tushanshu_logs | Event | Console Crash Chaos

Event | Console Crash Chaos | Phase One

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Elizabeth nods.] Backroom, then. I'll see if I can get them in there, try to keep everyone calm.

Come back immediately, when you find something. From what I saw on my way over here- it's bombs. All over the place. I just hope they don't turn to looting right away.

[Elizabeth turns to the insanity in the welcome center where a young Kedan girl is sobbing. Carefully, she makes her way over to her, and bends down.] Hi- hi, sweetie, my name's Elizabeth. I'm here to help you, and all your friends. Clara's going to go check outside real quick, and in the meantime, we're all going to go sit in the backroom. [The girl nods tearfully, and holds her arms out to Elizabeth. With a sigh, she picks her up, placing her on a hip.] Your parents will be here soon, we're going to go stay safe until they're here.

You heard her. To the back room. She's gonna tell you guys stories until your mums and dads show up. She knews plenty. Better ones than me.

[Clara gently pats the head of one child out of the large group that has gathered around her. The poor things are terrified. Despite the pain and a funny sort of disorientation, she inhaled, and forced herself to stand. She gave Elizabeth an appreciative nod and walked towards the door of the center. Her gait was awkward in her attempt not to put much weight on her right leg.

She opens the door, looks around, and quickly darts outside. Then she begins to move around the perimeter of the center. She looks for anything out of the ordinary, And with each step, it seems harder to breathe, her head swims and her thoughts struggle to connect, and her stomach does fliips. It must be from hitting her head, she figures, nothing out of the ordinary for a possible concussion.

With a shiver, she wipes the sweat from her forehead and enters into the center, closing and locking the door behind her.]

We're clear.

Come on, everyone. [Elizabeth uses her free hand to take the hand of another child, leading them towards the back room.] If you can, bring some pillows and blankets, so we can get comfortable. [And any food, if there was some.

Leading the exodus of children to the back room took a bit of coercing, but eventually, everyone was in, looking around with wide-eyes.]

Clara will be back soon, and so will your parents. Until then, get comfortable. And I'm going to tell you all a story. Just listen: once upon a time-

[She was about to continue when Clara returned. Looking up, she nodded.] Good, take a seat. You look... [She frowns, not wanting to upset the children further. With a quick thought, she turns back to them.] Slight change of plans! YOU are going to CREATE a story. One sentence at a time. I'll start, then the next one says a sentence, and then the next one does the same thing. It's more fun that way. I'll start.

Once upon a time, in a far off kingdom, there lived a princess.

[While the children got started, she turned to Clara.] You look out of it.

I'm fine. Just hit my head when the bomb went off.

[The response was automatic. She hated being fussed over and she was distracted by the prospect of making sure all of these children were safe. The charm that she got from Eshai was in her pocket, the one that was supposed to protect her. She moved her fingers across the pocket of her dress before reaching over into the cabinet to pull out a box of biscuits.

It wasn't much but it would at least keep the children occupied once the shine of making up their stories wore off.

She gave Elizabeth a tired smile as she rubbed some sweat and blood off her forehead.]

Thank you.

At least let me clean that up. [She gestured to Clara's head.] I don't want you getting infected or anything. I know some first-aid. [She'd taken care of Booker nearly dying a thousand times over by now.]

You don't need to thank me. I've seen these sorts of situations before, and I'm just glad I can do something to help. [On Columbia, she'd inadvertently been the cause of nearly everything.]

And I know you're important to Pavel. So how could I not help?

I know how that is. Can't just stand to sit around.

[Clara murmured as she dropped into a chair, feeling rather weak. She also felt embarrassed at the mention of Chekov. It was funny to think of herself as important to him and others here.

The wound on her forehead was a nice skinned patch where she had hit and then slid across the ground on the left side of her face. The other side of her face had a freshly healed scar from her encounter in the bottle. She shivered slightly, despite the warm air, feeling slightly clammy.]

...D'you if he's okay?

That's all I've done my entire life. Even in Columbia, I did what I could to help, but that... It really wasn't much. [With most people trying to kill Booker, and take her back to Monument Island.

At the mention of Chekov, she shakes her head.] No- I saw him this morning when we woke up, but we both had things to do. I had to pick up some things for- Booker! [She gasps, remembering for the first time since the bombs went off that he was supposed to be coming home.] He's supposed to be home today! That's why Pavel had to leave-! He'd been staying for the week and oh no. They both better be okay- if anything happened to either of them-!

[She takes a deep breath. She needed to stay here. And stay calm. Otherwise, the kids would freak out. Both Booker and Pavel were capable people. They'd be okay. They had to be.]

To someone else, it might have been a lot. Even just a story can do someone a lot of good.

[Then she winces. She didn't mean to bring up any sore spots in her attempt to get some information from her. She reaches out to put a hand on her wrist.]

I'm sure they're fine. Chekov's clever and dealt with impossible space dangers. To him, this is probably nothing. And most people here seem to be absurdly competent at taking care of themselves. They'll probably come find you so we can keep an ear out.

I hope so. Stories always helped me. [When she was alone, anxious, anything, really. There were few things she loved more than to sit and lose herself in a story, in a book. To go to some far off land from the comfort of an arm-chair.]

I know- Jim told me about some of them. But that isn't going to stop me from worrying. Both he and Booker are trained for this sort of thing... Sorry, this is probably the last thing you want to hear.

[The first Kedan girl that Elizabeth had helped, broke away from the group and came up to her. Without hesitating, Elizabeth takes her into her arms and pulls her on to her lap.]

It's all right. [There's a twitch when Elizabeth mentions Jim, almost like a flinch, but Clara doesn't comment on it. Instead, she stares at the floor past Elizabeth's feet. Her head feels heavy, like it's stuffed full of cotton, and it's hard to keep her eyes up.] It's alright to worry too. We're all worrying. Once the kids get picked up, we'll go look for them.

[One of the kedan kids goes over to her side and pulls at her arm. She perks up a little and wraps her arm around him. She feels weak but somehow restless. She wants to go out and see what's going on, but she can't abandon the kids.]

Thank you, [Elizabeth says with a nod, wrapping her arms around the Kedan girl's waist. The girl leans her head against Elizabeth's shoulder.]

You really should get your head looked at, Clara.

[At her name, Clara tries her best to straighten up. But she has to grit her teeth at the wave of nausea it causes. She coughs and gives Elizabeth a nod.]

I just hit the ground a bit hard. I'll have it looked at when it's safe to go out.

[Shivering, she turns to the window. It's been quiet for a bit but that doesn't mean it's safe.]

If you're sure. I don't want anyone getting hurt.

[She offers a sympathetic smile to Clara. By this time, however, the Kedan children are getting restless, tired of telling their own story- which has become something about frogs and chickens.]

I think they need a change of entertainment.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Event | Console Crash Chaos | Phase One

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