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the outer gate
"Open up, and let them in."
The Moira is no more.
With the damage done to the ship due to the timeslip, all that remains is a burning wreckage and parts to be taken—if the crew can find anything in the pieces. Recovery and headcounts are the main objective for the first several hours of being planetside, and once things have settled just enough, Captain Ira calls for a meeting and addresses those who are able in person to explain the situation. He draws a rough map of the area and explains where he believes they are - according to the terrain - and where they must go. For anyone who’s listening, he describes things like an “Outer Gate”, an “Inner Gate” and “gate sectors”. Believing this to be the best course of action, all crew are asked to explore and gather what they think they’ll need to make the long journey towards the central point of the Hub. Because the MIDs are no longer working due to the lack of a network, the Captains distribute a newer tech called the TAB. It serves the same functions as the MID but is lighter, slimmer, and has the ability to stick to any surface.
WELCOME TO THE MIDWAY HUB
Now that the smoke from the crash has cleared, and injured crew have been tended to, the Captains get everyone ready for departure by explaining what they know of the Hub. Almost stone-like, the creators built a domed workspace in the largest solid space on the planet they could find. Gates are the only way inside, and anyone who catches a glimpse of the compound will see that parts of the dome are cracked. Yet, everything still appears to be relatively intact. The Midway Hub’s terrain is very rocky and difficult to walk on at times. Below the surface is a honeycomb of intermittently dense and brittle stone that makes travel difficult due to the unpredictable nature of what lies beneath the crew’s feet. Those who can develop the tech from what’s left of the debris might be able to create something to determine which route is the safest. Ships and small crafts can be used to fly, but landing is a problem—rocks jut up in sharp peaks and the clearer spots can't handle their weight. Vegetation is sparse, consisting of twisted dark gray thistles that have sprung up from cracks in the rock and burn when in direct contact with skin, and what could be considered small animals here can be seen scurrying away the closer crew get to them.
☄ WEEK ONE
Crew are asked to hook cryo beds together and to use any appropriate vehicles that can be made or fashioned to fit the terrain to carry injured crew on the journey to the center of the Hub. Supplies are gathered, and the Captains, as well as any crew who want to, give the Moira a proper sendoff, heads bowed as they say goodbye to what’s been their home. Traveling starts out slowly, a line of a hundred-plus crew members making their way slowly forward. Stops are frequent, but camping for rest only occurs at night. Crew are assigned watch shifts, fires are built, injured tended to, and those who are able are asked to explore nearby caves and hunt for food.
Something akin to deer, though striped and only to be found in pairs, can be stumbled across at night. Throngs of dark purple mammels begin to follow the Moirans on their trip as well. They are friendly, curious, and eat the thistle. Meet the intelligent, watchful predators that aren’t easily scared away and follow the crew from a distance as if waiting to pounce. The thistle can be eaten, but only if cooked first, and those who sample the chewy plant raw will experience a burning sensation in their throat that doesn’t go away until the cooked version is consumed. During the first week, water can’t be found.
Anyone who does hunt, gather, or explore should make sure to that their TABS are on and it’s suggested that nobody goes alone.
Nearing the end of the first week, an Ingress can be spotted close by that crew can explore. If anyone dares to go inside, they will find the texture of the ground and surrounding walls to be rather soft. If inspected closely, crew will discover that what they originally thought to be rock is actually a living organism that’s fed off the energy of the Ingress it’s attached itself to. It’s not harmful and squishy to the touch. If pressed hard enough, it secretes a turquoise liquid with the consistency of water that might make a good substitute for that very thing. ☄ WEEK TWO
When crew finally pass through the sector gates, a strange sensation encompasses them, and a depowering of sorts goes into effect. The creators put in security measures meant to put all visitors on equal footing as well as to protect themselves from harm. All crew will essentially have the strength and abilities of the average human. An unforeseen issue, this causes Captain Thán to slip into a coma as he is no longer able to continue to recover at a steady pace, and with the loss of the former Captain’s abilities, crew can no longer be brought back if they die. For the first time, all Moirans are subject to permanent death.
During this week of travel, broken ingress machines and parts will be found scattered among the rocks, and new crew will come through. Unfortunately, these Ingresses aren’t in good shape, and anyone coming through will be in varying states of distress—some physical and some mental. New individuals will either have suffered an age slip, growing older or younger than their original body, some form of body transformation (perhaps that shiny thing they were wearing is now part of them somehow), or an extreme weakness they had never been subjected to before arriving on the Midway Hub. The new people will be offered to join their group, once found, and seasoned crew will be asked to explain to them where they are going and what they know.
The rest of the week will be a mix of greeting the new arrivals and continuing to travel to the center of the Hub. The closer they get, the less frequently they’ll see animals, and more caves will begin to pop up. ☄ WEEK THREE
Entering the third week of travel, settlements and houses begin to crop up and are prime areas for exploration and general supplies. Those who go inside may find items that have been left behind and evidence showing that those of varying species and cultures lived in the homes. Some appeared to have been scientists while others were explorers, but all living quarters are deserted. Crew who are less lucky in their search might come away with no fresh supplies, and others might walk into traps or safeguards left behind by previous tenants; these come in many forms, from mild paralysis to temporary unconsciousness. As there are more residences, there are also more caves. The entrances vary in size, and light sources will be needed to explore. Once inside, crew can find purple underwater streams, which can be consumed, and glowing surfaces. When crew drink the water, it temporarily restores powers, a few minutes tops, and then, extreme lethargy settles in for a couple of hours.
Further into the cave systems, crew will come across these lovely creatures that are attracted to sound and track through scent. They are highly dangerous and attack simply to feed. Killing them, though, is surprisingly simple as they are just as vulnerable and weak as everyone else. They are vicious in demeanor but only as strong as an average human.
The closer to the Inner Gate crew get, the less homes, wildlife, and more caves there will be. ☄ WEEK FOUR
The Captains, aware that the crew is exhausted, stop and make camp for the first few days. Someone mentions that it’s the holidays where they’re from, and the Captains do their best to throw a party. Set up at the base of a cave, tents are built and fires roar. Soft music is played in the form of guitar, thank you Ira, and Cúrre brings out some legumes that taste like cherries when roasted. There isn’t much in the way of decorations, but crew are encouraged to dig through their pac-discs and contribute to the festivities.
After a brief respite, crew learn that the entrances to Gate A and Gate B are inside one of the caves but any signs or markings have long since worn away or been destroyed. Groups are split, TABS are synced, and crew explore carefully until an entrance is found. Crew discover Gate A first, and all crew are contacted to gather there. The Captains will remain at the cave entrance until all crew are accounted for, and then, they’ll enter through the gate together.
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thisavrou_log2016-12-02 06:54 pm
no subject
When Snake mentioned Niko and the Neheda, Adrien tensed for a moment but then let out a slow breath. If Niko had talked with Snake about the Neheda that suggested that he had trusted the man. That, combined with the fact that they had met from time to time when Snake was coming to the room to speak with Tony was a pretty strong character reference. ]
Tali also. [ He mentioned, in a quiet voice. ] Hopefully they're both safe with the option they choose. [ He means the choice to leave the Moira crew and strike out on their own. If nothing else, Niko and Tali were together ... which Adrien wouldn't discount as being the most important.
Coming back to the subject of the dog, the doctor drew his eyes from the horizon to the canine and then glanced up at Snake. ]
Did you do the training yourself?
no subject
He realizes that the Nehada is a sore spot for everyone who came from there. He nods at the mention of Tali, having known that she and Niko became close during their harrowing time aboard that ship. Snake feels much the same about Niko's endorsement, though; if he'd trusted Adrien, that means that Snake can too. ] I don't think it's something they would do lightly. Wish there was a way to stay in touch, but... [ Snake shrugs. He's going to miss Niko, but that's not something he needs to put into words right now. And he'd rather the guy did what was best for him and Tali.
When asked about Jaegar, Snake nods. ] Yeah, I used to do mushing recreationally, years ago, so I've got some experience with it. Couldn't really care for that many dogs under this circumstance, though. [ He's content with just the one, even though keeping him safe is just one more worry to add to a long list. ]
no subject
While he waited for Jaeger's investigations, he looked over at Snake when the man spoke of Niko and Tali. ]
You were good friends? [ He asked, and though he suspected the answer, he didn't assume it. The idea of having a pack of dogs, while it didn't make the doctor smile, the man did make a rough sound, like a strangled chuckle before he dropped his hand a way so Jaeger could head back to his master. ]
no subject
The question about Niko earns a few seconds of silence before Snake sighs and nods. ] Yeah, guess you could say that. Niko's a good guy. [ He takes care not to use the past tense when he says that. Niko's still alive, and hopefully having a better time than they are by now.
Maybe Snake should have thrown caution to the wind and gone with them, but hey, the two lovebirds deserved a honeymoon. ]
Is there a reason you're sticking around?
[ Most everyone must consider leaving at some point, Snake figures. He'd like to get Adrien's perspective on it, as someone who's been doing this longer than most of them. ]
no subject
[ There was also the small matter of not having a ship of his own, and like Snake he wasn't going to horn in on Niko and Tali's private time together.
But truthfully, even if he had a ship, without knowing how to jump dimensions traveling aimlessly around space held no appeal for him. Adrien knew where he had to go and he suspected he needed an Ingress to get back there. ]
no subject
Not wanting to make any wild assumptions just yet, Snake lets the shock wear off before he poses his question. ] Why would you want to go back to something like that? They were forcing all of you to do some pretty terrible stuff, weren't they?
[ Adrien seems like a good guy, someone who wants to help and do his part aboard the ship. So if he wants to return to his previous ship, there must be good reason for it. ]
no subject
Pausing for a moment, he stood looking down at the ground. The habitual paranoia was still strong, though the fact that Niko trusted this man did carry weight. Shoving his hands in his pockets, Adrien turned back towards Snake and looked at the man. ]
I don't know how much Niko told you, about the size and scope of the CDC. I visited one of their transport hubs once, there were ... millions of beings, all species, hundreds of deep space cruisers.
And that's only counting what I saw in a brief few hours. [ He had no doubt that the hub was even larger.
Hands still in his pockets, he walked back towards Snake. ]
Trying to explain the scope, words fail to be honest. An individual life was meaningless, a hundred individual lives were replaceable. We were bugs to HQ ... less than bugs.
[ His steps had brought him back to Snake's side by now, a position that let him look out back towards where the parts of the Moira crew were moving along. ]
An entity like that, you don't take on directly. They will always be bigger, more powerful, have greater resources and they will obliterate any opposition.
[ Tilting his head, he looked at Snake. ] You're military, yes? What do you do when faced with an infinitely superior force? How do you get behind it's lines?
no subject
He crossed his arms as Adrien approached him and explained the odds he was up against. The fact that he wanted to fight back even with all of that in mind, and even though he was just one person -- well, it was admirable.
And Snake had an idea of what it was like, himself. The Patriots were a force that could barely be defined, but he was trying to oppose them anyway. And that was just in one world. This was on an entirely different scale.
When the question was turned back to him, Snake straightened, almost like he was standing to attention, and nodded. ] I'd sneak past, blend in, then strike when they least expected it. [ He cocked his head to one side and continued to watch Adrien. ] So that's what you're planning to do? Pretend you're joining back up, bide your time until you get an opening?
no subject
As Snake followed his line of thinking, Adrien nodded but then gave his head a small shake. ]
The hope is, when I get back it will be as if I was never gone. If HQ knows I left, it would mean I broke my contract, which would leave my planet forfeit to destruction and could have negative ramifications for my ship. [ It was a worst case scenario, which he was trying to plan for, if it turned out to be reality, but like with the Scourge if he thought on it too much he'd drive himself nuts. ]
There are more of us, people working out ways to be able to communicate, coordinate and act in concert.
If I can get back and HQ is none the wiser to the fact that I was gone, then I can pick up where I left off and hopefully help these efforts move forward. [ Though he didn't delude himself into believing they'd be able to do anything with a quickness. There were still planets, species ... that would perish. ]
no subject
Yeah, in comparison their current captain seems like a saint, doesn't he? At least they're all allowed to leave whenever they want, even if it is a risk. ]
You really think they wouldn't notice you were gone for all this time? [ Even though he's more engaged in conversation now, Snake's gaze continues to scan all around them. ] I guess if the operation is really as big as you say, one person might be able to slip through the cracks.
[ Snake hopes that turns out to be the case, anyway. The alternative sounds unimaginable.
He glances back to Adrien. ] Well, either way, good luck. It sounds like you're gonna need it.