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deep in the murk
"It comes first and follows after. Ends life, kills laughter."
With the outcome of the battle against the Caducans and the Moira having twisted together with their ship to form a strange combination of glass, metal, and organic parts (both across the ship and among the crewmembers), there is still the matter of the Ingress not functioning “properly”. It hasn’t worked correctly since the very first person arrived on the Moira through it, and there is little the Captains themselves know about its functions. However, now, more than before, it’s even worse than that. The Ingress malfunctions yet again. This time, though, it doesn’t simply combine time and space and objects around it—it encompasses the entirety of the ship and sends it far off into a completely different universe. Welcome to:
( click text for a rough map/layout )This puts the Moira closer to its final destination, and most of the glass has disappeared as the Caducan ship has been left behind aside from small things here and there (i.e., some of the walls in the corridors, random furniture in the rooming decks, the rooms themselves). Even the mess hall has permanently changed. Yet, there is some bad news that comes with this transition. The universe the ship is in is so terrible that it has been given its own name so that travelers avoid it altogether. Even the Captains themselves are aware of just how Bad News this universe is and had originally planned to take “the long way around” to avoid it. Anything shady or unsavory can be found in the Runoff, and while it might not appeal to the majority, it is simply second-nature to those who inhabit it. From arms trafficking to drugs, whatever one might think is illegal somewhere else is suddenly very legal and very dangerous.
Through the transition, some of the crew will accidentally end up on a nearby outpost specifically used for slave trade. It is a covered, temporary establishment used only for this purpose, meaning there are no open markets, hotels, or businesses of any sort. Stalls and tents line dirty streets, and ships litter the space around the outpost. This is a slave trade zone. People come and go but do not stay. Various lifeforms can be found here, and there are many different forms of slave trade happening. The motto “honor among thieves” does not exist in this place either. Crew who end up here will be “free”; however, this means that there is the potential to be taken and sold or kept by those of the Runoff. The Moira will not be close to this outpost, but the signals given from their MIDs will alert the crew to their location. Rescue, obviously, is imminent, but those who choose to help their fellow crewmembers must keep to small stealth missions using transporters or other crafts with one important detail in mind: they cannot bring attention or notice to the Moira itself.
Almost one-third of the crew has found themselves on the slave trade outpost, leaving the rest to plan for rescue. The Captains will immediately divulge all information that they have about the outpost, which is unfortunately very little outside of the stigma associated with the Runoff. The Captains will ask any MID techs or those with skills to create a program that allows person to person location; this function will allow crewmembers to search for those on the outpost via their MIDs. Rescue efforts are encouraged, and all the ships and transporters in the cargo bay will be available for public use. Crew will be told to be careful and quiet, bringing no attention to the Moira’s location, and most importantly, do not stand out. If crew look and act like they don’t belong there, others will notice. Stealth is the name of the game, and blending in is a necessity. ☄ time goes by slowly The unfortunate crewmembers who ended up on the outpost have now found themselves pursued by those looking to make a profit through slave trade. The standards of hard labor vary from owner to owner, but it is what it sounds like. Rough, hard work that will last as long as the body performing it can endure. If purchased, owners might examine their new property to determine what type of work they’d be best suited for and then split them up into holding areas until they are done with their purchases. Others might have their slaves begin work by cleaning their ship or holding stalls or packing up their tents and gear. The owners, and their needs, are as varied as the universe. Did you manage to escape? Or were you forced to work before you were rescued? ☄ and it seems to last forever Like the crewmembers taken by general labor owners, the murdersport slavers buy and take whomever they believe can last the longest in the pit. Some take those who appear to be strong or have great stamina, and some take those who are light on their feet or are quick-witted. Some crew are chosen simply based on appearance and how good they’ll look in their gear. If pursued, the slavers will do everything they can to capture the Moirans, and if captured, crew might be taken to a holding stall or a testing pit so that their skills can be witnessed by the public and tested. Some slavers want to show off their new property by throwing them into small roped off areas with other slaves, various creatures, or machines. Some make them stand up in front of groups and simply show them off, boasting that, at the next big event in the Runoff, they’ll surely win the grand prize. What kind of slaver has taken you? Will you be forced to fight before you rescue? Or will you not make it to the Moira before the Ingress pulls you back? ☄ but then it starts to fly ( cw: sex ) As is typical of this universe, slave trade comes in various forms. The most notorious being its illustrious sex trade. Slaves are bought and sold quickly and often, with no notable preference for appearance or species. Buyers come from all over to find slaves to work in their brothels, for personal use, as in-house entertainment, and much more. While the other two most popular type of slave trade don’t care as much about the physical well being of their property, these specific owners usually do. They might try to incapacitate first, so that the slaves aren’t bruised or cut, and if necessary, use binds until they can get them back to their ships or holding stalls. Some owners have their slaves cleaned and dressed in the finest attire, while others shove them into uniforms and tossed into stalls. Were you captured? Did you escape? Or were you rescued before something untoward occurred? What's more, events of the past always have a way of coming back to haunt you.
Months past, a monster terrorized the crew and left a very literal mark upon those that it touched. Those scarred by encounters with the Ploiatos will find their minds drifting as they work and go about their day. They may also find themselves in a different part of the ship than intended when they come back to themselves. It happens slowly, these small moments of lost time. But both before and after these events occur, one might notice that the scars seem to shift slightly. Where the patterns have been stable for months, suddenly the branching arms of the scars appear to be in a slightly different position than before. More often than not, those who lose time will regain awareness and find themselves in Navigation. When this happens, oftentimes Captain Manasseh will herd them out with a quiet, but undeniably firm, suggestion to visit the infirmary. More unsettling are the moments when they awaken in the I.L.R. standing outside the one door that should never be opened. As for those who were lucky enough to avoid encounters with the creature locked within, they must figure out how to deal with their friends and fellow crew who seem to walk around in a fog with no control of their actions.
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thisavrou_log2016-07-19 01:11 am
Dazed and Confused - late in the week after his rescue?
He was on one of these strolls, casually tossing a sock Courser had stolen for the bahari to chase and fetch. Adrien really should try to find out who owned that sock.
Anyway.
Sock, alien cat and doctor came wandering down the hall around the time that Banner appeared to be standing and staring at ... what? Adrien paused and arched an eyebrow as he watched the scientist for a moment, bemused to see Banner seem more lost than when the man had been blinded by glass. After a moment, he called out. ]
Dr. Banner?
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The voice got his attention, and he looked over, eyebrows still slightly knit together. ]
That's me. [ He recognized the voice, and when he saw the animal next to the man, he easily put two and two together. ] Dr. Arbuckal, I take it?
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Courser was after it like a shot, claws skittering on the metal plating of the hallway as the tracker pounced. Lifting it up in his mouth, the ends dangling from either side, he turned and pranced proudly with his prize.
His companions antics forced an expression of exasperated affection on the doctor's otherwise neutral countenance, before he turned his attention to Bruce. ]
Is everything alright? It looks as if you ... [ he motioned towards Bruce's face, indicating the lack of glass and return of organic eyes. Which made the confused look on the man's face that much odder. ] ... did you forget and leave the iron on?
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What? Oh. [ A hand lifted to touch his own cheek, just where the glass started when Adrien last saw him. ] Yeah, I... It was gone after we hopped universes. Much like most of the glass around the ship.
[ His heart was back to normal too, both things actually a relief. It hadn't come without its prize, though, that being having a third of the crew kidnapped. Knowing what some of them had gone through, Bruce would've willingly stayed with the glass if it had spared them any of that suffering.
He glanced around almost dismissively, shrugging. ] I think I just... got a little lost.
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Recognizing Bruce, the bahari pounced over beside the man and tried to offer the sock for a toss. Careful, it might be a bit moist. ]
A little lost? [ Adrien repeated, looking confused, more than anything because it was his understanding that Bruce had been on the ship for quite some time. He wouldn't expect the science officer to get lost.
However, he didn't know the man well enough to push the issue, so he let it go and walked towards him. ]
No ill effects from the disappearance of the glass? Medical probably should have done a scan of everybody affected then and now but ... we've all been rather indisposed these past few days.
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He just smiles and lifts a shoulder when Adrien repeats the question, feeling secretly more worried than he lets on. Still, the Moira works in strange and mysterious ways, and he knows there are places on the ship that make people feel lost and disoriented, even if they've been on board for months. It's not the case right now, but Adrien should soon learn that it's not an impossibility. ]
None that I could tell. And I scanned myself, actually— several times throughout those couple of weeks. There's not much to the information I got so far.
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However, not his call.
Adrien really needed to explore more of the ship. The truth was, he'd barely seen beyond Nomo deck, Medbay and the Observation deck. There just hadn't been time. As he listened to Bruce, he frowned wanting to comment about the self scanning (like he doesn't do this for himself all the time) but realizing he had nothing to offer beyond that.
Medical had no answers about why the glass had faded after the jump. While it was a relief that the crew was (mostly) back to normal, at the same time it was frustrating not to have answers for how and why.
Lips pressed in a line, Adrien gave a small nod, still watching Bruce carefully. ]
Fair enough. Uhm, I'll ... let you get on with what you were doing. [ He offered, motioning towards the door in the ILR area. If his eyes lingered for a moment, as if committing the door and location to memory ... well, maybe he just liked looking at doors? ]
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No— [ Said almost too quickly, not just like he wasn't doing anything, but like he actively did not want to be here at all. Immediately he stepped away and towards Adrien, putting more and more distance between himself and that door. ] No, I was, uh... headed to the engine room, actually. So I'm a little off my path.
[ A nod, as he finally bent down and took the sock that Courser insisted on bringing over to him, throwing it across a small distance down the hallway. ] Where are you headed?
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Courser was off after the sock like a shot, perfectly happy to play as he skidded on the metal decking swatting the sock with his front claws. He tossed it up in the air, only to bat it back down, exhibiting classic predatory behavior.
Adrien, perhaps a little surprised at being joined, didn't show it in his habitually neutral expression. Instead, he folded his hands behind his back and adjusted his stride to match Banner's. It was his way of giving an unspoken welcome to the company. ]
I've been told in no uncertain terms to stay out of Medbay for at least the next twelve hours. [ He looked at his MID. ] I have five more hours to kill.
[ He sounded put out about this, for the record! ]
Anything interesting going on in Engineering?
[ About the time he asked the question was about the time Courser finally came racing back with the sock. The bahari quite pointedly ignored his companion as he slunk around Banner instead, seeking more play! ]
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[ Said with some mild humor and definite familiarity, as Bruce had been there himself. Being told to stay out of the lab when he'd worked too hard, especially when he was in college and right after he got his doctorate and started on some real, solid work. It wasn't an ultimatum he was unfamiliar with. ]
Not that I know of. I just want to check up on things, and sometimes it's better to scan parts on the ship while there instead of working from the department. [ Not that he didn't trust the ship's systems, but he didn't want to feel too detached from the things he was keeping an eye on. It was his job to look after the Moira's integrity, after all, and he didn't want to make it a half-assed job.
He smiled down at Courser as he came back to him with the sock, and reached for it so he could toss it down the corridor again. ]
You know, most cats don't like me much. This is a nice change.
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Work-a-holics unite?
As Banner explained his thinking, the doctor nodded to express his own understanding. They were surrounded by amazing equipment but sometimes there was a need for the hands on, direct visual approach.
Course yielded the sock with only a small wrestling and was off again when Bruce tossed it. Adrien watched the display for a moment before turning his attention back to the man walking with him. ]
He’s used to living with me; just about anybody is an improvement. [ The doctor said in a deadpan voice, poking fun at himself before he continued. ]
Do the engines feed power to the Ingress or is it complete self-contained?
[ Strange as it might seem the question had no ulterior motive behind it. Adrien was genuinely just curious. ]
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Probably. I think they don't like me for a, uh... a very specific reason.
[ The monster in him, is what he meant. The fact was that while he was never too close to cats before the incident, it was only afterwards that he started to notice some clear animosity coming from the general feline population. However, Courser wasn't the first surprise in that regard: Bruce had his own cat at this point, who had never shown him an ounce of hostility, not even when he was still Eggsy's.
In fact Bruce had only taken him in because the little guy had seemed to take a unique liking to him. So, stranger things have happened. ]
Hard to tell sometimes, but from observation, I'd say the Ingress is capable of running on its own. We had some grave complications with ship power some months ago, but the Ingress never seemed to lose steam. Although I wager that it can make use of the ship's power reserves if there's enough available.
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Besides, engine talk.
Walking along, with his head tilted towards Bruce, the doctor considered the answer and gave a small nod. ]
Any indication that if the Ingress is tied into the reserves, it takes precedence over life support?
[ Because that could be a concern.
Courser, while this discussion happened, came tearing back with the sock in his mouth. He made to offer it to Bruce but at the last minute decided instead to toss it up in the air, where he began to bat at it, like a cat after flying prey.
Adrien watched for a moment before demonstrating lightening fast reflexes as he reached in between those slashing claws to grab the sock out of the air. Courser landed and looked betrayed as his companion teased the sock at him. Quickly the bahari swung his sad eyes (seriously he could lay it on with a trowel) towards Bruce, hoping for back-up! ]
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[ It was all highly hypothetical, he was aware. There was only so much Bruce had managed to find out about the Ingress, and being both complex and unfamiliar technology to him, it was likely to take a while. The captains didn't seem to know much either, which sort of made sense, actually. Considering they didn't even know how to turn it on and off. ]
Life support's not dependant on the Ingress, nor is it of secondary importance. Not that I've seen so far. So there's that silver lining: even if we get stranded at least we'll be alive and breathing.
[ Bruce watched Adrien get the sock with a flicker of interest, though quickly he was overtaken by amusement at the cat's reaction to it. At those big sad eyes, he only shrugged, pursing his lips and raising his eyebrows. ] What? Your problem's with him, not me.
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Wheeling towards Adrien, the tracker aimed a wicked strike of one paw upwards towards his companion's thigh, forcing the doctor to twist. The second paw was right in place, batting at turning hips. The bahari kept his claws sheathed but there was a solid whump sound as his blows landed with force. Had claws been involved ...
Adrien ooofed softly as he was forced back towards the bulkhead by the tracker's attack, eventually giving up and flinging the sock. Courser wheeled after it immediately, leaving the doctor to straighten his uniform and fall back into step with Banner. ]
So. We'll just stave to death slowly or resort to cannibalism? Good to know. [ He picked up the thread of the previous conversation with that cheery statement. ]
Do we know the power supply for life support? You mention solar sails?
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He smiled sympathetically as Adrien fixed his uniform into place but made no comment on the minor scuffle between him and Courser. Just in case Adrien was the kind to suffer from wounded pride or something. ]
Provided we manage to keep gathering just enough energy, I've programmed a replicator on board to produce food and water. In the event of power shortage the rations may be smaller but we should be able to survive somehow. Or we could just land on some survivable planet and try to make do there. [ It would mean not going back home, but they'd at least be alive. ]
That's right. Both the engines and the solar sails are what power the entirety of the ship. The whole thing's run on some form of fusion power, although it's slightly different from how it works in my universe. But the principle is fundamentally the same.