❪ test drive: #1 - the overflow ❫

[natha]

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. QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● world ● map ● reputation ● npcs taken ● reserves ● application calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

[obstinance]

That makes two of us.

[ which would be a reply followed by a smile if she were up to the task. as it stands, her expression hasn't changed much from pensive — exacerbated further by the little thought beth implants in her head. regardless of whether the question posed at her is meant to be rhetorical, clary's answer is immediate, instinctive, and certainly convicted. ]

No, definitely not.

[ especially when her mother is involved, though it would be as much of a concern for her if she were surrounded by innocent strangers. not all of the individuals floating in stasis could qualify as innocent — she's spied valentine among them, knows how bloodstained his hands are and how desperate the situation must be if accepting help from murderers is a viable option for their supposedly generous hosts — but toying with anyone's safety would be more than a bit reckless in general.

she follows beth's gaze to the other woman but makes no comment on it. someone important to the blonde, clary is assuming, which is something that only wrenches more emotion from her. ]

Still... Something as amazing as this usually comes with a price. Probably something much bigger than what they're asking of us. [ and isn't dangling incentive in front of them all a dangerous thing to begin with? ]

[livener]

I'm willing to pay just about any price to get my family back. I lost so many people the past few years, I've got to keep whoever is here alive.

[For Beth, that determination and dedication is easy to come by. She knows that she wouldn't still be alive if it wasn't for her sister and Glenn, or Daryl. Rick and Carl, too. They're all responsible for her safety and continued survival, and she'll do anything that it takes to ensure they all wake up safe and sound. If she was chosen to be a part of this, surely they'll all wake up and join her soon. If not, then she'll go to any length to get them to wake up.

She anxiously tugs down at the sleeves of her sweater, and keeps her eyes on the floor for a few seconds. Eventually she glances up and over at the other girl.]

I just hope they'll come right out with a price sooner rather than later. I'd like to know what I'm working against.

[obstinance]

[ it's almost like staring at a reflection of herself in some ways — the determination, the dedication, that unstoppable and stubborn drive. as admirable as clary finds it, it serves another purpose in reminding her of her own longing, to say nothing of that desperation that had prompted her to make suspicious deals all in the name of having her mother returned to her.

this — promising herself in return for the protection of those she loves most, those she's sworn to protect — could be considered yet another suspicious deal, all things considered, but she isn't unlike beth in her tentative hope for it to be true. it might be a ruse, might require some offer or sacrifice in return, and maybe her own inability to know just how far she'll go in trying to keep them safe is what's most dangerous of all.

clary says nothing of it, doesn't mention that's what i'm afraid of when it comes to her own commitment and resolve and how they have her on a leash by dangling what she wants most in front of her. her expression only twists in some type of sorrowful understanding, instead. ]

I've lost a lot of people, too. Including my mom. [ the woman behind clary does, in fact, look remarkably similar. ] But there's no guarantee the people we'll be given back are the same as we remember them.

[ not if it's magic, especially. it's the reason why she had forfeited the spell to bring back jocelyn, after all; preparing the other girl by lending that knowledge seems necessary, if only to steel herself against that kind of anguish. ]

Can I ask — [ she pauses, looks back to the girl who had caught beth's attention. ] Who is she? [ that seems a safer topic of conversation, both to keep herself from falling into her own sadness and avoid any prying eavesdroppers. she doesn't need their gracious hosts to assume she's staging some kind of rebellion or have them rescind the offer simply because of her need to question their hospitality aloud. ]