Mission: Bad Science Saves the Day

[initiates]

Date & Time: Mid-Day, 3310 | Present Day June 14th-16th
Location: Andersfeld, in the (far former) state of Alaska. (Also known at one time as Anchorage, Alaska.) | Back in Exsilium, those manning the Transport Pads, or working on developing the antibiotics and administering them to the ill throughout the city. Yet others will need to hop-scotch through time gathering sufficient supplies to save lives.
Characters: Volunteers to alter medical research, people working on antiobiotic cures, people distributing appropriate cures, and those who are doing minor missions into the past to retrieve adequate supplies to treat the sick in the present.
Summary: Transports are asked to help save tens of thousands of lives, first by traveling two years into the past and altering scientific research. Second, by helping with the manufacture and development of antibiotics or other cures, once the mission is complete. Third, by distributing the cure to the affected parties. Fourth, by going on pointed supply missions solo, or with up to two other people, in order to get enough supplies to save people in the present.

Whatever your character decides to do, the weight of saving lives is on their shoulders, unasked, and perhaps unwelcome. What will they do when faced with this decision?

Warnings: Illness. Freezing cold. Possible death. Drunken scientists.

In Andersfeld, the snow falls in thick, fat flakes, winds blowing in gusts up to 60 kph. Everyone is bundled up against the weather. Spirits are generally low, if not outright alcoholic. Safety lines and lights guide those brave enough to venture outdoors from building to building.

For the Transports with a six hour window to alter a future that will kill over a hundred thousand people in three weeks, it's a dangerous and necessary bravery.

In Exsilium, the success of the mission to Andersfeld is felt as soon as scientists notice the virus responding to antibiotic treatments. It becomes a race to finding the most effective means of combating the now bacterial infection, and of mass producing any working cure for distribution.

Some help with the production.

Others hurry to cart the supply out to the places hit most heavily. Yet others work directly with administering the antibiotics, in most cases, via an IV line. Those less heavily affected will be granted ridiculously large antibiotic pills, needing to be coaxed down spasming throats.

Those who need action, or who are no good with the sick, are asked to make countless small trips through time to secure the supplies needed to produce enough of the cure to save the tens of thousands who are ill but not yet deceased.

And for those too ill to assist, now is the time to rest, heal, and get better. In a world like this, one never knows what surprise might next lie in wait. The Transports and the Initiative have thwarted total disaster for now.

Mostly.

Comments

[retraced]

[He'd like to answer her, really. He even opens his mouth to do so, only to realize two things very quickly. One, he never got her name, and two, breathing is a little too difficult to manage any words at all. He stares at her with feverish eyes for a second or two.]

I'm -

[Is all he gets out before he starts to cough, dryly. Damn this suit and damn his crappy luck.]

[gevurah]

[ She sets down her supplies and leans closer, trying to get a better look at him through the suits. She doesn't want to undo his right now and risk infecting herself. ]

You're infected. [ She reaches for his hand that holds the supplies to gently ease him into letting go. ] Can you hear me? Gil, stay with me here.

[retraced]

I'm okay.

[He finally answers, voice rough and scratchy, but not nearly as bad as how most of the city sounds right now. He shakes his head in protest, but he also doesn't try to fight against her taking the bag from him.]

Just got lost...

[gevurah]

Do you know where you are right now? [ She asks calmly, setting the supplies on the floor beside them. She needs to move him to the infirmary, but she has to pray now that they even have room for one more. ]

[retraced]

I can't remember what they called it.

[He'll admit that much. It's not a city that he'd heard of, and from the talk in the Hold, most of the people going on this mission hadn't heard of it either. He shuts his eyes and tries to take in a shallow breath.]

[gevurah]

Alaska. [ She nudges him gently again. ] Can you walk? You need to see a doctor.

[retraced]

[He nods, but he doesn't look ready to actually attempt it just yet. Another second and his head will stop spinning, he's sure of it.]

There's no time for that. The longer this takes us, the longer everyone else will have to suffer. It's just too hot in this stupid suit-!

[gevurah]

Calm down. [ She frowns. ] You're weak. I can take these supplies for you, but you have to get to the infirmary.

[retraced]

[He stifles another small fit of coughing, the back of his wrist pressed against his forehead through the suit.]

Do you know the way out?

[He's not planning on going to the infirmary as part of the trip out of here, but he does know that he needs to rest a minute. Maybe two. Get some semblance of fresh air and then he'll be able to come back for more.]

[gevurah]

I do. [ She's lucky enough not to be bowled over by hazy thoughts. She doesn't know how long this vague immunity is going to last. ] Come on. [ She stocks their supplies together and lifts it with one arm carefully, the other reaching under his arm to hoist him up. Surprisingly, she doesn't seem to be having much trouble taking care of both weights in each arm. ]

[retraced]

[With her helping to haul him up and away, it at least gives his feet the motivation to move instead of just thinking about moving. But it's still embarrassing to be led around. Even with his fever as high as it's gotten, he can't help but feel his stomach clench with anxiety. At least that's a more familiar feeling, though...]

Are you all right?

[gevurah]

I'm not infected. [ Even if she was, they're protected by these suits for now. When she gets him to his feet, she gives him a few seconds to adjust and then starts to lead him. She clings tightly to the supplies, peering out of the corner of her eye to see nothing is about to slip from her grasp. ] Worry about yourself, Gilbert.

[retraced]

I wasn't either...not until this morning.

[Another weak cough as he follows at her side, only slightly weak on his feet with her help.]

Such rotten timing.

[gevurah]

[ She doesn't say anything as he speaks and coughs, listening closely to hear any straining in his breathing. ]

It's working faster than before. The people I know who got sick weren't feeling the worst symptoms till days later. Were you feverish the other day?

[retraced]

[Under normal circumstances, he'd probably lie. Or at least make an attempt to lie. As it is he simply mutters:]

I don't know. Maybe.

[gevurah]

[ She doesn't take that as a good sign, not sure if he's going to fall into incoherence on her soon. ]

Well, we'll get you to a doctor soon and you can rest. There's more than enough people gathering supplies and tackling the research.

[retraced]

[This time he shakes his head, a clear protest.]

Oz is still sick...I can't waste time sitting around so long. This is all I can do to help him now.

[gevurah]

[ Her brows furrow, a little exasperated by all the refutes she's heard since this all started, and a touch curious. She knows she's seen that name on the network. ]

Oz?

[retraced]

My master. Oz Vessalius.

[Oz had banned that word from his vocabulary a long time ago, but in this circumstance he'll use it freely. Though it still comes out sounding like a meek apology.]

[gevurah]

So he's here.

[ She nods slightly, but otherwise continues to lead them to wherever the portal is to head back to the Hold. In the back of her mind, she worries about the possibility of the United Earth tracing their whereabouts again or that another one like Adam will be compromised. Are they endangering this world by trying to save the others? She hates this uncertainty. ]

You need to see someone, though. You won't be any good if you exert yourself too soon.

[retraced]

I've dealt with worse before.

[Which is another reason why this sort of thing is so shameful. He walked through the entirety of Cheshire's dimension with huge bloody gashes in his chest, a fever should be nothing in comparison, and yet.]

[gevurah]

[ Why is she not surprised he said that? ]

And you were the one giving me the lecture.

[retraced]

--That was different!

[He exclaims with a single, painful sounding cough.]

You'd been injured for a long time by that point!

[gevurah]

[ She slows their pace, craning her head to see if he's alright. ]

At least I could breathe. Besides, I said it wasn't anything couldn't handle on my own.

[retraced]

I could...

[No, he can't even finish that sentence. He would have still been crawling up and down the wrong hallway if she hadn't come along when she did. And to prove her right even more, his steps slow as soon as hers do, and he gasps sharply.]

I c-can't breathe.