∝Transmission 012: Fool Me Once...
[a deep, rumbling groan reverberates through the air, rattling every inch of the ships and knocking stray bolts loose and the groan grows louder until the ships suddenly feel as though they're being thrown at such speeds that it knocks crewmembers to the floors, pinning them to walls with the abrupt force of the space whale ejecting the ships from its mouth. the ships and all the mecha are flung out into the vast openness--and coolness--of space, and lucky for everyone involved that the ships' pilots are prepared for such manoeuvres. the ships quickly steady out, the pressure easing and the pilots gain more and more control, slowly righting the ships and allowing the crew to pick themselves up off the ground and gather their wits.
the pilots of the mecha, however, have a rougher ride, rolling and tumbling out of the whale's mouth. their size alone should have meant that they'd be flung several miles away from the bigger ships, but lucky for them, the IACC-Gauntlet is equipped with emergency tractorbeams and uses them to catch the wayward mecha before they can go too far.
just when everything seems to be back to normal--the life support systems working overtime to cool the ships down and already crew are able to feel the heat dissipate--there is the beginning of the chimes that accompany a message from DIVA, but those cut out, as though they were accidentally activated. the ships don't move far as they realise they've reached the approximate rendezvous point--the space whale actually saved them travel time--but then DIVA's face finally appears on the holographic screens of every single Sphere, but something isn't quite right. she doesn't speak for the longest time, her eyes seemingly staring straight at the owner of each Sphere, her face a mask of neutrality. and then she speaks.]
Attention all personnel, we have arrived at our destination.
[as she finishes speaking, her ethereal blue glow changes to red as she grins, wide and unsettling, and all the lights flick off at once.
and soon after, every crewmember collapses to the ground.]
DETAILS
Of course...nothing may happen to the characters at all. They can sit in their cells for the entire week and wonder just when their time will come for their own trial. Which...in itself is a test as well, but where's the fun in that?
As a general note, no guards will ever show their faces. In fact, they're merely helpers of the First and don't officially belong to them in the first place! They're just in it for the money. Any agent of the First will sit in the darkness when they choose to communicate and use a voice modifier to hide their identity.
Oh yes, as for those volunteers in the space whale escape plot, the consequences at this time will include nausea, whiplash, and one hell of a massive headache as a result of being thrown out of the whale's mouth. But! That'll last about a day--or rather the nausea and headache will. The characters will be feeling the results of the whiplash all week, unfortunately.
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And now, we have our activity results! The following players have until the next plot post to reply here and save themselves from being removed from the game. Those who don't check in, unfortunately, we'll have to say good-bye to you, but are free to re-apply should they wish to rejoin the game.
So, on that note, additional ideas can be suggested and are definitely welcomed! We're incorporating pieces from the plot poll put up a couple weeks ago, and if there is anything you'd really like to see from there, don't hesitate to suggest it! We're more than open to ideas. :)
This plot will be updated in one week's time. Please feel free to ask any questions you have here, or use this entry to arrange for logs or other interactions with others!
the pilots of the mecha, however, have a rougher ride, rolling and tumbling out of the whale's mouth. their size alone should have meant that they'd be flung several miles away from the bigger ships, but lucky for them, the IACC-Gauntlet is equipped with emergency tractorbeams and uses them to catch the wayward mecha before they can go too far.
just when everything seems to be back to normal--the life support systems working overtime to cool the ships down and already crew are able to feel the heat dissipate--there is the beginning of the chimes that accompany a message from DIVA, but those cut out, as though they were accidentally activated. the ships don't move far as they realise they've reached the approximate rendezvous point--the space whale actually saved them travel time--but then DIVA's face finally appears on the holographic screens of every single Sphere, but something isn't quite right. she doesn't speak for the longest time, her eyes seemingly staring straight at the owner of each Sphere, her face a mask of neutrality. and then she speaks.]
Attention all personnel, we have arrived at our destination.
[as she finishes speaking, her ethereal blue glow changes to red as she grins, wide and unsettling, and all the lights flick off at once.
and soon after, every crewmember collapses to the ground.]
DETAILS
- First of all, congratulations are in order! None of the crew died from heat stroke, exposure, hyperthermia or any of those nasty things that come from high temperatures and humidity! Woohoo! Tickling the whale, or inducing it to, er, throw the ships up out of its mouth was one of the options! The other was to use the stowaway critters or more importantly their waste as a means to create something so disgusting tasting that the whale still would have spit the ships out. Yeah, a bit disgusting, we know...
- Fighting trials. In a coliseum-like cavern the First have carved out of the asteroid, individuals or even groups of Alliance crew may be teleported into a large open field in separate different arenas in the cavern that is guarded by high walls. A gate will close behind them as another opens to reveal a sizeable black dragon-like creatures, some as small as Labrador Retrievers but some can be as big as a three-story house. The creature isn't the only one of its like even if it is slain; once one goes down, another will take its place. Taking it down isn't so easy, especially the larger they get. The beasts have armored scaled over most of its body and can belch out flames with a huff of breath. Captives will be expected to fight the dragons until they either manage to kill it (or several of them), or are incapacitated themselves. Nobody will or can die from these fights. Any injuries they acquire will be attended to the moment they are teleported out of the arena. This will be the only trial will they will find their weapons returned to them, but they won't be allowed to bring them back out.
- Endurance trials. Individuals may find themselves teleported and isolated in a plain white-walled room with no visible doors or windows and will be deprived of sleep, food, or water through different means, like the First will find ways to interrupt the sleep process (random noises, loud beeping sounds, etc). This is the First's way of gauging what the otherworlders and crew can do without. There is no way that the characters can find to get out of the room. Again, this isn't lethal either and the duration of the stay in the white-walled room is up to the player. It can be for a day, or it can be for the entirety of the plot.
- Straight interrogation. Sure, the First might not be as satisfied with it, but hey, they might as well give it a shot! Characters can be asked simple things, like who they are, what they do back home, what their duties are aboard the ships, etc. They could also get questions asking about things like Alliance secrets, the Gate technology and who else might know something about it (just because they have the Gate doesn't mean they know exactly everything that went into making it; just how to steal it.), things about Admiral Orion and the commanders, and most importantly, about their fellow shipmates. The First are very curious to learn about the people from the other universes, after all! All interrogations will take place in blank, windowless rooms and unfortunately, characters can only hear the voice of the interrogator.
- Torture will not be an option. However, that doesn't mean the poor commanders have been spared such niceties . This will show that the First aren't above harsher, crueler means to get the information that they want, but they don't wish to break their fun new toys known as the otherworlders. And they aren't above things like torture. From snippets of conversation between guards, characters may hear that the commanders are being given this treatment. However, this option is meant to instill fear that this could happen to the crewmembers, and it isn't helped by guards and their detached air of nonchalance regarding the treatment as they speak about it.
- Random trials. Some of these, compared to what some of the other characters may be going through, might seem like the First are a bit off their rocker. Or are they? Characters may be brought in to play a simple game of cards with the guards. Don't worry, they don't bite, though they can be rather crass. They'll play any card game the character wishes to play, like Go Fish, Crazy Eights, Texas Hold'em, etc, but...be warned. If the character loses the game, they might lose a bit of themselves. No, this doesn't mean that they'll lose limbs or anything, but instead, they'll lose a memory. It may be something like the past five minutes. They may not even realize that they've lost the game. The guards may decide that they're done playing after just the one game, or they'll go for a few rounds before they run out of snacks they're noshing on while they play.
- Characters might also find they've been given a new roommate--in the form of themselves. This darker version of the character will force the characters to face the truth of who they are on the inside. Characters can engage in fights with their doppelgänger within their cells or simply sit around in a veritable battle of wits. How long the doppelgänger hangs around is up to the player. It could come and go on occasion throughout the time the characters are imprisoned, or it could come for a day and be gone good. If you want, the character and their doppelgänger can engage in conversations with other players. And any resolutions characters reach about themselves--if they choose to resolve such issues--is up to you.
Thank you to everyone who participated!
Unfortunately...it's a short-lived victory for the Alliance crews.
The crews will awaken to find they've been teleported into barred, sterile cells with the barest of comforts. It turns out the message was simply a ruse through which the First used to lure the Alliance craft into a trap, and each and every crewmember has been made a prisoner in this secret base belonging to the First. Hidden away in an asteroid field, this base is quite effectively concealed, so any help the captives might hope to obtain is all for naught. In their cells, a strange sound permeates the air, an incessant buzzing that's just loud enough to be ever present in the prisoners' awareness, though the guards pay it no mind. This sound, some of the more savvy captives might discover, is coming from the bars. The First have made provisions to protect themselves from any special, strange powers the otherworlders may possess by putting a neutralizing field around them.
Furthermore, all weapons or anything resembling them have been confiscated and pockets emptied, with the exception of the Spheres, and that makes escape seem even more difficult. The First don't want their captives going anywhere, not just yet. Oh no. This is their first time to get a close look at the otherworlders in residence of the ships and want to see what they can do.
First and foremost, they want information and they seem to have very interesting notions of how to acquire it. Apparently unsatisfied with simple interrogation, the First have devised a series of various trials they intend to put the crew through in order to study and collect information on them. There seems to be no particularly rhyme or reason behind who is put through what and who isn't, but there seems to be something in mind for each prisoner.
You will be given the option to select from the tests and determine which their characters are put through at your discretion. Characters can be put through more than one trial at seemingly random intervals throughout the week. The following are what the crew may undergo:
As a general note, no guards will ever show their faces. In fact, they're merely helpers of the First and don't officially belong to them in the first place! They're just in it for the money. Any agent of the First will sit in the darkness when they choose to communicate and use a voice modifier to hide their identity.
Oh yes, as for those volunteers in the space whale escape plot, the consequences at this time will include nausea, whiplash, and one hell of a massive headache as a result of being thrown out of the whale's mouth. But! That'll last about a day--or rather the nausea and headache will. The characters will be feeling the results of the whiplash all week, unfortunately.
------------
And now, we have our activity results! The following players have until the next plot post to reply here and save themselves from being removed from the game. Those who don't check in, unfortunately, we'll have to say good-bye to you, but are free to re-apply should they wish to rejoin the game.
- Allen Walker || nolooking_back
Aeryn Sun || contaminatedsun
Elraine Figarette || trojansister
Kairi || assents
Sasuke Uchiha || needsglasses
Tommy Shepherd || reckless_rebel
Vash the Stampede || donutdiablo
Yamamoto Takeshi || piovuto
So, on that note, additional ideas can be suggested and are definitely welcomed! We're incorporating pieces from the plot poll put up a couple weeks ago, and if there is anything you'd really like to see from there, don't hesitate to suggest it! We're more than open to ideas. :)
This plot will be updated in one week's time. Please feel free to ask any questions you have here, or use this entry to arrange for logs or other interactions with others!