Mission # 2 - Desert Survey

[lucetimods]

Who: Daisy, Haruhi Suzumiya, Mega Man, Cho Hakkai, Aether, Amelia, Ginia, and Saber
What: MISSION # 2 - Desert Survey
When: February 21st to 25th
Where: Unexplored Desert Region
Summary: An eight-man team has been selected to explore a desert regions on the outskirts of controlled Malnosso and cultist territory.

Eight Luceti volunteers arrive on the outskirts of the desert at approximately nine in the morning. Starting out at a security outpost, the place look antiquated compared to usual Malnosso technology. Dusty and quiet, the place seemed lax on security. However the overworked and ragged looking scientist that met them informed them that it would be unwise to try and escape. A new kind of 'Shift Tracking Satellite' had recently been launched. It possessed the ability to pinpoint marked individuals with artificial Shifts. "In the desert," he added coldly. "That would be very, very bad."

They were provided with a map of the outskirts of the area and the instructions on how they hoped to have it filled in. Mega Man in particular was outfitted with electronic equipment that could be tracked by the satellite. "Why can't the satellite track it?" the supplier asked out loud, before anyone else could. "Something about this place futzes with the photographs. All we get is static." The device, at least, would give them an idea of where they were compared to where they started. As long as they didn't lose it, they shouldn't get lost. "After all," the supplier added grimly. "All you've got out there is the sun."

Supplied to them were two jeeps, both of which looked like they had seen better days. Extra gas cans were provided for them, as well as ample water and food. They were cautioned that they would need to ration it and to make sure that wild animals didn't find their way into it at night. Other supplies, such as tents, desert-appropriate clothing, medical supplies, cooking gear, and so on were also included in the rear of the jeeps. They were finally instructed to return to this spot before the twenty-fifth was over. The scientist, finally returning to see them off, warned them that they did not want to be caught out in the desert once the Natural Shifts returned.

--

- No notable destinations will be found within the first day, though if they remain on a consistent path, they may reach a canyon like area, which will require them finding a way across.
- The first night will be jarring. The sky will be completely black, save for the Moon itself. There is not a single star, nor any indication of cloud cover suggesting that they might be veiled. At best, they might spot the faint light of the satellite mentioned before.
- At night, some solitary Shift Hunters might come across them. These vicious beasts are difficult to kill and absolutely vicious. The only way to kill them is to behead them. They stink of burnt, rotting flesh.
- A sandstorm will blow through during the second day, lasting roughly thirty minutes. They'll need to find a way to wait it out.
- They have the option of finding one of three locations during the time span:

1. TO THE NORTH - A clear open horizon awaits the north, the path is seemingly easy, but the sandy terrain may prove difficult for the vehicles.
WHAT'S THERE? The ruins of a lost temple. It is long abandoned and half buried by now, but they will come across symbols that are cultist in origin. The writing is not in their usual metaphorical language and provides some insight into their past.

2. TO THE EAST - Requires crossing a rocky canyon, which may limit how far they can survey. It will take an estimated extra six hours just to find a crossing.
WHAT'S THERE? A Malnosso fortress set up roughly fifty years ago. It's buried in the sand, but the inside remains mostly untouched. Inside the fortress includes notes collected about the region, discussion of Natural Shifts, and some insight on the development and limitations of the droids.

3. TO THE SOUTH - Following along the canyon on a rocky terrain is an easy bet, but the ground is unstable and often narrow, making the trip dangerous.
WHAT'S THERE? A cultist camp, located roughly fifty miles out of their usual territory. There's no use reasoning with them and the only option is to either try to avoid their notice or just fight them off. There is roughly two dozen among their numbers, with two Elites and one Shifter among that number. There's not any information to be found, but they do have hostages waiting to be sacrificed.

If your character is on the mission, vote for a direction that the party will ultimately reach using that character's journal. Remember, they have no IC way of knowing what they'll find! It's more a matter of what sort of path they would choose for themselves. Only the eight characters in this log may vote. Once an option has been picked, I'll reveal what they discover.

EDIT: IT'S RIGHT HERE

Poll #9595 Where to?

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 6

View Respondents

Choose Thy Direction

View Answers

Go ye north
2 (33.3%)

Go ye east
4 (66.7%)

Go ye south
0 (0.0%)

(ooc: You can continue to use this post to plot and discuss anything you need to!)

Comments

First Day and First Night

[shadedsunlight]

[The First Day]

There's an odd sense of comfort driving again. Sure, the jeep is a bit of a beater, but it's no different than some of the vehicles she's ridden or driven in. Being behind the wheel, traveling uncharted terrain, without getting careless, Ginia can be a little excited about it. At the least, it gives her another excuse to not think about the last week and all the previous weeks.

For as long as they travel, she'll drive for half of the distance before switching off with the other guard and keeping a watch out the window, eyes protected by sunglasses.

To the other three riding along with her, sorry if she begins quietly singing rock songs to herself to break up any silence. At least she's a good singer?

[First Night]

The starless sky bothers her more than she likes to admit. She's grown used to seeing stars in one way or another and to have nothing but a blank sky is deeply unsettling. In many ways, it's a reminder maybe, wherever they are, they're all alone.

But she refuses to let it bother her as she patrols around their camp, keeping a constant watch on the area around them. She'll get in her hours of sleep when she switches off with the other guards, but when those Shift Hunters come around? Ginia will be engaging with rifle in hand, doing all she can to make sure they stay away from their supplies and to keep her other teammates safe.

((ooc; Prose or action tags, either work for me! Ditto on who is riding in the jeep with her.))

First Day

[purestpurifier]

[Mega Man's sitting shotgun in her jeep at the moment, quickly surveying the surrounding terrain and making notes on his map when appropriate, carefully plotting elevation and relative distance. The detection equipment that's mounted on his armor makes that easier, but it's still a job he's taking seriously.]

...Man, there's a whole lot of nothing out here so far.

[shadedsunlight]

[Ginia chuckles quietly and glances over at him to give him a smile before her eyes turn back to the non-existent road ahead of them.]

I'll take a bunch of nothing as opposed to a whole bunch of somethings right now. But hey, look ahead, I think I see a cactus!

First Day/Night

[purestpurifier]

[Day]

[For what it's worth, Mega Man's a person who takes his work seriously. He was hired to make a map, and damned if he wasn't gonna make it good. As he rides along in either jeep during the day, he's constantly taking notes and adjusting his map as appropriate. Though occasionally, he'll glance suspiciously at the detection equipment attached to the back of his armor. Part of him wonders if there's a bomb in it, but he's not going to go poking at it. Anyone's free to strike up conversation with him during the day.]

[Night]

Shift Hunters. This wasn't his first time dealing with them. Armed with the Mega Buster on his left arm, Mega Man keeps his distance and keeps mobile, blasting at the Shift Hunters. Spheres of super-heated green energy leap from his weapon, lighting up the night like fireballs. He hopes this fight will end soon, but he's not about to stop fighting. But when the fighting is said and done, he'll go collapse in one of the tents to sleep off this long, exhausting day.]

First Day

[daisy023]

Can I ask something? What kind of armor is it?

[She's shifting places with the jeeps at every stop, but once she has the opportunity, the Chief Petty Officer asks the first thing she wanted to ask when she first saw it..]

[purestpurifier]

[He looks over to Daisy when the question is asked. He actually... hasn't gotten this question very much.]

You mean what it's made of? Some kind of composite called Ceratanium, I think. Some components are titanium and steel as well.

But Ceratanium is lightweight and really strong. Not a lot of stuff is made out of it, because it can be expensive to maintain. And the suit is powered and modular, so I can swap out a bunch of weapons and equipment as needed. But this personal set is mine, designed by Roll and I.

First Day and First Night is a thing now

[godbent]

[Day]

[Haruhi's on one the jeeps. The one she's on probably has somewhat more supplies, possibly at the expense of one member of the party or something being crammed in the other one. To her credit, the main thing she is watching is the state of everyone in her jeep as well as using some comm unit to keep tabs on the other one. She's paying much more attention to her crewmates than the scenery, as much as that pains her, because it's her job to make sure they're fed and hydrated.

At given points it'll probably be her or Daisy to gives the order for a pause to break if needed, and she'll whip up something simple then.. She'll probably hum too]

[Night]

[Okay so she doesn't have a lot of supplies, but she does have enough to try to whip up an actually good dinner. Which is her intention here at night camp.

WORTH NOTING: because Haruhi naturally produces something akin to Shifting as her canon superpower, Shift Hunters are attracted to her. Not that she'll be mentioning this, but if anyone wants to play with it, yep]

First Night

[shadedsunlight]

[Ginia comes by the cook site to grab some food and sit down for a bit before heading back out on patrol.]

Smells great. What are you making?

First Night

[godbent]

I was trying to go for something more special than beans for this first night, so I threw on some meat this time. [And apparently some vegetables (not leafy ones, of course). almonds in there too. Just a basic stir fry really. She brought some spices with her personally to make it better but given that she ended up with less means to preserve things than she was expecting, she figured she might as well knock the meat out while she's confident it'll hold (there's nuts and seeds enough for the next few days anyway. Plus beans, obviously)] Oh, and tea, of course.

[Notice the second hot plate for those kettles. Night watch, they'll probably want that.

Water's a given but everyone brought that (though she did bring extras for that too to force down someone's throat if needed)]

First Night

[daisy023]

She notices this. Daisy moves towards Haruhi... But she doesn't stop her from cooking. She instead sits. It's been a hard day.

"We'd better sleep someplace else if we're eating."

[godbent]

[Still working, she doesn't look up as much as question-]

Did you see or sense anything else out here?

First day

[arturian]

[Saber is the jeep driver and she is more or less keeping her eyes on the open path. Though sometimes she uses the mirrors to glance toward Haruhi.]

Are you doing alright, Haruhi?

First day

[godbent]

Are you that bored that you're asking?

First Day/Night

[thedicearecast]

[First Day]

Amelia has missed driving more than she realized. The Battle Dome gives her a good substitute, but reality always wins out in the end. It takes more self-control than Amelia would like to admit to keep the jeep moving at a reasonable pace, and not just for the potential thrill of speed and desert obstacles. Unlike others, she's largely silent when she's at the wheel or surveying the surrounding area, far more used to making long journeys through the desert alone. Not that it means she won't talk; just that someone else probably will have to say something first.

[First Night]

The lack of stars doesn't jar Amelia so much as the lack of moons; so much of the day has felt like home to her, if only due to the change in surroundings. But driving through seemingly endless dunes with the heat of the (one) sun beating down has been an unintended and strong reminder of how Amelia used to spend her days, before Luceti.

When the driving is over for the first day, Amelia will help set up camp, keep watch for any enemies, and do whatever else she's needed for.

First Day

[daisy023]

Clad in khaki attire covering her entire body and a single braid dancing with the winds, SPARTAN-023 watches over Amelia and the rest of the team from the side seat. The rest of the team singing and joking, it doesn't bother her -- Besides, it's a good sign. In spite of the harsh temperatures and sand all around them, morale is high. It will be necessary to keep it up for the coming days.

Besides, their mission will last only five days before they're sent back home, instead of a campaign lasting months in the desert.

The Chief Petty Officer rises from the seat for a better view - almost six and nine inches of height to make use of. She seeks for vegetation, wildlife, and rocky soil.

The Party Heads East

[lucetimods]

After a long arduous journey, late in the third day the group will come across a strange 'pipe' sticking out of the ground. Upon further investigation, the pipe is a part of a fortress, now entirely buried. Although uncovering it entirely may not be within their means, it's only about a foot deep before they can reach the roof. At that point, it wasn't difficult to get inside, one by one, using a rope provided by the Malnosso.

The area inside was dark and the power lost entirely. However with the use of flashlights, it would be easy enough to investigate. It quickly became apparent this was some sort of Malnosso military base. About a dozen skeletons are scattered throughout the complex. Their uniforms identify them as members of the M.S.F. (an abbreviation that should familiar to any of them that have been on combat missions). There are indications that the place has been abandoned for at least thirty years, if not more.

The laptops are identical to the one in the tunnels, not being quite as advanced or sleek as the ones the Malnosso have sometimes been seen using. Unfortunate they are not salvageable and nothing of use can be gleaned from them. In the barracks, a note can be found wadded up in a waste bin. It reads:

"Hey Dad,

I've been out here in the desert for three weeks so far. They say the barrier will keep out the Natural Shifts, but those things keep happening anyway. My sergeant was fried by one. There wasn't anything left. I hope his penalty isn't too bad when he comes back. If he comes back. Man, I hope he gets reassigned. Maybe I'll luck out and he won't remember me?

I ran into one of the droids---"

The message ended there, with no more additional details. The crossed out section might indicate he was talking about something he shouldn't be and had to start over.

A diary can be found under the mattress of a bed. No useful information can be gleaned from it, but the writer seemed to be suffering from paranoia. Most of his entries commented about fears of seeing cultists that turned out to be a mirage, the empty night sky feeling like it would crush him, the chilling effect of the droids, and his concern that the Natural Shifts would get breech their barrier. One entry makes mention of his wish that he wish a stable 'night sky Shift' could be managed in the region. His diary's last entry ends on June 3rd, where he talks about being sent on a patrol.

In another section of the base is a sealed door. It will take some effort to pry open, but should they succeed, they'll find a room filled with spare droid parts. There is shelves of 'docking areas' where it seems that droids seem to be plugged into. Notably the droid parts do not seem to match the ones that are seen in Luceti. Their design is rougher, bulkier, and lacks the 'friendly' faces of the current models. Many of the parts are rusted over and little more than scrap. Unfortunately, no CPU chips can be found. However what is found is an audio recording device, which has enough power to play through again once. The message follows:

"Droid testing, June 5th. The new shipment of droids encountered cultists two days ago while protecting our patrol group. What looked like a sure victory quickly turned against us. Before the final cultist went down, he turned his shifting against the droids, taking control of them. The entire patrol was abducted for sacrifice, the droids were left as scrap heap. My concerns have been validated. The droids may be all powerful against us, but anything Shift-powered is useless against the cultists. What the hell do those barbarians know about Shifts that we don't!?"

The group may also come across the kitchen and the pantry. It's well stocked and supplied. Although there are some things that have been spoiled, the canned food and water has been perfectly preserved. It would certainly go a way towards resupplying them, if it turned out the Malnosso had underestimated their appetites when supplying them. The armory is likewise well stocked, with shelves filled with firearms, explosives, ballistic vests, and so on. All ripe for the taking*.

Further exploration leads to an underground access, which requires a card access. Although all the personnel have card keys on them, the lack of power makes it inoperable. Fortunately there is plenty of explosives to bypass it. Unfortunately the way underground ultimately proves impassable. Whatever was down there, it was destroyed in an explosion, leading nothing but rubble to block the way. The only indication of what it was is the warning on the door reading, "Danger: Do Not Tamper With Equipment."

Beyond that, little else was to be found. There was no signs of battle. Whatever killed the people above ground was clearly immediate and happened by surprise. There is no signs of battle or struggle. Although it might merit further investigation, they would not be able to linger long, lest they run out of time to return to the rendezvous point.

(*Note: Although they can take whatever they want from the base, the Malnosso won't allow them to bring back any of it to Luceti.)

Inside the facility. Droid chamber.

[daisy023]

The door finally opens. Those that watch the Spartan will notice a strange reaction once the group enters the droid chamber. Her entire body focuses solely on the machines, and it takes her a while to snap out of her surprise.

While she almost takes a defensive stance upon seeing them, her walk towards the bulkier droids is almost too fast for someone that had been having nightmares about them.

She looks at the droids' sides to find similarities with the ones seen inside of the barrier. It takes her a while to snap out of it, focus on the task at hand, and begin their work in here.

"Take notes of whatever you find here. Those with cameras, take hi-def photographs of the most important documents. I'll need someone with one to help me with the droids. None of what we see here will ever be talked over the journals. Even John watches over the locked channel.

"Pick ammo, water, and food, but take only what's necessary for travel. Only explosives for this facilty, we're not carrying it over the desert.

"We leave this facility the 25th at 1200, and get home hours before it turns dark and the shift kicks in. We'll gather as much intel as we can, but we're playing it safe with the jeeps and the desert. Let's move."

[purestpurifier]

[Mega Man's not far behind Daisy, and the moment he's in the room, his Mega Buster is pointed at the remnants of the droids too. He's been in too many situations like this. And he knows well enough that one of these tin cans could wake up and attack at any time.

His gait into the room is slow, guarded, Buster pointed and changing targets between the droids. He doesn't fire, but he doesn't look paranoid either. It's not fear in his eyes. It's readiness.

But when Daisy gives orders, he eases up some.]

You got it, boss. [Logically, being the map maker, he had a camera of his own, so he'll walk up to his field commander.] I've some experience in dealing with robots. ...Destroying them, really, but I might be of help with looking them over.

[shadedsunlight]

Ginia remains alert, gun at the ready, but also ready to grab her knife if needed. Who knows what could be in there, and who knows what bullets could richocet off of. She keeps to the rear, watching their back and glancing over their shoulder. Only once she's certain they are the only things living and active, Ginia snaps the safety back on.

"Yes, ma'am," she replies, almost automatically as she pulls her cellphone out and begins taking pictures, working from one side of the room and slowly working her way down. Her pace is brisk, but she makes sure to cover as much as possible.

[godbent]

[And here Haruhi pulled out a camera. She's been carrying it the whole time, snapping a few photos in private (one of the night sky here, for example) She's not super fond of being ordered but well, she is a subordinate position here so she'll nod]

Then someone follow me for cover. [Only non-combatant and all. Time to get some photos. Both of the droid parts in this room and possibly backtracking a bit.]

Haruhi and her Watson, open areas and Barracks

[godbent]

[For the reason the Watson here is first come first serve. Whichever works outs for your interests.

But the point is that Haruhi is back-tracking from the droid room after a while to look into things back with the skeletons and maybe in some of the side-rooms. But.... nnngh. It's dark, it's creepy. And oh well, she'll just go back to her exploration process here. Daisy seemed taken with the droids anyway.

Wince at this last skeleton though.]

/deadcat

[arturian]

[Saber keeps the flashlight steady, only moving when she thinks her eye in the darkness may have caught something of interest. The skeleton doesn't fail to catch her sight.]

I wonder how long it has been since anyone came here. It looks quite in ruin.

Second Night

[arturian]

[Saber is on guard tonight. And, wouldn't you know it, there are a couple Shift Hunters starting to zone in on their location. Which means it's time to fight, as she pulls out her sword and gets ready for them to come at her.

ooc: anyone is welcome to jump in and fight with her if they want.]

[daisy023]

[The Spartan's head tilts up. She hears growls in the distance - various meters away. As she rises with her load of desert-coloured attire, she removes the lock of her massive pistol, and unsheathes a short sword.]

Well, we knew this would happen.

[She fires a few slugs towards a canine to slow him down.]

[arturian]

Daisy.

[Saber mouths once, as she hears the woman's voice before the firing. The one she fires at is hit, pushed down to the ground and attempting a recovery. But, it won't get a chance. Saber immediately begins to advance and aims a slash at the head. She makes contact, but it recovers too soon before she completes and it's left only with a large gash on it's neck.

Meanwhile, a second hunter immediately starts moving for the Spartan with a lunge.]