epidemiology | EVENT ★ THE FRACKING FIELDS

THE EARTHQUAKE

One day, early in the morning before the mechanical rooster at Amos Zephyr's farm even crows, there's a sudden rumble in the distance. Perdition's Rest shakes and the ground roils, knocking things off shelves and startling the mechanical horses in their pen. Look out the window and you'll see Qorral locals blearily stepping out into the street, murmuring anxiously amongst themselves: Earthquake.

Ever since the argecite mines started to dry up, the Qorral colonists have been turning to fracking in order to pull all available argecite out of the planet as quickly as possible. The technique has caused more and more earthquakes to shake the planet, though the fracking fields are far enough away from the town that damage is minimal.

However, the fields and mines aren't as lucky. The mayor rushes out into the street, his assistant and Sheriff Holladay flanking him, and asks for any willing heroes and adventurers (that means you!) to venture out to the fracking fields and assess the damages. Though the tunnels aren't being actively mined, there were likely miners and other workmen inside, so there will be rescue needed as well. Get your provisions ready and hop on the train: you're going to work.

THE FRACKING FIELDS

The fracking fields are a wide open swath of land peppered with looming, iron machines going on for miles. These machines are the Qorral's final attempt at scraping the last remnants of argecite from the planet before abandoning the colony and moving on for good. This destructive practice is causing obvious instability to the planet, but they don't seem to care. This is what their species does: seeks out argecite, mines it, and moves on.

The fields are dry and dead, with no plants around -- and now, after the earthquake, there are sinkholes. The iron machines are falling into the sinkholes, slowly being swallowed by the planet, with desperate workers trying to pull them back out. They could use the help -- but be sure not to fall in yourself.

Grotesque alien birds circle overhead, searching for the dead or the dying, workers caught in the collapsing earth. Save them before they're swallowed by the earth or swallowed by carrion birds -- and if you're too late, the locals would be happy to have their loved ones returned to them intact.

Also found in the fields is the Argecite Refinery, a massive factory filled with machinery meant for the refining of the crystal before it is to be shipped back to the Qorral home planet. The outside of the factory is surrounded by a 610cm (20 ft) tall electric perimeter fence, whose energy shorts out sporadically after the earthquake cracked the service box. If you're quick enough to make it through one of the gaps in electricity, don't relax quite yet -- there are malfunctioning guard drones throughout the facility, the earthquake rattling their sensors and making it impossible for them to tell friend from foe. The drones resemble dogs, though they are capable of folding their legs in for aerodynamic superiority when they take flight. They are equipped with energy lasers to destroy, sticky glue to slow trespassers, and a thin blade in the tail to poison attackers. The poison is quick-acting, causing hallucinations and fever, but it is not deadly.

Inside the factory, the machinery has collapsed in on itself from the earthquake; electricity sparks from damaged wires, dangerously nearby spilled oil drums or pools of standing water. Fire can start at any second. There are factory workers here that need rescuing, but also a variety of inanimate objects, including barrels of argecite, machinery parts, files, computers, etc. Anything that isn't bolted down needs to be moved outside of the factory before it explodes. Of course, no one is really keeping track of what's inside...

THE MINES

The Qorral have been digging in the mines since arriving on this planet 30 years ago, but recent efforts have shifted to fracking after the argecite veins slowly became depleted. The mines are still maintained by a skeleton crew of workers, making sure there is no build-up of dangerously flammable gas and patrolling the tunnels to look out for cave-ins -- which, after the earthquake, have happened in spades.

The tunnels are winding and deep, turning in on each other and ending in dead ends or sudden, steep drop-offs into the dark. There are workers trapped within, and some at Perdition's Rest have said that their thrill-seeking relatives -- typically teenagers -- have gone missing. It's possible that they have found themselves trapped in the mine, so it may be a good idea to look out for them as well.

And even deeper in the mine, there is a writhing, pale danger: sand worms, blind and hungry, wait in the dark. The earthquake has begun to drive them further up the tunnel, their tooth-lined maws open as they slither through toward the surface. Those focusing on the fields above may find a straggling sand worm or two, thrashing wildly in pain from the unfamiliar heat of the sun. This will definitely put a damper in the rescue and recovery efforts, so take them out as quickly as you can -- with as little damage to the fracking equipment, please.

OOC NOTES

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.

If you haven't already, make sure you check out the Bounty Board for side missions! Remember you can also request bounty missions or submit player plots at any time.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Going into the mine hadn't been Félix's first plan of action, but he knew that there would be people who needed help and as much as he might not see eye to eye with others on certain matters, he was not the sort of man who could easily turn his back on people who were in trouble.

But before he can make up his mind or come up with a plan on how to go about getting inside, a voice calls out to him and he turns on his heel to face the speaker, eyebrow raising in mild surprise at the sight of what appears to be a very young girl giving orders like a woman grown, an array of healing supplies laid out about her.

Despite her age, she seems to know what she's doing and considering his own perchance for trouble... getting to know the doctors in this place seems a good idea. So his tone is pleasant as he speaks and he inclines his head in greeting.]

Of course, dear lady. Simply tell me what you need of me and it is yours.

[She might give a proper greeting in a more leisurely setting, but all Sieglinde spares at the moment is a jilted half nod, a dip at the waist that might have been indicative of some sort of habit of curtsying. But she's on her knees in the dirt right now in a heap of green skirts, so that will have to wait.]

How strong are you?

[Straight to it, and while her tone is rushed, it's not panicked- confident in herself and what she's doing, arranging the bandages and ointments around her in a way that she could easily reach everything without moving much at all.

She could look at him and appraise his physique, but- this is ALASTAIR, and not everything was as it seemed. Best to check.]

[The frankness and rush of her voice speaks of at least some familiarity with ordering others, reminding him somewhat of the casual rudeness others in power often had when he'd been younger and less known in court, and Félix raises an eyebrow ever so slightly before answering.]

Strong enough, I imagine, but it's not something I've ever spent much time developing.

[He knew how to fight of course, but relied more on swiftness and finesse than pure muscle. That was what guards and servants were for.]

[Familiar, indeed. For all her size and youth, Sieglinde had been raised as a lord of a village, treated with the respect and obeyed accordingly. It lead a certain tone to her voice even when she was attempting to be... "nice".]

Can you handle rocks, or bodies?

["Strong enough" was a bit vague, because she certainly couldn't handle either, and at the very least she might need assistance moving those unconscious or too injured to move themselves, quickly analyzing the potions she was pulling out of her bag, putting back some that seemed to be filled with gas and instead going for creams and liquids.]

Bodies, yes, but it might depend on the size of the rock.

[And what exactly she wished of him. While Félix might be willing to get his hands dirty to further his own ends and try to stay on the good side of others here as much as he can manage, he draws the line at certain tasks.]

Why do you ask? What exactly are you intending to do here?

Bodies will do-

[Not that "moving bodies" sounded like a savory job to be asked to do, but.]

If patients are brought to me unconscious, I will need someone to assist me in moving them- making them comfortable.

[It wasn't a matter of laziness... she simply couldn't do it. Even if she weren't a twelve year old, she's small for her age, arms slim and legs even slimmer, (courtesy atrophy, not luxury), in no position to move... anything, really.]

I can heal magically or physically, but I will keep to the physical where I can and save the magic for more severe injuries-

[If he didn't stop her, her talk would devolve into muttering, organizing her herbs in an order that made sense only to her.]

Patients? Ah, you're a doctor? You must be skilled for one so young. [The focus on setting up her supplies had given him an idea of that already; while Félix has not been in battle himself really, he has spent some time with various doctors in the past and they all seem to be rather particular about how their tools are laid out. Still, better not to let on how much he pays attention, at least until he understands more of the people here.]

Very well, I'll do what I can to help, although surely there must be a place with bedding and more supplies around here somewhere?

A witch, a healer, a doctor- any word will suit.

[She doesn't address her skill, though, because she feels it speaks for itself, or soon will. There was little need to brag. ... At least, not now.]

Apparently the nearest building is the refinery, and that is no longer safe- so we shall work here.

[Already it's "we", welcome to the triage gang.]

A witch? I doubt that's a term many throw around lightly.

[Despite her words, Félix doesn't seem too concerned about any danger she might present; she's small and young and he has his own tricks and protections. But he does spare a look for the building she's referring to and has to agree, though he had rather hoped there might be some separate mess or barracks or something.]

All right then... [Considering the situation, Félix sighs and removes his coat, taking a moment to roll up the sleeves of his fine dress shirt. It's likely going to get filthy he can tell but perhaps he can minimise the damage.]

What do you need me to do first?

EVENT ★ THE FRACKING FIELDS

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