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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.
( ooc; For questions, go here. Please comment to activity check to receive new ranks (if applicable)! )
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hohnkai) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thisavrou_log2016-12-02 06:54 pm
IT'S OKAY
[Her gesture earns a smile, and an awkward sort of bow. Something he's definitely not used to, but hey, he'll give it a try.]
Compared to the last time we ran into each other, I'd say we're both in better shape.
[Granted, he hadn't gone to medical, which was probably a bad idea all around. But he'd been on his feet. Other people didn't have that luxury. And if their supplies were limited, best let the more-injured parties in first.]
[He finally accepts the mug, and -- of course -- just takes a little. But wow. Something so small as a drink does wonders. And he lets his eyes close for a minute, remembering a thousand other times he'd just chugged it, instead of slowly took it in.]
No, it doesn't. I wish it did. [He hands her the mug back, something flickering across his expression.] Guess we just have to believe otherwise, huh?
my embarrassment will never die.... all these fridges chillin around camp, and shiro among them
The curtsy is a brief thing with a tap of the very toe of her boot to the ground and his bow gets another soft laugh out of her, inclining her head in returned acknowledgment. ]
Thankfully enough, no? It is always good to see a familiar face.
[ Angela had at least done her best to get others back on their feet, but she couldn't reasonably see to everyone. Nanotechnology is still a bit of a bane to many and she's hesitant to use it beyond emergencies, and some had denied or otherwise seemed adverse to it. Some she hadn't been able to heal back to full health and still remained bedridden or in need of careful application of weight on injured limbs and the like— whatever the case may have been.
There is a scarce hundred of them altogether and she is glad to have filtered through and found those she knew. Finally Shiro takes her thermal mug from her and indulges in a sip of coffee and she can practically see it work through him, the way his eyes close to savor it and the heat works its magic. More importantly, the caffeine softened by the cream. When he returns it, she takes a sip herself and the slow curl of her smile says enough for her enjoyment of it as well. ]
I suppose my feelings on the matter are a little complicated. I feel as though there's more here for me to do; others I can help before I return home. Knowing it has essentially paused and is waiting for me is... far more than I could have hoped for in setting my mind at ease.
[ To say that Angela's grown rather attached to those she's met here is an understatement— Ahab, Solid Snake, Frisk and little Ginko and even the senior Ginko, Lucio and 76 and others from her world she hasn't seen in too long— thought she may never see again. It certainly is complicated. ]
IT'S OK
A familiar, conscious face, anyway.
[That's probably meant to be something of a joke. Probably. But his sense of humor is not quite up to the same stuff as most normal people. Hence the propensity for terrible puns when he's in a good mood. Or just plain bad Space Jail jokes.]
[Still, that coffee might as well have been pure gold. Or something even more precious. It's almost unrecognizable -- that taste. It's just been too long. But he can't deny he's dragging the tip of his tongue over the roof of his mouth a little longer than necessary.]
I guess it's easier to find things to do when you're a doctor than a pilot. Hard to do that when there's nothing to fly.
no subject
Oh, I don't know, the unconscious ones are so much quieter. And much better listeners. [ Yeah she definitely took that as a joke and responds with one of her own; can you imagine her sitting at the bedside of unconscious patients, holding conversations with them and keeping them company? Because she certainly has.
The coffee mug comes back down and she holds it between them if he wished to take another sip, because there was more where that came from and he clearly enjoyed it; far be it from her to deny someone a good cup of coffee. ]
That is true enough, I'll concede. Do you have any hobbies, any skills you've enjoyed? Mechanical work, art, cooking? I'm sure I could help find you something to keep you busy in the meantime. Were you assigned a job aboard the Moira before we'd... well, "landed" isn't quite the right word now, is it.
no subject
All things considered, I think I'll take the conscious ones.
[That just sounds like a better option all around. Unconscious people usually meant something bad happened. Something he couldn't prevent, lately. And of course, that's where his thoughts go to. Because that's just his Life apparently.]
[He looks down, at the mug, and... yes, that's a definite temptation. Metal fingers close lightly around it. Like he's asking permission.]
... Definitely not cooking. Not if we all want to survive it. [Hahahah-- he sucks.] But I think I'd need to shop around.
I haven't had time for a hobby in years.
no subject
It's still my preference, as well. Honest.
[ Admitted with the fondest, warmest tone imaginable, and his fingers close about her mug and she lets go the moment he has a good grip on it, shifting just close enough for her arm to brush against his. He's tall enough that her shoulder barely reaches the flesh and blood above his biotic, but it's close. She still manages. It may be in the smallest of ways, but she asserts her presence at the side of anyone who may need it. That little human touch of another living, breathing warm body to know you're not alone. ]
I could show you some basics. Or perhaps field dressing if you ever wanted to take to hunting. It's a good skill to have and you wouldn't necessarily have to be the one to cook the catch. Or some TCCC— combat first aid. It's a little more involved.
[ It would be a start, at least, and see which aspects he enjoyed or dislikes to tailor him in other directions. ]
We have plenty of time here, now, after all. A man I've met convinced me that I'd be able to have a pet of my own here, even, and he certainly wasn't wrong. You know, ever since I was a little girl we've never had pets— even before my parents passed away. They were both doctors and we were always moving, or one or the other would be gone. Then when I was older and alone, I buried my nose in my studies. I was never home either. Then I was out of school and moving country to country with Overwatch, and beyond that still with my war relief— it's just never been in the cards. Then one conversation with a patient and I'm sold.
You may be surprised what you can get into. For as many strange things that may go on, there is an opportunity in every face you see to learn something new. Skills, talents, trades.
[ But she's planted the seed and what he chooses to do with it is up to him. Instead: ] If I may be terribly rude, then, may I ask why you're here on the fringes of the gathering instead of with your friends?
[ It is about as direct a request for "Now tell me if you're really all right" as he'll get out of her, because her earlier request had not been terribly convincing. ]
no subject
[He can't help the face he makes when she brings up 'hunting'. Not because he objects to it -- they need to, here, if they want to survive. But because the thought of going out and purposefully taking a life might... end up taking his brain somewhere he doesn't want it to go.]
I don't know if hunting is... something I want to try. But thanks for the suggestion.
[Then he quiets, listening to her story. It's the least he can do for all she's given up to him, in return. Pets... Now there's a good topic.]
We had a dog, when I was a kid. They're sort of hard to say no to, once you get attached. I was trying to figure out if one of the cats here would stick around us, but it doesn't seem like that worked out.
[Her question earns a long, drawn-out sigh from him. Taking the mug in his hands and toying with it as something to do. He wanted to ask more about her -- the Overwatch thing, the studies, all those questions. But...]
I'm not much for parties anymore. That's all.
[Because the last one they'd been to ended in the Castle getting taken over.]
no subject
That's all right, I apologize; I don't have many other practical skills to offer that would be of use in a place like this. It certainly doesn't suit everyone. I don't much like it myself, but it is what it is. The TCCC, though, will always be an open offer.
[ Shiro takes to pets far easier and everything he says has her nodding along, smiling, because she's found much the same to be true. ]
Mm, I've noticed. My little Eiger just appeared in the mail one day, as if someone had overheard my conversation with Snake. But he's been an absolute boon. He's sweet and would love another friend if you ever wanted to come see him. There are a couple of other dogs at my camp as well, but I can't guarantee they'd be there or would approach strangers without their owners around. They're well-trained. I'm hoping to get to that point with Eiger since he takes so well to others; he's well on his way to being a therapy dog. More faces would do him well.
[ Which is to say, she's gently offering him a bit of animal companionship if ever he wished for it. Open-ended and non-expiring. When she prompts further and he sighs, he's fixed with an assessing Look, debating if she should press, where, how. ]
Well, I hope you don't mind my company, then. I'll try not to be too festive. I just wanted to see how you were doing.
[ Spoken with a smile as ever, watching him toy with the mug. He's plenty welcome to ask whatever he may like, especially since she's opened the floor to 'her company' and getting to know her. ]