Combat Writer > Hate to interrupt you, Kayvon, but I need some extra support on your side for the next Western exploration. Preferably two observers, three ranged, and two melee. If you can manage, of course.
Drone Mummy > ... What the fuck. What is it this time? That's a bloody army you're requesting!
Combat Writer > Yeah, sorry about that. Camp Nightwatch got hit by a quake and needs materials, so we're taking a small detour to escort a convoy through the Zone. Plan is to have your drones accompany up to there, then escort the convoy back to safety.
Drone Mummy > ... You want to send my babies into that nightmare?! Kayla, have you lost your damn mind?! That does it, I'm gonna tell security to play marching band songs near you from now on.
— Scribe 2.0, private SD-BS chat channel
The area west of the
Nightwood is a rather unstable environment. Over the years, it's been hit by several environmental circumstances that impact the lay of the land. Its location next to the Nightwood doesn't help matters either, as animal migration from there can be a rightful pain in the neck. A random
Ursa Majors stampede has on multiple occasions triggered a permanent change to the area.
There are various factors causing this unstable situation. Part of the soil is soft, others are hard. It also is a rather stormy area, with winds toppling trees and flash floods combining rather poorly with these impromptu natural dams. The area also gets hit by earthquake a few times a year, which can cause landslides. All in all, not only is even the weather a threat here, the area also frequently changes its layout. Which means that a route which is safe one day, can become a hazard the next, completely out of the blue. This state of flux, combined with being next to the Nightwood, earned it the moniker Twilight Zone.
While
Homesteaders do venture into this area, this usually is just to travel through, or gather resources. However, there is a more permanent settlement in the form of
Camp Nightwatch, a Homesteader hunting camp which has been around for over a decade and repeatedly been partially or completely destroyed, then rebuilt. Honestly, the camp's existence is a fool's errand, but it provides useful information about how certain construction methods function in these places. So the Science Department provides some support, as do various Homesteaders.
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