❪ test drive: #2 ❫ THE OVERFLOW

[natha]

ORIGINAL 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

Comments

[bruxisms]

[ for a moment, Stannis appears utterly taken aback, as though the Lord Commander had just told him that he had three heads. ]

He did not. I had thought for some time that he was lost at sea after leaving Eastwatch, but I discovered that Lord Manderly had executed him. Had I known... [ but there was no point in dwelling on it. not when he lived yet again. ]. ...The Lady Melisandre had no need to ride with me, and she told me herself that her place was at the Wall, observing the true enemy. My lady wife and my daughter were meant to remain safe, for there was a chance that I may very well have perished in the assault, and she remains my only child and heir. If it is truly as you say... [ his jaw clenches, teeth moving side to side. ] I question why such decisions that were made.

[ although... ]

While you might do well not to trust a turncloak's words, in this case he speaks the truth. I also knew an "Asha Greyjoy", as my prisoner. Some of my more zealous men would have had me sacrifice her to lift the storm, but I saw no reason to do so.

[ that does also make if wonder if perhaps the man he had assumed was a simpleton truly was some queer alternate version of Ser Loras. ]

And it was not Lady Lannister that was married to Roose Bolton's bastard, but your younger sister, Arya Stark. She was found with us, along with the Turncloak, Theon Greyjoy.

[ truthfully, he does not expect much from a man so foolish as to march his lady wife and only heir into a battle with him. ]

[quevalry]

[ she eagerly nods her head, following along with what he has to say and then when reinhardt laughs -- she finds herself giggling in response to him. it's always nice to hear something familiar and it's always warming to hear him. ]

Just try to avoid getting too hurt! There are other doctors here, but, y'know. [ Some are kinda weird. ]

Hm... I mean, there's the usual trouble, but nothing big has happened yet as far as I can tell. I feel like I'd know if there has been.

[laveers]

[ hey buddy you don't get to turn that insult into fact!! wow!! ]

If that duty is not tending a fleshfire, I will have no quarrel with you.

[bruxisms]

[ Stannis Baratheon: ruiner of everything, including insults since 264 AC. ]

AND IF YOU FOLLOW THE LAWS OF THIS REALM I WILL HAVE NO QUARREL WITH YOU.

[baguablade]

Not bad. I feel warmer already.

[ He does, even if it's just a minor effect from not being out in the raging winds and with the prospect of a fire to look forward to. While Vane was busy stuffing the cracks, Cain's gotten the wood layed out in the grating, and he's even managed to find a dusty box of matches tucked on top of the mantel.

A few moments more and he has a match struck and the fire carefully coaxed to life. ]

Was that all the wood?

[ If there's more, he can build the fire a bit bigger, but if not, they're going to have to ration their fuel through the night. ]

[defenses]

i felt enough for the both of us!
so no problems here ahahaha ha

ha [ ... ]

[panzersoldat]

It's not just Lena and Winston that would be in trouble for what they do. Even the upright and law abiding Reinhardt had taken to a life of vigilante justice. He supposes that the UN doesn't care about one lone old man in worn down armor, reliving his glory days. (That, and the people in Germany loved him and would never ever turn him in to the authorities.) The same armor he has waiting to be sent down to his new home.

But that's for the future. Right now, he has to deal with the fact that all those people had just vanished. It's only himself, the man in the mask and a strange empty room. A man whose voice sounds so familiar in a way Reinhardt knows can't be.

And though 76 has helped him, that doesn't protect him from an angry Crusader needing answers. "I can see that. But where am I? Where did the people go! The camp! They still needed help! I don't care who they are and what they want to explain to me, I need to go back there!" That's what's important to him. Helping the people. He hasn't changed one bit. "Tell me how I get back to then, 76! I have a duty to them and I won't abandon them."

[defenses]

[ it's true. as archer expects vane doesn't exactly catch onto his plans all too quickly. if anything, he's lagging, especially as he's already beginning to reply. but, before he could get into the details of smoking a fish in the most ideal fashion in three easy steps, archer succeeds in training him well enough to remain ...

silent when archer signals. ... except, they didn't go over these signals? it looked like archer made a loop with his hand. hmmm... vane gives a thumbs up for now, especially as he starts going around. every so often, he stops to look at archer, as if to confirm he's doing good so far? he gives another thumbs up, before mouthing: ] Here? [ walks a bit further. ]

He—re?

[listofnames]

I do.

[There's no point in lying. They would make themselves known soon enough. Most of her family is far less subtle about certain things than she is. Her Stark blood shows in other areas.]

It doesn't seem uncommon.

[Family or friends. She's heard of many others having both here.]

[etiquette]

No small feat, if you managed to accomplish it with your project.

[merlin, of course. anything was worth knowing--whether for adapting to the gadgets or taking that knowledge and applying it in a cover or mission context. she certainly comes across as an intelligent woman, despite the lack of time on her side.]

Have you thought about carrying on any of it here? God knows the technology and science far exceeds even where I was decades later.

[etiquette]

[well, it's no use coming up with another kind of cover seeing as eggsy had given his nickname as it was already. he can only hope the boy hasn't given his name as harry anywhere else--it's enough that the orbiters knew it.]

Eggsy Unwin. I knew his father too, once upon a time.

[he smiles, though there's an air of tightness and wistfulness to the latter part of it.]

He's not one to keep quiet and I've heard he's made the rounds already--perhaps you've met him?

[blackeye]

[By the looks of it, she takes his eyes in stride. She notes it, make no mistake - files it away as something to ask about when the time's right - but it takes more than that to faze her. It's just another exercise in compartmentalization - focus on what's relevant to the mission at hand, ignore what isn't, be smart and seasoned enough to know the difference.]

Hey.

["Hey"? It sounds lame even to her ears, and inwardly she winces at it. But..."Alpha" still feels more a part of a phonetic alphabet than a surname to her, and first names are too familiar at this point. She gets up, works out the kinks in her neck and shoulders as she ponders many of the same questions Johnny's asking himself - and then there's the telepathic burst from Sael that makes her freeze up in her tracks.

She doesn't catch most of the details. She doesn't need to, not with this kind of big picture: world gone, Storm to blame, friends and family in cryostasis, crisis on the world below that needs their assistance.

When she looks back up at Johnny, the look in her eyes is that of a someone with a mission.]

Looks like we'll be busy, huh?

[That's her way of asking "so, you catch that telepathy too?"]

[originallutece]

Oh, yes.

[There's something a little eager about her gaze now.]

I'm not surprised they're so advanced-- a hundred different worlds, and I don't doubt they've scavenged the useful bits out of each one. Science, mathematics-- people surely can't be the only thing they pulled out of each universe.

[defenses]

There was a bit more, but it was scattered everywhere. Some were even tucked in beneath the bed! The last person who came here must've really wanted the wood close to them! [ or more realistically, perhaps the cabin had been far too frigid to remain too far from the forefront of where the fire had burned. likely their own fate, as well. still, vane gives a shrug.

that is until he recalls a certain point! the blanket from earlier, that is, and it's here he swiftly moves to drape it over cain's shoulders. he assumes it was safe to prioritize his companion in this way. if anything, vane presumed his own body would be durable enough to adapt even without it. teeth chattering aside, he gives cain a smile.... as he does like 10 jumping jacks. ]

I am also warmer!!

[beatupgrass]

I know. [He doesn't say that most body armor will prevent the actual cleaving in two part, because that's specific to space. These people? They have no idea how to prepare against laser fire.]

'Cause I'm absolutely a genius. Sure, I can use any gun I pick up pretty much, but the real beauties are the ones I build myself.

@vorrutyer

[ebeje]

[ The fluctuation in her smile is slight, but not absent. Can she move this cargo back on her own? Possibly. Probably, but not as easily or quickly as she would like, should she need to make a hasty retreat. How conveniently effective an obstacle he's proposing, and how complicated to avoid . ]

Ah, but how many men would say 'only a little wine,' and 'only a little more,' until they have had so much they could not lift a twig? And where would I be then? [ She tsks, seemingly unconvinced, and bends down to give an ineffectual tug on the corner of the box as if to demonstrate. ] Wishing there were two of me to lift this, I think. Would you leave a lady to such a fate?

[chaoticlootral]

Popsicle stand. Because they're frozen-- you get it. You get it.

[ DO YOU GET IT. It was a good goof. Sorry if it's insensitive to dead relatives. It's how he processes things. ]

No idea on that one, compadre. Could be anything. Kind of a gamble that way - can tell you they are sticklers for it being your blood, so showing up with a jar of whoevers is just a big waste of time.

[ Someone may or may not have been threatened with banishment from the premises. ]

[wondie]

"It would be a hard life, trapped here in the distance of the heavens." Diana visits the station on occasion, usually to check in on her friends and family in stasis. She even occasionally spends a night in the rooms provided, but it is never long before she heads back planetside. She feels more at ease with earth under her boots. The Natha had granted them much, yet the cold detachment of the station was difficult to bear for long occasions.

"Your land sounds a beautiful one," the amazon muses, her tone bittersweet in the words left unsaid. That as of now, those lands are gone. "I am Diana, of the island Themyscira. It is good to meet you, Èowyn."

[ebeje]

Likewise. [ And gladly. The world needs more pragmatists, in her opinion, and this one delights her. In fact— for half a beat, the gears turn behind her eyes. ]

Perhaps if this journey ends profitably, [ and, y'know, they don't get caught and killed— ] Our paths might have reason to cross again.

[guidetoblivion]

I have no reason or need to answer to you.

[Stannis may be stubborn, but so is Riku… who really is wondering who this narrow minded adult think he is anyway. King or lord, his titles have no meaning here anymore, and certainly not to the boy before him. Respect has to be earned, after all.]

[fakers]

[ the first time vane calls out to him, archer reacts the way one would expect. by holding up a finger in front of his mouth. when vane does it again, archer shushes him quietly. when he does it a third time... archer starts trying to wave him off. at the fourth time, archer begins to seriously consider whether anyone would ever notice vane had never woken up from virtuality.

at the fifth... ]

Enough! It completely ruins the point of this is you yell like that!

[ except vane hadn't been yelling, and archer... definitely just did. which sends a few of the creatures suddenly running out from where they'd been hiding, scattering in different directions.

... ]

...that may have been my fault.

[beknight]

[ He lights with recognition. ]

As it happens — I have. He struck me as very intelligent young man.

[ Picked his pockets. Eggsy's in for a surprise with that one. ]

1/2

[defenses]

[ ...



ah. this is the end of the road.


while most people may have been rightfully disappointed, vane... just stands there a bit shocked. he blinks owlishly a few times, before— ]

[defenses]

[ vane... just starts laughing. ]

Ahaha, no matter how you look at it, it's completely your fault, right? [ but, he seems to think it's genuinely funny. especially, with how archer looks so indignant. it kind of reminds him of someone else somehow. even if he can't exactly place a finger on who.

it's here though, that he jogs back, this time, to give archer a touch on the shoulder. like it's aite pal. if anything, at least if archer looks around them, they seem to have actually been around their outer territory. all around the cave is fecal matter... all ready to be packed away for samples. ]

[objectionattorney]

You better.

[Despite the sharp tone of his words he seemed to be smiling warmly. There was just something about the relief in Athenas expression that made it impossible to stay mad at her. Besides, her intent with the photos seemed far less malicious now that they had come to a bit of an understanding.]

As always, seems I have all my trust placed into you Athena. Be kind to this old man and don't wreck my fragile cool dad rep too much now.