Who: Everyone
When: July 1 and onward. See this post for info.
Where: Kauto + Chioni + Ingress Complex
Warnings: Potential violence. Please label warn-worthy content in your subject headers.

There's a burst of light in the sky when the Ingress breaks, a final flare followed by a shuddering that only those in the facility can feel. A flurry of panicked activity in the complex follows, ushering new arrivals to where they need to go in a hurry, with little time to give them the needed information, much less answer questions. The lights remain on, but dimmer now, life functions still operating but little else. On Kauto and Chioni below, the sky fades into an early twilight, followed by night, and day does not come again.

nerds save the world

Before the end of the day, all TABs receive an emergency broadcast notification outlining the situation. The speaker, a lead Savriite Ingress technician, does not invite panic but nor does he mince words. The Ingress is broken; their best efforts have failed to restore it. The time has come to turn to anyone who can help: scientists, engineers, those who have worked with advanced technology on any world. Formal qualifications don't matter when it could be the end of everything.

"Help us. Before it is too late."

Those who come will have the run of the complex and full access to the Ingress, as well as whatever tools are available and as much coffee as they can drink. People are encouraged to work in groups and share ideas, and a small number of young and nervous technical assistants will be on hand.

the land below

As Thisavrou is denied light and warmth, the weather becomes brisk and descends into bitter cold. Chioni is evacuated due to the effects on the already-harsh weather cycles there, although a skeleton crew of scientists remain behind. On Kauto, the arboreal Region Three and pastoral Region Two suffer the most from the temperatures and the snow that eventually begins to fall. Many crops are frozen over, and refugee citizens are driven from their homes to the Regions One and Five, where stored energy will keep dwellings warm. Save for those who choose to leave the underwater facilities, Region Four remains largely unchanged, but there are unverified accounts of strange aquatic animal behavior near the surface.

Overcrowding, limited supplies and a pervasive fear presents the opportunity for both heroism and foul deeds. Many come together to share resources, supplies and fellowship in what could be the end of worlds, while others take what they can from the unwilling or exploit the desperate. Sentient evacuees are followed by fauna from Region Three and unsettled lands beyond, in search of warmth or food or merely confused by the change in habitat. Some are unthreatening herbivores, while tanglesnakes and clownbees are more troublesome. Others are poisonous hunters, while still others are small, but dangerous when faced as a pack.

Just when all seems lost, light returns to the sky. The Ingress begins to function once more.

the coming days

As the temperatures rise, many demand answers, but most turn to the rebuilding of their lives first. Damage has been done that isn't so easily fixed, and even in the least-affected areas, remnants of the crisis show in the lack of fresh food, in the increased signs of criminal activity. Those who can help others through their own efforts of by organizing assistance are needed, but those with impure intentions are more likely to go unnoticed.

Eavesdropping on the streets may reveal a desire for vengeance. "Those intruders from last week. They're responsible for this, aren't they? What's being done?" But don't listen too closely, or a suspicious eye may be turned on you. "Aren't you one of the refugees from the Midway Hub? You should return to where you came from! All the trouble began when your people showed up!"

Life goes on. But life does not go on unchanged.

[quick ooc note: the Region 4 search & retrieval mission/RNG fight will be posted in a separate log.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Or, the coffee could come to her, apparently. Natasha blinks once, then reaches out with a smile that's all wry gratitude.]

Thanks. But I think unless you're relinquishing the whole thing to my care, I'm going to need a cup.

[She could probably just drink the whole thing. But she can also at least pretend to be civilized.]

Uhhhh...shit. How much caffeine do you need?

[No, no. There's got to be something.]

Come on. I'm sure there are mugs somewhere we can find. Or a beaker or something.

I'll take an IV if you have one. [The look she gives him is dry as she runs her fingers distractedly back through her hair, but she's not actually kidding.

Well. Mostly.]

But a mug works too, I guess. I'm pretty sure there's a breakroom or something around here somewhere, but I keep getting turned around.

[He's had days where that would be tempting, if he'd had an IV.]

Let's find one together then. [He moves forward, expecting her to come with.] So...you're girl Tony, right?

[She arches an eyebrow slightly as she falls into step with him.]

Or he's a male me. But essentially, yes. Natasha. [She holds out a hand as she says it, without breaking stride.]

[He shakes it and likewise keeps moving.]

Yeah, technically. Maybe there's a hundred of you in different worlds and just a few of him. But I met him first, so. [He shrugs.] I'd say it's nice to finally meet you, but mostly it's incredibly weird.

I've been getting that a lot.

[Not that it's any less strange for her. Maybe she's just become slightly inured to these kinds of things. But Natasha can't help but slant him a look.]

'Finally'?

I knew you got here a while ago.

[He shrugs.]

Just didn't cross paths before now. And I wasn't going to look you up just because Tony's my friend. Weird duplicates or not, you're different people.

Well that's definitely true.

[Obvious similarities aside, sometimes it seems like there are more differences between them than not. It's curious, but probably easier for everyone.]

If it helps, you can try to think of us as siblings or something. Very distant siblings.

Maybe, but something tells me you'd both try to be the bossy older sibling.

[They get to a part of the lab with cabinets and he starts rifling through them, looking for an appropriate vessel.

I'm not bossy. I'm opinionated.

[It has the sound of something she's said more than once and judging by the grin that flashes over her face it's not entirely serious.

Natasha follows along to poke through the room, and eventually unearths a mug buried in a drawer. Lab denizens can be comfortably predictable sometimes. The cup has the look of something that hasn't been used for a bit, so hopefully whoever it belongs to won't object to her borrowing it.]

Here.

[Ehhh, close enough.

Nate peers into the mug with a skeptical look, but she probably does need caffeine more than she needs to worry about microbes or whatever. He lifts the carafe.]

One cup o'java, coming up.

[Look at him, like a real barista. Or is it a baristo for guys?]

Appreciated. She shoots him a smile as she hands the cup over.]

So are you just running around playing caffeine fairy up here? Sounds like a dangerous job.

[She knows engineers. There could be riots if the coffee runs out.]

[He laughs.]

Please, I've been in situations that are way more dangerous than this. I have a gun if I need it. [Assuming security let him keep it, which was doubtful and he hadn't tried.] Let's just say that dying because the sun went out is not how I want my month to go. So it's in my best interest to make sure you guys have enough beans.

Sure about that? [She arches one amused eyebrow.] We could probably put a zombie horde to shame.

But the sun going out probably won't kill you. That soon. [That one is a lot more deadpan.]

I've done the zombie horde. I could take another one.

[Though he'd prefer not to. The sliminess alone...]

A slow death from no sunlight would be more challenging.

[Natasha eyes him, but it doesn't seem like he's kidding. Interesting.]

Challenging is a good word for it. But it won't come to that.

[Hey, she's good at sounding assertive, if nothing else.]

[He is completely serious.

Well. He's not often completely serious. But he is telling the truth.]

That's what I like to hear.

(no subject)

nerds save the world

the land below

the coming days

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject