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ximilialog2022-02-02 06:57 pm
- ! event log,
- ! open,
- altered carbon: takeshi kovacs,
- critical role: percy de rolo,
- doctor who: clara oswald,
- doctor who: river song,
- doctor who: the doctor (11),
- fear street: ziggy berman,
- grishaverse: alina starkov,
- grishaverse: the darkling,
- gundam seed/destiny: yzak jule,
- knives out: marta cabrera,
- marvel comics: gwen stacy,
- mass effect: kaidan alenko,
- mcu: daisy johnson,
- mcu: shang-chi,
- pacific rim: newton geiszler,
- pacific rim: raleigh becket,
- star trek aos: james t. kirk,
- star trek aos: leonard mccoy,
- star wars: finn,
- star wars: luke skywalker,
- supernatural: dean winchester,
- the 100: clarke griffin,
- the old guard: andromache,
- towards the terra: soldier blue,
- transformers: drift,
- transformers: megatron,
- twisted wonderland: deuce spade,
- yakuza 0: goro majima,
- yakuza: zhao tianyou
MISSION: BAD COMPANY, PART 2
● ● ● M I S S I O N 4 . 2
It is barely past twilight in Scorpion’s Bend, the twin suns having just set, taking their light with them — but the moons delay, and so darkness lingers over the town as Lan Xichen’s conversation with one Welford Branson comes to an abrupt end. At the same time, all around the town, the team will notice the town natives around them stilling — some freezing in the middle of a sentence, a man with a fork in the air, a woman mid-step on the street, some youngsters with their mouths open in laughter. All of them become statues in less than a heartbeat; still, eyes vacant, like everything that made them seem alive has been taken away.
And then — a reverberating sigh, echoing heavily in the ears of all the Orbers. What follows are words, spoken by a chorusing voice now familiar to most of the team —
The orb’s echoing sound is filled with disappointment, even annoyance.
Some may see that amidst all the frozen townspeople, an old man runs, clawing at his thinning hair. Some of you may hear his words, muttered, desperate:
The disbelieving mumbles trail at his wake, making it clear he does not know what is going on at all — in fact, you may have a better idea as to what has happened than he does. But as you turn to follow him, open your mouth to yell at him to stop... everything around you shatters.
The lights in the buildings grow dim and break; the smell of food disappears; the horses in the stables simply fade away. You notice that if you were wearing or carrying something you bought while here, it too disappears, your clothes turning to those you had on upon arrival, all equipment shimmering away slowly.
But perhaps most importantly… the frozen statues of people crumble into ash right in front of you. It may fill the floors of the now-silent, dusty and worn-down houses, or it may blow away with the harsh desert wind — whichever it is, sans the team, the town of Scorpion’s Bend is now devoid of people.
The town that now surrounds the team is very different from the one it used to be — the houses are quiet, filled with sand and dust; doors broken, tables turned over, drawers open and mostly empty, aside from anything not valuable. The beds in Thornbush Inn are ragged, insects of various sizes skittering along the floors. The Saloon is dusty, furniture broken, and a lone piano stands in the corner, half its keys having crumbled away. The door to the Mayor’s office is ajar, a banging sound repeating as it hits the wall in time with the wind.
1.0 In the corners of the Sheriff’s office, the school and the church, the embera slither along, searching for food; owl-shrews hide from the Orbers on the streets, while feathered coyotes howl at the five moons now lending their light to see the town’s destruction better. The team may be the only living humanoids, but they are not the only living beings in the town anymore; in the absence of people, animals have made the town their home. And coexist they must, now, to survive the rapidly dropping temperature of the night that has fallen upon them.
2.0 The next morning, as the moons disappear underneath the horizon and let the two suns bring out their scorching rays once more, the team wakes up to the reality of having to survive Scorpion’s Bend… with very little supplies. So search the empty houses, for they still stand; the fire that has burned away the people has not touched the buildings… but they have not been immune to the passing of time, or the harsh weather in the desert. You may find clothing, basic equipment, pots and pans left on a now-cold stove; but no valuables, no money, no gems, no jewelry, no weapons.
But amidst your search through the town, remember that what you need, first and foremost, is to find water and something to eat — it will not be long until the suns are high in the sky, and some of you are already in desperate need of proper nourishment, without being left to endure the scorching temperatures the days on the planet of Badrock bring.
3.0 But should you want to brave the heat, you’ll find it is now possible to leave the town and venture out into the desert. Out there, the rock dragons search for prey, while bald vultures circle above your head in groups of three or four, their shrieks growing in volume the farther you walk. If you show weakness, any weakness, they strike — and the dragons, sensing their chance, are not far behind.
And when you least expect it, the ground underneath you trembles, like a small earthquake is approaching you… and then you see it: from the sand, a whale surges up, then another, and another, arcing through the air like suspended there, before the sand swallows them once more. Should you get too close, you too may be swallowed underneath the sand; unless you’re very, very careful, or have in your arsenal something else that may help you to deal with these near-immortal giants that have swam across the deserts for hundreds of thousands of years.
Time passes at a snail’s pace without the comforts of the town you were used to. Scorpion’s Bend is now a wasteland you must survive, and it clearly isn’t easy. Some of you might question whether retrieving the orb is still an endeavour worth pursuing after all of this, but the rest of you know that it is. That you’ve come this far and you’re nearly there; you just need to band together and form a gameplan.
As the suns begin to set over the horizon on yet another grueling day of scorching heat and rough, dry sand in the ghost town of Scorpion’s Bend, you might begin to hear a distant thunder that has nothing to do with an oncoming desert storm or otherwise. It rattles at the already weakened structures of the old Saloon and the General Store, bits of broken glass and debris vibrating with the raucous sound of clattering hooves, feet, and paws. And as the sound of the invasion grows louder – you’ll hear the unmistakable manic howling and bellowing in accompaniment: these are the Bouldersnakes that some of you have already heard much of.
4.0 The Bouldersnakes are not a group to be taken lightly, and have garnered the fearsome reputation that they now hold for a reason. Kicking up dust, they arrive like a cloud of chaos in different sizes, shapes, and forms. Some have the ability to shrink and grow in size to match their opponents in physical size and weight. Other Bouldersnakes are agile and quick; and others yet are superhumanly strong and robust – either way, they make for formidable opponents when you, yourself, have been weakened from weeks of a lack of proper nutrition and sleep. The individual members of the Bouldersnakes are like a band of bloodthirsty brothers: from all walks of life and all colours and creeds, with a severe and mean streak to them, who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
What goals, you ask? Should you listen carefully, their leader, riding a winged lizard-like creature, shouts to their underlings:
As it so happens, you are not the only crew in search of that elusive orb; the Bouldersnakes have been tracking down the whereabouts of this mysterious and all-powerful object themselves, burning through towns – quite literally – to get it. News that Scorpion’s Bend has seen a resurgence of life and might still be the resting place of the orb has the bandits seeking out the town again. Their first round through Scorpion's Bend about a year ago had them coming up empty-handed (save for a few bits and baubles), but this time they are determined to find what they've come here to find. Though if there’s anything left here to salvage... they’ll ransack as they please.
Whether you confront them head-on or they catch you in hiding, they won’t easily back down from a fight. It will be best to keep your distance if you can manage it, and hope that they’ll pass you by. But the Bouldersnakes have their weaknesses too: once maimed, they still bleed, and none of them are immortal, though they are notoriously difficult to kill based on their talents alone... and when they carry weapons, too, well — those not accustomed to battles may find it best to hide. And even for those with fighting experience under your belt, teaming up with your fellow Orbers and combining your shared skills will be your best chance at survival.
5.0 By the time the suns have disappeared and the moons have risen, the Bouldersnakes invasion will make the bandit attack from the other night seem like a childish tussle. The Bouldersnakes don’t play nice and have adapted to the harsh lands as ruthless survivors. They arrive like a wave, many equipped with weapons: guns, sabers, pistols and small knives. A few others have engineered their own specially crafted weapons made of metal and magic (in the shape of guns, blow-torches, and blades) that wield a special element harnessed from mined ore called ‘pulsefire’. It is this pulsefire, glowing a deep blue (like the hottest colour of flame), that has the capability to destroy all living beings and allows the bandits to systematically ravage unsuspecting towns down to ash, reap its benefits (either for the town’s riches and wealth, or and especially: for any supply of ore), and then leave without a trace.
The best way to fight against pulsefire is to acquire weapons of pulsefire of your own and best a Bouldersnake before they best you. (Think high stakes, noon-time duels of the pistol.) Of course, this is a very risky and very dangerous affair as one shot by pulsefire could mean your untimely demise and the element itself isn't easy to put out either, so it might be best to work in teams to strategically disarm and swipe a pulsefire weapon to use before they manage to overwhelm you.
All through this, you must still remember your goal — it is not to stay in Scorpion's Bend, or even fight the Bouldersnakes, but to find the orb... and that means finding Welford Branson. How will you convince him to give you the orb, when all signs point to him not even knowing what it is, or what it has done? That is what you must decide... if you survive the Bouldersnakes in one piece, of course.
F Y I
• The voting for how to get the orb is now open! Please head HERE to submit your idea for how the team should proceed to get the orb, or +1 others’ ideas.
• The conclusion of the mission and the return to the station will be posted on February 13.
• If you have questions about anything in this log, please direct them HERE.
• And finally, your soundtrack for this log: ♪ ♪ ♪
no subject
[His gloved hands are moving urgently with screwdriver in hand; it seems the lad's been prepared for any situation where he's needing to take things apart with frantic aplomb. Many parts and pieces and bits and bobs — and the dangerous glow of a blade imbued with that awful fire.]
You alright? I mean, I'm assuming you didn't get hit with the pulsefire since you're not drifting through the breeze outside, but I've got a medical kit if you have anything you need to treat...!
no subject
[Or sooner, because here he can see a trio of that strange alien gang walking just past the door, looking hungry for something to shoot at. One in the center is a huge, hulking brute that could be mistaken for a bear with thumbs except for the lack of fur, and Rosinante can only guess that the big cannon-looking gun he's carting along with him is the most nightmarish of pulsefire flamethrowers. The two flanking him are more human, might even be human under all that wild spiked armor made of repurposed metal and bone.
They can't hear him outside there, but he still holds his breath a moment. For now, they walk past, but...]
If those three turn around, we're in trouble. Guessing they're looking for easy targets but-
[Yep, just the next building down, probably. He can't see them anymore, can't hear past the sound barrier if they're laughing or if anyone's screaming for help, but the glow of blue against the street says plenty about what's going on over there. Maybe they're just torching a building for fun? Maybe that's all it is.]
no subject
Well, if things go south, make a run for it. I can handle myself.
[As much as he doesn't want to outright say it, he also... doesn't trust Rosinante to have his back. Not when he knows that the guy's gonna do whatever he has to to get back to his world. The memory of watching him sneak away while being towered over and kicked certainly hasn't left him.]
I've got a pulsefire weapon here. A knife, I mean. If you have to, you can use that to fight them if they get in. Not sure that would be very useful against a pulsefire blowtorch or gun, but...
no subject
They can't hear us. Network's a good thought, but I've sealed all sound off inside this room. We can talk normally, and I'll tell you if that changes.
[He spares a glance back at Newton for a moment, before turning to watch the gap through his makeshift barricade again as the building beside them burns. Ash drifts through the air. Makes him want a cigarette, but he's all out, as if he didn't have enough problems right now.]
They're burning down the next building to the north. Someone's coming to - hold on.
[There's smoke drifting in through the gaps in this building's old roof now. Must be flaming timbers falling right above them that they can't hear because of the sound barrier. Pros and cons to his ability, that's for sure, but observation goes a long way.
Outside, one of the Bouldersnakes steps back, with their back to Rosinante. They gesture with one metal-clawed arm at something.]
If any of our own out there engage these guys, I'm going to start shooting. It'll be harder for them to know where I'm shooting from if they can't hear the shots and if they already have someone else in sight. Just giving you a heads up, but I think we're gonna start running out of time with that fire no matter what.
no subject
Well, that's exactly why I'm trying to work on this. If I could limit the effect of the fire, that'd be a hell of a nice back-up to have, right? I just need to deconstruct the pulsefire to determine what outside forces would have the best impact on it; lessen the intensity of the flame, keep people from immediately croaking.
[He handles the pulsefire blade with utmost caution, but is swift and urgent elsewhere.]
Wait — did you say you sealed the room to talk out loud? How'd you do that?
no subject
He does spare a glance back at Newt though, curious what sort of work is actually being done over there.]
I can dampen sound waves. To nothing, actually. Ate the calm-calm fruit, way back when. Gives me an innate sense for sound waves and lets me flatten them out.
[That is a very basic primer, and he's happy to elaborate, but he's focused again on what's going on outside. His breathing slows as he prepares to have to shoot, but he'll hold off as long as he possibly can.]
no subject
Newt's too busy hunkered over his work to properly lambast that name though, so consider yourself lucky.]
That's pretty awesome, actually. I'd ask if I can borrow that to cancel out everyone hearing me play my guitar back on the station, but — I'd rather annoy the hell out of all of them.
[He grins as he stares down the microscope.]
I can do this. Easy peasy. I mean, I can isolate individual components of the pulsefire; there's definitely a method to weakening it. Maybe even outright shutting down the fatality. Maybe a way to put it out? That's not a certainty, but it's something.
[Sorry, while you're busy worrying about their survival, Newt's mumbling science at length as he works.]
no subject
Meanwhile, he listens to Newton carry on talking about what he's doing without paying full attention. Normally he absolutely would, because he likes learning new things and it's always so interesting when someone is so completely engaged in their work and yet able to explain it at the same time. Instead for now it fades into background noise.
Figures move in the space between buildings across the street. He can just make them out through the darkening smoke. There's a flash of light - someone's magic something, maybe? - and suddenly the Bouldersnakes completely shift what they're doing, fanning out so they can focus on the attack without being an easy group of targets. One of them is struck by something and tumbles to the ground bleeding, and Rosinante makes his move then, firing on the downed bandit to keep him down without any of his companions able to hear the second shot, or the third that absolutely ensures the creature won't be getting back up.]
We've got friends across the street.
[A report that would sound awfully casual if it hadn't just followed two gunshots that will have been extremely loud to the two of them on this side of the invisible sound barrier.]
no subject
Regardless of everything he's seen in the last few months, he flinches at the sounds of the nearby gunfire.]
... I'm not going anywhere.
[It's an unspoken thing: you can get outta here if you want, or you can stay and cover. He's not exactly gonna blame him for a choice Newt's putting in his lap; sometimes you gotta get the hell out of dodge and protect yourself. This might just be one of those times.
Newt can't leave, though.
He's not gonna be any good to anyone if he abandons this now.]
no subject
[Mostly because he's pretty sure that's not a thing he can do. It's an update, not an alarm. He's staying put for now too, and doesn't have any intent to bail. If he does, it'll only be because things are truly dire - and he might have to tear Newton away from his work if that's the case, because he'd rather the guy survives than dies with his project.
Fortunately he'd guessed well. Shooting at someone right after they'd been hit by someone else kept their own location hidden, and he takes a moment to reload while watching the fight outside.]
Gotta ask, though, how long do you think you need? An hour? Five?
no subject
... Thirty minutes.
Then whatever after that'll be for duplicating the effect; I'm gonna put out a call for help in collecting supplies to do it, if it works — which it will, because it's my work, and it has to work.
[While his confidence in their efficiency wavers, he at least knows he's smart enough to make something slightly beneficial. That's the important thing.]
no subject
[Less desperate than he'd thought, though it still won't be easy. If things get dire, he too can call out for help to defend them from the outside. His main concern right now is the fire all around them - though thankfully it seems to spread much slower on wood than on bodies.
What an awful weapon.
As the Bouldersnakes move to engage the attackers across the street, one hangs back, presumably intending either to cover from a distance, or maybe spare themselves the worst of the fight. For a brief second the creature, which moves baboon-like under that scrap armor, locks eyes with Rosinante, and once again he's quick to pull the trigger multiple times, this time so nobody has the chance to alert the other bandits out there that someone's hiding out in this building.]
All good, don't worry. Most of them are moving away right now.