❪ 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

[presses]

... ( surprise halts the warmth in his smile, braking to befuddled loss. his fingers twitch for a moment, his own heart racing at the pure ... happiness he sees in Yamagi's eyes.

it isn't anything he's seen in years. )

You knew?

[cariad]

[The disappearing act of Eugene's smile is something he misses entirely, muted euphoria running through his veins, instead. There is softness in his eyes seeping into guarded emptiness.]

He woke me up like some Snow White. Oh, it's the other way around, isn't it? Back from the dead and didn't have the decency to let me find him first.

[presses]

Jeez, that guy ... of course he'd do something like that, before you're even ready. ( his free hand lifts to wipe at the corner of his eye, gaze darting quickly to some distant corner of the mess hall. )

So we both saw it. It's real, I guess ...

[cariad]

[It's no secret, brought forth by many nights of intoxication where drinking has loosened both of their tongues and heightened their spirits. It'd be just like him to walk through that door, loud and obnoxious, like nothing'd ever happened.]

It's him alright. Why would an impostor pick him to impersonate?

[The smile is shaky on Yamagi's lips, and he wishes there was something stronger than the water bottle that came with his meal.]

You don't suppose he remembers, right?

[What even is a precedent for walking back into life, away from your own death? Or near death, as they may have to entertain in this case.]

We're going to have to fill him in.

[presses]

He doesn't know what happened after. ( a somber reply as he glances down at the pile of food that Yamagi has pushed over, suddenly feeling a vacant apathy where his appetite used to be.

this is hard. it hurts. it hurts like so many things they've gone through together. it hurts like when they began to lose Ride and a few others, but not quite. it doesn't quite hurt like losing them all did for Eugene, either.

what can compare to someone coming back? the sheer panic it brings Eugene is overwhelming. he doesn't want to burden Yamagi's happiness with it. )

But we've got him now, right? I won't let him do anything stupid. Not like last time. I promise you, Yamagi...

[cariad]

[Something stupid. Old age brings clarity with it, but it doesn't brush away the bitterness of comprehending it. That stupidity had won them a small window of safety, and Yamagi is a liar if he says he hasn't wished the Isaribi's destruction in its wake in the dark days that followed their shaky awakening in safety.

Eugene's listened to Yamagi blame himself again and again for not joining Shino one last time, for not upping his chance of survival, of their success.

Perhaps it's Yamagi's own stupidity that needs to be prevented.]

I promise you, too. I don't think I can go through that again.

[They've come to realize that none of their lives are sacred, but who deserves a second death?]

He has to listen to us now. Older and wiser us.

[presses]

( his hand moves to cover over Yamagi's, fingers slipping over his knuckles and into the spaces between with firm resolve.

so many things that have happened in their lives were up to the whims of a careless universe. the fortune of him meeting the boys in the CGS, a baby, all of it were things he'd never consider a "miracle." that word died long ago, or maybe it was only that the kinds of miracles he received were never enough to make up for the loss.

but this? this strange occurrence, this storm, the sleeping faces of his comrades at peace -- their vitals on display for him to imagine their hearts beating --

his best friend back, his other friend able to see the love of his life again.

this might as well be deserving of the title. )

Getting older has some benefits after all.

[cariad]

I'm glad you're awake.

[These moments of sincerity aren't few and far and between as they may have once been not too long ago. But "not too long ago" feels like a lifetime ago, too, even if their youthful past is ever present at the back of their mind, a taunting, distorted lullaby of what could have gone right and if onlys.

He's memorized the calloused hand over his, lines and rough skin etched by machines then guns. His thumb rubs Eugene's for a moment while his other hand travels up to tuck his own hair out of the way, tugging with less force than before.]

We should see who else's sleeping in there. Thousand of pods, can you believe that?

[presses]

No, I can't. ( an incredulous breath of a laugh leaves him with a weight to match the heavy atmosphere. he smiles through a rueful look, gaze traveling up from Yamagi's hand to his hair, thoughts racing too fast to follow. )

I saw so many of them. Even the ones that were gone. Biscuit, Akihiro ... ( and if he isn't mentioning Orga's name, it's because he isn't prepared for what seeing him actually made him feel.

things he's old enough to recognize now.

and even the fear of disappointing him. )

We can look together.

[cariad]

[All they've had until what he assumes 24 hours before this very moment was a vandalized headstone and a lone grassy hill, the site of many surreptitious visitations the few of them who've remained courteously never mentioned. They're separated from faces have been fading from their memories, immortalized only in sunlight stained photographs and old screens by mere frosted glass. The thought alone is overwhelming, never mind the sight itself.]

We can make a tally and a plan. It's not like we can pretend who's going to leave the pod next, but we're going to be prepared.

[For all he knows and for all his heart and treacherous brain has told them, not all of them walked into their deaths with regrets. This resurrection has an indelible sort of cruelty to it.]

[presses]

( never had he thought that in his darkest hours, at his lowest, it was Mikazuki's last words to him and his last words to Tekkadan that would ground him at moments like this. no matter where Eugene went, no matter who his papers said he was, no matter what he'd do he'd always have a role to fill: number two, second in command, a leader to look after the others. )

( the source of command being gone means nothing. his memory keeps their last orders, Mika's and Orga's, fresh, and he lives them out every day and does his best to look after the others.

he plans to look after those two, should they ever join the waking world. )

What a pain. ( he scoffs, ) I want them to be with us, but I don't want them to fight anymore. None of them.

( he's excluded, but he's never left the mindset. not really, with his job, but it's been fulfilling to watch everyone else tinker with their machinery and play with children... )

[cariad]

[Did any of them want to fight? Back then, it was just a fact of life, like eating and breathing, keeping your head down and spirits up. If there are moments when any of them have had to curl into a ball and reject the world, they've made sure not to show them to the others.

And that was just before hitting their mid-teens.

Having aspirations, being Biscuit or Takaki swelled your heart but only made you a bigger target.

To have Eugene show he cares this much, enough to discard his rigidness and admit so to Yamagi warms his own heart, a small enclosure that's finally enveloping the younger man, as well.]

Sure, right. We'll handcuff them to their cabins when the time comes. How about that?