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Entry tags:
❪ test drive #7 ❫
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YOUR STORY BEGINS  The Storm came. You remember darkness, but you don't remember much after that. You don't know how long you slept, but the dreams were short. You remember the expanse of stars and galaxies in your direct view. Every world and solar system ever known to man was present in your dreams in careful, pristine detail. You also witnessed the Storm, which has devoured a fair portion of these galaxies. Your Earth and similar planets were assimilated by the Storm. Somehow, you knew it would be the last you'd see of your world. That was when she told you what happened. You knew that you'd be living somewhere new. The details weren't clear, but you knew it was a part of a deal with the entity known as Darma - once, you might have been able to speak to her, but now you are only met with silence. When you awake, you will find yourself in Thesa Station. Your body is still cold, you're hungry, and the halls seem frighteningly bare somehow. EMPTY HALLS ![](https://i.imgur.com/G8jldQW.png") Despite the absence of Darma and the rest of the Natha Orbiters, the station is still managing to sustain itself. Those that dig within the station’s log will find that it’s currently in some sort of Energy Saving Mode. While Thesa isn’t at risk of failing any time soon, people will notice that the ship will appear more dim and desolate. Malfunctions will be common, and while none seem to be life-threatening (yet), they are notably inconvenient. Fortunately, it seems the Orbiters were prepared for the worst, and in a potential response to these concerning turn of events, they've prepared some help.
The virtual assistant takes a wide variety of shapes, from adorable animals to metal paper clips with googly eyes. Regardless of what form they take, their mission is clear: to help in any way they can. It’s unfortunate, however, that they just haven’t been calibrated properly. Hence, they will appear at the strangest times— in the middle of dinner or an important conversation— sometimes they won’t even offer anything useful. Apparently they were designed after a program that existed once, but who really knows.... However, while they may seem like nothing but trouble at first, there are many occasions in which they can actually help. They are equipped with a whole wealth of information on how to keep the station operational. They can offer tutorials and step-by-step instructions on how to fix various aspects of the station and beyond. Their knowledge is extensive, and if they believe the refugee they're assigned to needs a different kind of help (a lesson in smiling or how to have adequate small talk being some of the many topics they're equipped to teach), well ... they're not against supplying it. Expect some invasive teaching. The virtual assistants are also all synced together. Meaning, if there’s a big enough problem, they can ping one another and assign refugees to help with certain parts of the ship. The only problem is that prioritizing may not be their strong suit. What seems like a simple issue could be exacerbated into a huge ordeal. What someone thinks is a fire in the main hatch could actually be a plumbing issue near the Mess Hall. They also seem to assign people arbitrarily. One can only hope all the refugees get along. SEND HELP  While no specific parts of the station are necessarily offline, a lot of the tasks the station would normally complete on its own will need to be handled manually. Fortunately, the main functions of the station are more than accounted for, however everything else will be up to the refugees. As there is no telling when the Natha Orbiters will return, perhaps it’d be wise to take this opportunity to learn to be a little more self-sufficient on Thesa Station. 1. There are some areas the Station can’t automatically clean without exiting its current emergency protocols. Each of these areas will be marked off on the map provided by Thesa's very own virtual assistant, Yppilc. According to Yppilc, one of the key places that would benefit from a good wash down is the airlock. As a fair amount of foreign matter travels through these doors, special suits will be provided for those cleaning the area. The suits will have a built-in communications system and will also include its own oxygen tank. A helpful feature to have, just in case someone may be swept out into space. Which happens more often than one would think! Cleaning too close to the controls can trigger the doors to open… they’re sensitive. The oxygen tank isn’t equipped to last very long, so you can only help comes soon. GIFTS FROM THESA  The Natha have bequeathed their will unto the refugees, the burden of watching over their dear planet not given without a token of trust. Everyone, those newly awakened and those already settled, will receive periodic urging from Yppilc to visit the VR facilities. These messages will grow more frequent, more frantic, the longer they go ignored - for the sake of sleep, it’s best to indulge the request. Load into the simulation, and the scene is mired by the confusion of battle. You and another stand on a low hanging precipice, overlooking a failing front line. The location and conditions of the fight vary, drawn from the memories and fears of the participants themselves. Olympia and Wyver, locked in a caustic war - and your new home is succumbing. Or your homeland, entrenched in conflict from the past, or from a dreaded future. While the scene laid out before you is chaotic, one thing stands clear; your allies are fighting a losing battle. Comrades fall, innocents flee, and the wounded cry out for help. The program has determined what could best spur you and your comrade to intervene, though the more stubborn refugees may need additional goading from their partners. Your next action determines more than the outcome of the fight before you. Choose wisely - this message is conveyed mentally in a garbled voice that sounds familiar and ethereal all at once. Jump into action and fight. Save an ally - perhaps even your partner in this simulation - from certain death. Or help those who cannot help themselves. Act, and you will find yourself imbued with a new power. Use it, and the scene will soon come to a close. Despite returning to the reality of Thesa Station, you’ll find this newfound power still within your grasp. A gift from Darma, to aid in the battles to come. OOC Note: Feel free to give your character any one power that would be classified as a ‘major spell’ on the ACP rewards table. These powers can fall under any category (Unaffiliated, Natha, Olympia, or Wyver), and must be reported by existing characters and new applicants here under the most appropriate header no later than September 8th 11:59PM EST. Please include a brief description of the power you’ve chosen. You will receive a response within 48 hours if there are any modifications required. SOCIAL-LINKED(in) By some miracle, there are still some quieter parts of the hall. This may be an appropriate time to check out your smartphone. Aside from the expected "Omage" app, there seems to be a new one called Social-Linked. There, you may find a profile waiting to be posted. The app allows for the user to fill it in, but there is also an auto-function! upon pressing it, it will generate a shockingly-honest answer based on the Natha's observation of your history. Roman will be your only friend in this app, with his very own profile: PROBLEMS IN STASIS  1. The ship’s malfunctions have reached the stasis chamber, a long feared outcome finally dawning on sleeping friends and families. Yppilc will be quick to notify all refugees aboard that the pods will need close monitoring. Whether you’re visiting to keep an eye on things, or simply there to see the face of someone dear, be careful. Bumping a control panel, or drawing a hand along the glass could trigger an emergency ejection. Lights blink and a mechanism hisses, and then the pod is gone. With the pod thrust into space, you’ll be left with nothing but a small screen displaying the chamber’s position. There are ways to retrieve it— such as climbing into a suit from the airlock or following Yppilc’s instructions. Regardless of approach, it’s imperative that you stay calm. One error, and you could eject another pod or cut off the view screen entirely. 2. The newly awakened won’t find a moment of respite. The errors that pervade over the rest of the station have altered the contingencies for resuscitation in a majority of the pods. Some may awaken with gaps in their memory, or an old injury yet unhealed. Some may be afflicted with new ailments, such as loss of a sense or severe nausea. Anything could happen, with the computer systems processing so inconsistently. Interfacing with Thesa in any way, from entering the VR simulator to accessing the medical facilities, can cause the same range of side effects, so even established refugees should take caution. FINAL OOC NOTES
As always, feel free to wildcard prompts within Thesa Station!
These threads may be carried over as game canon if players choose. Players are encouraged to submit TDM threads as application samples, but they are not required. Please direct any OOC questions to the questions thread below. Players may submit an AC-length thread HERE from this TDM for 2 Natha REP. The due date for submission is September 16 11:59 PM EST. For this application cycle, there will be a cap of 60 and no reserves. Applications will be open on September 2 12:01 AM EST and end on September 4 11:59 PM EST. Thank you! |
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Somehow.
He'd further antagonize, ask if it worked only: it had worked. Hence them hanging out, having a great time together. There's a huff to match Lance's exasperation -- he's probably not hungry then, not if he's already preoccupied with other things. He's got weird priorities, sure, but he's not going to press.]
What else do you wanna know?
[Clinical; he's acting like the paperclip helper guy all of a sudden. Better than getting overly emotional. As a footnote: he is glad Lance seems relatively okay, whole and undamaged. There's relief to be had in that.]
You're already familiar with the technology. [Eliminating..things...for him. He'd bring up Allura again, shoo him off to her so he can be miserable in peace but uh...
It's a little ill-placed at the moment.]
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One way or another, the moment of smugness doesn't last long. Lance's smile fades slowly, gradually as he braces himself. Right now, Keith is one of the last people he actually wants to feel vulnerable around given his heightened moodiness and unpredictable tonal shifts, but Keith also happens to be one of the only people on this space station that he knows he can trust implicitly. Maybe he's wrong, maybe a year apart (...or less than that if he's allegedly "been here before" ????) would change things, but that's not a line of thought Lance wants to entertain.
He sighs before looking Keith in the eye.]
I need to hear it from someone I know wouldn't lie to me about it. [He swallows.] Is all of this [He waves a hand, gesturing at their surroundings.] ...everything they're saying about Earth being gone.... is it really true? I get that's what these Natha guys are saying and all, but knowing they can mess with things like our memories... I just. I just have to know.
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I don't think so. [...] A lot of people believe it, but I haven't. Allura doesn't either, but we've been stuck here for a while.
[No lions, no real way to figure out the coordinates home. He tried signaling Earth before, it didn't..work...]
If you're worried about your family, you should check the stasis unit.
[The Natha wouldn't be able to manipulate them so easily otherwise.]
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...thanks, Keith. I feel a lot better now.
[A huge weight off his shoulders, Lance actually feels like he has the emotional give to be tackling this space station as well as all of Keith's weirdness in stride. It's all downhill from here, right?
Famous last words.He steps forward to grab Keith by the arm.]Come with me? Or at least point me to where the kitchen is on the way. I should've grabbed a bite, but I had other things on the mind.
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His brows raise at that word of gratitude, though he should've expected as much?]
No problem --
[But I didn't really do anything catches in his throat in lieu of the grip on his arm. The invitation, innocent as it is, does nothing to quell the hastening of his pulse. He very nearly misses what's being said, and it takes him a moment before offering a quick nod. Sure, he'll be helpful. He'd offered in the first place, but he can't help being taken by surprise by normally-ordinary things okay. The mess hall is pretty close by anyway.]
Yeah.
[Finally, and without doing much about that grip one way or another, he'll start toward it, whether it remains or dwindles. Just keep swimming....]
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Can't believe they're actually here... It feels like it's been forever since I saw 'em, you know?
[Err well, no, he can believe it, It's just that like with Keith, this was the last place he'd really expected to be running into his family again. In his mind it'd been so different. Going home at the end of the war. waving and smiling to an adoring crowd gathered at the (obviously) huge parade in their honor.]
This whole time we were all just knocked out in the same room. Nutty.
[That last word falls on a flat note, then Lance shakes his head. Odd circumstances or not, he's still so happy about getting to see them again.]
There's really nothing we can do to wake people up?
[He's fairly certain that if there were a way to do it, then it wouldn't be just him, Keith and Allura that are awake from their group, but it wouldn't be the first time he's reached the wrong conclusion by assuming.]
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Brainblockers. It's brainblockers, and it isn't Lance's fault. He'll hum in response, half-assed and uninterested -- okay, maybe not uninterested, but he's disassociating himself even if it's regarding his family.]
Yeah. [This place has a habit of ironic setups.] -- No.
[Maybe cut the one-word answers..]
It has to happen organically, everyone has to wake up on their own. It usually happens all at once, a bunch of people wake up, then there's a quiet period.
[There's a slight protest as they come to the end of the corridor, just directing him to the clearest path to foodstuff.]
Shiro, Hunk, Pidge, they're all still asleep.
[Implications suggest they won't be waking soon.]
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[Why would anything be picture perfect, right? He didn't really have high expectations there to begin with, so calling it disappointment would be a bit of an exaggeration, but still. Besides even when people do wake up, it seems like there are issues with that, too. Keith's made that abundantly clear already, even if he made his (awful) attempt to backtrack.
Despite letting that go for now, Lance hasn't actually forgotten about it. He refrains from shooting Keith another vaguely concerned look and instead takes the cue to note the location of the mess hall. No stopping for food yet because he wants to see everyone in their stasis pods first and until then his appetite is pretty secondary.]
So that's where all the food is? Got it. [And there's a nod as they pass.]
Come to think of it, It's been a while since we've had the whole team together. Man... when everyone wakes up, it'll be like the good old days. [There's another smile at that. Earnest, though tinged with a little bit of bittersweet nostalgia. No lions, no war to fight. Very different.] We're gonna have to throw a party! ...And maybe come up with a new team name.
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He may need a week away from Lance after this.]
What does that even -- [mean, he'll forego the last word, catching himself with a glare directed opposite his company.] You're already getting distracted.
[He'll make amends with something decidedly bitter -- though he doesn't mean to sound so negative. His disposition's fluctuating like New England weather.]
The lions aren't here, maybe we don't need a name.
[They're just a group of awkward teens+ trying to get by...]
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What are you saying, Keith? [His eyebrow is raised and there's skepticism there for sure, but overwhelmingly his tone is that of concern.] Lions or no, we'll always be a team.
[The irony sits heavily in his mind as he says the words. Keith left the team. Keith chose the Blades over them. But that's immaterial to the overall point that no matter what happens that they all have a bond that's deeper than just being paladins. Lance's grip tightens subconsciously around Keith's arm, his expression solemn.]
Even if we aren't fighting the Galra and doing all that hero stuff, we're always gonna have each other's backs like a team is supposed to. And teams are supposed to have names. [Flawless logic, thank you thank you.]
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[Internal music rips, tires screeching. That...wording is fine, would be acceptable under normal circumstances. These are abnormal, even if they're only abnormal to him. He looks appropriately mortified, raises a hand to pry Lances fingers from his arm in the meantime. Distractions, keeping his hands busy, uhhh.]
I mean -- I already know that!
[And so begins regression to season one Keith.]
Just, you're making it complicated. Let's keep everything how it's always been, alright?
[Drama queen.........................]
btw are we keeping this mess game canon
...Well, good. That you know that I mean.
[Because it does put Lance at ease knowing that Keith shares some sentiments in common? At least??]
...but how is one tiny little name change making things complicated?
[Not the question he wants to ask, but it seems like an acceptable middle ground to convey the same general mood of you're being weird. On the bright (?) side, he's beginning to find some humor in this flailing Keith is doing and though he isn't smiling about it yet, his tone brightens a pinch.]
But fiiiiine. If that hurts your head, we can keep things the same. [Ya big dope.] With Shiro catching some shut eye, I guess that does make you team leader again by default anyway.
[And with that, he resumes the walk towards the stasis pods.]
it could go either way! keith would still be acting like a weirdo....
Lance is easy at over-complicating things. See: You say Vol, I say Tron. That, and Keith is pretty adept at misunderstanding and thereby: making things complicated. He's gotten better, sure, but he's not an aficionado just yet.
In absence of the weight of that grip, he's smoothing the stretch of material in that spot out, patting out the weirdness.]
Just drop it....
[Lance isn't fighting about it, not really. His response still inspires some huffiness, defensiveness. There was a time when he did run off to join the Blade, is partial to running off and doing things his own way until he's needed at arm's length for one reason or another, but he isn't being so considerate at the moment.
At the notion of playing team leader, he opens his mouth to tell Lance: that doesn't even matter right now. Leading, following, he and Allura have just been trying to survive. He does not say anything in the end, howeever, lest it cause turmoil. More drama. Accusations of breaking up
this familyteam Voltron.Instead, he quietly follows a pace or so behind. He's not even sure why he's here, aside from Lance silently obliging him to...like a parent obliging their kid to Grandma's Birthday Bash at the Senior Living Center.
Not that he'd know what that's like.]
poor keith
[God it's almost like it's Keith who just woke up from a supposedly months long nap, was informed that there are Balmera sized holes in his memory and that Earth was totally destroyed on top of everything else going on fpr being such a Debbie Downer.]
We're still throwing that party when they wake up though.
[Just so they're clear on that Very Important Point (tm).
But so long as Lance is now leading the way, he's inevitably going to poke his head into the wrong room because he doesn't know where things are on the space station and following his gut instinct really means following Yppilc's not so subtle mental prods to head to the VR facility.]
Woah....
[This isn't where he meant to be, but somehow it feels like he's supposed to be here. Weird. He enters the room to find a simulation all ready to go waiting for some kindly passing soul to hit start.]
What's this?
STOP LOOKING AT HIM AND TOUCHING HIM
That'd be kind of nice, if only their stay weren't so fleeting/questionable/etc. Then again, that's just how life is to begin with.
Consenting, being pleasant about anything would be to whiplashy, so he'll just mutely agree to the idea of a Small Celebration should the rest of the team wake. Similarly, Lance's nosiness goes unacknowledged just on principle. Lance being Lance. He's got every right to be curious, investigative of everything. It's all new.
He won't pipe up until asked; he's in the midst of stepping along and ultimately ahead of Lance as he ducks into the VR room--]
It's a virtual simulation area.
[Indifferently, more or less. He will follow in tow, per order.]
Anyone can use it. It's kind of like what we had back at the Garrison.
/AGGRESSIVE HAIR RUFFLES
Unable to help himself, he grins as Keith steps ahead and then makes his way over to the control area to take a closer look at the equipment.]
So these are... flight simulators? Battle simulators?
[There are some troubling questions to be asked about why the Natha want the refugees trained in these areas. The implication hasn't gone completely over Lance's head there, but rather than playing twenty questions with Keith he thinks it'd be easier to just... go for it. Keith did say they were for anyone to use so it's not like he's going to break something, right. He experimentally hits a button and the room immediately goes dark.
And stays dark for a couple of uncomfortably long seconds.]
...Uh. Is that supposed to happen...?
[Mercifully, the system boots up after and the two of them find themselves standing on the precipice of a cliff looking down at... what might be Plaht City, but the scene is grim. A Galra cruiser hovers above the decimated city, and soldiers march on the ground taking any human survivors captive. A guerilla force of civilians and Garrison members armed with primitive weapons rush out to make one last attempt to drive out the invaders or die trying.
Lance goes tense as he watches this, hands curling into fists at his sides. It's just a simulation, it's not real -- but that's when he hears a voice speaking in his head. Choose wisely it implores. Startled by the disembodied, vaguely familiar voice, he turns to Keith.]
Hey, did you hear that too?
>:T
[Not exactly flight simulators, he wanted to say, but that isn't entirely true. It depends, really. VR is always changing. Most of the time, the two things are one in the same. Battling, flying...
His eyes shift here and there as the space darkens. He'll step nearer to Lance -- not creating anything intimate. He's standing where you'd normally stand to partake in normal conversation, like a normal person.]
When you activate it...
[No, he's not angry, just slightly exasperated. He wasn't in the mood to experience some weird VR bullshit right then and there, but he can't rightly leave Lance here. Even if it's fake, sometimes it can be...a mindfucky experience. Plus, Lance would just end up being lost afterwards?! He doesn't need his phone blowing up, the subsequent lecture.
The cliff forms beneath him, the sight isn't anything pleasant.]
Huh?
[He hadn't heard anything specific; no words, distant noises. It's a simulation, but he'd still like not to have his ass handed to him....]
What did you hear?
[He'll toss a glance over his shoulder; nothing out of the ordinary. Some boulders, but nobody lurking about. Instinctively, he's reaching for his knife. VR-Keith doesn't have one, real life Keith, however, certainly does.
Maybe he should have kept some space between them....]
there there, keith
It told me to choose wisely? It's some garbled sounding voice. Weirdly familiar?That ringing any bells?
[Just listing out a few traits to see if that helps. Because of course that's how voices work, you describe them and then other people can magically hear them too, right? No? Creeping closer to the edge of the cliff, crouching nice and low to the ground to stay out of sight.
[The people below fire weapons that the Galra don't even bat an eyelash at. They allow the humans to fire simply because it amuses them to watch the demoralization of their enemies. A little ways down in the valley, there's an all terrain vehicle that looks a little banged up, but still functional.]
Just to make sure, there's no [Sarcastic finger waggling] magical catch to this right? What happens to us in VR stays in VR?
[Cuz if so, he's at least ready to go down swinging. But please don't swing that knife around, Keith. That'd be bad.]
no subject
--Why would that ring any bells?!
[Sure, he likes cryptids and has conspiracy theories for most things, but that doesn't make him attuned to all things weird. Of course, that isn't what Lance is implying at all, but it's where his brain goes.]
...Right, so you can answer your friend however you want.
[For the most part -- as logically as possible. Lucky for Lance, his knife finds a place at the small of his back once more. There's no immediate threat that he can discern, everyone gets to live a little longer.]
We should probably get closer to the fighting, it won't stop until we reach some goal.
[He's on the move now...because Lance wasn't the only one to notice that vehicle. He's goin' for it.]
no subject
They're not my friend!
[He shouts after Keith as he sprints to catch up.]
But if they are they should already know, I'm not letting this happen to our home without a fight!
[Despite Lance's protests otherwise, evidently that voice is a friend. Not long after Lance rushes off with the intention to fight, there's a weird, almost out of body sensation that he's been given a new ability. Something that might help in some way if he taps into that power.]
Keith - wait, I think the voice did something!
[And with a burst of concentration, Lance vanishes from sight and the simulation comes to an abrupt end, leaving Keith apparently all alone in the VR room.]
no subject
Lance has entirely vanished.
His attention shifts from left to right, whirls all around. There's no trace, even in the dirt, he can't discern any footprints.]
...Lance?
[His pulse beats hard in his ears. He's just gotten Lance back. He shouldn't have run ahead--]
Lance?!
[More demanding now, backtracking, frantically glancing behind different boulders as he retraces his steps.]
no subject
Right here, buddy.
[Real Keith's getting a hand on his shoulder... with an invisible hand, holy shit?? He glances down at where his body should be. Didn't Keith say that things that happen in VR don't affect reality...?
Confused and now audibly so, Lance focuses and becomes visible again. Still not sure how that happened or how that's possible or if this is maybe a simulation within a simulation now (???) but he's gotta tell Keith.]
Hey, I dunno what happened, but answering that voice gave me the power to turn invisible for real.
no subject
Ah...and there he is. He's about five seconds from telling him to quit messing around, but it sounds as if he can't really explain...himself. He's all for paranormal weird shit, but...
In moderation.]
...That doesn't make any sense.
[He is relieved, at any rate, that Lance has returned in solid-form.]
Quit talking to weird voices.
no subject
The voices were talking to me, I didn't want anything to do with them!
[Great, now he's getting defensive.]
I don't know how it makes sense, ok?! [Oh fuck it. He concentrates and poofs back into being invisible.] But it sure as heck happened anyway. You're the one who's been here longer, you tell me what's going on.
no subject
Well quit messing around...
[The fact that Lance immediately proceeds to Mess Around does nothing to quell his nerves.]
I might have been here longer than you have, but I haven't spent my time screwing around.
[Now he's lecturing open air.]
Stop doing that-!
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