Broken Spectre

## Summary

As the biggest storm in the Dustland history gathers, Raven goes missing.

## Cast

* Sketchy Galore
* Raven
* Jade

## Mission Requirements

Collect all of the required items to unlock this mission!

1. Completed Season 1, Mission 10
2. 50KM Distance Badge

SKETCHY (YELLING AT SOMEONE OFF MIC) I know, Morris! I KNOW! I’m sending the Dustcap to get her, it’ll be okay.

Dustcap (takes a breath).

SKETCHY (SPEAKING TO PLAYER) Dustcap, I know you’re from Kettlemine and these storms don’t hit the coast, but out here? We get occasional rain and one absolutely certain, massive, rainstorm. Every year. Same day. The storm builds for days, weeks even. It’s amazing, it’s Christmas and old Monsoon season and a gold rush (I’ll explain about those later) and New Year’s all at once. It’s exhausting. It’s amazing. You’ll LOVE IT. At least you would if it was a normal one. This isn’t normal... right now there’s a thunderhead the size of Atlanta parked over the Knucklebone Dustbowl and it’s…it’s going wrong. It’s generating a dust storm, a really REALLY bad one. The centre of it is stable over the bowl, but the sides are extending and the leading edge is going hit us in 20 minutes... and we are all over the map today. 5 and 10 are locking down the local settlements, Dustcaps 2 thru 4 are working the Farm, 11 thru 20 are on triage and disaster relief. 21 thru 30 are up at the windfarm... and Raven’s gone missing. She went to the storm, said she had a theory about how to make it rain early. That was the last we heard of her, and now...her tracer is still. Morris knows this but he doesn’t need to hear me say it: if Raven’s not moving, she’s hurt. Her vital sign signals are being fried by the storm but…she has some. I’ve had you issued a first aid kit. Go get her. Go fast. Go lucky.

FX: GATE OPENING WARNING BELL RINGS

### SCENE 2: UNDER THOR’S SHADOW

EXT. DAY. DUSTLANDS. LOCATION SOUNDSCAPE: STORM WINDS REALLY GETTING UP.

SYNOPSIS: The DUSTCAP heads into the edge of the storm tracking RAVEN’s headset. They find it in a ruined dune buggy and as the storm breaks, have to take shelter in it as a swarm of vultures attack.

SKETCHY OKAY! I’m going to be shouting a little because this really sucks and it’s going to suck harder before we get you both out of there! Hold on a moment...

FX: CLICK AS SKETCHY ACTIVATES ANOTHER LINE TO TALK TO OTHER DUSTCAPS.

SKETCHY (VERY SLIGHTLY OFF MIC) Good job, Dustcap 5! Get 10 some food and get under cover.

SKETCHY (TALKING TO PLAYER AGAIN) Sorry, lots on. You’re coming up on Knucklebone Dustbowl which is a hilarious name for a crater the rough size and shape of god’s fist after she punched Earth in the teeth. It’s not nuclear, we’re not THAT unlucky, but whatever made it was massive. Raven’s last transmission was choppy but it was from somewhere inside that crater. Head along the ridge, stay low. The storm’s breaking any minute so I’m going to run you to directly over her position and…

TRAPCAT (WITH RAVEN’S VOICE) HELLO!

SKETCHY RAVEN!

TRAPCAT (WITH RAVEN’S VOICE) HELLO! COYOTE SKULL DUSTCAP!

SKETCHY She sounds like she’s getting closer... but her tracer hasn’t moved.

TRAPCAT (WITH RAVEN’S VOICE) COYOTE SKULL, COME THIS WAY.

SKETCHY (SAME TONE OF VOICE YOU’D USE TO TELL SOMEONE THEY’D STEPPED ON A LANDMINE). Dustcap, stop! DO. NOT. MOVE. That isn’t Raven, that’s a trapcat.

TRAPCAT COYOTE SKULL. Help me.

TRAPCAT (WITH RAVEN’S VOICE) HELP ME. HELP ME.

SKETCHY Just wait. It won’t like being out in the storm, but if you run, it’ll chase you.

TRAPCAT (WITH RAVEN’S VOICE) HEEEEELP!

SKETCHY Hold on Dustcap.

TRAPCAT (STARTS WITH RAVEN’S VOICE BUT TURNS INTO A ROAR OF FRUSTRATION). HEEE-\*transitions into roar that fades into the storm\*

SKETCHY They’re amazing mimics, but their understanding of words is limited. Give it a few more seconds in this wind and it’ll go back to its burrow. I’d say we could use the trapcat tunnels but...y’know, they usually have trapcats in

FX: RUMBLE OF A LANDSLIDE QUICKLY BUILDING UNDER SKETCHY’S VO.

SKETCHY What the hell is that?

FX: SIDE OF KNUCKLEBONES DUSTBOWL STARTS TO GIVE WAY, HUGE CHUNKS OF ROCKS START RAINING DOWN AROUND THE DUSTCAP.

SKETCHY Big strides, Dustcap! Whole side of the Bowl’s coming down you have to surf the pieces! Head for the center!

FX: LANDSLIDE BUILDS AND BUILDS. A PARTICULARLY BIG CHUNK OF ROCKS CRASHES CLOSE BY.

SKETCHY OK! NEW PLAN! JUMP, LEGS IN FRONT OF YOU, DROP YOUR COCCYX RIGHT ONTO THE DUST! LOWER BACK! STRAIGHT UP ELBOW DROP THE GROUND! Good, go fetal, deep breath and…

FX: LANDSLIDE FADES

SKETCHY Are you okay Dustcap? Let me scan what’s around you...

FX: SCANNING NOISE.

SKETCHY Okay, ground’s clear. Visibility’s even not that awful because we’re in the crater! You’ve got a small rise in front of you and four trenches inside the crater ahead.

FX: TYPING FROM SKETCHY’S SIDE.

SKETCHY I’ve got a trace for Raven! Can’t lock it down closer to 50 metres but there are two likely spots. One of the knucklebone gullies and what looks like a vehicle up ahead. Head for that first.

FX: A WHIRR AND A CLUNK AS A TRAPDOOR IN THE SAND OPENS.

SKETCHY Huh. Okay, I admit the trapdoor in the sand is a surprise.

FX: THERE IS A SERIES OF BEEPS, THEN A ROBOT POWERING UP THRUSTERS AS LAUNCHES ITSELF INTO THE AIR. SKYBORG REMAIN.

SKETCHY That does not look like a service droid.

SKYBORG INITIATING CONTAINMENT PROCEDURES.

FX: MECHANICAL WHIRRING AN CLICKING AS WEAPONS COMPARTMENTS ON THE SKYBORG OPEN.

SKETCHY Guns! Dustcap, move to cover, now!

SKYBORG REMAIN (Beat)

FX: GUNFIRE. TWIN MACHINE GUNS STITCHING LINES OF ROUNDS INTO THE SAND. THIS IS CHUNKY, OLD SCHOOL WEAPONS, LARGE BULLETS FIRED ANGRILY INTO THE GROUND.

SKETCHY RIGHT! BREAK RIGHT! Head into the storm!

FX: BULLETS FLY PAST THE PLAYER AS THE DROID CHASES THEM, MOST OF THEM HIS DIRT, BUT AT THE END SEVERAL BOUNCE OFF SOMETHING METAL.

SKETCHY There’s...something ahead of you. Damn this storm!

FX: MORE RICOCHETS OFF METAL.

SKETCHY There’s something big and metal ahead of you. It looks like someone welded tank tracks onto a helicopter...it doesn’t matter, the back ramp is open, run for it! Get inside!

### SCENE 3: HUNTED IN THE DUST.

INT. INSIDE THE HYBRID VEHICLE THE PLAYER IS HIDING INSIDE. LOCATION SOUNDSCAPE: STORM WINDS REALLY REALLY GETTING UP. BUT IT’S BEHIND THE WALLS OF THE HYBRID VEHICLE WE’RE HIDING IN.

SYNOPSIS: Pinned down by the SKYBORG, the DUSTCAP discovers evidence of RAVEN’s presence. Aided by SKETCHY, they follow the blood trail she’s left to a hatch in the floor of the crater and use the storm to take out the drone. Or think they do.

SKYBORG (OUTSIDE IN THE STORM) REMAIN.

SKETCHY Damn. Okay I don’t know why it isn’t attacking us in here, but we’ll take it.

SKYBORG (OUTSIDE IN THE STORM) REMAIN.

SKETCHY Our friend out there is old US military tech. The term for it used to be ‘Infantry Denial System’ and if you let it will deny you to pieces. Dustcap, take a look around please. I want to see if we’re alone in here.

FX: SCANNING NOISE FROM PLAYER HEADSET.

SKETCHY This is nice work! I mean it’s ugly as hell and its basically a half a tank and a half a helicopter getting blackout drunk and playing with welding torches... but still, FUN! I’ll tell you about helicopters sometime, they were great! Terrifying but great.

FX: BEEPING FROM SKETCHY’S SIDE.

SKETCHY Hey, we might have lucked out here Dustcap, I’m getting a signal from the cockpit. I think it’s Raven...

SKETCHY (SLIGHTLY OFF MIC AS SHE TRIES TO SPEAK TO RAVEN OVER RAVEN’S HEADSET). Raven! Raven can you hear us? There’s a Dustcap at your door.

FX: NO RESPONSE, JUST FAINT BEEPING.

SKETCHY (SLIGHTLY OFF MIC AS SHE TRIES TO SPEAK TO RA

VEN OVER RAVEN’S HEADSET) Raven? Raven! Storm’s building. RAVEN! Come on, buddy. Let’s go home. After the terrifying storm obviously!

SKYBORG (OUTSIDE IN THE STORM) REMAIN!

SKETCHY And also the killer robot!

FX: NO RESPONSE, JUST THE STORM OUTSIDE.

SKETCHY Her headset might be malfunctioning. Dustcap check the cockpit. Just force the door and…

FX: SQUEAK, CLUNK OF A HUGE DOOR LOCK BEING DISENGAGED. DOOR CREAKS OPEN.

SKETCHY (OVER LOUDSPEAKER) Raven? I- Watch out!

FX: SCREECH AS A VULTURE LAUNCHES ITSELF AT THE DUSTCAP.

SKETCHY (OVER HEADSET AGAIN) Open the ramp! Open the ramp! It’s the green button on the wall, open the r...

FX: SCREECH CUT OFF BY A METALLIC THUMP OF THE VULTURE SLAMMING INTO THE STILL CLOSED RAMP.

SKETCHY HAH! SERVES YOU RIGHT MURDER LUGGAGE! No matter what the Dustlands throw at us the vultures still creep me out. Still, I wish more of the things that attack us knocked themselves unconscious in the process.

SKETCHY So obviously Raven isn’t here, but that’s her headset in the seat the vulture just vacated and...

FX: STICKY NOISE AS DUSTCAP PICKS UP RAVEN’S HEADSET.

SKETCHY (HORRIFIED) That is blood. That is too much blood.

SKYBORG (OUTSIDE IN THE STORM) REMAIN.

SKETCHY (FORCING CALM) Right. We need to be smart. Vultures are opportunity feeders. There’s no way it’d just attack Raven but it’d definitely hang out and wait for her to die. Track back around the cockpit for me?

FX: SCANNING

SKETCHY Okay, no real signs of struggle, that’s a good sign. Means the vultures got here after she left. Means she was able TO leave. Follow the blood along the floor, please? Also close the cockpit door behind you, please.

FX: COCKPIT DOOR GROANS CLOSED, CLUNKS AS THE LOCK ENGAGES.

SKETCHY There’s a hatch in the floor, and the blood leads outside. It leads outside. Into the storm. Oh, Raven.

SKYBORG (OUTSIDE IN THE STORM) REMAIN

SKETCHY OK, do me a favor and see if the vulture is still alive.

FX: FEATHERY RUSTLE AS THE DUSTCAP CHECKS.

FX: SCANNING.

SKETCHY Alright, good. Let’s feed two birds with one bone here. Carefully open the hatch in the floor and put the vulture outside on the ground. We can’t leave it in here anyway.

FX: SQUEAK AND CLUNK AS THE HATCH IS OPENED.

FX: SOFT THUMP.

SKETCHY I hope it’s okay.

FX: QUIET VULTURE SQUAWK.

SKYBORG REMAIN

FX: LOUD VULTURE CRY.

SKYBORG WILDLIFE IDENTIFIED. MOVE ALONG.

FX: VULTURE SCREECH FADES INTO THE STORM.

SKETCHY That...went well. Go in peace murder luggage. I think we can carefully try to get out of the

SKYBORG (OUTSIDE IN THE STORM) REMAIN! REMAIN!

SKETCHY Back inside!

FX: CRASH OF GLASS AND PING OF BULLETS AS THE DRONE FIRES INTO THE VEHICLE.

FX: FOR A MOMENT ALL WE HEAR IS THE TINKLING OF GLASS AND THE STORM OUTSIDE.

SKETCHY Okay this is actually good! Sort of. Our murderous little friend out there is not as advanced as the other drones you’ve tangled with. He can’t see well through the dust, certainly not more than silhouettes and definitely not through metal. He can guess where you are, but not actually see you.

SKYBORG AMMUNITION STORAGE INACCESSIBLE. SWITCHING ENFORCEMENT MODE.

SKETCHY I’m not sure if that’s good news or bad. Head back to the cockpit. Stay low, keep your headset active I’ll try and hack our violent little friend here. (Beat) Damn it. He’s encrypted. GOOD encryption too which is odd for a piece of tech older than either of us. Head back to the cockpit for me? Slow and steady.

FX: REOPENING THE COCKPIT DOOR.

SKYBORG (OUTSIDE IN THE STORM) REMAIN!

FX: THE SKYBORG RAMS THE COCKPIT. CRASHES, SPARKS.

FX: THE STORM GETS LOUDER AS THE WINDOWS ARE MOSTLY GONE.

SKETCHY Okay, so the new mode is ramming speed!

FX: THE SKYBORG RAMS THE COCKPIT AGAIN. THIS TIME THERE IS A ELECTRICAL SPARK NOISE.

SKETCHY Rude! SKYBORG REMAIN!

SKETCHY Get under the dash!

SKYBORG REMAIN!

FX: LOUD ZAP SOUND.

SKYBORG REMAIN! (pause) REMAIN.

SKETCHY I don’t think it can tell you’re under there.

SKYBORG REMAIN.

SKETCHY COOL. Before it figures it out, we’re going to science this thing. Pop that panel.

FX: CLICK OF A PANEL BEING OPENED.

SKETCHY Now..yellow wire and red wire, under the console. See ‘em? COOL. Strip them, carefully as possible with HOVERING DEATH over there watching... use the sharp edge of the console and stay horizontal. You may shock yourself but if you do, shortest distance to Earth is very short. It won’t kill you. Probably.

SKYBORG REMAIN.

SKETCHY This is going to suck, but trust me. When I say now, stand up, he’ll try to ram you again. The second his nose is through the window drop back and jam a wire into each side of it. Ready…stand.

SKYBORG REMAIN!

FX: SKYBORG RAMS THE COCKPIT AGAIN.

SKETCHY NOW!

FX: LOUD ZAP

SKYBORG: REMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIiiiiiiiiiiin (Winding down)

FX: LOUD MECHANICAL CRASH.

SKETCHY And he is…down. Okay, we’re going to celebrate by very VERY carefully backing out of the cockpit and maintaining eye contact. Let’s do that now.

SKETCHY I need to think. And you need to keep moving, stay warm. I know it’s weird but while I sort us a plan keep moving through this helitank thing, just a walk is fine.

FX: STORM VOLUME INCREASES.

### SCENE 4: BLOOD AND SAND

LOCATION SOUNDSCAPE: THE STORM HAS REACHED PEAK POWER.

SKETCHY No Raven. One murderbot too many. One Dust storm too many. But I think maybe we can still make this work. I’ll just need you to head outside for a moment, we’re going to use murderbot’s scanner array to find Raven. Hit that button and lower the ramp.

FX: RAMP LOWERING. GETS LOUDER AS DUSTCAP WALKS TOWARDS IT.

FX: DUSTCAP WALKS TO THE RAMP, WIND SPIKES.

FX: LIGHTNING. VERY CLOSE.

SKETCHY Dustcap get off the ramp!

FX: ANOTHER EVEN CLOSER LIGHTNING STRIKE.

FX: CRASH AS THE RAMP GIVES WAY AND THE DUSTCAP FALLS ONTO THE DUST.

FX: HALCYON SUIT DAMAGE WARNING SIREN.

SKETCHY DAMN it. I’m sorry I know that hurt. Let me trigger the suit’s repair sequence, it can’t stitch you back up but it can fix itself.

FX: MULTIPLE LIGHTNING STRIKES STARTING FAR AWAY AND GETTING CLOSER.

FX: HALYCON SUIT AUTO-REPAIR KICKS IN. A VERY HIGH PITCHED, RAPID ZIPPER, AS THE NANOMATERIAL STITCHES BACK TOGETHER.

SKETCHY Good, your suit’s stitching itself, back up and I have a PLAN. It’s actually raining! DUST knows we need water but it’s so hot it’s evaporating before it hits the ground. Instead we just get thunder and lightning. A LOT of lightning. It rolls in waves, like you just saw.

SKYBORG (GLITCHING) REMAIN!

SKETCHY Oh come ON! Back away...

SKYBORG REMAIN.

FX: DRONE TRIES TO LIFT OFF THE GROUND BUT FALLS BACK WITH A CRASH.

SKETCHY It’s damaged but it must have some sort of self repair thing happening.

FX: DRONE LIFTS OFF AGAIN BEFORE FALLING MUCH CLOSER TO THE PLAYER.

SKETCHY Dustcap, hold still, it’s following your movement.

SKYBORG REMAIN. REM- \*BUZZ OF STATIC\* REMAIN!

SKETCHY OK, time to move anyway. Forget the ramp, go for the access hatch underneath the helitank.

SKYBORG DUUUUST.

SKETCHY What.

SKYBORG (STILL IN SKYBORG’S VOICE, BUT IT’S RAVEN HAVING HACKED THE ROBOT). CAP! DUSTCAP! DUSTCAP! RUN!

SKETCHY …That’s new.

FX: THE DROID POWERS UP ONCE AGAIN AND THIS TIME STAYS AIRBORNE.

SKYBORG SECURITY INTRUSION DETECTED. SWITCHING TO EMERGENCY CONTAINMENT PROCESS. AMMUNITION STORAGE ACCESSED. DUSTCAP RUN.

FX: WHIRRING AND CLICKING AS NEW WEAPONS ARE DEPLOYED.

FX: THUMP AND SLIGHT DECREASE IN STORM NOISE AS DUSTCAP HIDES UNDER VEHICLE.

SKETCHY This is the worst first date EVER.

SKYBORG REMAIN!

FX: HEAVY GUNFIRE RICOCHETS OFF THE HELITANK.

SKETCHY Actually that’s a lie. I’ve had worse dates than this.

SKYBORG (GLITCHING) REMAIN. RUN. REMAIN.

SKETCHY That thing has to be on its last legs. I can see its wiring!

FX: GUNFIRE

FX: LIGHTNING

SKETCHY The hatch isn’t far from you. Just keep crawling towards it and...

SKYBORG (SKYBORG VOICE OVERLAID WITH RAVEN’S VOICE)

SKEEEETCHYYYYYYYYYYYY

SKETCHY Raven?

SKYBORG (SKYBORG VOICE OVERLAID WITH RAVEN’S VOICE). CAN’T HOLD FOR LONG. MISSILES.

SKETCHY Missiles? Dustcap move, run for the ramp that thing camp out of, it’s only shot. Go now. RUN!

SKYBORG REMAIN! FX: FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH! MISSILE IMPACTS ON THE VEHICLE, BLOWING IT UP AS THE PLAYER RUNS FOR IT.

### SCENE 5: FEATHERS AND OIL

LOCATION SOUNDSCAPE. EXT. DUSTLANDS. DAY. STORM WINDS HAVEN’T BACKED OFF AT ALL.

FX: BEEPING OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT ALARMS.

SKETCHY DUSTCAP! KEEP GOING! You’re hurt and your suit’s busted but you’re OK. We need to get you under cover. One place left, when we get there I’ll work my magic.

SKETCHY RAVEN IF YOU CAN HEAR ME KEEP DOING WHAT YOU’RE DOING.

FX: FWOOOOOOSH, SECOND MISSILE HURTLES PAST.

FX: EXPLODES

SKETCHY The ramp is only meters away, and there’s a door at the bottom. I think it’s some sort of shelter? It doesn’t matter...I’m going to get us in and then we are going to go team Thor on that thing.

SKYBORG REMAIN.

FX: MISSILE NOISE, EXPLOSION BUT FURTHER AWAY.

SKETCHY That was 10m off to our left. It can’t see us but it’s trying to herd us. Don’t let it, we’re almost…there! It’s just ahead. Down the ramp!

FX: DUST STORM DIES OFF

FX: MEDICAL ALARMS FROM SUIT ARE LOUDER NOW.

SKETCHY Okay, Dustcap, we’re going to hack the door and get you help. Raven

FX: TYPING FROM SKETCHY’S END. BUZZ OF A PASSWORD DENIAL.

SKETCHY No.

FX: TYPING FROM SKETCHY’S END. BUZZ OF A PASSWORD DENIAL.

SKETCHY No.

SKYBORG (CLOSE)(GLITCHY) (STATIC) REMAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIN

SKETCHY Raven! If you can hear me you don’t have to stop it I just need you to get it as high in the air you can!

FX: TYPING FROM SKETCHY’S END. BUZZ OF A PASSWORD DENIAL. S

KETCHY COME ON!

SKYBORG (HOVERING ALMOST ON TOP OF THE PLATER) REMAIN.

FX: TYPING FROM SKETCHY’S END. BUZZ OF A PASSWORD DENIAL.

SKETCHY RAVEN PLEASE!

SKYBORG (WITH RAVEN’S VOICE) I BELIEVE YOU CAN FLY YOU OVERSPECCED CALCULATOR!

FX: BURST OF STATIC.

SKYBORG (OWN VOICE) (FADES AS THE SKYBORG SUDDENLY GAINS THIRTY FEET OF AIR). REEEeeemaaain.

FX: MASSIVE LIGHTNING STRIKE.

FX: DRONE EXPLODES. SKETCHY GO TEAM THOR! GOOD JOB, RAVEN!

FX: MULTIPLE LIGHTNING STRIKES GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER.

SKETCHY Dustcap get up

FX: LIGHTNING GETS CLOSER

FX: HALCYON SUIT MEDICAL ALARMS

SKETCHY Oh no, no no no, do not pass out yet we have to get you under cover!

FX: LIGHTNING IS ALMOST ON THEM.

SKETCHY I’m so sorry. Close your eyes.

FX: DOOR OPENS

FX: LARGE MECHANICAL SERVO ARMS WHIRRING.

INGRAM (OVER LOUDSPEAKERS) Don’t worry, I’ve got you.