( tdm 12 )

[hownkai]

T E S T D R I V E

leavin’ on a jet plane "Don’t know when I’ll be back again." ABOARD THE MOIRA The Ingress has pulled you in. Your body experiences several sensations at once: being pushed forward as if a hand is resting on your back, momentary and startling blindness, a gentle ringing in your head. You have difficulty discerning whether it is hot or cold, but where you have been prodded is noticeably warmer than the rest of you. Some may suffer from dizziness while others are perfectly fine. Once equilibrium has been reestablished, you will notice you are standing on a long platform and that the room is filled with a soft cerulean light. It's slightly humid and dark despite the glow around you, and nothing is familiar. Shortly after, you are led out and toward the medbay. Inside this room, you are given a physical scan and offered a contract to sign that states you are now part of the crew of the Moira with a specific job. Any questions you might have would be answered in a straightforward manner as well as an explanation about how the Ingress, the thing that has pulled you onto the Moira, is broken and bringing people here unintentionally. This process also consists of a complete work-up of medical history and current health, and afterwards, you are given your MID, a device that is integrated into your hand or wrist with only the slightest pinch. From there, you are guided out of the medbay and to your living quarters. Whether adjusting to space travel has been difficult or not, there is always something to be done. From working to leisure, the Moira offers a multitude of opportunities to get to know your crewmates a bit better. Exploration of the ship is highly encouraged. You may notice a slight change in the artificial gravity every once in awhile; however, more noticeable changes can be found in overall morale of those of the crew. ☄ on your own There are plenty of other communal areas on the ship to explore! Pick a place, and see where it takes you. ( These scenarios can be used as in-game canon. ) The day begins normally. Or almost. The Moira has accidentally fallen along the trajectory of an asteroid barreling its way through space. While most things like this are not uncommon, and the ship is far from any potential danger of collision or risk of debris damaging the exterior, there is something particularly odd about this specific occurrence. The rock itself appears to give off a strange light that is both eerie and alive. Often, if looked at in just the right manner, it will shift colors; so, while one person sees one side of the spectrum, someone else could see something entirely different. At first, things continue on as they usually do aside from the glowing asteroid alongside the Moira, but as the hours go on, that does not seem to be the case. ☄ the hours are breathing resignedly beneath the sky the melancholy waters lie With a rather open view of stars and space, thanks to the skylight above, the pool in the rec area suddenly comes alive beneath the light of the asteroid filtering in. Perhaps it’s some natural response to the chemical composition of the water, or perhaps it’s magic. Yet, regardless of the explanation, those who happen to take a dip suddenly find themselves plagued by despair. The depression and melancholy are not subtle changes either; it slams into you with great force, like a punch to the gut. The longer you remain in the pool, the deeper it grows, like an all-consuming paranoia that settles into the back of your mind and causes your heart to grow heavy. These strong feelings will eventually fade if you choose to leave the pool and dry off, but as long as you remain damp from the pool, those emotions will continue to linger. Even after you’re completely dry, there will be no mistaking just how intensely you felt or why. There is no explanation and might not be. Would you dare a second swim to test whether or not it was a fluke? ( These scenarios can be used as in-game canon. ) ☄ those who have crossed the eyes are not here, there are no eyes here The walls are shrinking in. Every room you step into feels much too small, like there isn’t enough room to even breathe. A crowded place becomes startlingly empty, and no matter how much you run, how much you explore, there is no one there to comfort you or answer your calls for help. Hallucinations run strong between the lulls of obscene loneliness or claustrophobia, and exposure to the glow of the asteroid is really the only thing to thank for that. You’re desperate to claw your way out of the ship—open the emergency hatch in the Cargo Bay, bust the glass of the Observation Deck. What’s worse is that it’s not just you. It’s catching, and the fear of being next is very real. It feels like you’re being watched, that everyone around you is looking and seeing everything you are. Or are not. The only way to make it stop is to admit that you’re afraid of being seen, but who, in the deep madness of the self, has the courage to ever admit the truth? ( These scenarios can be used as in-game canon. ) ☄ the sun in flight rage, rage against the dying of the light Something has drifted its way onto the Moira from the outside. Unlike the faint luminosity they give off, they suck up all the light around them, making them the only source to see by. From far away, they are just flitting balls of light, but if you get close enough to inspect them, they are mean. And have sharp, sharp teeth. Go poking, and they will bite you before trying to fly away while taking that only light source with them. The option to avoid them is quite easy if you’re not the curious sort, but without them around, it will be impossibly dark. As the asteroid moves on in the opposite direction of the Moira, these light creatures begin to dissolve and fade away with it. However, a word of caution: their bites glow. If you don’t manage to find the one that bit you and capture it between your hands, the bite will become a permanent glowing fixture of your body. ( These scenarios can be used as in-game canon. ) OUT OF CHARACTER INFO FAQ | LOCATIONS | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS | NAVIGATION For mature or graphic content, please label. For questions, please direct them to the FAQ. As always, be kind and have fun!

Comments

[thesilence]

[She hesitates. Some part of her doesn't want to divulge more, if only because she's thinking he's from Seattle, this Seattle, the sheltered one. Kids who were born and grew up in Seattle had to only deal with the storms. Everything else had been perfect for them. They didn't have to battle it out like the rest of them do out there.

But even they knew the stories of the ash, the storms, the beasts roaming out there. They were lucky, though, to have underground bunkers and what almost seemed like an infinite supply of everything.

Finally, Geo does take back the sketchpad.]

The Ash. 2027, CAE, aka Common Ash Era. Everything's drying out.

[She stops for a moment. It's true, she can't deny it, but...]

World's trying to grow back. There might be a cure for the Ashen. People who inhale the ash too much get mummified alive. Dry, bony things.

[A drawing of a gaunt face follows up the sentence. Lips are pulled back, revealing rows and rows of teeth. Eye sockets look hollow.]

They're scary dangerous.

[Another momentary pause, before she draws up the symbol for i, the infinite, unknown number. She draws an arrow pointing to it, then continues writing.]

That's me and my crew. We're gonna save the world.

[farmboyjedi]

Luke is surprised by a lot of what she said.

"I guess that means we don't remember anything when we get back home. Seems a shame...there are some here that I already wish I would remember." Luke replies.

Luke isn't sure about the Yellow Moon thing. "I remember the time period you mean...not familiar with that code name, though. Maybe it's because it wasn't one of mine...wouldn't be hard to forget the details. Yeah, kind of ancient, I guess."

Leia doesn't say anything about Ben, so Luke doesn't push the whole thing.

"I can definitely say we've all been through a lot between then and when I come from. It's probably best not to burden you with too much from the future to worry about, but maybe I'll tell a few of the good things later on. I'll tell you that you're as strong and unstoppable as ever in my time."

It had been a lot. Rebuilding the republic...dealing with her kids being constant kidnap targets...a brutal invasion that nearly conquered the galaxy...the devastating loss of Anakin and Jacen's disappearance and difficult return and to a lesser extent, Chewie's death...the strain it had put on her and Han, and her kidnap and horrific injuries by the Yuzhaan Vong. Luke would relate some of the better things, like the kids becoming Jedi, and his own marriage, but unless they could change the future, he knew it might not be worth telling it.

Not to mention the fact that his future quite possibly wasn't hers at all, and she would go home to an entirely different future, he thought.

He smiles back, though he feels unhappiness mixed in with her joy. "Are you all right?" he asks. "I can feel how happy you are to see me, but there's a little sadness too. Is it anything I can help with?"

[serialtagger]

[ The hesitation makes him antsy, like someone about to break some really bad news to him. He fidgets as she writes, shifting on his feet waiting and reading along. It's difficult to hang in there until she's done, but the last part does make him smile. ]

Yeah? You guys are the heroes, huh? [ And he means it, not in some mocking or sarcastic way, nods and accepts it. Then he sighs, braces himself to tackle the rest of the thing. ]

Okay, uh... so for me, before I got here, it was 2017, and we ain't ever even heard of The Ash. I mean I wouldn't say that things are totally fine all around the world, but that at least isn't one of the problems. [ It explains the stains, and the gas mask, and the military gear, and the rifle, which he glances at, still on the floor. ] There's no safezones, no Ashen, [ which, you know, sound kinda like zombies ] no people having to trade in water. At least not in Seattle, or anywhere in the United States that I've heard of. So, you know? The world hasn't exactly ended yet.

[ Which... paints a pretty different picture. And he's starting to feel awfully sheltered here. But there's something else he's curious about. Is it really a matter of time before the places he knows turn into some kind of nightmare vision, or... ] I've got just one question. Have you ever heard of Conduits?

[thesilence]

[She cocks her head, purses her lips and raises her brows. That's a definite no-go on the Conduits.

She's also trying to hold back the smile at being called the heroes. Save the world? Sure. Heroes? Nothing they've really been called before, not outright. Her world's bleak, but it doesn't mean they can't try, and it doesn't mean it's gotta be the end of all hope. There's some good out there.]

[serialtagger]

[ Hey, people who try to save the world should be called heroes, right? At least it seems that way to him.

He takes in her confused expression, also cocking his head. ] Huh. See, they're kind of a big deal where I'm from. I'm just trying to figure out, if we're both from Earth and all, if it's just that we're from different times or... I guess if the difference is bigger.

[ He scratches his head. How to explain. ] Okay so Conduits... are basically people who have special abilities. There's a bunch of different kinds, and apparently it's genetic, so it's not like some disease you can catch. [ Unlike what he thought at first. ] But I'm talking like, shooting lasers out of your hands and flying around and running up the sides of buildings kinds of powers. [ Or a single person remodling the landscape-- let's actually not bring Augustine into this. ]

Now a lot of the normal people are still scared of them. But nothing really gets solved by just trying to lock every last one away, so now I guess we're... working out our differences. [ There's still a lot of them to work out. ]

And you know, if you had people like that around? I figure you'd have heard about it, even if the world as a lot of people knew it might've ended.

[voicelog]

You could say that.

[Sweeping his arm out, Tony motions for Eggsy to lead the way as he maintains a casual smile. He doesn’t want to show his lack of enthusiasm here, but at least he’s made it clear he’ll be gone as soon as the kid finds Banner.]

Where is his room located? [He knows he’s in Moro Deck. Found out where everyone relevant to his interest are living and working at from the start. Doesn’t mean other people need to know that though. Wouldn’t be very beneficial to him.]

Adventurous, aren’t you? But c’mon, let’s get you to where you need to go.

HI HELLO THIS IS ANCIENT WHAT UP.

[ex_forcechoke292]

[He takes the handshake in stride; it's nothing out of the ordinary, and he doesn't sense much cause for alarm. So, of course, in the face of no seeming danger...]

So where are drell from? Aside from a long way from here, I mean.

OH MY GOSH? WHAT IS HAPPENING? WHAT YEAR IS IT?

[psychadrellic]

[With the handshake complete, he tucks his hand alongside the other one behind his back, standing at his usual polite attention.]

The drell homeworld is called Rakhana, but I was born and raised on the hanar homeworld Kahje.

[He tilts his head slightly with a small smile, and continues:]

The humans I'm familiar with all come from a planet called "Earth", but somehow I'm getting the feeling that's not the case with you?

titaniclady84years.gif

[ex_forcechoke292]

[Anakin shakes his head.] No. It sounds common enough, here though.

[It's a planet he's heard of more than his share of times, even when the Moira's crew is supposedly brought in from so many varying times and places. But with as many similarities as he's seen, from his galaxy alone, perhaps the commonality of Earth isn't so strange. He shrugs.]

I'm from a planet called Tatooine. It's...just a desert. [Really, he sounds thrilled.]

...What's a hanar?

[psychadrellic]

It sounds lovely.

[No, he's not being ironic. It really does sound lovely.]

The hanar are an aquatic species. Amorphous bodies, long tentacles, venomous. They're a bit of a physiological anomaly among the rest of the sentient species in the known galaxy.

[ex_forcechoke292]

...You think a big ball of dirt and twin-sun heat sounds lovely?

[It had been home once, but only because of the people there. He'd had no love for the planet when he left it at nine, and has none to spare for it now. He sounds completely baffled. How does a world of dry dust sound nice?

He pauses for a moment and finally blows it off, moving right back onto the topic of galactic evolution.]

They sound like Celegians. Used to be aquatic, now they're just big floating brains. [He makes a mimicry of the shape with his hands.] If stories are true, one used to actually be a Jedi Master. Don't ask me how that worked.

[psychadrellic]

Yes, if it also lacks humidity.

[Wow, someone sure hates his homeworld. Thane's not going to pursue the topic since Anakin clearly wants to move on, however.]

A Jedi Master? I'm not familiar with that term.

[ex_forcechoke292]

[It's a fact noted and filed away. For humans, it's a barren wasteland without even hope to cushion the harshness. But the planet must have existed for some reason. Maybe someone like Thane might find some kind of worth in it.

Someone has to.]

Oh, right. The Jedi...we're...a religious order. Peacekeepers, diplomats, problem-solvers, sometimes-warriors. Masters are the best of us.

[Note he's not saying he isn't one; there's no need to go over this particular slight for the umpteenth time, thank you.]

[psychadrellic]

I see. And...it's a religion practiced by more than one race?

[While that's not unheard of - and he should know, as most drell follow the hanar religion, after all - it's still unusual enough to remark on.]

[ex_forcechoke292]

[Anakin nods an affirmative. That, at least, is the simple answer.]

Spans most of the galaxy. [But to how many races, and how far through the galaxy? That's harder to guess. He'd heard of Jedi out on Tatooine, but...before Qui-Gon, he's not sure he'd ever seen one before.] Most of it, anyway.

[Just not the parts on the Outer Rim that don't seem to matter until Hyperspace lanes are in trouble. In the middle of a war, a ball of dust becomes valuable only for the space around it.]

It's just hard to picture floating tentacles going through traditional saber forms.