( april intro log )

[hownkai]

Who: Everyone
When: April 1st and on
Where: The Moira + Del Pascia
What: The crew finds themselves visiting the correctional facility of Del Pascia.
Warnings: Mentions of blood. Please label your content!

I N T R O L O G

slammed & counted "I feel liberated when I'm doing it, and I want other people to feel liberated through it." The Ingress has pulled you in. Your body experiences several sensations at once: being pushed forward as if a hand is resting on your back, momentary and startling blindness, a gentle ringing in your head. You have difficulty discerning whether it is hot or cold, but where you have been prodded is noticeably warmer than the rest of you. Some may suffer from dizziness while others are perfectly fine. Once equilibrium has been reestablished, you will notice you are standing on a long platform and that the room is filled with a soft cerulean light. It's slightly humid and dark despite the glow around you, and nothing is familiar. Shortly after, you are led out and toward the medbay. Inside this room, you are given a physical scan and offered a contract to sign that states you are now part of the crew of the Moira with a specific job. This process consists of a complete work-up of medical history and current health, and afterwards, you are given your MID, a device that is integrated into your hand with only the slightest pinch. From there, you are guided out of the medbay and to your living quarters. With the combined efforts of the crew, the terror plaguing the ship has been successfully removed from the Moira. Yet, it doesn’t come without consequences. Aside from the overall state of those aboard the ship, the Moira itself has taken considerable damage across various sections. Overall functionality seems stable for now, but with necessary repairs to be made and few supplies to actually make them with, the Captains have set a course for any nearby planet with the hope of finding what they need. However, that is much closer than it appears. As new arrivals begin coming through the Ingress, a message is received by those in the Tower and broadcast to everyone: Please be advised. Your vessel is now entering Restricted Space. As per penal code 65208-A, only authorized personnel are to be admitted beyond this point. If necessary, further assistance will be provided once docked. As there is little choice, the Captains instruct Navigation to proceed with caution. All transporters will be required to assist in taking those who volunteer to the main hub. WELCOME TO CORRECTIONAL FACILITY DEL PASCIA Del Pascia is one of many facilities across the universe built to maintain and rehabilitate its inhabitants. With a combined populace of both prisoners and employed civilians, it functions as both prison and living quarters. The central section of Del Pascia is divided into multiple floors that branch out into subdivisions of the facility—clearly and precisely labeled. For those contracted to work in the prison, Del Pas Main is home. There are cafeterias, common areas for exercise and general downtime, divided residences, and work stations. Beyond this area, each remaining wing of Del Pascia separates into cell blocks A through F with similar facilities available to the inmates. Varying degrees of criminals are brought to Del Pascia, ranging from maximum security to juvenile offenders, and security differs depending on which block is visited. Yet, there is something peculiar about this prison upon further investigation: there are no living persons within Del Pascia. The AI, which runs and oversees all of Del Pascia, has made arrangements with the Moira so that those who wish may board and take what is needed to begin repairs. This program, while generally polite in nature, goes simply by the name D-E-L. ☄ ENJOY YOUR STAY ... IN PRISON Those who choose to go to Del Pascia will find themselves greeted by D-E-L. It has already agreed to terms with the Captains, allowing crew to strip nonessential supplies that aren’t needed since the station’s crew and prisoners were relocated due to funding cuts. The only condition placed upon this agreement is that any crew wishing to explore must undergo a mandatory decontamination before proceeding through the rest of Del Pascia. This process takes only minutes and is guaranteed to cause no physical side effects. Following this simple procedure, exploration is open with only warnings to be careful about damaging key systems. It is important to note that there are various security cameras located throughout the correctional facility, and it is not uncommon for D-E-L to comment or show concern for those exploring parts of Del Pascia. ☄ DEATH BECOMES YOU There is salvage to be found in all parts of the facility, including the cell blocks and infirmaries of the prison wings. However, there is something odd about these sectors, a strange charge in the air that follows you as you search for anything useful to bring back to the Moira. Perhaps it is the eyes of D-E-L watching? But then, after an indiscernible amount of time, it's like a switch is flipped. Suddenly, you are wearing your sins where anyone but you can see. For however much death you have wrought or committed, there will be blood on your hands—perhaps even further than that. This bizarre occurrence will appear as an almost digital skin and will not vanish until outside the cell blocks. If exploring the infirmaries for supplies, any and all health stats throughout your life will be visible and easy to read by anyone who happens to take an interest. For those who have killed once or twice, they might find a red stain on their hands, but the higher the kill count will result in larger proportions of blood covering their arms and, in extreme cases, perhaps their entire body. The blood will vanish once you have left the prison wing, though you may occasionally see a flicker of the image while anywhere on the station. The same goes for health stats viewed in infirmary sections of Del Pascia. ☄ WHAT WAS THAT SOUND? Del Pascia is a very large station and has been abandoned for quite some time. D-E-L will regretfully inform anyone who asks that some nonessential areas have fallen into disrepair. It will warn that exploring these areas can be risky as it has no knowledge of what damage these sections have taken. Regardless of that, if you venture in, you’ll find that these sections are in rather bad shape. Exposed wiring sparks in the walls, a great variety of broken tools are thrown about, and it seems that every camera has been purposely broken. Venturing in further will yield valuable components for salvage, and yet... as before, you suspect you aren’t alone. It isn’t often, but sometimes, you might hear a step falling moments after yours or a rattle coming from the vents. Every time you go to investigate... whatever made the noise is gone. Should the AI be queried about this, D-E-L will emphasize that all personnel and prisoners were removed and that there is no one on board except crew from the Moira. ( ooc; For questions, go here. All players, please comment to activity check to receive new ranks (if applicable)! )

Comments

cell blocks

[imahologram]

[It's technically a mission for the Moira, but it's not directly related to her work, so Leia's back in her uniform from home. White isn't the most sensible option for scrap, but she's tired of dressing in black. To say it's not her colour is an overwhelming understatement.

Unfortunately, it means that the illusion of blood is a violent crimson against her clothing, splattering up her arms and across her chest. Leia's been fighting a war since she was fifteen years old, and she's never had a problem with leaving Imperial casualties in her wake. That's the cost of war, and every stormtooper in the Empire accepted it when they accepted their uniforms.

She'd take that into account if she was at all aware of the fact that she appears bloodied to others. Whoops.

When she spots the other woman, her expression grows purposely steady and neutral, her concern sitting somewhere behind her sharp brows. What could have happened to her this quickly? This quietly?]

I was about to ask you the same question. We'd better get you to the medbay.

[Leia, after all, is just fine. She steps towards the clearly injured woman and holds a hand out gingerly, unable to tell where the wound is, exactly.]

[deal]

What?

[Cassandra's instantly defensive, because she doesn't see anything wrong with herself. What she sees is the fact that the other woman is bloody. She makes a mental note that the next time she sees someone with blood on them, the appropriate response is to get them medical treatment, not to ask what happened to them so bluntly.

She looks over at the hand that's been offered to her, then up at Leia's face, but doesn't take the hand or jump on the offered assistance.]

There's nothing wrong with me. You're the one that's covered in blood. Shouldn't we be getting you to the medbay?

[imahologram]

[Leia snorts. Very dignified, princess.]

I think you have it backwards. Trust me, I'm fine.

[Not a spot of blood on her, as far as she's concerned.]

Seriously, where were you hit? Your shoulders?

[deal]

I wasn't hit anywhere!

[Cassandra sounds frustrated, because she isn't sure how else to insist there's nothing wrong with her. She doesn't sound angry at least, and she holds up both of her hands to look them over. There's nothing on them, so she just winds up looking confused.]

I think we're both seeing things, because all I see is blood on you. Neither of us need to get the medbay. It's a trick.

[She hesitates, biting at the corner of her lip as she leans in to get a better look at the blood that apparently only she can see on the other woman.]

Isn't it?

[imahologram]

Maybe it is. Give me your hand.

[Her patience for this, whatever this is, has plummeted, and it's evident in her tone of voice. This is the Princess Order-Giving Voice, the one people aren't supposed to ignore if they know what's good for them.

(Even if they don't, Leia's usually confident that she does.)

Leia reaches for Cassandra, intending to rub at the blood and see once and for all if this is just some kind of sick joke.]

[deal]

[Cassandra recognizes that tone. Warren uses it all the time, since she's the leader of their group. Unfortunately, Cassandra trusts Warren and doesn't know this other woman well enough to warrant being touched. So she doesn't reach over to let Leia see her hand, and instead clutches it close to her chest and backs away.

She looks very much like a cornered animal that's considering running away out of fear of being touched.]

You can look without touching.

[She insists on that much, at least, and slowly extends her arm so Leia can look at it. If she's touched, she pulls her arm right back in close to her body.]

[imahologram]

I'm not going to break it.

[Leia rolls her eyes. She doesn't have time to stand around all day staring at a woman too stubborn to be touched--or rather, she does, but she has no desire to do so.

Since she's been told not to touch, she thrusts her own hand out.]

Here, you touch it. What do you see?

[deal]

Blood.

[Her mouth forming a tight line, she reaches out to touch at Leia's hand. It feels normal, and she glances up at Leia with a resigned look on her face.]

Blood that isn't real, like I've been saying. You see it on me, and I see it on you, but neither of us can see it on ourselves. Someone's making us see things that aren't there.

[She's known from the lack of the familiar scent of blood that this isn't real. It can't be.]

[imahologram]

That's not what I mean. [With a sigh, she restrains her irritation behind deliberate I'm-being-patient-with-you expression. Which mostly means that she sounds like she's annoyed, but at least she isn't snapping.] Does it look like a hologram to you? Or something else? What happens when you touch it?

[Is this some kind of mass delusion, or is it some strange technology? Maybe it doesn't make much difference, but if they can figure out what they're dealing with, she'd like to.]

[deal]

It's a projection.

[Her tone slips in patience as well, because there's an issue with trying to relate to what she's asking.]

I've never seen a hologram before. I couldn't tell you if it looked like one or not. Nothing happens when I touch it. It's still just there. But it's not -

[She racks her brain quickly to think of the word. The fact that the world went to hell when she was just a kid, leaving her a little uneducated shows itself now.]

Tangible. Here.

[With a sigh, she holds out her arm.]

See for yourself.

[imahologram]

[Without comment, she dips her head a little and brushes her fingertips over the skin. Up close, the blood has an eerie falseness to it, and it doesn't swirl when she runs her fingers through it. If it's using hologram technology, though, it's a damned good one.]

I think we're using different words for the same thing.

[Leia lets go of the woman's arm and gives her a small smile. This is frustrating, but it's not the woman's fault.]

I'm Leia.

[deal]

[She retracts her arm and pulls it in close, so she can look it over. It's so disturbing how she can't see the blood that's on her body. At the other woman's introduction though, she drops her arm down to her side and tries smiling in return.]

I'm Cassandra.

[She hesitates before she speaks again, not wanting to look stupid. She figures that since they've recognized their terminology is different, that it won't hurt to ask what she wants.]

Are holograms common where you're from?

[imahologram]

It's nice to meet you, Cassandra. [She was prickly before, annoyed. She might as well try and play nice.] It's too bad it has to be here.

[Leia means it, too. She has the feeling neither of them would be quite the same on first blush outside this prison, with its blood-drenched inmates--however temporarily they're here.]

They are--but not like this. We use them for messages, maps, entertainment... [She makes a small, dismissive gesture.] Not drenching people in blood. [A pause.] They aren't common where you're from, are they?

[deal]

No. There's not really any technology left. Or anything that requires power. Electricity's been gone for years.

[She tries to imagine going back to the way things had been before. The internet was fucking amazing, but using holograms sounds even better.]

Getting to have access to things on the Moira is a little overwhelming still.

[And yet the blood doesn't bother her. She shrugs it all off, and motions for Leia to go ahead and lead the way toward somewhere else. They've still got work to do.]

[imahologram]

It must be a big change.

[The Moira is a little overwhelming even when you're familiar with the kind of technology that makes it fly.]

Especially if you were planetbound before. [As she speaks, she starts poking through the rubble of metal and plastic in search of more scrap worth saving. They might as well get some more work done while they talk, right?]

[deal]

I think I'm the first homeless person out in space where I'm from. So it could be worse.

[She says it idly, but with good enough humor. Her attention is primarily focused on helping looking around, digging for wires and metal scraps she can put into her messenger bag.]

I could sit up on the deck and watch the stars for hours, though. They're so beautiful.

[imahologram]

Quite the achievement. [If she's so blasé on the subject, Leia will follow suit.]

It's an incredible view, isn't it? We have viewscreens at home, but they aren't usually that big. [She's doing the same, picking things up with a sharp eye for decent parts.] If the stars were a little more familiar, it'd be perfect.