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

( now, that's quite a trick. doubling her pulling power in a few words and a flash from her staff. in a better moment, Graham might have taken a moment to marvel, but this moment was just about as far from 'better' as they were bound to get. the miner stuck in the mire manages to look surprised, though it didn't keep him from holding tight to the rope.

he nods at the suggestion, twining the rope around his arms to give him a better grip on it. harder to drop when it was snared around his arms to boot. )

One— Two—

( he leaves three for her, but the second he hears it he starts to pull, dragging back slowly but surely. )

Three!

[Sakura pulls, gripping the rope between her hands as tight as possible, assisted by the Mirror and Graham. It takes a moment, and an effort, before they manage to pull the miner up, but they do. Sakura offering a hand once he's closer to help him get up over the edge of the sand.

Usually she simply uses Mirror in order to attempt to fool and reassure her brother that she is still at home, and not off chasing after dangerous magical cards. But she's learned to adapt, while on these missions. She wipes her brow, giving a relieved smile.]

We did it! Ah, was there anyone else still down there too?

( the miner seems shaken when they pull him from the sand, yet still able to walk and move away from the worst of the danger. Graham is breathless from the exertion of pulling, though he doesn't actually seem troubled by it. it's sometimes practical to be heartless, to not have to feel what his body was really experiencing. )

I don't see anyone, but that doesn't mean there might not be someone around. Let's look, but don't wander into the thick of it without me.

( it's not asking too much for her to call him if she spots something or someone else that needs help, is it? because even a heartless man can worry, Sakura! )

Ah, y-yes....I'll be careful.

[Better to not have a repeat of earlier, even as she glances over, checking the miner they rescued is going to be alright. Then her attention is on Graham, as she catches her breath for a moment too. Mirror seems fine at least.]

When you're ready then.

( he appreciates her hesitation. he knows how badly she desires to help, not just the miners but practically anyone in need. still, it doesn't really help anyone when she runs into danger and ends up needing help herself. he can't quite hold it against her, though. she reminds him of a little boy with dark eyes and a quiet smile, holding a book of fairytales like it was the answer to all of his problems.

he retrieves his rope from the post and offers a hand to Sakura, a silent sign he was ready to start looking again. )

Listen, you'll likely hear before you see.

( even in the stress of such a moment, he wants to try and help her learn how to keep a clear head. how best to help in a desperate situation. )

[Listen? That's. Solid, actually. It was how Sakura noticed the first miner stuck after all. So she gives a nod of agreement at that. Now that he's here too, in theory, she could be more reckless knowing she has support, but she's also conscious she doesn't want to get him in danger either.]

I'm not sure if I -- wait, was that.....?

( he does give decent advice sometime. or most of the time, actually, he didn't bother giving any if he didn't believe it was worthwhile. he'd been a hunter for his entire life, finding things was something he was gifted at. even if it was only in modern times that he had started looking for humans, over animals.

he can hear something, too, and see something. he won't let anyone get hurt to teach Sakura a new skill, yet he wants to try and teach her how to use her senses instead of relying on her magic. )

Where did you hear something?

Over...over there!

[Barely visible, as the sand rises, another miner tries to keep yelling to get their attention. Sakura points, honing in on him once she initially caught wind of the sound. She's not quite so used to sand, but she's getting plenty of experience with various things in these missions she didn't deal with back home.]

Same as before?

Same as before.

( he offered her the rope and nodded in that direction as he started moving in that direction as well. they were a decent team, together they could pull that miner out of the fray, too, and hopefully Sakura would learn a little about the work (without magic) while they were at it. )

Just like before.

[She looks to Mirror, who also gives a nod, readying the rope and doing their best to help. They follow Graham to the edge, ensuring the miner has hold of the rope and pull, hefting him up out of the sand as well.]

( between all of them, man, girl, girl, and wolf, they make a decent team. and with the practice the work gets easier, pulling first one and then another and then a handful of miners out from the fray. it's tiring work, but rewarding, with a few lives saved by their efforts. )

[It takes a bit, and once or twice Sakura has to rest before continuing but she manages, and she's relieved to be able to help these miners. Luckily she'd noticed them and Graham had come to help! But soon enough, they have the group free.]

EVENT ★ THE FRACKING FIELDS

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

possibly wrap?

Yup, wrap up here so we can free things up for new logs!