Event | Console Crash Chaos | Phase One

[cherrywood]

Characters: ALL!
Date: April 17-30, 2014
Location: Keeliai
Situation: In an unexpected and bold attack by Malicant, the console system is completely shut down while food and supply locations all around the city are targeted by bombings.
Warnings/Rating: Explosions! Possible descriptions of related aftermaths, injuries, death, etc.

Shortly after eight in the morning of the 17th, the consoles experience a strange glitching effect. They'll display 15-20 seconds of static, interrupting anything being done on them at the time, before going utterly dark. No power, no signal, completely offline even to detection of their normal bio-mechanical signatures. No amount of energy influx will get them going again, though taking them apart (or trying to) will still cause them to melt into goo.

Within minutes of the console shutdown, explosions will begin ripping through Keeliai. The bombs are all timed as close to simultaneous as coordinating a city-wide attack can be, with many going off within seconds of each other, throwing the thriving morning rush into chaos. They tear into businesses and across public spaces, collapsing walls and blowing piles of debris into the streets. Places of high traffic quickly become evident as prime targets: marketplaces, hospitals, schools and cafes. The streets take only moments to fill with panicking, screaming kedan trying to pull their injured fellows out of harm's way. All told, the explosions take place across approximately a 10-minute stretch and their explosive yields are fairly high.

In addition to the bombs that cause destruction through their blasts, smaller bombs are going off around the city that specifically target food and water supplies, particularly where large stocks of it were kept such as grocers, produce markets, and the like. Rather than cause mass damage, these explosions spray out a fine mist of spores. Any perishables in their immediate area that are splattered develop an oozing black mold within minutes, eventually breaking down organic substances that turn to foul smelling rot and release their own mist, perpetuating the cycle. While skin contact with the mist doesn't harm, inhaling or ingesting it will produce shakes, fever, vomiting with a cumulative effect that has the potential to be fatal. It is much slower to infect the water supply but the sheer volume of rotting perishables will eventually put enough of the spores to taint water sources, approximately 6-8 hours after the original bombings.

The police force are out as soon as possible and within the hour are helping move the injured to safer locations with Evandau in charge, right in their midst and shoulder to shoulder with his subordinates. Not being stockpiles for any of the apparent targets, many of the Foreigner residences have been left undamaged and, wary of putting them in further danger by collecting large groups in public spaces, Foreigners may even be asked to take in a few individuals or a kedan family.

Despite the number of explosions, there are far more reports of injuries as opposed to casualties. The person or persons (or That Bad Guy) responsible for this were, for this attack at least, more intent on damage than on death.

---

LINKS
Fire Sector | Earth Sector | Metal Sector | Water Sector | Wood Sector
Treating the Injured & Safe Houses | Investigations | OOC Plot Post

OOC NOTE: Remember that the consoles and network will be completely offline for the duration of this aspect of the the plot running April 17-23, though Foreigner tech is not affected. Plot questions can be directed to this comment. Have fun!

Comments

Natasha Romanoff - Around the Sector - Open

[vdova]

[ She'd left her suite as soon as she got the message, hitching a ride to the Wood sector to get to Bucky's place as quick as she could. As a result, Natasha was away from the consoles when they went down, but she was out and about when the bombs went off, and almost dangerously close to one of the buildings. She'd been hit by worse, in her time, but not by much, and there were others in more need than she was. A good portion of the time she spent at the beginning of the disaster was helping get kedan to safety.

By the time there was enough of a lull for her to break away, she'd asked around enough to know that the residential areas hadn't been hit, at least not directly. There were fires headed that way, but Natasha didn't have time to spare. She had to find Steve, she had to find Bucky, and she had to find Sharon, probably in that order. Things didn't just randomly explode, and certainly not in a timed succession like they had. Something bigger was at stake, here, and Natasha wanted the people she trusted most at her back. Her first destination was Bucky's suite; she found it intact, but empty, a hastily scribbled note left for the people he'd called over for the informal debriefing. Her second destination were the warehouses he'd indicated, stopping every now and then to aid someone else to safety. ]

[agentx13]

[ It's hours after the explosion before Sharon spots Natasha in the distance. She gives a shout before jogging over and giving Natasha a tight hug. She hastily lets go and backs up, apologizing. Sharon is covered in dust and sweat, and Natasha likely doesn't want to be covered in that. ]

You okay? All the comms are down. And obviously, most of our group refuses to stay in their rooms when things are blowing up.

[ That's as close as Sharon will admit to worrying about Natasha's safety. She's already given Natasha a hug. What else does the superspy want? Geez. ]

[vdova]

[ Natasha's got no small amount of dust and sweat on her, though she hasn't been working nearly as hard as Sharon. She's relieved to see the blonde woman, letting it show, and she smiles a little, letting herself relax for just one second ] I'm fine.

[ And then her brow furrows. She's in work mode, now. ] When did the comms go down?

[agentx13]

Three, maybe four hours ago. Most of the food is already spoiled, including the fish. There are injuries, but I haven't heard of any deaths yet.

The main problem is going to be how to feed people in the next few weeks. The Enemy could also be using this as a distraction for something else. It's what I would do.

You know, if I were an evil destroyer of worlds who operated almost entirely in the shadows.

[ She brushes some hair out of her face and sets her hands on her hips. ] Where've you been? Everybody okay there?

[vdova]

[ She nods in response to Sharon's question; everyone's fine as they can be, all things considered. She'd not come across any fatalities, just wounded. ] It's like they purposefully set the bombs to disable, and not kill.

[ Natasha crosses her arms, brow furrowing as she thinks. ]

It's either a distraction or a display of what they're capable of. Maybe even both. Cutting our food supplies and communications... [ She smirks. ]

It's like they think that'll work.

[agentx13]

[ Sharon thinks Natasha might actually be right, which surprises her. ] I'm surprised by how many of us are survivors, weirdly. Maybe they didn't just catch people at random.

Communications need work, though. Most of us kept in touch through the consoles in emergency situations. And if this is just a distraction, I think we're going to need a way to keep in touch during emergencies.

[ She nods her head toward one of the alleys that still has to be cleared of debris and moves to start clearing it. ]

I've been looking through the residents here, trying to determine what foreigners might be used by the Enemy. It doesn't look good. And I say that in a post-blown-up turtle world.

[vdova]

It happened once before, right? [ Natasha moves to start helping Sharon and a few of the gathered Kedan, handing off a few pieces to one of the natives. ] This kind of attack, I mean. The consoles never went offline then?

[agentx13]

The turtle was sick and the consoles would go down sometimes, but never anything like this. [ She cracks a weak grin as she tosses her load into a wheelbarrow. ]

You remember your smoke signals?

[vdova]

[ Natasha laughs, tossing her own load into another wheelbarrow. ] Barely. Semaphore, though, that I can do.

[neverdanced]

[It's a bit later when Steve finally comes upon Natasha. With all of the explosions and chaos, the super soldier has been preoccupied with trying to help those around him as much as possible. Finding his friends is important, but it can't be his absolute number one priority.

Needless to say, it's a relief to come upon Natasha.]

You didn't get hurt, did you?

[vdova]

[ She's covered in dust and sweat, but no worse for the wear than she was during the Battle for New York. Significantly less banged up, at the very least. She stands from where she's crouched next to a couple of Kedan, helping the wounded, and nods at Steve when he approaches in greeting. ] A little banged up from the explosions, but nothing I can't handle. What about you?

[neverdanced]

[He immediately kneels down as well, doing what he can to help. He's not a medical expert, but he's been on the front lines enough to know a thing or two.]

I'm fine; hardly got a scratch.

[As if he'd admit to anything worse even uf he was.]

I've just been trying to do what I can to help.

[vdova]

[ Natasha smirks at him, just a little, kneeling back down. The kedan in question is alright, no broken limbs, just bruised and scraped. ] A scratch for you is losing a limb for the rest of us, Cap. Have you seen Sharon or Barnes?

[neverdanced]

In that case it's good that the shrapnel hit me and not anyone else.

[He manages a self-depreciating smile at that.]

You're the first I've run into. I'm sure they're doing the same as us; doing what they can to help.

[Because Steve won't consider any other possibility.]

[vdova]

[ Was he always such a literal shield? Natasha nods, and then stands back up, nodding to a nearby kedan to take their charge, moving to the next one. ] It wouldn't surprise me. Any idea on what caused the explosions?

[neverdanced]

My guess is bombs.

[Yes Natasha, the sass is intentional.]

I haven't pinpointed the origin of the explosions yet, but considering they all went off at once, I'm going to go ahead and state the obvious and say it's an organised attack.

[vdova]

[ Dryly. Like, we're talking straight up Saraha Desert here. ] It's nice to know Captain America's on the case. What would we do without your knowledge and expertise?

[trainwrecked]

[ Bucky was working systematically as per his plan. Maybe he could have helped in other sectors, too, but he knew Wood and its weak points, so he tried to do what he could, there. ]

[ When Natasha got to him, he was winded, tired, but unhurt, other than some singed clothes. His eyes also lit up a bit, at the sight of her. ]

Natalia. You're all right.

[vdova]

[ She is, of course, relieved to see him, especially intact. He looks no worse than she feels, and Natasha nods, allowing herself to breathe. ] Are you?

[trainwrecked]

[ He gives her a tired, but bright smile. ]

I've had worse from you, as far as physical damage goes.

[ But then the smirk fades. ]

It's not looking very good, when it comes to food supplies, though.

[vdova]

[ Natasha sobers, too, coming to stand next to him. ] This is an act of war. It makes sense they'd go for resources first.

[trainwrecked]

It does. Last time, he went after the turtle himself, sorta. It disrupted food and water, too. And... both Steves got sick again. Didn't shrink, but - asthma, infections, all the things the serum's fightin' off, for him? They were back.

But, before that, when it was just food and water... he had a soup kitchen going. For everyone, but a lot for those that needed more food than the rest. Like him.

It'll probably be better if we keep him from trying to repeat the same, again.

[ What, Bucky, talking about specific things and not really giving much of a chance for questions about himself? Never... ]

[vdova]

[ She'll let it pass this time, considering terrorist attack and all. ] Let's make sure he's not okay, first. We're going to have to figure out food supplies as it is, maybe start gathering up the displaced Kedan and start rationing what we have left.

[trainwrecked]

It'll be a mess.

[ Mostly, he's remembering. Because it was a mess, before. ]

'least Evandau has experience, I guess.

[vdova]

[ War is always a mess. ]

Don't all of us have experience, in one way or another?