💡 Mission C2: Restore Power
Overview
What will happen:
Before the trainees investigate the space station, they need to make a protective suit (open-ended to interpretation), plus a means to communicate without sound in the dark (flashing lights).
Something is jamming the normal communication channels as well as keeping the station power out, so it’s dark and they can’t talk. Additionally, due to the harsh conditions, Trainees can only spend 10 minutes at a time on the station before having to return to the HQ. Use this time to try and plan their next move or alter their wearables to better signal to each other.
NOTE: Anwear Facilitators will have to enforce no talking in this mission.
NOTE: The light should ideally be connected to a power strip that they literally turn on e.g., when they solve the puzzle, the power comes on both IG and OOG at the same time--it’s a big, obvious win and they will cheer.
If Mission C2 is run with either the Eplhame or Metro City plot, Facilitators can leave clues that hint that a Shapeshifter was on this station that has escaped to these other worlds. In a later mission, it will be revealed that the Shapeshifter has replaced a key character from those other worlds and that the original is being kept in stasis on the station.
If this quest line is run without those other missions, then the Facilitators can leave clues that hint a Shapeshifter is instead still trying to leave the station and has taken a Researcher hostage.
In either case, the next mission in this sequence will involve them returning to the station to rescue that Character.
Trainee's Mission Objectives:
Discover Why the Gate was Broken (continues from Mission C1)
Campers will have to repair the power puzzle console to determine how the gate was broken. The console makes it appear the station lost power.
Materials & Classes Covered
Materials:
Mission Tech: Colored LED Light strips, Affiliated connections, boards, wiring, and batteries necessary
Prop: LED “Portal” to Earhart Station (LED lined doorway to Elpheme room from HQ)**Either have the lights off or flashing to show that they’re nonfunctional
Prop: Prision, one closed, sealed box tunnel. It cannot be opened in this mission. This is where the Shapeshifter stashed the hostage, who will be rescued in the Finale. But this prison has to be here now.
Universal Crafting Material
Non-Player Characters (NPCs):
Anywear Academy Facilitator
Character(s) encouraging Trainees to explore their creativity in protective suit making AND to help ensure their LED lightstrip wearables are functional/can utilize coding learned in previous classes to the best of their abilities.
Classes Covered:
Lights and Colors 2, 3
Sensors 1, 2
Structure
Note: The time duration represents the expected length of the role-play scene and crafting for the activity.
Please account for components such as class time, lunch & breaks in your scheduling.
Exposition (15-25 minutes)
Location: Anywear Academy HQ
Trainees have to figure out a non-verbal mode of communication to pass information to each other. To do that, they’ll be given some code that allows them to send different messages depending on whether they press A, B, A+B, or shake the micro:bit. It’s up to them to modify the code to decide what signals they want to send with those functions.
They’ll need to make up a mask or hood or way to protect their breathing, and can integrate their wearable or not.
Class note: Now would be a great time to host Broadcasting if needed or Sensors or the Lights and Colors 2, 3 (1 hr each)
Initial Incident (10 minutes)
Location: Earhart Station
Once they’ve prepared their wearable protective suits, they enter the space station and investigate.
They will only have ten minutes before they have to return. This should be to gather information and won’t be their only chance to unlock the puzzle.
There is one puzzle here, described below. At the end of the 10 minutes, signal that all of them should return to HQ.
Rising Action (5-15 minutes)
Location: Anywear Academy HQ
Once they return,Trainees should be prompted to share information they’ve gathered and iterate on their designs as needed.
Once the majority of them are ready, inform them that they should be safe to return to the station to try again and adapt if they need more time.
Climax (10-30 Minutes)
Location: Earhart Station/Anywear Academy HQ
Repeat this cycle as needed until the puzzle is complete. The puzzle will play a sound when complete and on that signal, turn the lights back on in the space, and talking will once again be allowed.
Resolution Denouement (5-10 minutes)
Location: Anywear Academy HQ
Trainees should leave documentation behind on how how to fix the power panel through the simultaneous pushing of switches and the code that allowed them to communicate non-verbally; i.e. what code the micro:bit needs to activate the wearable. Discuss how they iterated their designs between sections in the space station.
Documentation can include a paste bin of applicable code, a scrapbook page, or a group whiteboard that they can collaboratively work on.
Facilitator Notes
Mission Success Criteria
[1] Discover Why the Gate was Broken
If Trainees meet [GOAL 1]
If they get the puzzle right, the power comes back on in the station.
If Trainees need a little help with [GOAL 1]
Provide clues on how to solve the puzzle until they figure out the mechanism.
If they run out of time, luckily the power cycles back on automatically!
NOTE: Once the story is complete, all the lights should come on, anything hanging by a fishing line should be cut/dropped as gravity comes back on, and the players can talk (take any masks off).
The duct tube or box tunnel with a locked seal on it that cannot be opened yet should be here to foreshadow the future scene. By this time, they should have to head back to HQ.