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Entry tags:
❪ test drive #4 ❫
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YOUR STORY BEGINS  The Storm came. You only remember darkness, but you don't remember much after that. All you know, perhaps, is that it was cold. You don't know for how long you slept, but the dreams were short, at least. You remember the expanse of stars and the universe that came in view. Every world and solar system ever known was displayed in your dreams in careful, pristine detail. You have also witnessed The Storm, which has devoured a fair portion of these galaxies. It was a dark, thick smog — ominous in appearance and ever foreboding. Your Earth and similar planets were immersed in The Storm. Somehow, you knew it would be the last you'd see of it. That was when she told you what happened, and how you could help. You knew that you'd be living somewhere new, even though you never asked for it. The details here weren't clear, but you knew you'd made a deal with Darma. Not long after, you'll wake at Thesa Station — your body is still cold. It all felt like a dream, but somehow, you knew it wasn't — now, will you keep that promise you made to Darma? PROMPT: THE STORM  CW: death You were awake on Thesa Station. But at some point you, like many other new arrivals before you, wandered into the Observation Deck. Ordinarily, this is where images of The Storm are replayed to remind Refugees of the fate they have escaped. The Natha Orbiters' technology has evolved. They are aware of your gaps in memory. You may have doubts of The Storm even existing, or of your world's destruction. Though they do not wish reliving those last moments on anyone, they have created an experience that will do just that. Before entering the Observation Deck, you are warned that what follows will not be for the weak of heart. As soon as you step in, you will find that the walls around you begin to transform and expand. Welcome to the Planet Cespi, in the Circinus Galaxy. Unfortunately, we were not able to save this world from The Storm's Consumption.
These are its last memories. You are surrounded by blue, grassy hills as far as the eye can see and a pleasant breeze. The atmosphere is thick with a sickly sweet smell. Before you lays the scene of a quiet village, with its residents going about their everyday lives. You aren't alone, either, with an equally confused stranger (or perhaps you know each other?) surveying the scene. Then the world grows completely silent for a full minute. You and your partner are unable to make a sound, verbal or otherwise. Without warning, a deafening roar fills your ears and forces you to double over in pain. The villagers run out of their homes in a panic, finding themselves in just as much pain and confusion as you do. Where there was no sound before, now there is too much for a normal human body to process. Look up. An expanding mass of energy is swallowing everything you can see. It consumes the earth, the atmosphere, the depths of space — and it is getting closer. Your only hope is to outrun it, if you can. The people in the village certainly try to, racing past you. Their fear is very real. Their bodies are very real. You may be able to run from it for a time, only able to catch glimpses of this dark and sinister force swallowing everything and everyone. The earth rumbles and separates beneath you. Electricity surges through the sky, and then through your very body. You fought hard, but it is impossible to outrun the Storm forever. You too will be consumed. Your death is quick, but not painless. What were you thinking, before you took your last breath? You awaken back in the Observation Deck, next to your new friend. PROMPT: TRAINING MODULES  While it’s all nice and well to familiarize oneself with Thesa Station, it is most advised that new arrivals venture out a bit. Not physically. No one is quite prepared for that yet. However, there will be several virtual reality training programs set for those who dare to be adventurous. For those who aren’t and don’t dare, well — good luck, all the same. Once seated and appropriately strapped in, the system will automatically whir to life. 1. When you enter the Natha's newest program, at first nothing loads. You might think this is an error as you look around in apparent total darkness, only able to see your own virtual body if you look down, but soon enough a voice comes to life as if speakers have turned on somewhere. Long ago, the lands of El Nysa were dominated by the ancestors of the dragons who now live among the people, tamed. It was pretty dangerous! How about a little history lesson? And then the simulation comes to life—
2. Let us now travel forward in time, shall we?  a. The Olympian settlement around you is quiet — until the screaming starts.3. And now, the present.  After all those enlightening scenes, the simulation finally brings you to a more quiet area of Olympia. You are deposited out somewhere in The Outlook, a place the very first group of refugees had to trudge through before they found their homes. You've arrived in the early evening — but sunlight is waning, and soon you'll be under a sky full of stars. Luckily, their old campsites aren't too overgrown. The intention here is to get you familiar with some of the local flora and fauna. What sorts of plants will you encounter? Do you find yourself under a Verillum Tree, suddenly compelled to be painfully honest and truthful in conversation with a complete stranger? Find yourself behaving erratically in the presence of Whistleweed? Or perhaps you'll have to break the spell of being trapped in a Vena Amoris' vines... with a kiss. PROMPT: STASIS UNIT  You have found the massive section of Thesa known as the Stasis Unit. There’s no special access required to enter 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: 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... 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
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! An AC-length thread may be submitted for 2 NATHA ORBITER REPUTATION POINTS after acceptance here. Please submit by February 18th.
We will no longer be providing overflow posts. In an event where the post hits CAPTCHA, players are advised to move threads to an overflow post on their character journals or create their own catch-all post. These threads remain eligible for REP. There will be an application cap of 60, and no reserves. Please read here for more information. |
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[ For all in his world. Even the Federation equivalent. ]
Is it a democracy?
[ He says the word like it's rather quaint. ]
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I'm guessing you're not so much with the voting thing. [ ~'Democracy'~ ]
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No, not at all. The Barrayaran Imperium is - well, an empire. With an Emperor. Although the Counts can vote, so that makes it somewhat parliamentary?
[ Except for the fact where the position is 99% hereditary. ]
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[ Jim doesn't think too highly of setups like that, even though he knows there are members of the Federation that have completely fine, even excellent rulers, and long histories of monarchs with wholly benevolent hearts. It's just his gross United Earth socialist germs, can't be helped.
Though, something occurs to him-- ]
I've heard of Barrayar before, I think. Someone on [
the last TDM i didn't have time to app over the holidays don't look at meeee] the network had mentioned it.no subject
Despite his previous assertions that this is all a dream - and claiming to be a mercenary admiral rather than a Barrayaran - Miles can't help but brighten. ]
Really? Someone else is here? Did you happen to catch their name?
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It was, ah.. [ Jim's got a better memory than this, but he tends to fumble around anyway; old habits die hard, trying to fly under radars. ] Byerly, I think. We talked about colonization-- he was kind of concerned I would vomit, speaking with him?
I somehow got the impression of flippancy.
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Byerly? Byerly Vorrutyer? Are you serious?
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So: yes, deadly seriously. (Alas???) ]
I take it you know each other.
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Yes. Vorrutyer. [ The r's get a nice Russian roll to them. ] Ugh, I wish I didn't. He's my cousin and a town clown. No good drunk pervert.
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Hmmmmmnot yet.
Him nods at the pronunciation assist, and huffs a laugh. ] I know a few like him. [ And no one who knows him is here to throw him under the bus so HAH. ] Surely he's better than knowing no one here.
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Anyway, focusing on things that Jim actually said - Miles just huffs, no laugh involved. ]
Oh no, he's quite worse than that. I can count on him to gum up anything I may try to plan. He's a disgrace to the Vor in general.
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The Vor? [ Headtilt. But more importantly: ] What do you think you might try to plan, here? Since it's-- you know, not real, and you're drunk.
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The ruling class on Barrayar. Nobility, essentially. But Byerly isn't even a Count's heir. And while he's technically in line for the throne, he's at least eighty places down.
[ Unlike Miles himself, who is second or third in line. After his father for sure, and tied with his cousin. He throws up his hands. ]
I've no idea what he's after. Perhaps some extra respect or privilege? Are there other Barrayarans here who don't know any better?
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I don't think so. Must be why he called himself an Emperor. No one around to contradict him.
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Qo'noSBarrayar.At that statement, though, Miles hesitates. Suddenly looking back over the rows of cryo pods. And between Jim and Spock once again. ]
Did he mention anyone named Gregor?
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ANYway, ]
Not that I recall. You could always... keep taking inventory in here, if you're looking for somebody specific.
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Anyway, Miles just kind of. Pauses a bit at that. Somehow the thought of walking these halls looking for his family and friends has sobered him significantly. This dream is becoming more real by the second. He can't quite face the thought head on. ]
How many of your own have you found, Captain?
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Either too many, or not enough. I haven't decided.
[ Seeing them is haunting, but not yet getting a dedicated count on every single person fills him with a tangle of negative emotions. Where are they? Are they absent because they haven't been taken in by whatever large-scale ruse this is, or because they haven't been saved from an event horizon he can't quantify? ]
This, [ he touches the vaguely triangle-shaped badge on his chest, ] is Starfleet. I've seen uniforms I don't recognize with this on them, either from other worlds with the same organization, or from the future. I've seen uniforms I only know from history class. Things I'm not sure my brain would supply if I were dreaming.
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Miles is having much the same thoughts about his own people. Is it better to see his family in the pods, knowing they're here but also that they may never awaken? Or should he hope they're not here - and maybe safe on an alternate world?
He shakes his head a bit. ]
From the future? What do you mean?
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[ He shrugs. The fact that there are people from all different times here hasn't given him pause; of all the things they're supposed to believe of the 'Orbiters', the fact that they can sweep in survivors from any points in time as well as space isn't what makes it potentially unbelievable. ]
'Future', ahead of my perception of my current place in time, whichever.
[ Maybe he actually accepts strictly unfamiliar uniforms because somewhere in the depths of borrowed memories, he knows them; it's been a while since the Ambassador kicked around with any force in his head, but every so often, something'll pop up. ]
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You mean we're being pulled from different points in time? How?
[ The storm destroys everything, doesn't it? But that would also explain how the hell he's eighteen when his cousin (who is normally a year older than him) appears to be in his fifties. ]
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[ Look, he's a smart cookie but he's not Spock or Scotty or even Chekov, here, bear with him and his shitty explanation. ]
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I suppose, but - He gestures vaguely. [ Have you been younger than someone else you know? ] Or older than you should be?
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[ Which is why he's here, lurking in the cold, resting empty paper cups on Spock's enclosed head. ]
I suppose any of them asleep could be years older or younger - it's hard to tell. [ Especially with the non-humans, or Bones whose old man scowl has been affixed since he was twelve years old. (He suspects Uhura will look flawless until she's 100, also.) ]
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... I suppose so. It's rather difficult to see through the glass.
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