( 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

[vengeance_driven]

[Niko is picking up something that could pass as a designer miniature microwave to put in his pile of items to return to the Moira with. He's just noticing, though, his hands are coated. He starts to pat himself down, search for the source of an injury, but-]

[The thing he's holding clatters as it hits the floor.]

[He's covered in red as well, sure. He's killed more than his fair share of humans, since a young age. But when he looks down the length of his legs, there's other blood, luminescent. Sticky leaves stuck to him, some fluttering down. Blueish goop from the inside of those creatures on Anja.]

[He's coated in the stuff.]

What the fuck is this? [He says out loud, bitingly, before he turns and notes, hey, the other guy near him got hit with it as well. Just less of a mixed bag on him.]

[yer_pretty_good]

[Ocelot looks over as he hears the man's alarm at his own state. This place is have a strange, varying effect on the visitors from the Moira. It's all pretty fascinating, actually. Ocelot wouldn't mind discovering more about this prison but he knows their time here is limited.]

This is the treatment the inmates probably live with. It's not for the squeamish, that's for sure.

[vengeance_driven]

Oh. Good. Maybe one step up from prison in Albania.

[Despite his flippancy, he really is bothered by it. It's making his skin crawl, and when he tries to wipe off some there's still more there. He hasn't seen anyone that's killed very few people yet, as far as he knows everyone might be uniformly grotesque.]

[He turns to Ocelot though, scans over him. Then down at his own legs where red transitions to threads of luminescent blood. Well, they're probably not all the same.]

Ah...

So if you killed anybody, it was just humans, right? For most part?

[yer_pretty_good]

[The question earns a raised eyebrow. The way the man says it is actually pretty funny to the cowboy.]

Just humans, for the most part. I don't kill animals for sport.

[Sounds as though Niko would be more displeased if Ocelot did kill more animals than humans.]

[vengeance_driven]

Not all of this blood on me is human. Is not animal, either. [He shakes off some more leaves, before looking over Ocelot again.]

[He knows that a lot of people on board aren't angels... but...]

Some of these were people and plants. I am pretty sure this place is fucking with us a little.

[There's no way it should know about the Neraki, but there they are.]

[yer_pretty_good]

Plant blood?

[He looks and sounds skeptical. He doesn't really think much about plants bleeding. That sure would make it hard to eat a salad.]

We can at least agree on that last part.

[vengeance_driven]

Yeah. As close as you can get to blood, anyway.

[Skeptical or not, it's what happened. And he's notably irritated.]

Fucking knew not to trust a prison. [He finally picks up the thing he was holding, but runs his fingers over it. It doesn't leave a smear. He guesses the simulated blood is just stuck to him.] This can fuck right off.

[Though he's already wondering if Tali's okay.]

[yer_pretty_good]

[Ocelot doesn't look as though he's on board with the whole plant-blood idea, but this place is weird enough already without making it weirder.]

Hopefully we won't be here too long. Just grab whatever we can carry and go.

[vengeance_driven]

Great. I don't like the idea of a computer telling me shit that I have not told it.

[He starts grabbing more random stuff. He hated prison enough when it was just on Earth. This psychic bullshit- What if it decided to assign guilt all on it's own.]

You know what is going to happen? Either this robot picks who is guilty, decides to be judge, jury, and executioner. Or this place is full of ghosts. Or this prison trapped all the prisoners and they got eaten by yet another alien.

[yer_pretty_good]

The same thing happened when I arrived on the Moira. It seemed to know my skills based on... hell, I don't know what.

[How the captains knew he could hypnotize people is beyond him. Perhaps they retrieved some file on him from his own world, but this universe is not his own, as far as he knows, so that just further complicates things.]

Ghosts? You believe in ghosts?

[He's a bit amused.]

[vengeance_driven]

Really?

[He sounded very annoyed by that.] When I came on board, they give me the position of fucking bartender. I don't mind drinking but I got a pretty big personal problem with being around alcohol all the time. I was lucky to go to Cargo Bay.

And Snake, I know he's not made for there.

[At least Tali got a job she was good at. That was something. But still.]

[yer_pretty_good]

I guess the ship can have only so many people in a combat role.

[Half this ship would be an army if they were all placed where they're perfectly suited.]

I can't even pretend to understand the reasoning behind some of our positions.

[Hypnotherapist is not what he would've expected.]

[vengeance_driven]

I am kind of glad of it.

The captains, they are not too good at what they do. They seem new to this and keep us out of desperation. That they need crew to make it, that is what I guess.

But. If this was a military ship, some people I would not want to follow would be trying to take command. Right now I can work with my crew? But if I were put up to my normal job there are some here I would not kill for.

[He's still a little raw over the discussion he had, even if it's been some time. It was enough to make him very cautious.]

[yer_pretty_good]

[An interesting thing to hear, for certain. This guy is definitely from the old country.]

What do you know about these captains? You ever met them?

[vengeance_driven]

Yeah, I know one of them. I did the diplomatic mission with the one named Thán. I have known him for a while. Not a bad guy, you know, for a guy that keeps us against our will. [A fact that Niko never allows himself to forget. It's too dangerous not to remember. Easy to get wrapped up in a gilded cage. Too many Balkan Slavs sold themselves, he had to sell too many, for him not to think about what too much complacency would lead to.]

Like I say. They're sort of- [he makes a "so so" motion with his hand.] They have information control. The captains of the ship before this would torture people. These keep us in the dark.

But they don't want us dead. For some reason or another, they care for our health. Maybe because we're useful. Maybe because there is some morality there, that it is not okay to have their crew die.

[yer_pretty_good]

[Ocelot likes the way Niko thinks. He would've done well in the GRU with that kind of attitude. He's clearly tough, as well.]

A ship can't run without a crew. They need us. We need them. But they do hold all the power, as you pointed out.

[vengeance_driven]

Hey, if I could figure out all the specifics of how this place runs? I would be happy too.

So what about you, friend? You got a good place to head back to?

[yer_pretty_good]

[Ocelot nods.]

Yeah. A place to go and things to do. I'm in the middle of a war, of sorts. You look like the type that's seen combat.

[vengeance_driven]

A soldier during the break-up of Yugoslavia. I got used to it pretty early.

I take it from the decoration you are not actually a ballet dancer or anything. [Because Ocelot has his own coating of human looking blood there.]

[yer_pretty_good]

[Ocelot smirks a bit at the remark.]

I'm a Soviet soldier.

[Which doesn't really fit his clothing at all, but it's not a lie. He's a Soviet soldier, among many other things.]

I've seen my share of bloody battles.

[vengeance_driven]

[Niko's eyes trail down to Ocelot's boots. And back up to his face. Then he shrugs with a nod. Yeah, that makes sense. He's met Russians. Seems to make perfect sense to him.]

Soviet, ah? In my time, that doesn't end up holding together any better than my country does. But it went a little less bloody than mine.

[He points at his own blood-soaked hand as if to say, "Yes. This."]

I can speak Russian, too. [If it would make Ocelot more comfortable, the offer's there.] But I sound a little "yokel" I am told.

[Many times. Over and over. Fuck those guys.]

[yer_pretty_good]

[It wouldn't bother Ocelot any if Niko sounded "yokel" at all.]

If you prefer it.

[He doesn't mind speaking English or Russian.]

No matter what the word, if there's a Russia, I'm sure its soldiers are covered in just as much blood. Sort of the nature of it.

[vengeance_driven]

Yeah, but blood out of Capitalism. After my country dissolved, the new Russians found it easy to bring crime into the country with them. Which is not your fault, but ah... confirming you are pretty correct.

By the way, my name is Niko. [He holds out a blood stained hand. The word Niko in Serbian is close enough to that in Russian to be identifiable. "Nobody."] Good to meet you.

[yer_pretty_good]

[Ocelot is a bit amused by the name. He wonders if it's really his.]

Ocelot. Nice to meet you.

[His hand accepts the other man's and shakes. Clearly Ocelot is not his real name.]

[vengeance_driven]

[Considering he knows a Snake (and one that wouldn't appreciate knowing this conversation is taking place) and lives with another Snake, the name doesn't even bother him.]

Yeah I see you talk to the guy with the horn on the head. [He taps where Venom's shrapnel would be on his own head.] He's my roommate.