where we're going--

[polymods]

✖ EVENT HORIZON

Ⅰ. ARRIVAL
You can read all about your character's arrival in the game lore.
There has always been some confusion as to whether or not the ferry cuts through sea or sky, but this month as you glide along you will find yourself more and more convinced that it is the latter. It is nigh impossible to see where you are headed, the way forward shrouded in darkness.

At first you think the lights ahead are stars.

The ferry docks inside of a metallic bay of some kind. It’s an extension of what must be the island, although this one does not resemble any earthly land mass. It appears to be a deliberately constructed structure, contained on all sides. Maybe you’re familiar enough with technology or science fiction enough that you realise it resembles a space station more than an island.

Once you’ve disembarked from the ferry, you will find that you cannot go outside of the structure.

Inside, there are seemingly endless corridors for you to explore. The halls on the upper deck are rounded, metallic, with lights set at regular intervals. Here there are chambers roughly the length and width of a single bed, with sufficient height for a person to crawl in and sit up on the bed. There is a television screen set in the wall at the foot of the bed by the door, and sockets for electronics. That is all.


Also on this floor is a mess hall where you can get beige, mostly tasteless nutritional sludge dispensed from machines. Water and coffee are also available, likewise dispensed from machines. (There is a cookbook hidden on a shelf written by one Serak the Preparer, but no ingredients anywhere.) There are private showers and bathrooms, a small gym, and rooms clearly meant as places for people to sit and talk. There is a medical bay, although there is no staff. In fact, the whole place seems empty.

There are some rooms that are locked - these look like offices. The doors to these rooms are extremely difficult to break down, but if you have superhuman strength you could manage it. Or maybe you’re clever enough to work the electronic panels beside the doors.

Inside you will find round monitors on the walls and square tablet-like devices on desks. Attempt to work any of these and a soft, pleasant but emotionless voice will inform you that you do not have access. You can try to speak to the AI - called MUTHER - but it is supremely uncooperative. Someone very good with technology could use the tablet the old fashioned way, perhaps, to access files. You might want to be careful, though - MUTHER might decide to retaliate. Harshly.

There doesn’t seem to be a temple anywhere readily apparent.

Notes:
1. The High Temple and anything characters may have stored there is only accessible to those who are experiencing their first island outside of the TDM via a marked door. Everyone else must make do with what is available.

2. Please remember to mark threads appropriately with Content Warnings when necessary.

3. The televisions play mostly game shows. You can also find a set of controllers for it and play Pong. Just Pong.

4. MUTHER will not deliberately kill any people on the station - her programming forbids it. She is not above releasing hallucinogenic gas into the air vents, though.

5. Have fun!

---

Ⅱ. CONSCIENCE
CW: psychological trauma, threat of death.
It’s easy to get lost; nearly identical corridors branch off from one another. As you walk along you gradually become convinced that someone is following you. Periodically you’ll hear footsteps, a sigh, a rustle of cloth. But every time you turn around you see nothing… unless it’s one of your fellow Travelers. Or maybe you run into them because you’re so busy looking over your shoulder.

Regardless, as you walk along the lights in the corridor flicker, and when they turn back on you will find someone you know standing directly in your path. Someone who you know absolutely cannot be there.

Maybe they died. Maybe you haven’t spoken in years. Whoever they are, the feeling they inspire within you is one of intense guilt. You did something to this person, something for which you think you can never be forgiven.

The apparition might speak, or it might just watch you with silently accusing eyes. You begin to wither under its gaze, feeling weaker and weaker until you can barely stand. You just want to lay on the floor and close your eyes… maybe forever.

Your fate rests in the hands of whoever is with you or finds you. All they have to do is introduce a smidgen of doubt into your mind, a recognition that maybe it isn’t all your fault. Of course, that means you might have to tell them what you did.

Oh, dear.

Notes:
1. The severity of the offense is of course up to the player - this can be deadly serious, or played for laughs. No matter how it is played the only way to save a character from sleeping on the floor until they die from dehydration is to convince them of even the possibility that they might not be guilty. They do not have to feel completely absolved.

---

Ⅲ. STOWAWAY
CW: monstrous creatures.
The lower decks of the station are darker, more utilitarian looking. These are corridors that lead to rooms full of computers and machinery that keep the station running so it’s probably best to keep out of there.

There are also storage bays filled with both prosaic wooden crates and large metallic pods. Most of these are locked up tight. But not all. Investigate some of the pods and you’ll find that the floor around them is wet with some sort of milky, slimy substance that sure seems like it came from a living organism.

Maybe you should get out of here.

Before you can get good and gone to the upper decks, however, you find exactly what you probably didn’t want to unless you have a very exciting Tinder profile: an alien.

At least eight feet tall, with pale almost translucent skin, the creature has an elongated skull and a mouth that hosts two sets of jaws like a moray eel. It has a whiplike tail and spiky protrusions along its upper back. It is bipedal, and very, VERY fast.

Better hope you’ve got something to fight with! Your chances of survival are definitely greater if you work with a partner.

And you better hope there’s just the one.

Notes:
1. The aliens are extremely dangerous, but they CAN be killed. Their blood is thick and yellow but is not acidic or poison.

---

Ⅳ. TEMPLE
CW: potential insanity, violence.
If you wander the dark lower decks long enough, you will find yourself moving ever inward toward the very center of the station. There is a door there that is supposed to be locked, but often isn’t. It’s waiting for you, beyond that door and down a dark corridor: the station’s heart.

The room the solitary corridor opens into is round, walls sloping gently up to a domed ceiling. In the middle of the room is a machine of some kind: a series of concentric thick metal rings rotate in different directions around a sphere. The only noise it makes is the gentle swooshing of the circles as they spin out, up, around.


The air feels heavy and charged. It’s not pleasant.

Before you can leave, all of the rings line up so that they appear to radiate out from the sphere in the center. Light flares, and then in the space where the sphere once was you can see it:

Home.

It’s your homeworld, perhaps exactly as you left it, or perhaps earlier or later along in the timeline. It may be pleasant, or it may be awful, but it is undeniably the place from which you came. The place where you belong.

Stare into this portal home long enough and the compulsion to return will slip over you. You just need to jump into the glowing, trembling center of that dimensional gate.

Whoever is with you, however, realises that leaping headfirst into an unknown dimension might not be the smartest idea you’ve ever had, especially considering how ominous the whole place feels. They might be able to talk you down. Hopefully they can talk you down, because the longer you stare at the portal the more convinced you become that you MUST leap into it, and the only way to do so is to kill whoever is trying to get in your way.

If instead you turn away from the dimensional gate, the lights will flare once more before the rings resume their movement. That brief glimpse of home is gone. In its place is the sound of soft voices; people you have left behind, calling out to you with accusations of things left undone, begging to be told why you won’t come home...

These voices will follow you throughout the ship. They are not constant, but they never leave you alone for very long. They won’t be silent until you give them an answer to the question of why you have chosen to remain.

Notes:
1. If characters DO jump into the gate… They can pass through and emerge on the opposite side gravely injured or completely out of their minds. Or you may use this as a very dramatic exit from the game.

Is anybody out there listening?

Network · Logs · OOC · Memes · Plurk

Comments

Sephiroth

[unkindled_madness]

I. This is Fine [OTA]

[Sephiroth's first impression of this "island" is actually a positive one. It's quiet and utilitarian, and while Shinra's space program hasn't progressed far enough to get any people in space, he can recognize the likely purpose of this structure. The notion of space travel has its fascination.

Then he finds the sleeping quarters, and a shadow seems to settle over everything. These rooms are even smaller than his cell in the lab. He can't sleep here.

The offices locked by electronic panels remind him of the ones occupied by the scientists and security guards who monitored him. The medical bay is the stuff of nightmares. Even the metallic walls are, of course, like anywhere in the Shinra building. He can't escape it.

In the early days here, you may encounter Sephiroth pacing the halls with a growing tension. He carries his sword at all times, the long blade angled upwards behind his back. He does not appear to be sleeping, though you might occasionally catch him in the mess hall-- more likely for the coffee than the nutritional sludge.]


II. Aliens vs Alien [Closed to Loki]

[This is the first time they've come to a place devoid of any inhabitants. Maybe that should be concerning, but for Sephiroth the puzzle of what might have happened to them is a welcome one for his mind to latch onto. While the computer is uncooperative, there are no obvious clues on the upper decks. No bodies, no damage, no shortage of air or sustenance.

His quest for explanation carries him down into the lower decks. The machinery is unfamiliar but he studies it for any similarities to the reactors and machines he knows. It all seems perfectly functional.

Did he hear movement somewhere?

He turns, gripping the Masamune. After a beat of silence, he continues cautiously down the corridor, until he catches sight of a familiar figure and relaxes, slightly. Of course he wasn't the only one who thought to come down here.]


((Seph is scheduled for a breakdown this month so I may be tacking on additional prompts later as that progresses. You can hit me up at yinza if you want to get in on the plotting!))

( ii )

[dothelokimotion]

[ there are no ghosts here.

that's what he told himself when he saw the visage of queen frigga, her arms outstretched towards her, am I not your mother? and loki could not breathe, could not speak. he fled, cowardly to the end. he clutches his chest, trying to regulate his breathing. normally, this wouldn't be an issue. but his throat started to ache under the weight of frigga's mournful gaze and it's as if everything else came crashing down. he shouldn't be here. he shouldn't even be alive. he was supposed to be — supposed to be —

he hears a skitter. too soft for footsteps. his survival instincts kick in, a dagger coolly sliding into his palm. something approaches. he's too weak for a real fight, but that doesn't mean loki is weak. ]

[unkindled_madness]

[Loki is a welcome sight, but Sephiroth's gaze slips down to that dagger. He hasn't seen him on edge like this since early in their acquaintance, when Loki thought himself hunted by Thanos. What does he think is hunting him now?]

Loki.

[It's said more to announce himself to his ally than anything else. He glances behind him, listening for a moment; these islands may be full of illusions, but that doesn't mean there can't also be physical dangers at times. The noise he heard before may not have been Loki.]

Is there someone else down here?

[dothelokimotion]

Yes. Close by.

[ he struggles onto his feet, breathing heavily. ]

I can hear it.

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth frowns at the effort Loki is showing and changes his grip on the Masamune, moving the blade into a low, ready stance.]

Did it attack you?

I. This is Fine

[quire]

For as much complaining as he did about Victorian London, Quentin doesn't exactly seem thrilled to be here either. At least he has the luxury of feeling familiar with this place though. As evidenced by the way he shuffles around barefoot to fetch himself a cup of coffee. Wearing a pair of the draw string pants from the medical bay and a bathroom robe around his shoulders he resembles some kind of overly comfortable inpatient around here.

"That's a lot of sword. Even for someone your size."

[unkindled_madness]

Sephiroth gives the other a brief once-over, and even the way he's dressed reminds Sephiroth of a laboratory subject. He's never been to a hospital.

He doesn't know what this man expects of him. He returns his attention to the freshly-dispensed cup of coffee, taking it with his free hand.

"I am aware of its proportions."

[quire]

Quentin doesn't exactly know what to expect of this guy either. He's seen him about. Strikes him as a the broody type. As with most travellers Quentin hasn't met he's been waiting to see if this silver-haired fellow finally looks at home in any of the disparate places they've been moored.

Something about this place finally gives him a resounding maybe.

While his mouth is busy navigating a sip of hot coffee, he bats his hand around as if to gesture to that weapon. "Is there a reason? Like is it for something that's better to stab from a distance, or is that just like, purely aesthetics."

[unkindled_madness]

Well, he appreciates that the follow-up question is a reasonable one and not some kind of dick joke.

"It is an effective anti-cavalry weapon, suited to the battlefield. I was a soldier." He realizes as he says it that he hasn't used the past tense before. Was a soldier. He isn't now.

i

[wwrench]

At first, Wrench is just as smitten at the idea of their new temporary home. Of all the islands they've traipsed and the strange inhabitants he's encountered, this feels the most like something he might have chosen for himself. He can almost imagine himself as a young child, staring at a picture book of outer space and dreaming that one day he might find occasion to peer at Earth from a different vantage point.

It's not long until the reality sets in, however. He may not be quite as disillusioned by their living quarters, but the sameness of everything that surrounds him has proven tiring. He's poked at a few panels and tugged at a few doors, but hasn't yet gone far enough at testing his luck to give a good effort at seeing what's behind any one of them.

When he encounters Sephiroth with the enormous blade strapped to his back, he cocks an eyebrow and signs so the ScryWatch can interpret, You the designated lookout for this corridor or what?

[unkindled_madness]

Sephiroth sees the transcription appear above the ScryWatch on his free hand, and he arches an eyebrow right back. "Lookout? I'm simply walking it."

Simply walking, with his nerves putting his military background into full effect. He's on alert, ready to use that sword at a moment's notice, except that what he's trying to brace himself for isn't a physical threat. Better if it were, because clearly he knows how to deal with those.

[wwrench]

Sure, Wrench smiles. He's never sure of the ScryWatch's ability to make meaning of him beyond the words themselves. Does it have an adequate sarcasm filter? Does that robotic voice, whatever it might be, adjust itself to his level of calm or apprehension? He doubts it, and that's why what he launches into next isn't based in words, but rather a crude pantomime of the other man's 'simple walking': alert, on edge, and almost anticipating an inevitable threat.

Why do you look like you're waiting for the hangman to come? Have you seen something?

[unkindled_madness]

Sephiroth may also not be the greatest at picking up on sarcasm, especially when he's on edge. But at the imitation, he lets out a huff (is the ScryWatch going to translate that somehow?).

"There are no people here. You think they abandoned this place on a whim?" It's not what's bothering him, but it's a reasonable explanation for why someone might be wary here.

I

[helpdesk_hero]

No offense, you look like you could stand to sleep.

[This comment was coming from David, who seemed contently occupied in the corner of the mess hall, nursing a cup of coffee, a tablet from one of the offices discarded on the table in front of him. Between the being a tech genius and the whole technopathy thing, retrieving this had been easy. But he hadn't tried to crack the thing yet. Even the first attempt had led to the voice of MUTHER and David was worried about delving too deep, as it were.

No one needed to be on a killer space station.]

Coffee?

[unkindled_madness]

I am managing.

[Is sleep really necessary? Look at him, he's still walking and talking.

He did come here for the coffee, though, which he works on obtaining somewhat slowly. He's working with his off-hand, zero sleep, and very little besides caffeine in his system.

He glances at the tablet.]

Anything of interest?

[helpdesk_hero]

[Yes, Sephiroth, sleep is really necessary. No sleep makes Sephiroth a cranky boy. They're potentially in the vacuum of space. Let's not go with cranky.]

Possibly. I haven't been able to get in yet. I'm working on standard hacking, but I don't have the greatest tools. I'll resort to technopathy in time, but that's more likely to get me hurt.

[unkindled_madness]

[He can be cranky if he wants to be!

Coffee obtained, he walks over to David's table for a closer look at the tablet. He does not sit down, so enjoy the looming.]

What tools do you require?

[Would a screwdriver help? He doesn't know how hacking works.]

i

[mewnifestos]

[ This whole place is a nightmare. Trapped inside, no way out - even the Deep Roads had ways out, if far fewer and farther in-between than he'd like. No darkspawn, maybe, but Anders isn't willing to bet on that for long; he's wandered far enough to get a glimpse of the lower levels, heard noises around corners and found no one there. He isn't having the usual nightmares, but only because he's been largely unable to sleep.

And maybe that's, possibly, somehow connected to his waking phantoms, now, but far be it for him to stop and examine it, rather than simply wallowing alone in fresh paranoia.

Or, well, mostly alone. He's got his cat, of course, as always - and the both of them have spent a fair amount of time lurking in the cafeteria. It's roomier than the horrid cells they're expected to sleep in (coffins is what they are). And people do come and go. Of course, when he sees Sephiroth coming, perhaps making a beeline for that coffee again, he can't leave it without comment. ]

I suppose you're enjoying this place as much as I am? You look almost as bad as I feel. [ Well, bad for him. Sephiroth still has that seemingly unflappable composure about him, but the tension lying over it is painfully evident. ]

[unkindled_madness]

[It's not even good coffee, and it's still leaps and bounds the best thing about this place. Sephiroth has lost count of what cup this is. Is it possible to go two entire months without sleeping? Probably not if you're human, but you know what...

He squints over at Anders. It's not common for people to comment negatively about his appearance, so in his current state it takes him a second to parse that. Apparently he's not hiding it as well as he'd like. Even his hair is a few steps down from perfect.]

...I don't care for it, no.

[mewnifestos]

You could have fooled me.

[ The sarcasm endures, even if the rest of him dies of sleep deprivation and dehydration, in the meantime. ]

You haven't seen anything that might look like a convenient exit, by any chance, have you?

III. Medical Bay [OTA]

[unkindled_madness]

[The amount of sleep he's gotten remains marginal, just a few catnaps in the hallways, but he is moving with purpose now. He has some trouble psyching himself up to enter the medical bay until it occurs to him that the door cannot close behind him if the door is not there. He's seen it done before, so he knows it can be. Tearing the metal door out of its frame takes... some effort, but he gets there eventually and leaves the now misshapen door leaning against the opposite wall.

Inside, he leaves the Masamune stabbed into the middle of the floor and forces himself to focus on searching through the supply cabinets. The brusque violence of his movements almost make it seem like he's ransacking the place, but he's being methodical, not sloppy. And if you pay attention to such things, his ScryWatch has, somehow, turned green within the past few days.

If your name is Chloe, you will eventually get the following brief (and possibly concerning) message:] Meet me in the medical bay.

[naturaldisasster]

So, should I make an appointment, or…?

[ There’s a woman standing just inside, with a crudely bandaged hand pressed against the span of her torso beneath her ribs.

Her glance darts from the deconstructed door frame, to the enormous sword jutting out of the floor for no apparent reason, before finally settling on him. She’s not a doctor, by any stretch of the imagination, but she feels it’s safe to say this isn’t standard medical procedure. ]

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth turns sharply to look at the stranger. He scans her over, eyes lingering briefly on her apparent wounds. Then he turns away again, closing a drawer full of instruments he can't identify and moving on to the next.]

There are bandages in there. [He nods brusquely to a cabinet in the corner.]

[neverwither]

( Yes, that message is concerning. Given Sephiroth's propensity for action, her first thought is one of him having tangled with something he perhaps shouldn't. But. If it proves to be the case, at least he's gone to the medical bay. And asked for her presence, which would indicate an acceptance of help. Silver linings and all.

What is also concerning is the state of the door. She's well aware he's strong but this... Well. There's strong and then there's strong. Something to do with their latest surroundings she's so far unaware of? Possibly. Something related to Sephiroth himself? Also possible.

She watches him for a moment before announcing her presence. The concern remains. )

What is it that we're looking for?

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth pauses when she speaks, glancing over at her. Asking her here at all felt like a rash decision, even in the moment. But he needs to go through with this, and that means making her a part of it. Even if he refuses to explain... if he gets the results he's expecting, no explanation will be necessary.

He doesn't want to go that far. He doesn't want the tests to speak for him. But he's only said it once and it's not so easy to say it again.

By now he has nearly completed his search, and he gestures at some things he left on a counter.]

I've located the phlebotomy equipment.

However... I believe analysis may require the computer.