Homebound

Retirement...

Mouse stepped out of the shuttle. Roadrunner followed close behind. They were escorted onto a massive platform with at least forty other wayfarers. After a sudden jolt, the platform lowered them underground and into Dawn, the supposed sanctuary of the wayfarers.
The lift stopped, and they stepped off, joining a growing crowd circling a metal platform. Most wore what they were wearing when taken from their homes. Others were already wearing their gear, though still unarmed. Their Echo suits were painted black and the symbol of Homebound rested on their shoulders, a depiction of Safeharbor's skyline on a red background.
Mouse couldn't recognize the man who stood on the platform, but she did know the woman beside him. Everyone knew Miranda Thrace.
Miranda threw her arms up into the air, and the hum of chatter died out. When all were silenced, her arms fell to her side. "Sorry for such short notice, but there's a situation. Three hours ago, we detected a massive energy spike in sector 487, level 17."
Whispers erupted from the crowd. No one had ever delved that deep underground before.
Miranda raised a hand and nodded. "I know. That's why we activated the Atlas Protocol. The more of you there are, the better."
"You have a damn army," someone screamed from the crowd.
Miranda scoffed and crossed her arms, "you want an army of grunts gallivanting around all that sensitive machinery. Even the smallest amount of collateral damage could sentence us all to extinction." She shook her head, "You're smarter than that, and so are we."

Sometimes, home can be more mysterious than anything found In the void. The Wayfarers believe Safeharbor to be a treasure trove, and they couldn't be more correct. They know Echoes are filled with wonders, but also terrors beyond counting. There are skeletons aplenty in our closet… and the walls… the floors.
Homebound is an organization of wayfarers who isolate their exploration to Safeharbor. They scour our planet wide city, as well as its massive subterranean complex. By collecting Keys to the city, they spread humanities' influence on the planet, sometimes taking years to search a single sector. They face unstable structures, faulty machinery, dangerous fauna, and more.

Of all the wayfarers, they have the shortest life expectancy, but the highest survival rate. They sacrifice themselves in search of anything that could lift humanity out of its current dark age. They do so for no other reason than to enjoy a job closer to home.

A cursed blessing

Those who join Homebound often do so out of necessity. Some obligation binds them to our world, be it sick loved ones, a coming child, or even the passing of time. We humans can live quite a while, now, but age still takes it tole.
You never see a wayfarer fresh out of training in their ranks. These young souls still long for the stars. Veterans among The Wayfarers fill the organization. Their experience is vital, and their ability to adapt is second to none.
The organization allows them a home and bed to go to every night. They have far more time with loved ones, but their job is no less dangerous than before. In most cases, it's even more perilous. Despite the danger, this is how a wayfarer retires, their skills and experience put to use at home to make our world safer and our lives better.

Search parties

A single party of Homebound wayfarers can number close to ten. The more eyes and guns on the field, the better. These groups enter the dark without fear, and rarely fail in their mission.
Homebound routinely sends out these search parties for a multitude of reasons. Sometimes the planet's infrastructure needs repairs, or a new artifact is located. Sometimes they detect technology that we desperately need. Most of the time, however, it's to find someone who went missing.
People disappear from time to time, dragged into the depths by the planet's vicious wildlife. Sometime they fall, fasteners holding the floor below our feet finally giving way from the strain. Safeharbor's ecosystem is vast. There are many plants and animals left undiscovered, and that's not always a bad thing. I imagine there are plenty of beasts that are best left undisturbed.

Level 13

Level 13 marks the deepest point of the planet the wayfarers have managed to reach. Going deeper is even more dangerous than before. The fauna are angrier, more bold in the deep dark.
Pipe roaches older than those closer to the surface retreat here to nest. Some of these ancient ones are twice the size of the average human. As fate would have it, most of the planet's inner workings are lost in those dark places.
What mechanisms turn and keep this planet wide city alive are at the mercy of foul beasts and the sad passing of time. Homebound seeks to claim these secrets before entropy takes hold. If they fail, the planet dies, and we die with it.

Tools of the trade

Due to their specialized nature, Homebound wayfarers are equipped with a much wider range of tools needed to do their job. Their gear is far more sophisticated than that of other wayfarers.
Many wayfarers build their own contraptions, usually upon encountering an unexpected obstacle. Homebound has the advantage of knowing what may wait every time they venture to the depths.
Their Echoes suits come with magnetic grappling harnesses allowing them to scale up walls and across gaps. Another example would be Grid Chisels, used to create, restore, and connect sections of Safeharbor's power grid.

Mouse raised her voice, the rage carrying her voice, making it much louder than she planned. "That checks out. Wouldn't want to gun anyone down in their own home, now would we?"
Miranda narrowed her eyes. It was uncomfortable, like she could pick Mouse out despite the size of the crowd. Miranda turned to the man at her side. The man said nothing.
"Uh oh." Roadrunner whispered, "its situations like this that made me leave the military."
The man refused to look at her, so Miranda stepped forward, bringing herself within inches of his face and forced him to. "You didn't tell me there was an incident, general."
"Didn't know I had to," he began with a smug grin, "admiral."
Miranda stepped back, nodding. They were technically the same in rank. She looked at the crowd, thought quickly, and snapped back, her words making the smirk on his face disappear. She spoke loud and clear. She made sure every single wayfarer heard her words, and understood exactly what she not only implied, but condoned. "Okay, the wayfarers have training equivalent to our most elite spec op units. Homebound, in particular, is filled with veterans." She paused and laughed before continuing, a smirk of her own painted on her face. "You know this, but I hope you realize that in about ten minutes, all of these fine young men and women will be armed."
An uneasy silence filled the room. Mouse turned to Roadrunner who had the widest grin on his face. The man on the platform stood in shock and horror.
Miranda merely turned to the crowd. "Get geared up and meet here in ten minutes. The shuttles leave in 15."