voidtreckerexpress | Crashing Down: Preparation

Voidtreckers. I have picked up a catastrophe mission coming from system #78961112094711. Voidtreckers have urged me to be open with you all these last months and so I shall be transparent. The readings coming from this catastrophe are very unusual and I cannot determine the threats. Indeed there do not seem to be any threats in the system that would result in a catastrophe level mission.

This has been encountered before, in the Month of Egret on system #27462947582. This voidcraft was unable to ascertain the threats that could lead to a catastrophe. Known risks were calculated and mission goals created, but the Voidtreckers were put in unnecessary danger from the world destroyers.

From the data available it is not unreasonable to believe that the catastrophe facing #78961112094711 comes from the world destroyers. We still have little information. We do not have any way to stop the destroyers. However we have advantages that Voidtreckers did not have in the month of Egret.

We know what is coming. System #78961112094711 is Void Active. Voidtreckers have allies there. Saving the system is not possible but with five hours it is possible that many many lives could be saved by evacuating them to the void.

This voidcraft is sending a forward message to the ministry stationed on System #78961112094711. Due to the nature of arriving at catastrophe missions they will receive it not long before we arrive. But it should mean they are ready for us. This voidcraft has calculated mission goals to help voidtreckers organise but it should be noted that the most important goal is to save as many lives as possible.

The announcement comes out of the blue on day twenty four of the month of Quicksand. Not too long after breakfast when people are getting on with chores or other morning activities.

It is followed quickly by a holographic message setting out their team goals. They do not have all that much time before arrival, an hour or so to be prepared for the huge task ahead of them. The dressing carriage is open with warm coats, hats and other team-coordinated winter accessories.

How to prepare for such a challenge? It's going to be a very difficult day.

[OOC: This is a bonus extra for those who want to play out the preparation and reaction to the forthcoming event. It is forward dated until day 24. The actual event will go up on the 16th April and a conclusion on the 23rd. Though IC the event will only last one day.]

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She nods - if not just because it'd be rude to outright ignore the question, Madoka thinks.

"I'm going to do my best," she says, and she means it.

But they're not done with that. Because Nozomi's words still weigh on Madoka's mind, making the girl think about them as she's standing there.

"But.. um," she starts again, and then stops, clearly having trouble finding the right words here. "You.. shouldn't push yourself too hard, you know..? If it's too hard for you, or too scary, you should look after yourself as well.."

Nozomi can see the worry and concern on Madoka’s face. To be quite honest, she is worried about how things will turn out. The fact that it sounds like she might not save everyone hangs over her.

“I will. I promise.” Nozomi said. “If things get too rough, I’ll pull out.” She held out her arms for a hug, certain Madoka could also use one. “You do the same, alright? You’re one of my friends and I love you too much for you to get hurt, too.”

Nozomi and Kairi were an item, but she cherished friends like Madoka dearly.

Well.. It's not like Madoka is going to say no to a hug at a moment like this. Especially when she's pretty sure that not only she could use it, but Nozomi too. They're facing down a lot here, somehow even more than they usually already do during a mission.

So Madoka wraps her arms around the other, leaning against Nozomi in the hug as she thinks.

"Of course.. I know that I have to be more careful, because I don't have a lot of special powers." So she can't get herself out of a pinch quite as easily. "But if the world destroyers show up, then.. we only have to hit a button to get back on the train, so we should be safe."

But then again, they can't necessarily say the same about the people from that world, huh.

“And we need to make sure everyone else has that option, too.” Nozomi said.

She let out a soft sigh at that.

“Sorry, I guess I’m scared.”

"You don't have to apologize for that.."

That's the main thing Madoka wants to say here - first and foremost. Of course the other doesn't have to apologize for being scared. If there's anything normal in the face of all this to a regular girl like Madoka, it's being scared.

Maybe some of the more powerful people on the train aren't scared, but.. if Madoka would have to guess, she'd say that most people are probably pretty scared right now.

So she at least wants to reassure the other girl in that sense, if she can. At least letting her know that her feelings are valid and normal, even if it might be all she can reassure the other about in this sort of situation.

"Isn't it obviously a scary thing? The idea that people might die if we don't work hard enough.. of course that's scary. It's a huge duty for us.."

"It is scary, I agree." Nozomi said, nodding. "I guess... I guess part of me is worried about how much we can do. I'm not used to it at all."

Most of the worlds she'd been to with this sort of threat, they could handle it or drive it off. And yet...

"It feels wrong. It should feel wrong."

Madoka pauses for a moment. She's mentally going over everything she knows about Nozomi - which isn't a whole lot, granted.

But she's mostly trying to find out if the other girl told her something specific Madoka is wondering about in this moment.. though she doesn't feel like the other has. So after thinking for a moment like that, she decides to softly speak up about it.

"When you had to do things back home.. were you usually able to save everyone..? All the time?"

It's not like Madoka fully knows how things work back in Nozomi's world, after all. But if that was the case, then it sure explains why Nozomi is so worried about this in particular.

“Yeah, I could.” Nozomi said. “All the worlds I was on I could.” Maybe she was lucky it could happen when it did, but it had its limits, right?

“I’m gonna run out of luck, aren’t I?” She tilted her head slightly at that.

"Well.."

.. Madoka thinks of her own world. How hopeless everything seemed. How the moment she found a solution, she was pulled away from there by the train, which caused the entire world to be destroyed in her absence.

From her own perspective, it feels like most worlds aren't that lucky. That they aren't places where everyone can be saved. It's nice that Nozomi comes from a world where people can all be saved, and Madoka wishes that most places were like that, but..

"I-I know we're going to try to do our best." And Madoka really wants to believe they'll save everyone, but.. "Sometimes.. things are just too hard though. In a way that's outside of our power. So.. um, I-I guess I'm just saying.."

Her voice trails off. For a moment Madoka frowns, but then she just gives the other girl a pleading look.

".. Don't be too hard on yourself if this does go wrong, okay..? Or if we don't manage to do it perfectly.."

Nozomi let out a small sigh. Madoka was right, she was going to have to deal with how bad this mission can get. She can’t let it wreck her.

“Thank you, Madoka. I won’t be. I promise, okay?”

She nods. "Okay."

Madoka smiles as she says it too. She knows that it's going to be hard, and while Madoka is worried about that, and also worried about other people being confronted with that tough side to this mission..

She still trusts the other, especially when Nozomi is saying she's promising it. Surely the other wouldn't break a promise.

"I promise too! That we'll do our best.. and that we'll try to not feel bad if we can't do more than that right now." The train is throwing them straight into a rather impossible situation, after all. "And part of doing our best is preparing for the mission well with the time we have right now..!"

Crashing Down: Preparation

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