EVENT ★ THE FRACKING FIELDS

[futurologists]

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.

Comments

2.A

[oneirism]

[Lapis has seen death, but seeing people dying like this - it's awful. Some part of her wants to go and hide until bodies have become cold, because that's the death she's used too. When it's cold and empty - nothing as fresh and bloody as this.

But those feelings are forced down as quickly as they start to rise up, even as she feels her stomach knot in fear as she listens to the cries and finds the blood covering her clothes. At least she's good at masking how she feels by now, and the familiar face and voice helps ground her slightly - not hesitating to nod as she steps over to the bodies nearby, grabbing for the tarp laying on the ground.]

Alright. Mitchell, help him. [On cue, one of the birds hovering nearby bursts into flames. It seems now Arima has some assistance with bird extermination.]

[prodigism]

[ The assistance is appreciated, though Arima will not say it. He'll be watching that bird go up in flames before turning back to see Lapis and her unseen ghost companion in tow. ]

Are you fine with this?

[ He means handling dead bodies mostly. It doesn't see like fighting monsters is really too jarring for her. Even with the masking of her emotions, Arima knows that something like this can't be easy. ]

I can handle the rest, if you want. [ Since the last of those birds are staying far away now, thanks to the carnage they just witnessed of their own kind. ]

[oneirism]

[It isn't easy and she isn't fine with this - the thought of carrying the bodies makes her heart sink to her stomach. It's only her pride and many years of masking how she feels that her voice remains steady, even as she feels her throat tighten when the still fresh blood seeps into her clothes.]

I can handle it. [It's the best answer she can give, not a lie but still vague. So she lifts the body, closing her eyes tightly for a moment before she steadies herself once more. These people deserved better than this...]

Mitchell can keep the birds away, so we can carry the bodies back.

[prodigism]

[ He nods solemnly as he gets up, lifting a covered body in his arms like its nothing. For Arima this was all but daily in his life, whether it was a ghoul or a humans body was the only significant difference. ]

Very well. Let's getting moving then. [ Because there were...quite a few. ]