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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. |
no subject
Yeah, I bet.
[He knows a dumb I-am-coping joke when he hears one. But since Cam seems to be getting a grip, Boxer will let him talk himself down. He looks past Cam toward the girl inside—horns, purple skin. ...Wow.]
Wish it were that easy. Friend of yours?
no subject
["Way back" isn't all that long in the grand scheme of things. It was only months ago that he fled Greybell and met his companions, yet it felt like several lifetimes ago.
Speaking of time passing slowly. He crosses his arms over his chest, rocking back on his heels.]
So how long are they supposed to sleep for? I don't see anything wrong with her.
no subject
Got me. I'm not sure it's that simple.
[As looking okay. Most of the people in those pods do. But he hasn't heard of anyone waking up since...he did, really. The whole stasis thing is still a little over his head.
He sees Cam dig his heels in, and tries for a gentle prod away from the understandably-upsetting sight.]
If you want to get caught up somewhere a little more comfortable, I know a place. My treat.
[A beat.]
...when you're ready.
[No rush.]
no subject
Luckily for everyone except Cam, he’s already in the process of burying his feelings deep under his normal veneer of clueless positivity. And he perks up a bit at the stranger’s offer of food.]
Hold on. [Something still doesn’t feel right. Leaning in close to the glass on Jiutou’s pod, Cam cups his mouth and breathes out. In the resulting fogged up glass, he uses his finger to write in messy handwriting CAM. Now, if she wakes up, she’ll know he was here.
Satisfied, he nods to the stranger, ready to go.]
So, where to?
no subject
...Right. Down this way. Not too far.
[One of the first things he'd done around here was try to learn his way around. He'll walk them down toward the mess hall. Mostly just to give Cam something familiar to do with himself, rather than worry himself sick over his friend. But it'll take a while to pass through the rows and rows of sleeping salvaged refugees. So, conversationally—]
Mind if I ask?
[The word he'd written on the glass. A name, a code, an acronym...?]
no subject
He'll walk behind Boxer, and now that they're away from Jiutou (and the fresh reminder of what he's lost) he is finally getting distracted, and a look at this other guy. He's tall. And what's up with that sword? Is it a sword?
The question cuts off Cam's train of thought.]
No. [Then, to clarify that he absolutely missed Boxer's subtle line of questioning.] She's not my girlfriend. People keep asking about that.
[And in this case it's not a case of 'methinks he protest too much'] She's like a little sister to me.
[His voice gets a little tighter around the word sister, but it's only momentary, a flash of sadness. He still hasn't found Mirella, not that his hopes are particularly high on that one.]
no subject
He waits it out patiently while Cam (still, kind of) protests-too-much. Sword (is it a sword?) propped up against a shoulder while he leads the way steadily out toward the station proper. Calm down, bud, he wasn't prying that hard. So, placatingly—]
I see. [And, as they turn the corner out of the oppressive rows and rows of sleeping bodies&mdash] Must be hard.
[Seeing her like that.]
no subject
Eh. [He sounds distracted, looking in each of the pods as they walk by,] She'd probably be really mad if she was awake.
[The whole 'storm destroying the world' thing. There's a long silence as they pass more of the resting chambers. Cam is debating something, a question that's been on his mind since he arrived but it's a dangerous question. One he's not sure he wants to know the answer for.
Finally,] Do... they save anyone who's... not alive? [He tries to sound casual and that makes it all the more awkward.] Like if they died before the whole storm business? I mean, there's some pretty crazy magic going on here so...
[Can they bring people back from the dead, seems to be the direction he's implying.]
no subject
As for people who are less than alive—well. Preaching to the choir, sort of. He shifts the Transistor on his shoulder. With only a little bit of hard-to-place irony—]
Safe to say they try.
[Results are...what they are. By their own admission, they only do what they can before it's too late. But there's the few familiar faces they've ferreted out from Cloudbank after they'd been MIA, or gone. And, most telling—Sybil, still sleeping. Good as new.]
...Might have been a strange case. [Him. Her. Anyone else they might have salvaged from the Process. What happened in Cloudbank—it was headed out for the Country before the Storm had a chance to sweep it all away.] I could ask around, if it'd help.
[Or, he can keep an eye out. But what he doesn't outright ask is who, or why. Not his business, unless Cam plans on sharing. (Not too hard to guess at the latter, anyway.)]
no subject
And then the storm happened. Sending Cam back to... square one doesn't even begin to cover it.]
Nah. Just curious, you know? [Yeah, that's believable. But there's a part of him that's comforted. Just knowing that there is a chance is enough. He closes his eyes, letting some of the stress seep out of his body. Then-]
So! [The mood shift is abrupt (before Boxer can pry into sensitive topics) and Cam's voice takes on a perky cadence as he changes the topic.] So! What kind of food do they have here? I've never had... star food before. Do they have grapes?