natha: (Default)
ɴᴀᴛʜᴀ orbiters ❰ mod collective ❱ ([personal profile] natha) wrote in [community profile] elnyan2017-06-28 04:48 pm
Entry tags:

❪ test drive: #1 - the overflow ❫

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 as you slept. 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 can help. You knew that you'll 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 was all a dream, but somehow, you knew it wasn't — now, will you keep that promise you made to Darma?
PROMPT: THE MESS HALL    


It's fascinating to the Orbiters how such a dull room can be turned around so completely with people in it. All meals are served by Roman, and while all the food is delicious, some of it is a bit odd. Is that neon green soup? That’s hideous.

If you happen to be in the mess hall at a particularly unlucky time, you and the food will suddenly begin to drift. Someone’s got jokes, and they’ve turned off the gravity control. Now it’s just you, your fellow refugees, and the floating sea of food. Wait, did that person just chuck a pie in your direction?
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. Be advised, however, that participating in one of the training modules will start you off favorably with the Natha Orbiters’ in terms of REPUTATION.

Once seated and appropriately strapped in, the system will automatically whir to life and the dense foliage and forestry of a section of El Nysa will open up. According to one’s map registry, it clear to see that it’s miles from the outer gates of Olympia, but not as far enough to venture into any other territories. So, in that sense, you’re safe.
  • 1. Or you could have been, but unfortunately the wilderness is home to various types of beasts and monsters hailing from different universes and galaxies. On the bright side, perhaps one of them will be oddly familiar to you. Or maybe someone else who is currently synced is willing to give you that extra helping hand.

    Fortunately, if you’re powerless, there are options. From telekinesis to flight, there are strange abilities one can adopt and “test” out in the virtual reality. Granted, you’re only limited to one at a time. They say in the near future, some of you may be granted these abilities under certain conditions.

    But, please practice some caution. You aren’t alone in the system, after all.

  • 2.. Who do you fight for, the VR system will ask you individually before you enter the module. The righteous Olympians, or the free-spirited Wyvers? Whatever your choice, when you enter El Nysa, you will wholly and truly believe your allegiance.
    • A. Working together: You now have to suffer the consequences of your choice, as you and your partner have been captured by guards of the opposite faction. Now jailed and soon-to-be tortured, you must find some way to negotiate your release. Perhaps you’ll find some means to escape without detection. Maybe you’re the “fight your way out” sort of people.

    • B. Facing your enemy: That person you stepped into the VR with? They’re out to capture you. Or maybe you seek to capture them.
  • 3. When you enter the virtual reality, things aren’t exactly how they’re supposed to be. Maybe that’s natural, especially if this is your first time, but the problems here seem a bit more fundamental. Maybe you find yourself under a parental safety lock, and you’re suddenly censored. Exposed back? Censored. Body suit? Censored. Or replaced with a mascot costume. Worst of all? You can’t sign out. Not right now, at least. Regardless, whatever it is— ridiculous filters, body alterations, or even body swaps with other users... you are assured it’ll all be fixed with due time. Zasere sends his humblest apologies and promises no more wire chewing, or so the announcement states.
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: HANGAR STATION    


You find your way to the hangar station. Here rests are a factory worth of docked mobile suits. You recall how the Orbiters had previously spoken of a "space frontier," but only after seeing this you realize how real their words are. Most machinery have marks of wear and tear, assurance that they have indeed been used before, and an assembly of others are going through repairs and maintenance. No one seems to care that you've just strolled in.

In fact, there seems to be a couple of the aircraft that beckon you to take a closer look. Maybe you’ll only look on the outside, maybe you'll be greeted by the hand of a mobile suit extending toward you and welcoming you to its cockpit.

You go out and explore SPACE!!! Unfortunately, that mobile suit should have warned you it only had 20 minutes of flight time left in its system. Or, perhaps, you’re a particularly ambitious pilot and you’ve strayed past the designated perimeter. Either way, the HUD display is now blinking with errors, cropping up with a single message: DISTRESS SIGNAL.

  • 1. You’re the poor sap who happened to chill around the Observation Deck. Unfortunately, everyone seems busy with the influx of mobile suits out and about, and the only one who can answer this distress signal is on the Navigation System, well, you. Hope you can figure out the controls fast enough. Guide the pilot back to the safety of the hangar using the most efficient route possible. Keen Navigators will find an instruction manual that provides a shortcut to automatically return a suit back to base.

  • 2. You’re actually sitting in a two-seater mobile suit. Funny how that works, isn’t it? Maybe you were unwittingly dropped down a hatch, or dragged along for a joyride by your ambitious co-pilot. Either way, it looks like help is going to take some time...
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    
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 Training Module thread of AC length on the TDM may be submitted for 1 NATHA ORBITER REPUTATION POINT after acceptance.

eusford: (pic#11158827)

[personal profile] eusford 2017-07-09 03:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He's doing a better job than Crowley. ] I'm not familiar with animals, I never really bothered with them.

[ But then the baby goat is directing its attention towards Chuuya. Actually just the bottle, ignoring the person holding it, the animal brings its nose to the rim of the milk bottle and sniffs it curiously. It then completely ignores the bottle and passes Chuuya, moving outside. ]

Great. [ Sarcasm. Crowley stands with a small sigh. ] Let's go grab it.

[ And maybe the rest... would this be over with then?

Crowley walks outside, the virtual sun doing nothing to his skin but he still glances to his shoulder. Examining the ring around his arm before he notices that. all the fucking goats are. in a tree.

... ... ... ]


What the hell?
presses: (pic#11286282)

[personal profile] presses 2017-07-09 03:12 pm (UTC)(link)
i dont know
i dont really trust it either
maybe it has something to do with being able to access a certain point in time
im not good with this stuff
chaoticlootral: DNT (charm person;)

[personal profile] chaoticlootral 2017-07-09 03:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[Because it's a very silly name, Rhys, unlike the very good and normal name Taako has. Anyway if he thought apologizing would make Taako drop the whole kinda smug and aggrieved act, Bad News.]

There you go, Reese's Pieces! An apology! First step on the way to new beginnings. You know what would really seal the deal, put you in Taako's good books?

[Holding up the empty bowl from where he's finished stealing Rhys' food.]

Refill. Maybe something actually good this time so I don't have to enchant it to choke it down. Thanks!
armedwithhands: (eH2RLz9)

[personal profile] armedwithhands 2017-07-09 03:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[Hibiki shakes her arm out as she stabilizes from her slide and glances down at her arm as her gauntlet reforms into its standard shape. She's gone up against some tough things before but that thing is strong. And tough too, by the looks of the mere dent her punch put in its face and the way the tree branch bounces off its back. It just seems like all that made it mad. She has to get past that armor but how...?

It's then that a memory clicks. A voice giving her a piece of advice from quite awhile ago: 'Remember to always strike the weak point for massive damage!'

Her song reaches its chorus as the beast makes another charge and she rushes to meet it again, thrusters on her boots firing for an extra boost. This time though, she doesn't meet it head on. Instead, she ducks past its head and slams into its shoulder, wrapping her arms around its foreleg. Pistons fire backwards from her legs, digging into the ground to catch the force and with all of her enhanced strength she lifts!

The creature is heavy and bulky though. If she could only get a boost....]
idealog: (hard to destroy with love or hope)

[personal profile] idealog 2017-07-09 03:24 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a work in progress! :)

[ He he's his flaws, but 2B finds him sort of charming! That's not quite a Nines, but it'll do. ]

The ones I've talked to are a little thrown off by the technology, but they don't seem so bad. You're really strong and focused, so I can see why they'd look up to you.

We can meet soon. I'm on my way to the observatory to check out the nearby stars. That sound good?
strictdiscipline: (018)

[personal profile] strictdiscipline 2017-07-09 03:27 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Aw, a piggyback ride? How sweet.

Or it would be, under any other circumstances that don't involve them running - or in this case, skating - for their lives. It's a reasonable enough suggestion, almost surprising coming from him, but she doesn't hesitate, giving herself a leg up as she clambers onto his back as quickly as she can manage.

Hopefully his fiance doesn't consider giving another woman a piggyback ride to be cheating.

Of course, they only make it about a third of the way across the rink before the monsters give a roar, arms darting forth in a jabbing motion as they aim straight for JJ's head. ]
speeds: (52)

[personal profile] speeds 2017-07-09 03:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[ 87 years living frozen in time and being connected to only a handful of others definitely made him dependant. Carlisle and Esme in particular are two he's known for a very long time with the others joining after, but it doesn't make them any more important either. He can't imagine life without them now, which is why he's been coming here most nights while others sleep.

He doesn't need to do that, and it's probably better than staring at a wall in the sleeping quarters.

Besides, coming here has helped him learn about others as well, even if they might not know how much he's learning.

The pieces about this stranger are slowly clicking together, at least, though it still doesn't account for the scent of him. He stays quiet for a while, letting his feet drive him forward. He could go faster than this, but it seems pointless, and he's trying to keep his head low anyway. ]


Do you miss them?

[ Maybe he should stop asking questions, but it's a little more difficult to pinpoint this guy with his thoughts all over the place and then no where at all. ]
speeds: (44)

nah

[personal profile] speeds 2017-07-09 03:36 pm (UTC)(link)
[ On the one hand, it isn't that surprising that Lance is taken aback. It isn't a new thing, his whole species comes equipped with the kind of tools to draw people in, to make them breathless and in awe. On the other hand... Well.

At least no one else is here to question it either. ]


I couldn't sleep. [ Can't sleep is more accurate, but he starts with this. ] So I thought I'd visit those I know. [ He indicates forward, to where Carlisle's body is frozen in the pod -- sleeping for the first time in years upon years. ]

I presume I wasn't alone in that?
idealog: (in the valley of the dolls we sleep)

it's okay! i think this thread got buried in the chaos of this tdm

[personal profile] idealog 2017-07-09 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[ She's not one of the machine lifeforms and therefore not his enemy, which puts 9S at ease. ]

Wetware? I haven't heard that used in a while. Where I come from, we androids were designed by humans to live among them and protect them. At least we were back when they were still on Earth.

It sounds like you're a little more complex than that.
valcurie: http://nishakadam.co.vu/icons2 (.o4)

ahhh she's amazing and the best muse and rhys is such a squish it's super easy to play off him

[personal profile] valcurie 2017-07-09 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
( Hopefully Rhys would be surprised by her resilience. She has a good heart, to be sure, but life has taught her how to be tough enough. He's just a decent person who has brought out the like in her, she'd say. )

Ah, so not the first best impression on my part! ( She offers a hand to him now. For shaking, of course, not to wrestle just yet. ) My name is Anegla Ziegler, call name Mercy, by the way and, as it so happens, I've had plenty of experience being shot at. Very quickly it loses its novelty.

( Which is easy for her to say, to make a joke out of. Her life's work has brought her, by her own choice, into the line of fire more times than she would ever like to bother recollecting. )

Shall we find a flat surface? A stone or stump should suffice.
rhygret: (why do I make out with you again)

[personal profile] rhygret 2017-07-09 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
That's not my-- [ UGH. Whatever. Rhys makes a sound of frustration. ] Forget it.

What do you mean you enchanted it? It's ice cream. [ Magic Isn't Real okay, that's silly and weird. This is the Space Age and technically even Eridians and Sirens are...sort of mostly explained. Except for the parts where they aren't. ]
speeds: (60)

[personal profile] speeds 2017-07-09 03:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[ She's unaware of how much he actually hears when her thoughts go too far. He stays quiet, fingers pushing against his coat pockets as he considers what to say to that. His biological parents are long gone by now, and he would have been had Carlisle not changed him -- though he also considers this life cursed anyway. Doomed to hell.

Instead of showing that he knows more than he should, he lets his mouth twitch into a faint smile, looking ahead of himself again. ]


It seems to be working, maybe your family will wake soon.

[ Those that can, anyway. Whoever they may be. ]
speeds: (9)

[personal profile] speeds 2017-07-09 03:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He pauses, half turned to leave even if the other never really pushed in the first place. It's just awkward when he doesn't have a plate in front of himself either. His "special diet" not allowing it. ]

I suppose offering company wouldn't hurt.

[ It's a light response, and he doesn't sit just quite yet -- only after a few beats of silence. ]

I'm sure it tastes... delightful.
speeds: (35)

[personal profile] speeds 2017-07-09 03:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[ For him it's more that it's easier to tell who is or isn't human to begin with. Though he would have assumed she would have noticed from the start as well. (Then again, different worlds, different rules etc.) She's having to think about it though, which kind of hints that things might be different where she's from. ]

Not used to having the "diet" kind?

[ It's a light question, but it will give him more of a hint of what kind of life she leads. Even if it tastes disgusting, it isn't like he has human blood normally anyway. It's been a long while since he has. ]

You could say it isn't something I'm unused to. You really don't have to worry. [ His arms press on the table, hands clasping together. ]
strictdiscipline: pixiv id: 54120407 (227)

[personal profile] strictdiscipline 2017-07-09 04:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[ ...He really wasn't kidding about being a complete disaster, was he. But in the wake of everything that's happened, it's charming rather than off-putting. None of them are exactly having the easiest time of things. ]

Coffee [ said with a small smile ] sounds lovely. I've been told warm food helps makes dreary situations brighter as well.

[ Might as well make it coffee and a meal while they're at it. But not in that way. ]
galaxycannon: (norba78)

[personal profile] galaxycannon 2017-07-09 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm sure your brain is part of it, but...

[ He stands upright and speaks matter of factly as he's prodded for authenticity. ]

The reason they're coming over to you is that face. Not like they can see those smarts.

[ And then he perks up wholly. ]

Oh! Hey, look! I didn't get lost after all. Pretty sure my room's somewhere over here.
silverhound: ɢʟᴀᴄɪᴀɴ @ ᴘʟᴜʀᴋ (✘ the oppressed)

[personal profile] silverhound 2017-07-09 04:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Mother is...mother!

She's not human and neither am I. She's different, very different. I only seen her once but I know what she sort of looks like.

I used to be able to sense her but now I can't.
reupload: (7)

[personal profile] reupload 2017-07-09 04:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[ There's a delay when he sends his last few messages and when she replies. She doesn't usually show hesitance — not when it's... something as simple as meeting up with 9S. There's hesitance to see him, to know that they're outside of their element and this is all just... foreign.

His compliments — no, admiration is thinly veiled, and it makes her feel true conflict. ]


...Well, they shouldn't. They don't know anything about me.

[ She keeps it brief. ]

You'll know where to find me. Don't waste too much of your time there.
agradecido: (Where there's no such thing)

[personal profile] agradecido 2017-07-09 04:46 pm (UTC)(link)
They have made themselves enemies of all sensible people, yes.
Here's hoping the Natha had the sense to leave them behind for the Storm to take.
yourhatred: (i saw everything)

[personal profile] yourhatred 2017-07-09 04:52 pm (UTC)(link)
I seem to be fine. And yes, you could say that.

[He doesn't like the fact that they know nothing about where they're being held or the level of security in place. It's more difficult to plan a break out from this position.

The ninja squints out of their enclosure, the pupils of his eyes spinning red to help him get a better view. It's not as much of an improvement as he'd like, but he has only himself to blame for how bad his vision is.]


What are we looking at in terms of visible guards?
deadthenred: (twenty-three.)

[personal profile] deadthenred 2017-07-09 04:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Clipping a giant robot. [ Even if he does intend to fly it back this one time. Bucky flips a switch on the controls and they jolt forward, more quick than he would've liked. ]

Sorry— this thing's got more gubbins than I ever seen. [ But soon it settles, and they're close to leaving the hangar.]

You think we oughta give her a name too? [ "Her" in this case, referring to the giant robot. ]
agradecido: (I just woke up in my underwear)

[personal profile] agradecido 2017-07-09 04:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Not the most helpful answer.
Still, perhaps she is merely sleeping still? [How do they put it?...] In stasis?
gekkajuu: commissioned, please do not steal (看過できない衝動だけが)

[personal profile] gekkajuu 2017-07-09 05:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[He tries not to listen too hard for signs of their pursuers: that would likely distract him, and he'd rather focus on getting as far away as he can, as quickly as he can. He still hears something from time to time, though, and the sounds aren't getting any further away. At least there only seem to be sounds: no projectiles, so far.

That high wall might have been a dead end, but Alisaie is managing to get over it just fine. With one look over his shoulder at their enemies - and they are indeed chasing them, even though they're far in the distance for now - Atsushi reaches out with that massive arm and smashes the hay cart with a loud cry. If nothing else, that should slow their pursuers down considerably.

He jumps up, grabbing on to the top of the wall and hauling himself right over. Something flies through the air, hits the transformed part of his arm and bounces right off... An arrow. Thankfully it didn't land somewhere it would actually do a lot of damage! It's something they'll have to consider when they find their final escape route: best follow the wall for now, at least for a little while.

What would end the mission, anyway? Is it enough to get away, or do they need to deliver the crystal to allies?]
idealog: (1)

[personal profile] idealog 2017-07-09 05:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He tries not to read much into the delays - 2B is here, safe and alive, and that's all that matters. In the midst of all this new information, she's his rock, as humans liked to say.

9S has never been good at lying or keeping his mouth shut when it comes to admiration. He's usually cut off soon enough. ]


They don't really need to know as long as it doesn't interfere with you protecting them.

[ Could they even handle it, knowing what she was tasked to do? 9S doesn't think it's any of their business. It's certainly not something he wants to share. ]

I'm on my way!
chaoticlootral: DNT (otiluke's resilient sphere;)

[personal profile] chaoticlootral 2017-07-09 05:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Maybe so, maybe so. Looks great, buddy. Nodding along to his story, though he doesn't seem to be paying that much attention after the "I can't remember any of it" part, since he has to figure out how to convey all this without his brain oozing right out of his ears. ]

Alright. Well? Keep in mind here, I am not normally in charge of this stuff. This is not my bag! Taako is a appreciator of the art of expositional wordsmithing, but not a practitioner. We'll just ease into it. So, turns out there's another voidfish - a twist! You know, like the Prestige? We got Prestige'd. [Sort of. He does feel a bit like Hugh Jackman drowning in a box right now.] Me and Merle shotgunned that sweet shot of fishy piss or whatever we decided it was, because why not? No one ever accused us of being geniuses. Which means now Taako is the one in charge of all this knowledge, because no one else but you and me is awake and here to help me out.

We're all, uh, Redrobes. Not really our name, more commentary on our fashion choices - we're actually the Institute of Planar Research and Exploration. Don't ask me, I didn't come up with it, I could have done a better acronym than IPRE, but there you go. Space explorers! The seven of us: The Direc-- Lucretia, I'm not using that title anymore, come on. Davenport, Barry, as in Bluejeans, Merle, You, Me. And. Um. Lup? My sister. [ He struggles a little to get her name out, but there it is and he's not going to let it sit for long, barrelling forward before he's asked any more direct questions about that mess for right now. ] We all set out to try and explore other dimensions, some lofty shit that gets you grants, you know? I think maybe most of us just wanted to maybe go off the grid in a new and exciting way. Really raise the bar on skipping town. Turns out as soon as we headed out, our world got nailed by that black stuff.

The black stuff is called The Hunger, by the way. Or the Storm, I guess they're calling it here? As far as I can tell, it seems like the same thing. And it was chasing us, and the thing called the Light of Creation - again, I was not put in charge of these names - across all these planes for a friggin' century. We'd get somewhere new, try and find the Light for a year, then bug out before it caught up and ate that plane. Every time we'd sort of regenerate? Even if you died. Right back on our ship, and we'd be somewhere new. And it was just that, over and over and over, trying to get this Light and study it and whatnot, and then hitting the pavement as the Hunger caught up and tried to rip us a new one.

We got to our last stop - you know, that place we all thought was home - and we had a plan! It was a good plan, I mean. It wasn't terrible? But things went a little sideways on us. [ Kind of an understatement, but no one's here to call him on it. He can maybe put off the whole "we caused a destructive global war that cost thousands of lives" thing until after he's had a break.] Lucretia I guess thought she had a better idea. She, uh, got us to forget.

Basically, my life might be a lie, I think my sister is dead, we really, uh, fumbled the end zone play on our final stand against the Universe consuming entity we've been trying to fight for over a century, and this place doesn't have Key Lime GoGurt. They've never heard of it. It sucks. My entire sort of brain area feels like it met the bad of a baseball bat in an alleyway?

So that's where I'm at.