(no subject)

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.]

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[The weather isn't so bad yet that Jack can't move from region to region, and he decides to head to a more populated area to see what supplies he can scrounge up, intending to supplement his own stores with whatever he can find. It's eerily quiet, stores mostly combed-over, but he finds a few things that could prove useful, especially if he and Ana aren't planning to evacuate. With the lack of people out on the streets, it's not difficult to hear what sounds like the beginnings of an altercation.

There's a dog involved, even.

Jack rounds the corner and finds that it's Snake, who's saying things he can't honestly disagree with. The Savrii, however, doesn't seem to back down from their opinion, which he knows is only going to escalate the situation. The last thing anyone needs is a fight, and he's quick to intervene, striding up to Snake's side and standing his ground against the locals.]

It ain't worth it.

[He's not so forward as to physically tug Snake away from the inevitable altercation, but the tone of his voice clearly indicates his opinion on the matter.]

Come on.

[ More often that not it probably would have been Snake convincing someone else to let it go, that it wasn't worth it, everything that Jack's implying in his steely voice. But it's been a long few days and the last thing he'd needed to hear was more xenophobic bullshit, as if it had been their intention to get stuck out in space and ruin these people's lives.

Snake looks between the Savrite and Jack, jaw tensed as he fights down the urge to punch the alien across its smug face. Instead he breathes out and nods. If Jack, who's not exactly the most restrained person, is telling him to lay off, that must mean he's out of line.

So he disengages (after shooting the Savrite one last glare) and commands Jaegar to follow. They make it around the corner before Snake comes to a halt, rubbing at his eyes as he regathers his composure. ]

Sorry. [ It's all he can think to say at first, before he more fully registers Jack's presence here. Usually he stays near the farm, unless he's working, doesn't he? ]

Did you evacuate?

[For a moment he thinks that it's not going to work--that Snake is wound up enough to engage, and there's a tense few seconds where he, too, is ready to go on the defensive. He feels himself exhale at the same time Snake does, maybe out of a little relief as he agrees to leave. Jack lets Snake have his final look before they all turn and leave, Jack casting one last glance over his shoulder to make sure nobody thinks it's a good idea to tail them.

Snake seems to have the same idea, bringing them both to a stop as they round the first corner. Might as well wait a second to be absolutely certain they aren't being followed. He woudln't put it past them, to say the least.]

You don't have to apologize to me.

[There's nothing to be sorry for, really, not when Snake was the one being harassed.]

Ana and I are staying. Just here on a supply run.

[Trying to get in and out before things get really bad.]

[ Snake is confident that he would know if they were being followed, and if that did turn out to be the case, that would probably be the last straw. He's not sure if Jack is the sort of person who'd join in if it turned into a fistfight, but it looks like they won't have to find out.

Probably for the best, he tells himself. He's not sure if there would be consequences. Apparently there isn't much of a police force on Kauto, but he isn't convinced that they wouldn't be punished for stepping out of line. The natives clearly aren't fond of them.

So Jack's going to bunker down, huh? Snake isn't sure if that's a good idea, but it's not his job to talk Jack out of it. ]

Everything's running dry even over here. What are you looking for, food?

[ They're both out here now, may as well see what they can find. Somehow Snake doesn't think anyone is going to bother them when it's two of them wandering around. Especially with that visor, Jack cuts a pretty imposing figure. ]

[Jack knows full well that this course of action is stupid and that things are probably going to get worse than he thinks they are, but he's very good at digging his heels in. Ana is standing beside him, as always, so it can't be that terrible of an idea. Surely she'd drag him out of Region 2 kicking and screaming if she thought they were really in danger.]

Anything useful.

[He's not here with a specific goal in mind--Jack is paranoid enough that he's been stocked up for a situation like this for some time, but one more comb-over of Region 1 certainly wouldn't hurt, if only to see what people may have left behind.]

Maybe an extra heater, if I can find one.

[Loot one, being the implication.]

[ Looting is the only option left at this point, Snake is fairly certain. A lot of the stores are no longer being manned by anyone, with most people, Savrite and otherwise, deciding to hunker down in their homes. Which is the reasonable thing to do.

At this point it's bad enough that everyone needs to do what's necessary to keep their heads above water, so to speak, so Snake isn't here to judge.

Besides, Jack just essentially dragged him away from a situation that could have gotten pretty ugly, so it's hard not to feel like he owes him one.

Snake shrugs and starts walking, keeping his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his coat. ] Well, it's worth a look. [ If he's cold, it must be pretty much freezing out here. His tolerance is pretty decent, after years spent in Alaska. ] Assuming we don't end up turning into icicles first. [ Every word he speaks causes mist to appear in front of his face. ]

[Jack doesn't exactly like to do it, but he's no stranger to theft and he has no love for the Savrii. What's a few parts here and there? Useful things that people are otherwise not using? What he does know is that he needs to be fairly quick, or he isn't going to make it back to Region 2 at all.]

What, are you cold already?

[He's got no idea where Snake comes from--if he's used to weather like this or not. Jack likes to think he is, but literally turning off the sun is going to be quite a different experience.]

It's just a little snow.

[It's going to be more than a little snow, but downplaying it seems like a responsible adult thing to do.]

[ For someone who's weathered some severe blizzards in his day, downplaying it is absolutely not the responsible adult thing to do. But it's funny that Jack is trying to question Snake's tolerance and knowledge when it comes to the subject. ]

You ever been snowed in?

[ Given that he lives in this region, Snake moves down the icy streets with little hesitation, heading for a particular store that he knows is nearby.

He pulls the scarf wound around his neck a little higher, then glances over his shoulder at Jack to punctuate his first question. ]

In Alaska?

[ Don't be coming at him like this, Jack. ]

Yeah.

[All over the world, in accordance to how much traveling he’s done over the years. Here Jack thinks he could be smug about the American Midwest, but then Snake catches him off-guard with Alaska. There are probably stories he could tell about Russia, but given how little he actually knows about Snake, he wants to jump at this chance. There’s some personal investment involved here, Jack can tell, which means he’s most certainly going to inquire further.]

Is that where you’re from?

[ It's true that details about Snake's personal life (if it can be called that) don't come up often, so he isn't surprised that Jack pursues the line of questioning. He shakes his head. ]

No, not originally, but I lived there for a few years.

[ They turn the corner and he spots the place he'd been searching for. It's a general store of sorts, although there's no way to know that. The sign that used to hang above the entrance has disappeared. Probably it had been taken because the wood could be burned for warmth. The front door and windows are all busted in, so there's nothing to stop them from stepping inside. Snake heads right for it. ]

I made an attempt at retirement, but it didn't end up working out.

[It's a simple enough answer, so Jack provides an affirmative noise in the back of his throat as a response. He supposes he should be thankful that Snake didn't turn the question back on him, and is more than content to step over the busted-down front door into the general store.

Jack will briefly activate his visor, scanning the area to make sure they're alone before he nods to Snake that it's safe to proceed--and, subsequently, safe to continue the conversation.]

Some people just aren't suited for it.

[Retirement, that is. Jack says it a little wryly, because he's a perfect example. It is a little strange, however, to hear Snake talking about trying to retire, when he's presumably around Angela's age--from what he can tell, anyway.]

You're young, still. Lots of time to change your mind.

[ For people like them, does it really matter where they "originally" came from? Home stopped being a concept a long time ago, not that it ever really existed for Snake in the first place. Not even when he was a child.

Retirement, as in, retirement from the life of a soldier. Retirement from the sort of life where a gun was something he carried with him regularly. He'd really tried to live a civilian's sort of life, or as close as he could get, but...

He follows Jack inside. Most of the place is probably picked over already, but it's worth seeing what's been left behind (because it was too heavy or unwieldy to carry, maybe?).

Jack may be one of the only people here who would call Snake young, and he smiles wryly at that. ]

My mind's pretty much made up at this point. Civilian life didn't agree with me much, anyway. [ Except for all the dogs. ]

[Jack, of course, understands this very intimately, to the point where he feels like he doesn’t need to reply. Anything he says would be superfluous, things Snake already knows. He offers a shrug, then disappears down a ruined aisle of the store.

Everything’s been mostly stripped clean, but he gives it all a second look, piling anything interesting or useful in the center of the room. The average civilian might not have any use for certain tools or chemicals, but Jack can certainly find something to do with them.

After a few long moments, he pokes out from one of the aisles, waves a package of something to get Snake’s attention, then tosses it over, whether he’s ready for it or not.]

Catch.

[It is. Some kind of space-brand caloriemate.]

[ As soon as Snake sees what Jack is doing, he mimics him, setting anything that looks remotely useful in one big pile for him to sort through when they're done with their search. It would be impossible for Jack to take all of it back to Region 2, but if nothing else, the supplies will be here for the next scavenger who comes through.

When Jack waves him down, Snake steps over, fast reflexes allowing him to catch the small package when it's tossed in his direction.

He stares down at it for a few seconds, then lifts his head to meet Jack's gaze. Well, he looks at the red slit of his visor, anyway.

Dryly: ] Just what I always wanted.

[ He cocks his head, indicating one of the aisles. ]

I think I found something that might be a heater, but... it's pretty big.

You’ll thank me later.

[Said just as dryly. They can pile up everything that might be useful and divvy it up when they finish combing through the store. Jack has supplies of his own, so Snake can have first pick, for all he cares. It’s the least he can do, even if it’s just a box of protein bars.

The mention of a heater, however, gets his attention.]

Let me look. Might be able to get it.

[Enhanced strength and all. He’s assuming that’s what Snake means.]

[ That is, in fact, what Snake means. And while he'd also been on the lookout for supplies, he's content to take whatever Jack isn't able to carry back to his homestead, not having been on the lookout for anything in particular.

Jack's gift gets tucked into the inside pocket of his coat and then he nods, leading him down the aisle to where the heating unit is tucked away near the back of the store. It's not a space heater, those are all long-gone, but something more heavy duty.

He reaches out to flip a switch and hears the hum of it coming on. They still have some electricity left here, though he wonders how long that will last.

With a glance back to Jack, he shrugs. ] Not sure if it's worth it to lug it all the way back, but...

[ The air around it is already getting warm. ]

It’s fine.

[Jack is confident in his own abilities, and he might not even need to haul it all the way out to the farm. It’s likely he’ll find some kind of dolly or other wheeled implement before that, so it’s no trouble.

The heater is a little unwieldy, however, and he spends a moment sizing it up, knowing he’s going to have to lift it with only one good hand.]

You want it? I can bring it to your place.

[ Snake frowns and shakes his head at Jack. He's missing the point here. ]

You came all the way out here to get supplies for your place, didn't you? I don't need it.

[ This region isn't the hardest hit by any means, and Snake's confident that he'll be able to handle the lower temperatures for as long as they last. ]

Suit yourself.

[It’s his now. He doesn’t pick it up right away, instead scouring a few of the abandoned aisles for something with wheels—he might be a super soldier, but he’s not about to carry this thing all the way back to the farm, especially when the EN-Line isn’t functioning. A dolly will be helpful. With this, Jack will be pretty set. If anything, finding the generator is even more of an excuse to stay put.]

You’re welcome to come stay with us if you need to.

[He doubts Snake will take him up on the offer, but at this point Jack imagines he’s better supplied than most people in region one.]

[ Snake didn't necessarily want to give Jack an incentive not to evacuate when that was the smarter choice, but he also doubts that he'd be able to convince him, so he may as well help give him a fighting chance. The heating unit is his way of doing that; it's lucky that they found it.

His shoulders shift up in a moment of surprise when Jack makes that offer. It's not that he intends to take it, but that Jack would extend it at all is unexpected. An act of kindness, if an unnecessary one. ]

Thanks, but I think I'm pretty set where I am. I'll be all right.

[ Snake's ready to help move the unit onto the dolly when Jack is ready, stepping forward to indicate as much when it's time. ]

If you’re sure.

[Of course that’s the logical decision—Jack is the one being slightly irrational, but suffice to say he’s tired of evacuating. He waits for Snake to bring the dolly and brace it, then he sizes up the heater and lifts it with what looks like minimal effort. It’s more unwieldy than anything, and when he sets it down on the cart it’s not without a clang.]

Thanks for the hand.

[ Snake watches, one eyebrow raised, as Jack gets the unit onto the dolly while barely breaking a sweat. Of course he's heard about his enhancements, but it's different to see them in action like this. Clearly he should keep him around if only for help with the heavy lifting.

At the thanks, he shrugs. ] Just got lucky it was still here.

[ Good luck getting lugging it onto the EN-Line, Jack. ]

Edited 2017-09-19 15:57 (UTC)

[If Jack feels Snake’s eyes on him, he certainly doesn’t let it show. He’s so used to his enhancements that doing something like this is no different than breathing.]

See anything else you want?

[Might as well ask, while they’re here. While they have some wheels.]

If we can find any more food? Sure.

[ Snake doubts that they'll be that lucky, though. Food and water tend to be the first things that get snatched up in a crisis situation like this one.

Snake leads them back through the store, keeping his pace slow so that Jack can keep up while pushing the dolly. He double-checks every shelf for anything that could have been overlooked. ]

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