Tuning Towers expedition planning post

[healspec]

WHAT WE ARE DOING:
Forming an expedition to explore the sewers beneath Tuning Towers and the tower basements, in the hopes of locating the source of the buzzing and stopping it.

Since this post Ravi's spent some time mapping out routes through the sewers and subways around Tuning Towers and trying to put together a plan. He is a very organized person so there would be a second IC post to announce the actual expedition meet-up and discuss the plan, so you need not have commented to the first post to be involved. I'd prefer to handwave that, but I'll make a note of it when I put up the event.

Here are my general ideas for how things are going to go, but I would definitely like to get some discussion going to solidify plans and roles. These ideas are all very flexible so if you have something that works better please do not hesitate to add it to the discussion!

Participants are going to be split into three teams. These are:

Interference

• The Interference team will remain above-ground to act as lookouts.
• They are responsible for distracting police as necessary and reporting changes in the situation to Mission Control.
• This is probably the most dangerous team to be on. Ideal members: people with good spy qualities and good 'lose the cops' skills

Mission Control

• This team is not involved in the immediate action and will most likely be set up a fair distance away at a network safehouse.
• They possess copies of maps for the following: the city's sewer system, subway tunnels, and the floorplans for Tuning Towers.
• They will be responsible for consolidating information from the other teams, using it to mark their progress on the maps, and providing real-time guidance.
• This is the safest team to be on, but they also have the most responsibility. Ideal members: Planners, analysts, people who are good at thinking on their feet, and people who can read maps. We also need a volunteer to provide the safehouse.

Exploration

• The exploration team will be descending into the subways and sewers to carry out the mission objective.
• They will probably be split into sub-groups because I expect the bulk of the participants to be on this team.
• They are responsible for exploring the tunnels and reporting their findings--and lack thereof--to mission control.
• Ideal members: pretty much anybody who wants to participate but doesn't fit on the other teams. Each subgroup would have a designated leader with a radio and copies of the maps, and at least one person capable of emergency first aid.

There will be radios passed out to all the teams. Realistically only team leaders would get one but that's kind of boring so you can handwave it. They'd be instructed to tune the radio frequency to their network number, because that's a communication means that can't be intercepted. (That means there will be a publicly audible thread on the network for radio chatter, which characters who aren't present will be able to chime in on.)

The (tentative) plan is this:

• This will be happening very late night (2~4am or so). Exact date undecided but we can do it this weekend if nobody has any objections.
• The interference team runs a distraction to get the cops away from sewer/subway entrances, allowing the exploration teams to get down there.
• Planning for subway tunnels is really hard because I've never lived in an area that had subways??? Is this even a good idea? plz advise
• The interference team keeps an eye on the above-ground situation, acting as lookouts, while the exploration team...explores.
• Both teams report relevant information to the mission control team by way of radio comms, mission control takes note and makes adjustments as necessary.
• THEY WILL NOT FIND THE SOURCE OF THE BUZZING IN THE SUBWAYS OR SEWERS. Also the buzzing and phantom tremors will be incredibly strong down there so have fun w/that. Earplugs don't block it out, either 8|b
• They will, however, be able to access the Tuning Towers basements (which are occupied by Thunder Corp) because the sewers pass within a few yards of the basement walls. They'd need to phase or dig through to do this.
• The source of the buzzing is about a mile underground, with no ready-made route to it. Digging that far down is not possible, but if any character possesses the ability to phase that far down, they will be able to locate the source of the buzzing.
• I have been informed that our cast is unfortunately not yet powerful enough to destroy the source, so the buzzing will persist. Sadly.

So, the outcome of the stated mission will be failure.

However! Our characters will be able to discover new information, and if you were looking for a way for your character to attract police attention/get taken into custody, something could always go terribly wrong while running interference!

Questions? Anything to add? Discuss which team your character would be on? The floor is open!

UPDATES:

- Word of mod: "all participants in this venture will receive one (1) plot Echo."
- The interference team WILL attract police attention. You can volunteer OOCly to have your character arrested (or avoid it if you prefer)! - As per Julien's suggestion, they will be encouraged to carry small mirrors or buttons with most of their network number pre-written on them, to allow for them to easily add the last number and provide a visual for the network/mission control.
- As per Luci's suggestion, they will be splitting up and entering the tunnels at different points, with several distractions splitting up the police threat, to minimize the risk of getting caught.
- Mission control will be stationed at Barnaby's apartment. Subject to change if the team gets larger than 10 people.

Here is a spreadsheet of the teams. Feel free to add yourself in! You can also sign up for a specific exploration squad if you like.

Comments

[searchforpeace]

If I may, I'd love to have Audrey involved with Mission control. You're welcome to use her home as a safehouse if a better one isn't available. She lives with her uncle and aunt at the present. She also runs a "gaming club" that's more of an organization of numbered folks sharing information with one another disguised as a gaming club. She could just claim it was a club meeting to her aunt and uncle and depending when it is we could have them out of town altogether.

[healspec]

Sounds like a plan! Ravi would prefer a safehouse w/no civilians in it but that works if nothing better comes up.

[elfstoned]

Aaron is good at losing cops and not being seen, though he doesn't like taking that kind of risk. He's also one of a few able to sense what's going on underground, so he might be good to head an underground team?

[healspec]

Yeah Aaron is definitely more valuable on an exploration team, esp since he also qualifies as a medic.

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura's good with maps and has Diabound who can move through the ground.

Also: this may be relevant. I was actually just about to have Bakura post ICly about that. Not sure if it interferes or enhances your plans?

[healspec]

Oooh. Those defunct tunnels might be included on the maps Ravi has.

He would definitely be willing to investigate that, but I don't think it interferes with the current plan.

[dominateartimus]

No objections for the date.

I take it Xander's shadow mimicry would have him signed up for the Interference team or did Ravindra have another position in mind for him?

[healspec]

I do think Xander would be extremely valuable on the interference team because shadow mimicry is basically THE PERFECT GETAWAY and makes him nearly impossible to catch. So that is what Ravi would recommend, definitely.

[espigeonage]

Julien would be good at Interference or Exploration if he had like any night vision anymore. Yuuya's skillset fits pretty well.

...but, he doesn't. He wouldn't be helpless, but he'd have to be led by the hand whenever things were particularly dim. I can't echo him back Yuuya's night vision glasses yet. They're too small for him. And anyway he's fumbled around in the dark before.

Mission control, then! He can think fast, sometimes. Maps... Maybe.

[healspec]

Yeahhhh sorry your eyes make you a liability in the dark, Julien. But Ravi is more than happy to have him along as mission control.

[icy_heavens]

Well, you know Toushirou is gonna show up and just make you freak out, Ravi. He's actually good at most of that organizational and tactical stuff, but will insist that he's the most useful on an underground team. Screw your anxieties, man. He's going down there whether you like it or not!

[healspec]

TOUSHIRO YOU ARE VERY LUCKY THAT HIS PRAGMATISM TRUMPS HIS CONCERN

He will relent only if Toushiro is on his team so Ravi can keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't get himself hurt.

[amberhearted]

ALEX WILL BE WITH YOU IN SPIRIT

[healspec]

Secretly relieved that he doesn't have to bat-ify himself again tho I bet

[italktofish]

Arthur would very much like to be involved in this! He can talk to fish, breathe underwater, and fight with a trident even if he doesn't actually have a trident beyond a Halloween prop.

He is also REALLY GOOD at being a distraction. 8D

[healspec]

Arthur you are definitely on the interference team.

Ravi is very sorry about this, dear rest of the interference team. Your sacrifice is for a worthy cause.

[scramasax]

Volunteering Anthony as well for mission control if 'twould be accepted! o> He's reasonably analytical and fast as a thinker - and on the other hand while he'd find it a pity not to take part he'd be disadvantaged in either interference or exploration.

[healspec]

Definitely accepted! And Ravi would be glad that he wasn't trying to get on either of the more dangerous teams, haha

[whiterabbit_dot_obj]

I'm all for getting Barnaby involved with Mission Control. He's analytical and a pretty good problem solver, what with all the programming and debugging he does. He might offer up his apartment as a safehouse, if only for his own convenience, but that'd depend on how big the MC team gets.

[healspec]

Looks like 5 or 6 right now for mission control. Allowing space for late sign-ups I'd say probably max 8 or 9 people. Is that too much for Barnaby's apartment?

[flamberge]

I would love to have Karl/Richard involved with this wherever you want him really. He's technically a cop so idk if that would be good for interference or not? But he definitely knows how to think on his feet and planning stuff for mission control, but he also wouldn't be bad at doing exploration cause of heightened eyesight and heightened hearing and super strength and being able to fly. So yup, wherever you think he'd fit in best.

[healspec]

Oh man tough choice tbh. I don't feel like any one team is particularly lacking in members, so I guess it's up to what you want OOCly. Interference runs the risk of getting caught and arrested, exploration will get to see what's in Thunder Corps' TT basement suites firsthand, and mission control tries to make sure everything runs smoothly.

[sun_sun]

Will there be any plot echo opportunities from this?

[15minuteslate]

Krysal here -- yes, all participants in this venture will receive one (1) plot Echo.

[indy_wannabe]

Ez is a born explorer, in canon he mapped the extensive underground networks of a large city-state at the tender age of 8. Any room in the Exploration team for him?

[ladyofluminosity]

PLEASE DON'T BE AN IDIOT PLEASE DON'T BE AN IDIOT PLEASE DON'T BE AN IDIOT. #teammomproblems

[originaloddcouple]

The Dians have very little fighting skills or... skills. In fact, they have a tendency to be kinda unnecessarily loud. They follow any orders people might give them though, they know how to play to the other's advantages. Isaac is alright at thinking big ideas if you give him a little time, while Miria is good at imagining quick, if bizarre, options.

There's also two of them. So they have that going on.

[healspec]

lmao oh Dians, what are you getting yourselves into. Do you want them on the interference team, then? Sounds like that's where their strengths would lie.

[ex_purity762]

Pierce here will volunteer to go underground solely because his voice can nullify that buzzing sound for people around him, within limits. It has a lingering effect and should make things more tolerable.

Suzaku, while he sorely wants to explore, will volunteer for interference because he can outrun even machine gun fire. He can most certainly keep some police occupied.

And he will recognize Ravi's voice, haha.

[healspec]

PIERCE YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL that skill is absolutely yes must have please come

oh god ahaha Suzaku recognizing Ravi would be just

the most

awkward

[ursoreckless]

Shoun here is best with being a major distraction, and while he's good with figuring puzzles out, he's not the kind of person that would take waiting long with any sort of grace. He will be the kind of person to be a huge distraction, going from the pleasant drunk that needs a recharged cell to outright anything goes. He can also try to keep Arthur from going too nuts too.

[healspec]

Shou on interference then, got it o7

[siesinddasessen]

While Blaine does fit the skill set for Interference to a dot, she would neither want to take the risk nor be interested in being that far away from actual information. So unless someone takes it upon them to convince her otherwise, she would want to be on one of the the Exploration teams.

She's a trained fighter, mostly relying on speed but also p strong, and very observant, but she has no schooling to speak of beyond the very basic things. Used to working in teams, but not ready to protect people's sensibilities.

[healspec]

Ravi would certainly not try to convince her otherwise. I will mark her down for exploration, then.

[ladyofluminosity]

Signing Luci up for the Mission Control team, since she's adamantly against getting her hands particularly dirty right now. Also she can infer that at least a few of her friends will be involved, and she would be a terrible person if she didn't try to look out for them in some way, shape, or form. She's highly intelligent, is great at information gathering, and while she was an infiltrator in her past life, again, she doesn't really want to get directly involved yet (plus she hasn't quite remembered that bit). That said, she would probably have some interesting insight as to how to get in and get out unseen.

This weekend works fine for me.

What are the chances of any and/or all teams being found? I'm a planner myself, so I like to anticipate these things.

[searchforpeace]

I've thrown Audrey in for the MC team. So far it looks like we've got Luci, Barnaby, Julien and Audrey. Maybe Karl/Richard too?

[tenaciousc]

Oh, I would love to get Michelle involved in this. Problem is, she's new and not very invested in this yet? Still hardly believes what she's seeing here, hasn't echoed back anything useful yet etc. etc. So I'm not sure how she could be convinced to sign up.

But if she did, her current skillset would be best for mission control; exploration would be a fantastic opportunity for a canon recurrence echo, it's just harder to justify her being on there at this point in time. Hmm.

[healspec]

Well, she would definitely be affected by the city-wide perpetual buzzing noise that only reincarnates can hear, and the whole point of this is to try to find whatever's behind that and shut it off. If she finds it irritating enough to want to do something about it, there's an in.

[betroth]

chloe is still interested in the exploration team if you'll have her! since she's used to working in groups, keeping a level head (thankfully in this life more than the last) and would do best on a team under the watch of a more experienced medic. she follows orders well and hey she's teeny, she can go where other people might not be able to. LOOK WHEN YOU HAVE RESOURCES YOU USE THEM ACCORDINGLY

[healspec]

Welcome to the exploration team, Chloe!

If you want her under the watch of an experienced medic, then you'll probably want her on either Aaron's team or Ravi's.

[acequeen]

I should definitely have Regina involved in this since she expressed interest in Ravi's post. You can put her in either the interference team (she's great in wielding weapons and very swift on her feet against the cops) or the exploration one since she's good at reading maps. She can also help people out on a moment's notice if need be.

[healspec]

Hmm interference has fewer people but is still sizable enough atm. What would you prefer OOCly, potential threat of arrest or getting info firsthand out of the TT basements?

[gogoghostpowers]

Danny is SO UP for this! SO READY TO GO.

I think he would be either Interference or Exploration. Interference because his intangibility/possession powers lend themselves well to dodging cops, when used properly.

OR, he could be on Exploration, where his powers are definitely good for getting underground and getting into places that are otherwise hard to get to--passageways that are blocked off, locked doors, etc. PLUS, because his powers have gotten stronger, he can also make other things intangible or make entire groups of people intangible so that they can pass through these things too.

What are your thoughts on this?

[healspec]

DANNY YES PLZ COME

I would like him on exploration! His abilities seem like our best bet for getting into the Tuning Towers basements, and possibly for finding the source of the buzzing, tho idk if he'd be willing to sink himself A MILE UNDERGROUND to do so...

[lackinginfaith]

Kari's up for Exploration. She isn't sitting this out.

[healspec]

Welcome to exploration then, Kari!

[glorifiedtrash]

Zelos would want to be in on this even though he's completely new. He'd prefer to be on the Exploration team because he hasn't gotten to see any freaky stuff up close yet, but he'd do just fine on Interference or Mission Control if you need more people on either of those. Distracting people from things he doesn't want them to know about is kind of His Thing and he's pretty good at planning on the fly.

If anyone's interested he wouldn't mind letting MC chill at the Starlit Stage; there's meeting rooms they could use there. Just as long as no one touched any of the performance equipment he'd think it was pretty hilarious really.

[healspec]

Exploration works. Right now we only have 5 or 6 on mission control so let me check whether Barnaby's apartment is still viable with that many. If not we can use Starlit Stage instead.

[elfstoned]

Oh, also, sign Mamoru up for interference. I want him in on RUNNING FROM THE COPS.

[healspec]

Done and done