february mod plot log

Who: Everyone
When: February 3rd to February 28th
Where: Thisavrou + New Worlds
Warnings: death, blood, violence, torture

thisavrou monthly info ( the tmi )

⋆ All information is current as of day 32 ( there are 100 days in a cycle, which started on January 1st).

⋆ The storm around Thisavrou is particularly volatile this month - plums of dark energy twist and turn. There’s an upsurge in the number of Outpost techs called in to work in an effort to monitor and research Thisavrou’s unruly cage. Weather on Kauto is a moderate 70°F / 21°C during the day and 65°F / 18 °C at night, and Chioni’s has reached record highs of 130°F / 54°C at peak hours.

⋆ Savrii Notices:

Region One grocery depots are offering fifty percent off of any item purchased between day 41 and 45.
Region Four’s population of Gorgóna are giving away free underwater training lessons on the 51st day.

⋆ Mission notices have been posted to TABs for anyone interested in earning a little extra cash. Available missions are listed below:

Day 39 (February 10th) - The locals of Region Three (R3) are in need of “pest” control assistance. Creatures called Tanglesnakes have infested the trees and are eating the natives’ homes! Anyone willing to remove them will be paid 100 sencs per Tanglesnake. However, catching them might be tricky; they are quite fast and are smart enough not to be lured by snacks or kind words of encouragement! They also have a tendency to curl around and trip up anyone after them, hence their name.
Day 47 (February 18th) - The waters of Chioni are boiling! Scientists stationed out on the third burg are asking volunteers to bring back samples for study. Anyone willing to risk the harsh climates of Chioni will be compensated with 250 sencs as well as travel expenses up to 80 sencs.
Day 55 (February 26th) - The majority of Savrii responsible for the Ingress Complex’s upkeep have suddenly fallen ill, which has left them short staffed. For those not too proud to pick up trash and put a little elbow grease into shining the windows, compensation will be given for the time. This mission pays 40 sencs per hour.

⋆ As a welcome gift to all the new visitors, Savrii will be handing out treats.

ingress travel info

⋆ Signatures are the base reason for traveling through the Ingress (aside from general exploration and monetary gain) and are used to discover the correct world visitors on Thisavrou wish to return to. Every visit through a different Ingress brings the technicians a little closer to finding it. The two worlds open for access this month only have a slight impact on the signature of each person who travels.

⋆ Missions are jobs or specific tasks listed on the TAB once new worlds are open for exploration. Be sure to check if Clearance Levels are required to accept some of these missions.

⋆Clearance Levels are given to visitors for the length of time they have been on Thisavrou (or traveling on the Moira). Each CL offers access to certain things or incentives that others will not have.

aueia

⋆ To welcome the new arrivals to Thisavrou, all visitors will be granted access to one of the worlds already known to the Savrii. Aueia (proper pronunciation here) is the native homeworld of a species some Moirans may already be familiar with: the migratory space whales. While isolated from the rest of the galaxy, the whales’ homeworld has been known to the Savrii for generations and viewed as a peaceful center of cultural exchange.

⋆ Although some disorientation is common enough with all Ingress travel, transit to Aueia is commonplace enough to make the trip relatively straightforward. A brief sensation of a fall and a wash of color (felt as much as seen), and visitors will find themselves stepping out onto the greeting dock. To leave, characters may make use of the same portal, or explore to find their own—there are multiple transit points scattered through the world, as well as a few maps designed for humanoid interpretation.

⋆ A gas giant encircled by a unique interstellar medium, Aueia holds three distinct zones.

The outermost layer, or "sea" of the planet, consists of a liquid shell inhabited by a diverse set of fluid-dwelling wildlife. A variety of tours go out regularly to explore the oceans, and platforms are set up along the boundary for those with interest in "beach" play. The fluid composing the sea is a pale green, and has no harmful effects on contact. However, human-analogous life forms will be advised against consuming the mixture, and may experience dizziness, indigestion, or mild hallucinations if they do.
The second, gaseous layer, composes the main range of habitation for visitors and other non-aquatic life. With an oxygen-rich atmosphere and a wide distance from the denser planet core, this region of the planet includes the Ingress dock and the majority of non-native living areas. It’s also known for its low gravity! A wide array of ships and settlements can be found floating through this layer of Auiea, including trade barges, explorers, and a wide variety of schools and learning centers. The lower one goes, however, the less stable the atmosphere, and pockets of dangerous or flammable gases have been known to gather near the boundary with layer three. Gliding equipment can be borrowed or rented at low cost for those who want to travel unassisted. However, visitors with no means of propulsion should take care—falling means a very long way down. On the other hand, you’ll have plenty of time to flag a passing flier to come grab you.
A strong layer of electromagnetic distortion separates the habitable second layer from the third. Once crossed, both gravity and pressure intensifies rapidly, well beyond the tolerance of most beings. Standard materials dropped through this layer will crumple and compress before sinking out of sight behind the orange haze of the interior. Even more disconcerting are the shapes that can occasionally be seen within: odd, gigantic silhouettes brushing by the surface of their world. These deep-sea wildlife can’t cross the pressure differential on their own, but are widely regarded as one of the main hazards to any efforts to explore the lower zone. By visitors, at least-- the whales of Aueia are the undisputed masters of their planet, and the only species known to move freely through all layers of their world.

⋆ As a world visited regularly by the Savrii, Auiea has a relay station set up to enable communication through the Ingress. Some lag may be expected, but TAB functions should persist.

⋆ Clearance Information (Each person can take what is noted for their CL or below into this world.):

CL 1 - Clothing, swimming equipment.

CL 2 - Personal weapons.
CL 3 - Private transportation.
CL 4 - Small ships.
CL 5 - Extended stay or the right to build.

⋆Missions available:

Wildlife Preservation - The outer layer of Aueia is home to many creatures. Senc donations will be made to anyone that spends volunteer time cleaning up and caring for the wildlife here. (50 sencs per hour).
Object Retrieval - Samples, samples, samples. A sample (it doesn’t matter what it is) from each zone can be sold back on Thisavrou. Z-1 (100 sencs). Z-2 (200 sencs). Z-3 (300 sencs). Savrii will absolutely not purchase creatures that were hunted and killed. However, there might be visitors on Thisavrou interested in this.

(All sencs are awarded ICly when you come back through. OOCly, you keep track of what you earn.)

eosoros (cw: death, blood, violence, torture)

⋆ Ingress technicians have discovered an energy link to a new world. It has been marked as Exploration Class (EC’s) and all who go through will be given a drone to use for documentation. As with the majority of EC’s, this new world’s Clearance Levels will center around weaponry, and most missions focus on security, research, and object retrieval.

⋆ The Savrii are an inclusive group - when they open this world for exploration, all visitors are allowed to enter. They will be told that, as it has not previously been explored, it could be dangerous and for all to heed that carefully before entering. High-paying missions, listed below, will be offered to anyone willing to take them through and Clearance Levels will be posted and applied to TAB devices.

⋆ The ride through the Ingress might be disorienting for some, though many will notice that the temperature steadily increases as they move through the blue energy. Upon entering this new world, they’ll find that the energy dissipates as soon as the person steps out of it. Discovery of a way out of this place is found in Exploration. Broken up into what can only be described as increasingly terrible levels of horror, this world’s only exit (energy that takes you back to Thisavrou) is found at the end of the seventh sector. Each level can be experienced with the same partner or someone different every shift.

Level One - You are neither here nor there. The ground is a muted grey color, almost ashy, and each leafless tree is an exact copy of the one before it. In the center of each tree is a carving, the word - Go. Ambiguous in nature, it’s hard to tell if it means to go back the way you came or to continue forward. The choice is in the explorer’s hands. No matter what direction you walk in, the landscape never changes. Colorless and barren, but without any sense of impending danger. After a thousand steps, gait is of no importance, there will be an abrupt shift and the second level will begin.
Level Two - That same empty landscape is cut by large, violent storms so close together that there is no place for respite. The wind whips you about, debris flying through the air cuts and breaks, lightening scorches the dirt, and the screams of swept up travelers can be heard from inside the massive dark clouds. The third level starts when the electric heat of a burst of lightning can be felt on your skin.
Level Three - Up to your waist, black slush stretches out for what seems like an eternity. As you trudge through, you’ll feel hands grabbing at your ankles and legs, tugging in an attempt to pull you under. The moment the sludge crests the top of your head, the hands let go. This cycle repeats until you’ve crossed two miles of the putrid liquid, and the instant that you touch land, your entire body will vibrate and you’ll be in the fourth level.
Level Four - Groups of travelers, some who have been here for a long time and did not arrive from Thisavrou, stand around groups of giant boulders. No matter which you choose, the stone will be extremely difficult to push. Grooves in the dirt show that previous visitors have pushed boulders to the top of a small hill and left them there. Whether you push your boulder alone or have help (one stone gets one person through), when it reaches the top, you’ll vanish and enter the fifth level.
Level Five - The heat and smoke surround you. There is only enough space inside the tomb for yourself and whoever else might be inside. Flames billow up on all sides and the stone coffins are hot enough to burn. There are two ways to the next level - put the fire out or let the fire take you.
Level Six - It’s a fight to overthrow. Spread out are thousands of people in various forms of battle - verbal, physical, mental. There is someone standing at the ready to explain, if visitors dare to ask them. They’ll spin a tale of the imbalance of power and how the only way to move forward is to best someone else. The method is up to the visitor, and there is only one rule - be the person with the upper hand and you can continue on.
Level Seven - You are now standing at the beginning of a cavernous, sloping landscape. In the far off distance is a storm set at the top of a craggy mountain. The energy is a familiar shade of blue - you came through energy just like it. It’s a harrowing journey, a labyrinth of twists and turns. Most get lost and overwhelmed looking for the path that takes them to that storm. Those that make it, who step into the light, return back to the place they had come from.

⋆ TABs - Functions stop after going through the Ingress.

⋆ Clearance Information (Each person can take what is noted for their CL or below. Standard methods of transportation can be taken through by any CL holder.):

CL 1 - Small handguns only.

CL 2 - Rifles and shotguns.
CL 3 - Explosive type materials.
CL 4 - Vehicles with affixed weaponry.
CL 5 - Dangerous creatures.

⋆ Missions Available:

Security - Savrii of all backgrounds are looking to hire someone to take them to this new world and bring them back safely. The standard offered rate is 1,000 sencs, but most are open to negotiations.
Research - Technicians are looking for scientific aware minds to document and look into the effects of Ingress energy on this world. They’ll pay handsomely for the information. Anywhere between 200 and 500 sencs, depending.
Object Retrieval - Samples, samples, samples. A sample (it doesn’t matter what it is) from each level fetches a fair price. L-1 (50 sencs). L-2 (70 sencs). L-3 (90 sencs). L-4 (100 sencs). L-5 (150 sencs). L-6 (200 sencs). L-7 (350 sencs).
(All sencs are awarded ICly when you come back through. OOCly, you keep track of what you earn.)

OOC: For questions please go here. Don’t forget to respond to the Activity Check.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Jack's a little more intimately acquainted with the politics of running an organization like Overwatch than any of his agents. He learned a great deal about how the world works over the course of twenty years. How it's not as easy as doing the right thing--how often, doing that very thing will come back to bite you in the ass later.]

It all comes back to money and power. Not even Overwatch is above that.

[People will do a lot of things for both. There are a lot of opportunists out there.]

Wind was changing. Someone saw an opportunity they couldn't pass up. If that meant getting rid of us, well. Maybe we'd overstayed our welcome.

[ Lena knows the world isn't perfect. That is, after all, why Overwatch existed in the first place. But she doesn't understand how anyone could live with themselves after selling out an organization that was, on the whole, doing good in the world. ]

Just... tore everythin' apart because it suited them. [ She shakes her head, eyes stinging with tears again.

But it's soon replaced with anger. ] We have to find 'em.

What do you think I've been doing?

[That's the whole point of this, and he wants to keep them out of it. The road he's walking leads nowhere good, and he won't drag the rest of them down it if he can help it. The whole point of staying dead is to keep the rest of them from blindly following. Of course they want to clear Overwatch's name and set things right, but Jack is adamant that it's his job to do, mostly because he doesn't expect to come back from it, once it's over. He won't put any of his people in the line of fire, no matter how much they want to do it.

This is what he didn't want--he needs them to get on with their lives. Let him chase the ghosts, because he's the one who's already dead.]

This is my mission, Lena. I can't let the rest of you follow me on this one.

[ Her anger spikes and her knuckles go white around the mug. ]

You're not "lettin'" me. Overwatch was mine too.

Not like it was mine.

[His voice falls to a low growl. Unfair of him to say, perhaps, but Jack devoted more than half his life to the organization in one form or another. He put everything he ever was into Overwatch, often to his own detriment--when it burned up, it took him with it and he's not sure how much of him is left. He won't let the rest of them follow him down this path.

Jack might be trying to distance himself from the man he used to be, but it seems he can still take on the commanding air that served him so well in years past.]

This isn't up for debate.

[ Lena feels something in her snap. All of the anger she'd been holding in bursts out of her all at once.

She matches his growl with a piercing glare. ]

You lost the right to give orders when you abandoned us.

[ Because that's what it felt like. Abandonment. He knew what they were going through and just... let it happen. Let them mourn, let them ride out the furious whirlwind of the aftermath. ]

[He's trying not to get angry in turn, but it's easier said than done when he watches Lena's expression change. There's so little about this they understand, and though he knows it's his own fault for sounding like a crazy conspiracy theorist or not being able to properly articulate where he's coming from, Jack can't help but feel more than a little frustrated by her insistence.

It was abandoning them--but it wasn't, not entirely. He knows it was for the best, in the end. The world didn't need him anymore. It was time to him to step aside, or they'd just drag all his people down with him.

And being dead, of course, has its distinct advantages, especially when it comes to getting one's hands dirty. Finding the truth.]

If I stayed they would've thrown you all in prison with me. You needed to get on with your lives.

[ She feels the sting of tears welling up in her eyes. Whether they're from frustration or sadness, it's hard to tell. Just like she's not sure why her hands are shaking.

It all sounds like excuses. Maybe he believes them. But they don't hold water. ]

If they wanted us in prison, we'd be in prison. With or without you.

[On some level, he's aware that he's about to make Lena cry again, but Jack's ability to commit is unparalleled. They've started this conversation, which means they're going to finish it, no matter how much it hurts. He's always been deeper in it than the rest of them--wasn't it easy for all of them to tell him what he should do about King's Row, when he was the one who'd take the heat for violating a nation's sovereignty? The world isn't as simple as so many of his agents wanted it to be, and it's not as easy as just going out and saving it. Jack knows that much firsthand.]

I know what I'm talking about.

[Because his hands are the ones that are dirty.]

It's all a politics game. The only reason they're not coming down on you and Winston is because you haven't screwed up yet. They're keeping you around because they need a scapegoat.

[He sighs, tone changing to something less angry and more sullen.]

I didn't want this for you.

[ It all boils over then. Her voice is choked by anger. That part of her that wanted him to be proud stings quietly, but her frustration takes over. ]

And what did you want? Me sittin' at a desk, keepin' my head down? Pretendin' it's all okay? Go into hiding?

[ Her knuckles go white. ]

I'm not a child. I know I'm playing with fire.

You have a life oustide of Overwatch, right?

[A luxury Jack never had.]

Friends? Family? People who care about you?

[Lena wasn't as deep in Overwatch as some of the others, who gave more than a decade of themselves to the organization. In fact, he thinks it was her short stint as an agent that lets her look on her time there with rose-colored glasses. Jack was in far too deep--knows that Overwatch had overstayed its welcome.

She'd re-kindled his idealism before, but now, seven years later, he's been burned far too many times to truly believe it. All he sees is Tracer rushing in headfirst to make the same mistakes he did.]

Don't throw that away.

[ A tear slips out, tracing the same path as the tears before. ]

You don't understand. If the world goes to blazes, they go with it.

I can't-- I won't fail them. And I can't do it alone.

I understand that.

[Perhaps better than everyone else. He’d shouldered that responsibility for two long decades, not to mention all the time in the Crisis before hand. Jack knows intimately what it feels like to have everyone counting on you—and look what it did to him in the end?

He leans back a little in his chair, sighing and dragging a hand down his face. They’re at an impasse, and anything else he can say won’t alleviate the pain he knows she feels.]

It wasn’t all bad, Lena. But it wasn’t all good, either.

[ Now that he's backed down, she backs down as well. At least he's realized that he can't change her mind. But that also means she can't change his. Did that last bit of idealism die in him?

No, it can't have. Lena always believes the best of people she cares about, including Jack.

But he's not going to budge right now. He's made that clear.

Lena sighs, wipes away a stray tear. ]

I know. But the bad doesn't undo all the good.

[ She remembers how everything started to fleck apart at the edges once Ana "died." The delicate balance had been broken, and the already-waning Overwatch suffered for it. ]

[He doesn't want to turn this into a lecture, so he keeps his eyes trained on the tabletop, finger tapping a little idly against the wood, a nervous tic.]

I know it's hard. To watch it all happen and know you can do something about it.

[That you should do something about it. Jack had to make this choice much, much more than he would have liked to, and he still doesn't think there's a good answer. Too many moving pieces. Logistics. Politics. Red tape. Bureaucracy.]

But Overwatch didn't have the right to act as unilaterally as we did.

[It was all well and good when the whole world loved them, but as the dust settled, countries wanted to deal with their own problems, even if Overwatch was far and away the best equipped to do so. Sure, they did plenty of good, but they walked a fine line between being peacekeepers and dictators. How can you be trusted, when you're sitting in a state of the art facility, the pinnacle of science and technology and military might at your fingertips, untouched by the problems of common people, telling every ordinary citizen what's best for them? Are you really saving the world, when any given country's sovereignty becomes a nuisance, something you can swat away if you think it's for the greater good? What is the greater good, exactly?

After the Crisis, there was no choice but to follow Overwatch into their new era of peace, but the pendulum swings. Nothing lasts forever. Can Jack really blame world leaders for wanting their autonomy back? Sure, there's a larger conspiracy at play here, but to some degree, they'd brought Overwatch's downfall on themselves. Jack can't deny that.]

The UN was right to shut us down. They'd be right to throw you and Winston in prison, for what you're doing. Hell, I should've been court martialed. [You know, if they hadn't blown him up first.] Doesn't matter how much good was done.

[ Back then, Lena had seen things very black-and-white. People were in trouble, and it was Overwatch's job to swoop in and save them like superheroes. Why sit on all of those resources and all of that talent if it didn't serve the greater good?

She'd been so young. She knows that now. But her desire to do good, her belief that Overwatch can still change the world for the better, hasn't changed. She couldn't change it even if she wanted to.

Lena looks at her hands briefly before looking up at him again.

Quietly: ] It matters to the people we saved. Including me.

I know it's not how the world works. There's pride and greed, people supportin' somethin' because it's popular to, complex laws and legitimate concerns.

[ She takes a deep breath. ] But if we hadn't broken the rules, I would've lost my home. Maybe lost all of London.

So, yeah, maybe it's stupid and reckless and short-sighted. But if I can help people, save someone's home, give someone hope, I will. I can't change who I am. You know that.

[Jack isn't going to waste more time arguing with her about whether or not any of that is true. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but even at the time he'd known going in to King's Row would be another nail in the coffin of Overwatch, no matter how many lives they saved. If the organization was on its way out, then doing what they could before they were dissolved was the only reasonable course of action, wasn't it?

He knows it's so much more complicated than that, and he's done enough sitting around and thinking about what he could have done differently. Better. There's no good answer, and Jack doesn't think he and Lena are going to see eye-to-eye anymore.

She'd convinced him once. He's not sure it's going to happen again. Still, it doesn't change one thing.]

I'll always be proud of you, Lena.

[That's something he can say despite everything else. Despite what he might feel about the things she's doing back home, or how she doesn't fully understand the real burden of leading an organization like Overwatch.]

You and Winston and Angela and Jesse--

[Genji. Mei. All the rest. Maybe Fareeha one day, too, if Ana ever came around. Jack as he was had held no illusions about being able to lead Overwatch forever. Before things started falling apart--really falling apart--he'd entertained the idea of a second generation inheriting what he and Ana and Gabriel started.

Overwatch was supposed to be theirs. Maybe that's why the recall hurts so much. Instead of a legacy, they've been forced into the shadows, prevented from doing the thing they were all meant to do. Lena carries on in spite of that, simply because she knows it's the right thing.]

I wanted it to be yours.

[All of theirs, the generation they'd inspired. And She'd inspired him, too, that day in his office--reminded him of what he'd spent the better part of thirty years fighting for. Even now, she's full of conviction, and it's hard not to envision some alternate universe, one where Jack Morrison didn't die and Overwatch didn't crumble. Ten years from now he'd step back and pass things off to a Strike Commander Oxton and know his legacy was in good hands.

But that would be another life, where things hadn't ended the way they did. Now, he wouldn't wish that burden on anyone.]

I can't fight for the things I used to.

[Tells himself he doesn't believe in it anymore. No room for anything but his mission. There simply isn't enough of him left.]

Edited 2017-04-27 21:15 (UTC)

[ A knot in her chest comes undone and she feels a little lighter now.

He's proud of her. Lena didn't think it would affect her or mean so much, but, right now, it means the world. She'd always admired him, looked up to him, wanted to be the best agent she could be. He helped shape Tracer in ways he probably didn't realize. Lena's stubborn and, right now, defying every wish he'd ever had for Overwatch. But he still looks at her and says he's proud. That he'll always be proud.

A lump forms in her throat.

Then he says he wanted to pass Overwatch onto the next generation and she looks away.

Softly, a little sadly: ]

I did too.

[ She always thought she'd be part of Overwatch as long as they'd have her. She and the most brilliant and dedicated people in the world would keep pushing forward, trying to change the world for the better. She'd wanted it more than anything. Something she realized once she knew it could never happen.

Lena looks up and considers him again, this time a little worry is etched in her features. ]

What do you fight for now?

[ She knows who he's looking for. She knows why he's fighting. But what is he fighting for? To clear Overwatch's name? To expose a shadow organization? To get revenge on those who tried to kill him? ]

[This whole conversation has been such an emotional roller coaster that Jack is more spent than anything else, anger and sadness giving way to sheer emptiness. He has nothing he can offer her, as much as he wishes he did.]

They're not going to bring Overwatch back.

[No matter what truths he uncovers or no matter how much good the Recall does. The world doesn't want them back, and, in fact, maybe it's time to move on. Still, that doesn't change the fact that the way Overwatch fell was entirely suspect. All of his people deserved better than that, which is why he's still out there fighting. Looking for answers.]

The most I can do is set things right.

[Clear them all in the history books. Get to the bottom of what really happened to him and Gabriel and Ana. Stop Talon from hurting more people.]

I owe you all that much.

[ She knows. She knows that whoever or whatever was behind Overwatch's fall-- whether it lines up with Jack's theories or not-- didn't want them to come back.

It hurts, a little.

Lena shakes her head. ]

You don't owe me anythin'. Just glad you're alive.

[ And she'd like him to stay that way. ]

[He does owe them--especially now that they know he's been alive all this time, but Jack finds there's nothing more he can say. He can't even say that he's glad for any of this, because he still believes it'd be better if none of them knew the truth. Even apologizing feels empty. She already knows how sorry he is.

All at once, Jack feels his age. He's tired, and out of words. Jack looks like he's going to open his mouth to speak, but comes up empty, instead slumping a little in his chair and dropping his forehead into a waiting hand. He sighs, instead.]

[ Lena sees her emotional exhaustion reflected in him. They've both been through a lot in such a short amount of time.

So she stands and crosses to his side of the table. Lena pauses a moment before resting her hand lightly on his shoulder. ]

I think... I should go for a bit. Clear my head.

[ Give him a chance to clear his head and decompress too, though she doesn't say that. ]

[Jack can't disagree--he could use a moment too, and when she voices as much he nods, his head still bowed a little. He tries to collect himself when she stands and manages to straighten, her hand on his shoulder. The gesture means more than he can say.]

I'll be here.

[For the foreseeable future.]

If you ever want to come back and talk.

[ She gives his shoulder a squeeze and flashes him a soft, if tired, smile. ]

I'll be takin' you up on that.

[ She drops her hand from his shoulder and moves to show herself out. ]

Take care, alright?

[He should get up and walk her to the door--should, but can't. He stays at the table, folding his hands on the wood surface, not looking up as she leaves.]

Thank you, Lena.

[For more than she probably knows.]

(no subject)

desynched - 2017-05-17 01:17 (UTC) - Expand

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