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

[strictdiscipline]

[Even after Ishval, after Chantes and Nalawi, it still pains her to see the mess that's left behind by a disaster, natural or otherwise. But she keeps a straighter face now after all these years, easing out a reassuring smile and a compassionate hand to those still left behind and in need.

She doesn't expect anyone to pay any particular attention to her, not when there are still townsfolk lingering behind, but she gives Lucina a grateful smile all the same.]

I've been through worse. [Much worse. But her smile's quick to fade, her voice quick to lower. Quieter:]

I thought we'd be over this by now.

[Destruction, unnecessary death. She's tired of it, quite frankly.]

[tolight]

[ It sounds like something she would say — "I've been through worse", or "it could be worse". It lets the corner of Lucina's lips twitch up to a quiet smile of her own, just enough that her expression softens. She has been through worse, it's true — but she can practically hear Brady say it doesn't matter, this is now.

But Lucina's not Brady, and understands that for the time being, it's okay.

... Sort of. Eventually her face falls, eyes moving away from Riza to the rest of the broken machinery. There's a moment of silence as she ponders what's been said. ] I believe it is things such as this is what makes a world require saving.

[ Unfortunately, this is a fact that she knows too well. There's a bitterness to her words she can't quite remove (it's a personal issue, after all). She takes a couple of steps closer to the machinery, standing next to the stranger as a result. ] ... Though it doesn't make any of this less difficult.

[strictdiscipline]

[There's a certainty to the young woman's words that give Riza pause. Her eyes pull away from the machinery to land on Lucina, and take in the resolute set of her shoulders and the sober mien to her face. Acceptance? Resignation? Whatever is it, the look on her face doesn't belong to a person experiencing this for the first time.]

It doesn't. [Agreement, full and complete.] But you seem to be handling it well.

[Speaking of handling things well—Lucina's face isn't one she recognizes immediately. Someone new, thrown right into the thick of things with only the smallest ounce of warning. That can't be easy either.

With a wave of her hand:]

You're handling all of this quite well, actually. I'm Riza Hawkeye. You're a new recruit, aren't you?

[tolight]

[ Some part of her, however, tiny, resents that. The fact that she's used to this means that she's seen it one too many times; death, destruction, everything else in between. She's long grown out of a phase where she thought this was unfair, but another, smaller part of her wishes that it never happened in the first place.

Not that she'll say any of this out loud. Instead, she gives a small nod, facing the stranger properly. ] I am. My name is Lucina — despite the circumstances, it's a pleasure. [ And she means what she said. It's hard to find like-minded individuals like this.

And, back to the carnage, where after a beat of silence — ] I suppose ... I've experienced something similar.

[strictdiscipline]

[Thankfully, there are no more bodies in the immediate vicinity. Only debris, streaked with desert sand and drying blood. Enough time to slow her pace and carry on the conversation, though her eyes never stop drifting from place to place. There's always work to be done, lives to protect. Surely this young woman - Lucina - understands.

(Riza wishes she didn't have to though. Such a young face shouldn't be marked already with lines of regret.)]

You'll be seeing it a lot more in the future, I'm afraid, if you stay with ALASTAIR long. Most of our missions aren't very pleasant in nature.

[Should she be so blunt with a new recruit? Probably not. But she's never seen the benefit of sugarcoating the truth or raising false hope. Still...she smiles ruefully, eyes sweeping low to the ground before they return back to Lucina.]

But this town is quite nice, for the most part. The entertainment in the saloon in particular is a nice way to unwind in the evening. [The SFW entertainment, that is. Ah, but that reminds her—] Do you have a place to stay yet?

[Is Lucina really gonna be sharing a room with Achilles and Olivia.........]

[tolight]

[ With one area cleared, past all the blood and the broken equipment, it's only natural that they slowly move on to the next. Even while meeting new people, their job is never finished — in that sense, she's certain that Riza shares her opinion. ]

I ... would not expect any less. [ Saving timelines, worlds, is rarely an easy process. Some part of her almost prefers it this way, to know that she's still capable of making a difference in a world, even if it's not her own.

She doesn't mind the bluntness — it prepares her better for what's to come. ]

... [ Riza you're asking her all the hard questions. ] I admit, after my arrival and the earthquake — I had not considered lodging. [ By which she means that she's probably gonna sleep under the stars because clearly, this is acceptable. ]

[strictdiscipline]

[No, that's not acceptable at all.

Riza puts a temporary halt to their search, feet remaining in place as she smiles gently at Lucina. She'd appreciated having a room to herself up until now - even if it had meant increased cost in this time of high demand - but she's more than willing to sacrifice privacy if it means providing someone with the safety and security of a good night's sleep.

Besides, it seems like Lucina's been through enough already.]

I have a spare bed in my room, if you'd like to stay with me. It'll be safer than staying outside.

[Not that she at all doubts Lucina's ability to take care of herself, but better for all of them if she can conserve her strength and be well-rested now in case something should happen later down the line.]

[tolight]

Oh, no, I couldn't— [ She couldn't, there's no way Lucina would just willingly impose her company on someone she's just met. It's hospitality she's definitely not used to, will likely never get used to. ] I appreciate the thought, truly.

[ She's slept enough nights out under the stars that it doesn't bother her anymore. Her eyes still look out from machine to machine, though eventually she's facing Riza again. ] But ... there are others who are more likely to need a place to stay. [ At least, if this wreckage is anything to go by. She can take care of herself, but not many others can. ]

[strictdiscipline]

[A year ago, Riza might have let the matter drop at this point, respectful enough of social comforts and boundaries not to press too hard on a stranger she's only just met. But she's no longer the same person she was a year ago, too many months spent in ALASTAIR's services.

The welcoming expression doesn't budge from her face an inch and neither does she, voice still patient as she presses on.]

Perhaps, but most of them don't have additional tasks they need to accomplish. [Life with ALASTAIR isn't easy. Softer, this time around:] I'm sure your parents would be happier if they knew you weren't in constant danger from being robbed by bandits.

[She doesn't know about Olivia, couldn't even begin to guess, but she knows anything about people, it's that family means a whole lot to most of them. And while she's certain that Lucina can take care of herself, there's a difference between needing to and having to.]

[tolight]

[ The first argument is logical — one she would use on others. They need all the rest they can get, she understands that. But she also stubbornly believes that she can get the same amount of rest outside.

... The second is a low blow.

Lucina's mind immediately jumps to her mother, then her father. They would want that, wouldn't they? Any protests she has, ranging from "I can protect myself" to "there are others who need the shelter more than I", die on her lips. It's her weakness, staring her right in the face.

( Some part of Lucina wants to tell Riza they're dead, long gone, but that's not entirely true anymore. ) ]

... Very well. [ Comes after a small sigh, resignation coloring her voice. ] Thank you, Riza.

[strictdiscipline]

[hehehehehe......

Riza's certain she'll never have children and her parents had cared little for her well-being, her mother in the grave before Riza could even begin to form memories and her father dismissive of everything but his research, but surely normal parents with normal priorities must care for their children above all else?

Lucina's admission seems to point as much, and though it fills her heart with a twinge of jealousy - what must it be like, to have had loving parents? - Riza manages a smile.]

Of course. We're teammates, and each other's best resources here.

[That matter of business settled, she moves forward again, ready to resume their work here. But she only makes it a few steps before she remembers—ah, right. She really ought to have asked this before she offered the extra space in her room. Nothing to be done about it.]

You don't mind dogs, do you? He won't bother you at all but he does stay indoors at night.

[tolight]

[ Lucina has no verbal response for that — simply a small smile of her own, though it's forced around the edges. She was loved, certainly; she will always stand by the opinion her parents were the best she could have possibly had.

But this made losing them all the more painful. All the memories she has, the ones she could have had — as much as Lucina tries to focus on the present, it's easy to fall into the habit of considering her "what if"s.

Which is why she welcomes the change in conversation, quickly shaking her head. ] Not at all. [ Not when she's friends with a Manakete and a Taguel. ] I admit, it's been quite some time since I've been around a dog... [ But this should be fine, probably. Despite the small talk she attempts to make, her eyes are still scanning the landscape, searching for a wreckage they have yet to investigate. ] Have you had him long?

gently wraps this up with a bow

[strictdiscipline]

A year now. [Full of adventures, both fun and dangerous.] My life would be very different without him.

[Worse, if she's honest. She'd never really considered getting a dog before but now she can't imagine her life without him. Each line in her body reflects that appreciation, shoulders relaxing for a brief moment and eyelashes sweeping against her cheeks as her gaze lowers.

But, like Lucina, she's not one to let important tasks sit idly on the side in favor of small talk. It's easy enough to keep up, and once the natural tide of conversation errs once again towards flow, Riza resumes her pace, gaze mirroring Lucina's own for areas still in need of clean-up.]

Let's head over there. [With one hand pointed in the right direction.] They look like they could use some help.

[With any luck, this'll be the last area to salvage before they can call it day.]