ourearth: General Mod icon, shows Earth (Default)
Save Our Earth Mods ([personal profile] ourearth) wrote in [community profile] saveourearth2018-09-22 09:21 am

Grandma's less pleasant memorabilia [mingle]

Date: 24-27th of September
Characters: Everyone!


A few weeks ago, they started building at the very end of the High Street. They're tearing down one of those ugly houses that were built after the war to replace all the buildings that had been destroyed in air raids, which Mossgate, being a coastal town with a significant harbour at the time, saw a lot of.

It's not an exciting rebuild in itself - Premier Inn is building a hotel to have a foot in Mossgate's reviving tourist industry. It is, however, kind of exciting to see new buildings, as there hasn't be much building activity on the High Street since the recession hit.

Or, well, it certainly causes some excitement. Because one of the typical hazards of building foundations in this area strikes: You tend to either hit Roman ruins, in which case you need to let the archaeologists have a go at it before you can continue - highly annoying for the builder. Or you hit a WW2 bomb, which needs to be defused and removed before you can continue - highly annoying for everyone who lives, works or shops nearby.

In other words, around 11am of the 24th, anyone within a certain distance of the bomb will be evacuated indeterminately while the experts come in and have a look at the bomb. So far, so annoying. The constables say that it shouldn't last longer than two days.

Due to the location and size of the bomb, the area of evacuation includes shops, a part of residential suburban Mossgate, a school, a senior residence and the town museum.

People who live nearby have to evacuate their houses and either stay with friends or relatives or bunk up in a hotel or emergency shelter in one of the local school's gyms.

Shops have to shut down and leave their goods in the hands of their security systems and the local police force.

A call for volunteers goes out to help evacuate the residents of the senior residence, as there isn't enough staff to evacuate all of them quickly enough.

Bus lines get rerouted.

Constables are pulled in from other locations and volunteers activated to send people away from the dangerous area, and tape goes up. Interested Bystanders [tm] gather and have to be argued with to make way for evacuees and professionals. Some local press gathers. Car drivers who just need to go through real quick, there's no reason to be like that Constable, don't you know who I am need to be sent away.

The excitement dies down some on the following days, though the evacuation lasts.

On the 25th, the Super announces that according to the experts the bomb should be in a state to defuse it and take it away safely.

On the morning of the 26th, a second announcement follows: No, it seems that the fuse and the bomb is too corroded to be defused, and that a controlled explosion will have to be undertaken.

Straw and other materials are brought in to pad the bomb and thus protect the neighbourhood from the detonation, other precautions are taken and preparations made, and on the 27th a controlled detonation removes the danger. But as detonated explosions go, they are still explosions, and the shock wave damages a wall of the next house, which holds McDonalds, while some of the straw catches on fire and is taken up by the sea breeze to set a roof two houses over on fire, which is the town museum. The fire department is present and quickly takes care of it, but the damage is still done.

After that, everyone is allowed to return to their houses, schools, shops, and so on.
iamnotgod: Black and white picture of a man looking up and off to the right. (What Even Is This?)

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2018-10-11 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
"I don't trip easily," Walter says in mock protest.

And he does notice that lack of denial.

"Though I suspect most of us are curious... Be terrible if we worked at cross purposes."

Then he frowns.

"Or got each other landed in trouble by congregating here all at once, either."
scarsolderthanyou: (patience)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-10-11 05:48 pm (UTC)(link)
"You don't have my nose." Sam taps the side of his as if this means something. "You'd get caught pretty quickly, but I'll smell anyone coming. Which is why I'm going to be walking the edges looking for troublemakers."
iamnotgod: A man staring slightly off-center, looking serious. (Let Me Explain You A Thing)

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2018-10-11 07:18 pm (UTC)(link)
"And how fast would you be able to get out of there?" Walter asks in turn.

A subtle side-glance indicates they're not quite getting anyone's attention just standing around talking, but even so...

"Granted if you had a long enough grace period that might not matter, but what if someone who is on security catches on and has questions?"
scarsolderthanyou: (amused)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-10-16 05:58 pm (UTC)(link)
"Then I say I thought I saw someone in here and I was coming to haul them out," Sam shrugs. "When you're old and confident and grouchy, people tend to believe you, and don't like to manhandle you anyway."
iamnotgod: A man, sitting and possibly smiling. (Awkward Smile)

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2018-10-17 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
"Well, I suppose you still have that over me," Walter admits, not-quite-shrugging.

He glances sidewise to where he knows he can hear someone calling his name.

"I think we're still needed out here for now, though."
scarsolderthanyou: (kids)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-10-17 11:34 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, still got to get my shit over to my daughter's before I can do anything else." Sam closes his car trunk finally. "You need any help packing up, or you good?"
iamnotgod: A man, smiling and holding a book. (When He Smiles.)

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2018-10-18 12:21 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm good," Walter states.

"My flatmate and I are just far enough away that we're not in the evacuation part of this mess. It's only right to lend a hand where we can, though."
scarsolderthanyou: (thinking)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-10-22 05:41 pm (UTC)(link)
"Nice of you," Sam says approvingly. "I'm good, too, though. Just got to get all this over to Mary's. You might try at the actual senior center, though. There's some people who sound pretty damn confused over there, that's where I'm headed next."
iamnotgod: A man, smiling and holding a book. (When He Smiles.)

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2018-10-22 08:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Walter snorts.

"Well in that case, I'll probably see you there soon. Not like I have anything more immediate on my plate, anyway."
scarsolderthanyou: (patience)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-10-25 11:04 pm (UTC)(link)
"Just remember what I said about the quarantine area," Sam says. Then, a bit lower, he adds, "And try to keep an eye out for anything else strange, would you? This is the most active and busy this little town has been in a long time, and I'm worried it might be connected to everything else with us, somehow."
iamnotgod: Shade Over Face (What Did You Do To Me?)

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2018-10-26 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
Walter gives one last nod, mood turning serious.

"Don't have to ask me twice. I'd really rather we not be the center of attention - as if me saying so matters at all."
scarsolderthanyou: (thinking)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-10-29 05:27 pm (UTC)(link)
"I'd rather not be the center of attention, too," Sam agrees grimly. "But if this all is to do with us, then I want to know as much about it as possible."
iamnotgod: A man, hands up at chest level, staring left and down (In The Dark)

Thread wrap-up here good?

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2018-10-29 09:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"Can't argue with that."

Hopefully they won't bite off more than they can chew...