❪ test drive: #2 ❫

[natha]

OVERFLOW POST

THE PROLOGUE     Many people in stasis seem to be medically sound enough to wake up, brother. Are the preparations ready to go? Yes, I've long prepared myself for this. Watching them everyday has been truly rewarding. ... Right. Yeah. Okay, let's get them ready to wake up. We should keep their minds active to ease the transition into consciousness. A simple VR program should do the trick, I think. I will boot one immediately. There! All systems are green. Their consciousnesses are linked. However, their minds appear to be too active... They may be over-stimulated, brother. Huh? How can that be...? Can we pull them out safely? Not from my end, no. This may be too large for us to fix alone. Do you think...? Yes, I think so... It will have to be done organically. Can you send out a message to our refugees? Of course, brother. I will send one swiftly. We must be sure to fix this before Darma returns. There is urgency in the Orbiters' request. Refugees currently in El Nysa are asked via mass message to please return to Thesa Station virtual reality area immediately. Zasere tells them that the next set of Refugees are scheduled to wake, but there's been an issue. On Thesa, refugees will find that the people in stasis are still apparently trapped in slumber. Most of them are complete strangers, but there's a chance you may recognize a familiar face or two. Normally, these people would wake up from their pods without issue, but due to a malfunction caused by the unforeseen force during The Descent, they have to go through extra measures to make this possible. Those in slumber require extra stimulation, something to keep their minds active. What better than a simulation of an area of El Nysa? Keeping their minds active requires an extremely involved simulation. Those subjected to the VR (prospective characters) will find themselves completely immersed in their new environment, believing themselves to be native Olympians. To wake up from the simulation, characters must work together to accomplish a certain objective(s) in the icy tundra. Characters in-game will be aware that this is a simulation, but this is good practice for properly interacting with El Nysa natives, isn't it? An AC-length log thread on this TDM may be submitted for Two (2) Natha REP points HERE. Please read the OOC note at the bottom of this post for the terms. PROMPT: WINTER CAME     The wind in the icy wasteland is bitter and frigid. You are wrapped up in a winter coat, but even still, the cold bites at your skin and leaves you yearning for a warm fire. Perhaps you're a merchant from the city, here to make a delivery, or you're a royal guard, sent to patrol the area. Who are you? The sky is the limit. One thing is certain — you won't snap out of your new identity until you finish a task. 1. Due to the vast diversity of the creatures on El Nysa and the fact that new ones are constantly being discovered, an important objective is to carefully chronicle different species. Unfortunately, to research these new species, they happen to need more than just a visual. More than just fleeting glances in over a snowy hill. Researchers are constantly looking for ways to secure... You guessed it! Blood and stool samples. The supplies for the former will be given. Supplies are offered in a small box; one per person. In this box is a small dart that will automatically procure a small touch of blood, and easily shaken off so the creature will be able to securely escape. As for the latter— well, they'll give you a plastic bag if that counts. Look, sometimes to get a job done, you have to get your hands dirty. Specifically, they seek samples from a newly recorded rare beast known as a Klep. Kleps spend much of their time hidden in caves, so hitting them with the darts will be tricky. They are also nocturnal, but you may be able to lure them out of the cave with fish as bait. When struck with a dart, you must grab the dart and escape immediately, as they will charge you, and killing such an endangered species is illegal. As for stool samples, well... Once you find a pile, you will have plenty of sample to work with. 2. It's cold, to say the least. Too cold to continue forward. Whatever you were doing, you must stop and seek shelter. Looks like your goal is clear, at least. Get warm. Not finding a way to sustain heat, whether it be seeking shelter, building a fire, cuddling up, or all of the above, will likely end in serious consequences. 3. You are stuck in a dilemma. On one hand, you are set to work for Olympia. One the other, you're not completely sure what is really expected of you, or who the man who gave you this mission truly is. You and your partner are meant to protect precious trade cargo for them. You were told that these were essential supplies for one of the outer colonies. They assured you it was mostly food. In loading the cargo onto the supplied wagon with your partner, however, you noticed something inherently off about it. The weight and even the sounds of some of the contents inside definitely don't sound like food. Moreover, some boxes are more obviously more concealed— draped in black sheets and reinforced on all sides. You've also caught wind of rumors that you are potentially being utilized to supply advanced weapons and other contraband to Wyver terrorists in the colonies. But what do you do? Refuse to make the delivery, and people in the colony will surely starve. Try to remove the weapons and only deliver the food, and you will be killed on sight for being too suspicious. Make the delivery as-is, and not only will Olympians die at the hands of terrorists in the future, but you will betray your country. Decide quickly... 4. There are many dangers associated with traveling in such an isolated, harsh environment. You must help each other to survive. Perhaps someone has fallen on thin ice, and requires a rescue. Maybe someone is on the brink of starvation, and you must share what provisions you have. When you come to, you will awaken in Thesa Station. All will be explained to you by Zasere or Sael via telepathic link. Your world is no more. The Storm has consumed it. We offer proof in the Observation Deck if you desire it, but it won't be an easy thing to stomach. We offer you a new life, in our planet of El Nysa. We just ask for your help in maintaining the vitality of El Nysa. What can we offer you in exchange for your help? PROMPT: STASIS UNIT     You have found the massive section of Thesa known as the Stasis Unit. There’s no special access required to access this part of Thesa Station, but refugees are warned that it may not be for the faint of heart. Here, in large pods that nearly cover every square inch of the space, are all of the people the Orbiters have managed to rescue. Your loved ones, your greatest enemy, your next door neighbor— you might find them here. These people are in a state of deep cryosleep. Due to the damaging effects of The Storm, their bodies are not yet ready to be awoken. PROMPT: GET REKT     The Orbiters have noticed that some of the refugees really miss their video games. The technology in El Nysa could be much worse, but it definitely leaves much to be desired. Which is why, after expressing relief that everyone awoke safely, the Orbiters have decided to provide a little fun in the form of video game competitions. Anything from old-timey arcade machines to state-of-the-art computers, consoles, and VR headsets (though you may be a little tired of VR right now...) is available, and yes, they have your favorite games! Enjoy PAC-MAN, Starcraft 2, or perhaps Dance Dance Revolution! Teach a friend how to play. Get unnecessarily angry and competitive. Most importantly, have fun. Keep fourthwalling to a minimum, please. Recommended playing: QWOP PROMPT: OMAGE     Upon receiving your mobile phone, you will be asked to set a username. Voila, you can now access the network! You can choose to send a message to the entire network, specific usernames, or you can try out the Orbiters’ service, Omage, which connects you to a random user. They thought this might be a good way for their new guests to make friends with each other... Connecting to server... Looking for someone you can chat with... You’re now chatting with [username]... Say hi! PROMPT: WILDCARD     You are welcome to write any scenarios in Thesa Station! Characters have been granted temporary access to the Observation Room, and are encouraged to study it carefully. FINAL OOC NOTE     Please give toplevel priority to prospective characters! Current characters wishing to thread these scenarios with other current characters are encouraged to create separate logs. However, threads between 2 current characters are not eligible for Natha Orbiter REP. 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! A TDM thread of AC length may be submitted HERE for 2 NATHA ORBITER REPUTATION POINTS. Current players may submit their thread at any time, and prospective players may submit a thread after acceptance. Please note that threads must contain at least five (5) log comments from your character. A toplevel counts as a comment. Network threads are not eligible. QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● world ● map ● reputation ● npcs taken ● reserves ● application calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

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Meghan J. "Valkyrie" Castellano | Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege | OTA

[blackeye]

WINTER CAME

2.

[The nice thing about deserts? Nobody ever got frostbite in them. Sure, they can be hot, and heatstroke is a pain and a half, but bring enough water and you're pretty much set. You can sweat your way through heat. You can't sweat your way through cold. It locks you up and sets your teeth chattering, and if you get sloppy, you can kiss an extremity of your choice goodbye, because out here...well, we'll spare you the details.

What's a royal guard to do? Not freeze to death, for one. Meghan'll finish her patrol before she heads back to base - her sense of duty won't even let her think otherwise - but nobody's moving far in this blizzard. She's got to get somewhere warm, somewhere she can still observe and report from.

When she turns to address you, her tone is clipped but courteous; professional.]

Stay close. I don't need you wandering off.

3.

[She looks at one of the boxes, fists clenched and teeth grit behind pursed lips.

You hear about rumors of stuff like this going on, but it's another thing entirely to be confronted with proof positive of it. For a moment, she's consumed with a blinding hot rage, enough to make her entertain - for a brief moment - the thought of trudging through snow that must be knee-deep by now to slug their employer in the jaw. Using her to supply Wyver terrorists? Over her dead body.

Sure, you can debate it until the chocobos come home, but when it comes down to it - the people in the outer colonies need food. And she'll die before she betrays Olympia.

Killed on sight, huh?

She'll take her chances.]

Ditch the boxes. Dismantle them if you can.

[She's already moving to unload one of the more suspicious boxes. Her tone of voice seems to broker no argument, but you're welcome to try.]

4. WILDCARD

[Hit me with your rhythm stick!]

[OOC: Meghan's canonical info/permissions can be found here, and the mun can be reached via PM for questions! Happy tagging!]

3

[strontiumdog]

[Johnny looks at her appraisingly with blank white eyes, and shrugs. And without further ado, tromps over and caves in one of the suspicious boxes with a well placed kick. It was at least convenient to be on the same page. He's no stranger to doing the right thing, even if it means a lot of trouble to head their way.]

Ditch them here? [He asks, over his shoulder, nudging his boot at the spilled contents.] Can't do that either. Cargo's too sensitive.

[blackeye]

[She's following suit with a box of her own, prying the lid off to reveal an assortment of state-of-the-art weaponry. "Foodstuffs", her ass.]

Then break what you can. We'll see if we can't find some explosives to destroy the rest with.

[She's already setting to work field-stripping a small handgun, tucking its barrel into her jacket and scattering the rest of the weapon over the edge to the valley below.]

We'll report it as lost in transit or something.

[Over her shoulder, in turn, as she juggles all the different ways in which she could punch out the dude who gave them this job when they get back to town:] Give a holler if you need me.

[strontiumdog]

We could rig up explosives, but the smoke'll be seen from miles away. Attention we don't want to draw, I think.

[He picks up a handgun himself, but tucks it under his jacket instead of disassembling it.]

Just some specific cargo in particular going "missing"? [He says, doubtfully. He slams another lid open, but it doesn't seem any more irritated or angry.] You're an optimist or an idiot, and I didn't take you for the latter. That excuse won't cut it.

[Another glance backward.] You might want to consider keeping some of it yourself if you want to make it through this alive.

[blackeye]

[He's got a point - points, actually. They'll want to keep this on the down-low for now, something explosives might not let them do. And reporting them as "lost in transit"? Yeah, that'll hold about as much water back in town as some of the hand-me-down fishing skiffs she's seen off the coast.]

We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, then.

[They could probably do worse than shooting their way out of this - and on that note, she'll take a sawn-off shotgun out of one of the boxes. It's a short and stubby little thing, but it still looks like it could lay down the pain.]

I didn't catch your name.

[She preempts him with an introduction of her own, holding out a gloved hand. Should he shake it, he'll find her grip firm, but not crushing.]

Meghan. Castellano.

[strontiumdog]

[He takes her gloved hand with his and gives back a perfunctory, no-nonsense shake.]

Johnny Alpha. Nice to meet you, Castellano.

[He draws back with slight smile lines of approval around his eyes, and tilts his chin at the sawed off she's toting. Good choice. Johnny preferred something smaller, a little more accurate, but up-close firepower would do them good. You could tell a lot about a person by the weapons they pick.]

How good are you with that thing?

[blackeye]

[She handles the sawn-off like a craftsman would their tools - appreciating the feel of it, the heft, the way it settles into her hands like a familiar hammer or wrench.]

With this?

[She racks the pump, deftly catching the live shell that flies out of the chamber with her off-hand before sliding it back into the magazine. She offers Johnny a smile.]

I'm proficient.

[From the looks of it, she can just barely conceal it in her thick winter coat. Better to have and not need than need and not have - and from what she knows of their employer, it'll definitely be needed.]

Find everything you need?

[strontiumdog]

[Hm. Flashy. But he nods back with approval, noting her competency. He pats his own jacket, the much smaller handgun concealed more easily under the bulk.]

Good to hear. I'm proficient enough myself.

[And after a second of contemplating her question, reaches in and pulls out a second pistol. Why the hell not? Weaponry like this was hard to come by, might as well make the most of it. He exhales as he tucks it in next to the first.]

Right. So. First things first. How're we sorting this?

[He asks as he sifts through the contents with a discerning eye, pocketing bits here and there. Grenades, extra ammo, whatever will fit down his gloves and boots and pockets. It's a startling amount that he manages to effectively conceal on his person without looking like a particularly lumpy snowman.]

[blackeye]

[On that note, she's going to follow his example and nab herself a secondary - a good, solid-looking pistol - and tuck it into an available jacket pocket. Heck, maybe a grenade or two and a few spare magazines, too. They're like RAM, right? Can't ever have enough.]

Take what we can use. Dump the rest over the side of the mountain and hope the impact on the valley floor breaks them.

[Can't ditch them here. Can't blow them up without making a scene. Sure as hell can't deliver them. She looks up from one of the heavier weapons that she's disassembling like she could do it blindfolded. Odds are, she could.]

Sound good to you?

[strontiumdog]

Mhm.

[Johnny gives a casual hum of approval as the last of the ammo disappears into his sleeve. Honestly? He's glad for her practical attitude. No hesitation whatsoever, just planning and action. He could've picked worse partners.]

Even if not, it'll be a pain to recover. [He squints into the horizon, shielding his eyes.] Yeah. Pretty sure there's a snowstorm coming.

[Good thing the ground is icy. A pain in the arse to navigate on foot, but at least it's lacking enough traction that they could probably just slide everything off the edge. He heads towards another box and braces himself against the side of it, digging his heels into the snow.]

Give me a hand with this?

[blackeye]

[OOC: Continued in the overflow!]