting clouds sometimes blocking them from view. The Qorral don't recognize the ships; they're neither from their homeworld nor from any species they know, friendly or otherwise. For a few hours, the ships just hang in space like looming, silent buzzards, waiting.

And then -- sparkling, metal objects start falling to the planet. It's difficult to tell what they are, as their scale is minuscule compared to the gigantic warships above, and their descent is strangely beautiful. But as the objects come closer to the surface, the details become clear: individual spacecraft. They're gleaming in gold and white metal, a triangle sigil painted on the sides, and cannons mounted on the bottom.

These are Zymandis fighter craft. And they are not here to make nice.

The fighter craft swoop down close and send a barrage of lasers down on Perdition's Rest, causing the local Qorral to scatter. But their fear doesn't last long: many immediately take up arms to fire back at the ships when they're low enough, including Sheriff Holladay, who shouts commands to anyone who will listen, Qorral and ALASTAIR alike: take cover, give 'em hell, and for sun's sake, don't be a hero. (Those who have been officially deputized may access the sheriff's armory, which includes all sorts of fun toys of the shooty variety.)

But some Qorral have something else in mind. A small pack of locals rides out to the farm of Amos Zephyr -- and if you're suspicious enough to follow, it'll pay off. Beneath Zephyr's farm is a hidden defense platform: earth slowly moves aside as a metal platform raises up, home to mounted anti-aircraft cannons and fighter craft of their own.

The Qorral fighter craft are intuitively designed, and the Qorral will also quickly give any curious ALASTAIR recruit a run-down on how to operate them. They're short-handed since so many of their number joined the Deemers, so they're very eager to allow anyone to try their hand at flying the two-man ships, which have their own mounted cannons and, of course, escape parachutes. The fighter craft are not meant for high altitudes, though, so your dreams of space travel will have to wait for another time.

Those who do not wish to take flight and aren't comfortable with projectile weapons may find luck searching the desert for prey: namely, Taraxa agents attempting to flee in Zymandis escape pods. It seems as though the fighter craft are a distraction from the real goal of Zymandis helping its agents flee the planet. The Zymandis agents who are not Taraxa are variously humanoid, all equipped with laser weapons (spears, rifles, whips) that they will not hesitate to use against any who interrupt their attempts at escape.

For those who aren't battle inclined, there are civilians who need to be ushered to safety, and quick repairs to weapons, equipment, horses, or even the Qorral fighter craft will be needed. This fight is going to be a long one.

THE AFTERMATH (DAY 2)

It's peaceful now. The Zymandis warships have fled into space with the surviving Taraxa agents in tow, the Mother presumably among them. The combined efforts of team Audentes and the Perdition's Rest colonists have successfully staved off the attack.

The destruction wrought by Zymandis (and, perhaps, by overeager recruits themselves) is visible across the planet: deep fissures and scars from the laser cannons, fighter craft wreckage from both sides, burned buildings and trees, perhaps a fire still raging in the scrub grass somewhere. The Qorral aren't quite sure what that was all about, but they're more concerned with ALASTAIR's efforts in helping than in pointing fingers.

Q-65 is no longer a suitable home, so the locals begin to pack up in preparation for the arrival of their homeworld's ships in the next few days. An old man puts his chess pieces away; a little girl clutches her robot pony doll, unwilling to put it in her suitcase; the stable owner and the blacksmith stand close together and talk in hushed, affectionate tones. Sheriff Holladay lets her deputies know they've served the colony well. It's bittersweet, but the Qorral always knew this settlement was never permanent.

The mission complete, Audentes should expect to arrive back at Oska shortly. Use the time to say goodbye and finish up your business. Or, if you'd like, drink some of the booze that someone just found in the cellar beneath the burned-out saloon. It doesn't keep during interstellar travel, and no one will begrudge you a little celebration.

OOC NOTES

This log wraps up the Perdition's Rest mission! The log will last two IC days, after which characters will immediately return to Oska via dimensional rift (on 21 December in OOC time).

Mission epilogue details will go up at a later date, but for now, Audentes can rest easy knowing that the mission has been a success. We will be posting an OOC post-mission assessment on 14 December so we can discuss how the mission went and talk about the state of the game in general.

There is a new bounty on the Oska Bounty Board! Perdition's Rest bounties remain open until 21 December, at which point you will no longer be able to turn them in. You can also request bounty missions at any time.

Please direct all questions pertaining to the mission to the dossier page to keep questions and responses in one place for easy player reference. General game questions should be directed to the FAQ. To submit a player plot or future mission idea, please go to the Suggestions post.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Lucy had been brought in against her will, too stubborn to ask for help even though she really needed it. The red smeared around her nostrils and upper lip hinted that her nose had been bleeding not too long ago, and there was a burn on her back from a laser weapon that encompassed her entire left shoulder blade.

Out in the field, she'd been combative with the people who tried to bring her in, pushing and punching them with her vectors until the blood loss and pain finally left her too weak to use them. Just for good measure, though, they handcuffed her and she would have laughed if she had the energy, because the Qorral still didn't understand that her vectors were of her mind--physical restraints were useless against them.

Lucy moved away from Seiglinde as best she could with her hands cuffed behind her back.]

I keep telling everyone that I don't need help. [It comes out in a snarl.]

[It's not often a patient is brought to her in chains. Actually, it would be the first time.

Sieglinde doesn't move to pursue Lucy, staying put- and not just because moving is something that is difficult for her even in the best of circumstances. She recognizes signs of fear, much akin to an animal backed into a corner... and one does not simply put out a hand to be bitten.]

It appears to me as if you do.

[She waved away the Qorral who had brought the girl here, reconsidered, then gestured for the key, holding out her hand for it before moving to grab one of her potions with her other hand.]

If you allow me to inspect your wounds we could get all of this over with quite quickly.

Are you going to make me sleep?

[That was Lucy's main concern. If she was put under, then Nyuu would regain control, but there were still things that she needed to do before that could happen.

A pair of glaring eyes shoot the vial a skeptical look.]

Edited 2016-12-14 16:50 (UTC)

Certainly not.

[Her wounds were not that perilous, but even more than that... they didn't have the luxury of treating their patients leisurely, or properly.

Not when they had to get people back on the frontlines.]

It is a local anesthetic only- now, will you allow me apply it?

[Lucy doesn't give a vocal answer, or a nod, but she does cease squirming against her restraints and holds still, moving her gaze away from Sieglinde.

Her mind wanders elsewhere for a moment, thinking of what she'll do once she's released. As long as she protects herself from any serious injuries, she should be able to maintain control. On the other hand, she would have to pace herself since exhaustion was already creeping its way into her mind.

When Lucy flicks her eyes back to the one tending to her, she can't help but remark:]

You seem rather mature for your age.

[In childhood, Lucy's experience with other children had been... difficult.]

[There. It was good enough. Only then does Sieglinde move closer, unstopping the vial and reaching out to lay a hand on Lucy's shoulder where she is uninjured if she will let her, a steadying hold.]

Age has very little to do with maturity.

[And this little witch has not considered herself a "child" for many yeas, not since she first had her feet broken and she inherited the name "Green Witch".]

Now, I warn you, this may sting at first.

[Only polite to keep a patient informed, but she smoothly transitions into acting, tipping the vial carefully over the injury.]

[The muscles tense beneath Sieglinde's hand, but Lucy doesn't try to shrug it off. She wasn't used to being touched since most people preferred to avoid her due to the horns, and those at the research institute had kept her in what was nothing more than an elaborate cage.

The warning is appreciated in more ways than one. It helps to keep her from shouting as the burning sensation in her injured shoulder intensifies; Lucy merely grits her teeth and hisses.

Also, no one at the institute would ever warn her of incoming pain whenever they performed tests on her, or took blood samples. They always came in, fulfilled their purpose, and left without saying a single word to her, though there were times when the employees spoke to each other over her, as though she wasn't aware of their presence.]

[For all that she is not in a position to do as much as she would like with her patients, splitting her attention between many, focusing on the most heavily wounded without the luxury of treating only a single man, Sieglinde was still used to being kind.

When she could.

And she can now, continuing to give warnings and explain her procedures.]

I will now examine the wound closer- are you averse to magic?

No, I actually used to call myself a magician when I was younger.

[Before she really understood what her power was. Still, the question makes her curious and she needed some more distraction from the stinging sensation that was now lightly throbbing in her shoulder.]

Have people in Audentes been weary of magic?

[Even though most of the crew haven't been perturbed by her horns?]

Some do not like it used on their persons. But it will be quicker if I do so.

[She cannot blame them, she supposes. Some did not believe in magic, and some had seen it only used for ill. But in times like this, it could be quite effective.

Sieglinde fishes for another potion, uncorking it and releasing a rather... pungent odor.]

This will purify the wound for the spell.

[Despite the smell, this liquid is cool and soothing in contrast to the sting.]

EVENT ★ COWBOYS VS. ALIENS

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