epidemiology | EVENT ★ THE FRACKING FIELDS

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

Whoa—!

[ too many things happen at once.

one — lance realizes quite belatedly that the person he'd just bumped into (and consequently the person he'd yelled at) is, in fact, a girl. instincts kick in, and he's on his feet in seconds, already ready with an easy dismissal of the incident, perhaps even a come on or two about having already "fallen" for her, because haha, get it, he fell. it's way less embarrassing when it's romantic, right?

two — the flash of white is caught on his own peripherals, so where he might have taken a step towards her, he is instead staggering back once more. her shout reaches him not too long after, and almost immediately his bayard-turned-rifle materializes into his hand. she might have seen it, too, this strange glimmer of blue-white light, just a little beyond the worm's form.

and three — she massacres the heck out of the worm. his gun already poised, ready for the kill shot, but her sword stabs into its odd skin before he can even pull the trigger, and for a second he's left staring in awe at the sight she makes, like some valiant warrior woman wrapped in swaths of his favorite color.

this must be what the gods call fate.

the worm wriggles and writhes, and while it's obvious that cut should have been the final blow, it musters just enough strength to lash out one final time. lance's instincts kick in again, and now it's his turn to shout, ]

Watch out!!

[ he doesn't even think about it, really. which is probably the biggest problem here. but one second both ends of the worm strikes out in a frenzy, whipping around the small space enough to cause the rock-walls to shudder and dislodge. in the next, lance has launched himself forward, bayard disappearing in that same, strange blue-white light, and he's flung himself on top of lucina, knocking her back just as the worm's tail whips towards her. it catches the back of lance's head, with just enough force to have him seeing black in an instant. ]

[ She knows she can't relax yet — no monster as grand as this falls with only one swing of a sword. But then again, this is Lucina's element, and the fact that she's managed to get such a clean cut leaves her with some kind of strange, sick satisfaction.

So while she should be ready for that last flail, she most definitely isn't. Instead her brain already knows it's too late by the time the worm begins to move, and the most she can do is brace for impact — only a different kind of impact knocks her backwards. Then her brain processes what the stranger had said, and then sees the flash of white ( and the blue that disappeared, but she doesn't have time to think about what that could be yet ) whip across her eyes.

The worm gives out a few more half-hearted attempts at catching its murderer, but eventually, it stills. The mines are eerily silent all over again. ] I — [ She glances down at the body that's more or less fallen on top of her ( too bad Lance isn't up to see this oops ), gently shaking his shoulders. ] Are you alright?

[ No response. Her eyebrows furrow, but a quick check for his breathing at puts the worst of her thoughts at bay. She slides out from under his body, careful not to jostle him too badly. Careful maneuvering gets him lying down properly on the floor, but... now she's not sure whether she needs to pick him up and continue moving or stay here until he gets better. ] Er... hm. [ 30 more seconds, she tells herself. If he doesn't wake up in 30 more seconds, she'll pick him up and carry him out himself. ]

[ he's down, but not necessarily for the count. brows still slightly furrowed, with a throbbing in the back of his head that he is only vaguely aware of, lance teeters between consciousness and unconsciousness in spurts of a few minutes.

eventually, his body fails him, and he slips into a much more definite state of unconsciousness, though at least he's not in a coma like before.

sorry, lucina... hope you've been doing your lifting. ]

[ Her eyes continue to dart between the boy's face ( young, younger than her's ), and the halls ( impossibly quiet, now that the worm is gone ). Occasionally, he appears to wake, though delirious and confused, before slipping back towards unconsciousness. The occasional questions she asks — are you alright? Where does it hurt? — seem to be lost on the boy. Naturally, her eyebrows furrow. She's not sure if she should move him now, or stay here until he's completely awake.

She's curious, though. Who this boy is, for him to throw himself so selflessly at a stranger he has never met before. What the strange, shimmering light is, and if he understood the gravity of his actions at that moment. Now that the danger is gone, the adrenaline ebbing away, she begins to piece the last few minutes together, make sense of the areas she glossed over. It's less than successful.

... A minute or two passes after Lance finally falls to unconsciousness ( not that she knows this ), and Lucina tells herself that she needs to get him to the surface. She needs a moment to consider how to carry him, before opting to slide one arm under his knees, the other supporting his shoulders. A small grunt when she initially stands, a second to fix her hold on Lance, then — Yep. It's a job up and out of the mines. ]

[ he comes to a handful of minutes later.

it's slow at first, that groggy swim back up to the surface, to consciousness. even as he stirs, there is a stall in the way his mind processes everything. he is dimly aware, first, of the sensation of gentle rocking, almost like he were one one of his pa's rowboats on a nice, breezy day on the beach. next comes the smells — the dust, and the dirt, and that clinging scent of metal and sweat.

finally comes his vision, which swirls into focus as natural light begins to filter in, peeking through from the exit at the end of the tunnels... he blinks back his confusion, squinting at the sight of it gradually coming closer and closer...

but. how?? ]

Bwuh?

[ Her breath comes in little huffs, the weight of another body weighing her down as she continues her light jog. She's ran for longer, holding her fair share of supplies — but the overall incline of the mines don't help, and rarely does she have to carry something in her arms. Lucina's stubborn, though — she doesn't want to jostle Lance too badly, keeping her hold on him as steady as possible.

The first time he shifts, she needs to fix her hold on him again, briefly slowing to a walk. But soon enough she's back to a light jog, head held up as she inhales through her nose, exhales quietly through her mouth — just focusing on her breathing keeps her body from tiring too quickly.

But it's also prone to having her attention snap to the sudden noise that comes from the body, legs slowing a second time as her gaze moves down to look at him. Her eyebrows are furrowed in obvious concern, and chances are he's close enough to see the mark on her left eye. ] Oh — you're awake.

[ She blinks, before her expression softens. Her smile, while warm, is tight lipped. ] How are you feeling? The hit to your head was rather ... hard. [ For the lack of a better term. ] I'm taking you to a healer.

[ he's close enough to not only see but... feel... quite a lot of her. and by the time she finishes speaking to him, his mind has finally caught up with all his other senses and he realizes just what the heck is going on.

though not nearly well enough that he doesn't stop himself from giving into the knee-jerk reaction to jolt in her arms. ]

Whoa — what? What!

[ his face goes red within seconds, and for a while he doesn't know how to properly respond. ]

Who—?

[ though, wait, now that he gets a better look at her.... he remembers her now, and what had happened just before it all went black.

ah right... words. ]

Hi.

[ She struggles to keep a firm grip on him as he struggles, even for a moment. It'd be bad if he was dropped during any of this. Lucina does have to slow to a stop though, eyes narrowing as Lance appears to go from startled to ... embarrassed?

( What is there to feel though Lance she's literally a cutting board?? )

Who knows why though. The next time she begins moving again, it's a slow walk. They're almost at the entrance to the mines anyway; she squints, her eyes definitely needing some time to adjust. ] Hello.

[ No answer to her question, though . . . So she tries again. ] How is your head feeling?

[ how this girl is managing to keep him in her arms despite the fact that lance is definitely taller, heavier, and tends to be all limbs is beyond him. maybe she's some super-strong, super-powered alien like allura...

...

nice. ]

My head...? [ oh right. that thing that definitely happened. he furrows his brow a little, trying to think on it. there is a dull throbbing there, for sure... but he doesn't think it's too bad. ]

Alright, I guess.

[ a pause. ]

Better now that I can see your pretty face~ [ wink. ]

[ Ah, she wishes, sometimes, that she had that much strength... Unfortunately this is all endurance and sheer determination, along with whatever muscle she's managed to build from fighting battle after battle. She'll tire herself out soon ( if she hasn't already ), but she's also an expert in pretending All Of This Is Fine(tm) so. ]

That's good to hear. [ She responds, sneaking another glance at him as she brings them out into the open again. The sun's definitely too bright, and she needs to slow down while she lets her eyes adjust.

( What Lance said reminds her too much of Inigo, with his carefree attitude and the insistence that she smiles, always. His ridiculous attempts at picking up ladies where ever they go, regardless of whether or not succeed. The raising of his single eyebrow, the winks he gave out so freely.

His need to be the source of energy that everyone needs in darker times. To be a "hero", he said. ) ] ... I'm glad.

[ Her expression is soft, if not a little sad around the edges. Surprisingly, his words bring a small chuckle tumbling out from her lips. ] Still, we should get you to a healer.

[ well. that was probably one of the more lukewarm responses to his advances that he's ever received, but he doesn't particularly mind for two reasons:

1) he's injured, so he's off his A-game, obviously, and
2) she laughed, didn't she? and not at him, either. for lance, that's definitely a success.

his own expression softens, too, and he's feeling so good about that that he doesn't even try to refuse the talk about medical attention.

though now that he's of a better mind— ]

I, uh. I can walk on my own now, by the way. As much as I like being in your arms, I'd feel like a total jerk if I made you do all the heavy lifting for the rest of the way.

[ Sorry Lance your attempts at flirting are just going to remind her of Inigo forever now. She lets the silence settle for what it is, the sand dragging her down unlike the mines. This might be ... a lot more difficult than she thought it would be. ]

Oh, er— are you sure? [ Her body is much more receptive to the idea than she wants it to be, not when the stranger is injured like this. ] I don't mind carrying you the rest of the way, the healers aren't too far now...

It's the least I could do, considering you put yourself in harms way for me.

Nah, we're a team, aren't we?

[ or so alastair wishes, and so lance accepts.

he begins to move with a bit more purpose against her, enough so that she would have to let him go. once on his feet, his vision swims a little, and he has to set a hand on her shoulder while he waits for it to steady, but once done, he just flashes her a grin and a thumbs up. ]

See? All better.

All the more reason I should be watching for your well-being. [ She tries to argue, but it's too late — eventually she does have to drop him, eyebrows knitting in concern as a hand moves to her shoulder. ]

... If you're certain. [ She eventually relents; Lucina has a feeling that he's going to want to be carried again, not after this. So instead, she directs herself to more productive topics. ] Ah, I didn't have a chance to introduce myself earlier — my name is Lucina.

Nice to meet you. The name's Lance, [ lance responds promptly, attempting his best to stand upright and flash her one of his more dashing grins. that.. sadly does not have much effect, given he's still kinda half on his feet. still, points for trying. ]

You know... our names are pretty similar. One might even call that fate~

Lance. [ She repeats, testing the words on her lips, before eventually nodding. ] It's a pleasure.

— [ And again, he reminds her of Inigo, with the wide smile and flattering words. The stubbornness to act casual even at the face of an injury. Some part of her has to resist the temptation to let out a small huff of exasperation. He's a comrade, someone new she met, not her brother. ] Perhaps.

[ ( Another part of her sees why this doesn't work on the girls Inigo tries to pick up. Not that she didn't know already, but... you know. ) ] Destiny or not, [ The corners of her lips quirk up. ] we should hurry you to a healer.

[ Aaand this is how Lucina manages to successfully shut Lance down while fussing over him to take care of himself. Though one thing's for certain; Lance is a dependable ally, much like Inigo is. Maybe this was a meeting called by fate. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT ★ THE FRACKING FIELDS

flies in and motorboats

???

:*

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

idk how to end threads, hastily wraps with a bow.