ROLEPLAY HQ - a-city-under-siege

The city never really slept anymore. With bright neon lights, the constant small downpour of rain from the overheard systems, and then the fact that ships constantly travelled from the spaceport and to it from depths unknown. The crackle of a PA system was drowned out by the oncoming rush of noise from street and sky cars alike and the sensory overload of noise was more than enough to put someone from the rural area into a miniature coma. Yet, this entire feeling of city life was never lost or disregarded, especially here in Contura. Here the people pressed on, and life continued as normal. This was especially truer now more than ever. Where local government broadcasts intermingled with declarations and notices from the galactic Coalition notices broadcast throughout all her systems. One caught Desmond’s eye through the corner of his visor, where a holographic stand changed from a woman showcasing a make up to a series of emboldened text and warning signs. ‘ALL TRAFFIC IS SUSPENDED FROM THE SPACEPORT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.’ It was never a good sign, and it was a rarer one than any cared to admit, but he couldn’t bother with that. Not while he was here at this local garage, awaiting the report of a vehicle contracted out for repairs to the local mechanics. It was to stimulate the local economy, but Desmond always felt it was more so that their own engineers could be shifted to other projects. Nonetheless, he stood outside the open doors, helmet peering about. Dressed in that coal-black uniform of a Coalition trooper. A sight that not many wanted to see, and many others took as a sign that danger was around the corner. Tactical pouches, a light-blue visor that obfuscated the face, and a heavy rifle in hand: Desmond was certainly the appearance of a peacekeeper. But the more he stood and the more he watched the more he felt an oppressor. One breath taken and he glanced up, clouds forming above hand and lightning arc while thunder boomed. It would be another lon

12:58

g night. @[ nicki ]

Work was work -- that would be the easy way of putting it at least. Whatever drew business in was good for her regardless, but Althea would just be simply lying to herself if she said there weren't any specific things she got to work on that made her at least a little excited. Working on Coalition vehicles was just that, a way to earn money while working on higher end equipment that she likely wouldn't get much access to. In a place like Contura, humble little shops like her own were for the neighborhood, and hers was anything but one meant for the high life. Working and tinkering also made it easier to keep her head down and pretend like maybe they weren't about to be in a situation that hardly seemed like it was going to be ideal. It all seemed so obvious, but no one wanted to say it out loud. At least no one in her neighborhood. People in places like that knew that when things got worse, they were usually the ones to suffer for it. Althea tried to pay it no mind, but working on a Coalition vehicle with a trooper standing in her doorway was making it hard to do just that. "Hmm -- I think that should do it." she announced, heaving a sigh as she straightened up to reach for the hood and pull it back down. She reaches for a rag at her hip, one already covered in oil and other mechanical grease, and wipes her hands anyway. She turns to see the trooper in the doorway, then walks across the garage to get take a look up at the sky after the thunder garners her attention. "Y'think it's gonna storm?" she asks innocently before she motions back behind her. "Good thing you're ready to get outta here with a roof over your head, then." @chaoskillerx7

The immediate blaring of sirens and the disruption of a light show caught his attention at the edge of his visor. Local police vehicles cruised down the street nearby at a blazing fast pace, only to quickly be followed by a heavily armored carrier. Desmond shifted uncomfortably. He’d have to report in soon, but something about that specific, boring interaction seemed to carry some kind of hidden weight. Some creeping anxiety that slowly worked its way to the core. Something was off and it most certainly would be different. The mechanic’s voice caught his attention and he whirled around to process it. There he stood in that pale light given off by the hologram. A stitched in insignia of the Coalition, the Earth shrouded by a golden wreath, laid on his chest. At the bottom laid another insignia, this time of a meteor hurtling through a sky with the words ‘THUNDER ASSAULT, GROUP XII’ stitched at the top and bottom respectively. Troopers were nothing more than standard infantry—but most recently had been utilized as oppression tools with the way the unrest was going. The unrest that followed from a war that had become a steady loss for the short time it had been waged. No-one talked about it, no-one wanted to mention it publicly. It was at the far edges of their territory and it didn’t seem long before a peaceful resolution could be found. That’s what they were all told. So when the colonies and the stations all went quiet it was just accepted as fact and kicked down the can that it perhaps might not happen to them. That the darkening skies and thunderous booms were nothing more than nature herself becoming unhappy. It was always a hope. He looked towards the familiar all-terrain vehicle that seated four she had just worked on. Nothing more than an ancient Jeep that had been iterated over and refined for military use, plenty of mobile armor but horsepower enough to carry someone and transport goods in a quick beat. The words changed now as the blue holograp

19:01

hic text turned orange, with red exclamation signs surrounding it. ’LOCAL CURFEW IS NOW IN EFFECT. ALL NON-CIVILIAN PERSONNEL ARE TO REPORT TO THEIR COMMAND POSTS FOR AN ORGANIZED DRILL. Desmond briefly saw the notice go up in his own visor and with a wave of his hand he both dismissed it and the woman. “Wouldn’t worry about the weather. I’m sure it’s just some overcast. Thanks for looking out at it—I know it was a rush job, but most of the other shops are closed by now and apparently there’s a need for a lot of vehicles to be loaded up. Rumor is that we’ll be out of your hair soon.” @[ nicki ]

She eyed him skeptically, as if saying not to worry about the weather was really that easy. It was very easy to be untrustworthy toward his kind, as there hadn't been much reason to be trustworthy of them. Still, despite his somewhat pleasant demeanor (not barking an order or being gruff about his needs was the extremely low bar that had been set), she knew better than to just assume that anything she was told by a trooper was worth taking at face value. "Uh huh." Althea motioned for him to follow her to the jeep, so she could do a last minute run through of everything. "I try not to get too hung up on rumors." she tells him as she leans in to grab a diagnostic machine she had hooked up to the dash out of the car. All the sensors read fine -- of course, she was damn good at her job -- so she could send him on his way. "Pretty sure the rumor was y'all would be outta our hair months ago, yet here you still are." She lets out a laugh then steps aside, motioning toward the opened door of his vehicle. "You're lucky I was open to you anyway, but a girl's gotta eat, and now that it looks like there's a lovely little curfew in effect, I gotta be shuttin' down real soon so y'all can run your so-called drill." She didn't really believe for a second that it was a drill, but she'd play along so she could get the main thing she needed, which was payment. "Rush job means a boosted price, big guy. Pass it over and then you'll get your keys." @chaoskillerx7

The air was punctuated with another PA message, this time reminding people about the local ordnance that had gone out and ensuring that the residents hadn’t thought twice about disobeying curfew. Desmond shifted in his position. He hated when he had to start enforcing it—it always turned out bloodier than he ever liked. The issue of price and payment came up and he gave a nod, immediately fishing around his suit and pouches to retrieve the cred stick when it happened. The shifting from an orange hue to red. Text emboldened and crept up. The holographic stand had now shifted from a local notice to an emergency warning. The same warning flashed across his visor with additional text. First, the local message read: ’ALL CIVILIANS ARE TO IMMEDIATELY REPORT TO THEIR IN-BUILDING SHELTERS OR TO THEIR LOCAL EVAUCATION CENTERS. ALL ACTIVE DUTY PERSONNEL AND LOCAL CITY POLICE SHOULD IMMEDIATELY RESPOND TO ALL BULLETEINS POSTED. Desmond blinked as he extended out the chit towards her. “Huh.” It was the only thing that could escape before the overwriting message came. ’BTG 4 ARE TO REPORT TO THE SPACE PORT AT ONCE AND PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE DEPLOYMENT.’ Before he could get the chance to ponder it, the power flickered off. Total darkness enveloped the area as the only light came from the occasional flashes of lightning. Soon the whir of machines and signs sprouted to life with all of their pre-recorded jingles and messages. But what drew the eye was the bright light in the sky. Something broke apart the clouds as it descended and the faint glow of something in the sky drew everyone’s gaze upwards. It was a hull. Nothing human-made nor was it an experiment. Instead, it was a herald of death and the reminder that this reality escaped no-one. The bright blue light immediately coalesced into a beam that struck out at one of the sky-scrapes, immediately cleaving off a chunk of it that sent it tumbling down. The power went off again. “Fucking shit--!” <@22834481738

21:17

4423424>

@[ nicki ]

It seemed like it should all be easy to deal with. She'd get her money, he'd be on his way, and she'd close up to follow the ordinance and not be any bother. Of course, nothing was ever so simple, and she knew it would only be worse as he reacted to the message that flashed on his visor. She raised a brow in her own curiosity as she reached out to grab the offered cred stick, her lips parting to ask what was up, but she's quickly shut down by the power flickering off. "What the hell --" Her fingers quickly close around the cred stick so he can't leave without paying her. The weather, she could see beyond her garage door, sure seemed a bit more interesting than boring. "This part of the drill?" As lights and such start coming back on, she hurries over to the door so she can peer outside, just in time for the bright overhead light to appear. "What is that...?" She stares for a moment, but as the light starts to shift into something else entirely, she realizes she's in the worst place to be. "Oh, shit!" Althea hurries from the doorway just in time for the blast from the destruction to knock her right off her feet, the power going out again soon after. "What the fuck is that?!" she yells, crawling along the floor as if being low would keep her safe. "Are we really bein' attacked?!" @chaoskillerx7

Her question was immediately answered with the sounds of a raid siren as various smaller craft seemed to be departing from the larger ship now much more visible in the sky. It wasn’t all completely defenseless, however, as spotlights had already begun to illuminate these smaller craft and bouts of anti-air gunfire and missiles were already being launched. The sounds of combat had already begun to sound, and Desmond immediately looked towards the girl from the ground he had found himself fallen to. After releasing the cred stick back towards her, he dusted himself off as he straightened up, immediately heading to the vehicle. “Get in.” It was the simple order as he moved to throw open the door and head inside, attempting to start the engine. “You won’t get to the shelters on foot in time, I’ll drive you there before linking up with the rest of my unit. What was your name again?” The engine sputtered once before roaring to life. A stream of messages flew across his visor. “Fuck. FUCK.” @[ nicki ]

She had sincerely been hoping that her garage would keep her safe. Trying to get to a shelter in all of this just sounded like suicide, and the last thing she wanted to do was get herself in a place where she couldn't get back to her tools and everything else in her possession. His insistence didn't seem like something she was going to be able to ignore, though, and a small groan of frustration was given as she pushed herself up from the ground. She rushes to her work bench, grabbing a bag of her personal belongings and a toolbox that had most everything she'd likely need -- just in case. Althea takes a sweeping look around her shop, committing it to memory since she's not sure it'll still look like this when she returns. She can't give it too much time, though, so she hurries and jumps into the passenger side of the vehicle, slamming the door shut behind her. "Althea." she replies breathlessly, getting herself situated so she can brace herself for what she assumes will be a rocky trip through the streets of the city. "A-Althea Gold." The sound of another explosion in the distance causes her to yell an obscenity or two herself. "What about you, chief? Titles and all that, I don't give a shit. Who do I have the pleasure of maybe dyin' with today?"

@chaoskillerx7

The engine finally roared once more before he put pedal to said metal as the sound of her door closing was all the confirmation he needed to leave. Once he exited out of the garage, pausing onmly if she needed tos hut the door manually, he immediately beelined for the main street and headed towards the highway. Here they could see various cars already going their way and it seemed in a desperate panic, many had been abandoned as civilians went on foot to escape the ongoing carnage. Gunshots, explosions, the flickering of fire down several streets. Their worst fear was now realized and it seemed that it was here to stay. Desmond flicked on several sirens, emergency lights to signal his status as part of the military, before boarding the on-ramp onto the highway itself. “Desmond Crews, we’re not gonna die—least of all you. You’ve got safety in those shelters, you know. Can last an orbital bombardment they say---” As the car sped down the highway he suddenly screeched to a halt as a flaming wreck of what was perhaps a personal shuttle slammed into the highway itself, creating a large streak of oil and fire whilst knocking away cars. Its wreckage now, unfortunately, blocking the rest of the road forward. Desmond grunted as he immediately moved to cross the barrier, opting to drive the opposite way. “Fuckin’…. Dammit! Where did they come from?!” @[ nicki ]

((@chaoskillerx7 @[ nicki ] Hello! ^-^ I just wanted to ask if you were interested in keeping this RP active since it has been awhile since a response was posted. Just let me know whichever way you decide! ❤️))

(( yes! we’ve been in communication - life is a little hectic for us both at the moment but we are interested in keeping the rp open! @shayshayrian ))

TW: Violence, cursing, hatred of alien scum

"Sure, sure--" She seems a bit distracted when she says it, but you would be too in her current predicament. She's trying to grip on to whatever she can get her hands on in this vehicle, as the ride definitely wasn't considered anything close to smooth. "I'm just thinkin' there's a high chance I might not be gettin' to one o' those shelters, so y'know -- Figured I'd ask!" Desmond Crews. It was a simple enough name to remember. This moment enough was going to sear to her brain anyway. She'd remember him for a life time, so long as she has a life to live after all of this is said and done. As the wreckage tumbled down before them, she watched in somewhat horror, but she was starting to think the adrenaline was pushing her harder than any fear was at this point. "You don't think you need to be shootin' at those things, do you?" she asked as she turned to watch the wreckage behind them. It was falling just about everywhere, but now that they'd switched directions she was looking to where they were leaving behind. "Doesn't this big hunk of metal have a few guns on it?!"

[ @chaoskillerx7 ]

"It's a personnel transport vehicle, of course not!" He continued down the highway, the scene behind them nothing more than burnt metal and the flash of lights as the reflections of gunfire took hold in the nearby windows. The radio crackled inside the car, interrupted with static and brief conversation. ".. <bzzt>... back towards the I-90, loop around and hook up with 2nd Platoon there!" Static washed over the radio as Desmond smacked it, frowning as he looked down. "Goddammit, why can't anything work right now!" Another section of the highway seemed to be collapsed inwardly up ahead, spotting this Desmond immediately pulled out for the nearest exit and barreled down towards the nearby residential districts. There was peace here, quiet. It was only a matter of time before the conflict spread here but it seemed they had gotten a lucky break. Now moving to cruise down the narrow streets where abandoned cars and empty homes now laid. He tapped on a screen, pointing towards it as a holographic map overlaid between them. "The nearest shelter is over here-- in the Financial Quarter. I need you to plot a course-- should be one that-- FUCK." As he yelled out, he slammed down on the breaks. In front of them? A truck had overturned and was now completely immovable. Desmond hit the steering wheel as he took a deep breath, shaking his head. "... Dammit. All the streets are going to be like this, huh?" @[ nicki ]

@[ nicki ] @chaoskillerx7 Hey there! It looks like this RP is inactive. Please let me know if you'd like to keep this in active roleplays within the next 7 days, otherwise it will be archived. Archived RPs are restorable for a short amount of time, and then will be available for viewing via https://rphq.me. If you choose to keep this roleplay active, I will notify you again after ~~1 month~~ 2 months of inactivity, since at least one of you is a Storyteller.

You can go ahead and archive it!

chaoskillerx7

You can go ahead and archive it!

thanks! let me know if you change your mind.