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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
no subject
[It isn't really unfortunate--knowing that Reaper is technically dead doesn't really make 76 envious of his abilities. Suffice to say he won't be dissolving into smoke anytime soon.
He supposes that's all Snake really needs to know, but he's been given an opportunity to clear things up himself. Even if he doesn't think Snake is the type to ask around, it might be advantageous to at least give him an idea in the event he thinks it's necessary to ask someone else.
Might as well get it over with.]
Military program. Enhanced soldiers. Can't do anything too special, but I am pretty hard to kill.
[As Snake saw. 76 has a feeling he doesn't really need to say much more than that.]
no subject
What 76 ultimately tells him isn't a surprise, though. It's the same old story, isn't it? The military industrial complex will always keep churning, and it constantly wants bigger guns, and usually that means better soldiers. Whether it's putting them in virtual reality programs (a mistake, in Snake's opinion) or grooming them from a young age like what happened with Raiden, greed will drive people to do all sorts of horrible things to people.
He's quiet for a while after that, nodding to acknowledge he heard but otherwise more focused on the cave. He continues to light the path for them, following that sound until they drop down into a large area with a stream of purple "water" running through it.
While making his way toward it, Snake looks back to 76 briefly. ] You volunteered? [ He has to ask. ]
no subject
[So, yes, volunteered, but in saying that he reveals it was a different time and a different circumstance. In the moment, in a world on the brink of war, it had seemed like the right thing to do. He doesn't regret it, not really, but ever since he signed that paper he's been aware of the special circumstances of his existence and all the ugly implications that accompany it.
He imagines that he doesn't need to say any of this--that Snake more-or-less understands.]
Faster, stronger, sharper. [That's what the military wants.] The works.
no subject
Guess that explains how you were keeping up with that Reaper guy.
[ Even then, Snake had ultimately had to step in, and it's better not to think too hard on how that fight might have turned out if he hadn't shown up when he did. All Snake had really done was give Reaper enough of a hard time that he'd abandoned the idea of doing 76 in. ]
Here's hoping whatever's slowing you down wears off. [ Although that would mean Reaper would be back in full form too. They reach the stream, and Snake turns back toward 76. ] Got the pacdisc?
no subject
Here.
[There's a moment of 76 digging around in his equipment harness, but eventually he produces the disc, holding it out for Snake.]
no subject
You got some kinda container in here that we can put this stuff in?
[ Transporting a liquid makes this all a little more complicated than it would have been otherwise, but it's worth doing if they don't want to end up dehydrated past the point of functioning. ]
no subject
[He supposes he could just transfer his things to Snake’s pacdisk and then flood his own, but that means crew members on the other end will need to have a way to contain all that water. Given the fact that they’re continually moving, he’s erred on the side of smaller scale.]
Shouldn’t stay down here longer than we need to.
no subject
If they knew each other better, Snake might have given 76 a hard time about how now he wanted to employ the safe method when that clearly hadn't been his strategy in past situations (Reaper, anyone?), but instead he nods an agreement. ]
Just keep an eye on things, I'm almost done.
[ Of course, that's when a scuttling sounds comes echoing down through the cave, making it nearly impossible to know which direction it might have come from. The series of passages already make this place a maze, but Snake gets the feeling they've earned something's attention.
He tosses all the filled containers back into the pacdisc and stands sharply. ]
Picking anything up on that thing? [ Snake nods to the visor. ]
no subject
[He's good at keeping watch, and he takes point while Snake fills the containers with water. Perhaps it's because he's always on edge--or maybe a little extra on-edge, because they were talking about Reaper.
76 doesn't voice any of that, however, waiting patiently until he hears the same noise. His visor glows before Snake even asks the question.]
Nothing yet.
[Which is almost worse.]
We should move.
no subject
Snake isn't going to argue that it's about time for them to get the hell out of here. While the two of them might be able to handle whatever's out there, 76 isn't in top shape and there's no reason to engage with whatever's living in these caves if they don't have to. ]
Got it.
[ He hands the pacdisc back to 76 and then starts heading back the way they came at a quick pace. Snake pulls out his gun just in case, but his hope is that 76 will pick up on any incoming threats before they're ambushed. ]