Who: Everyone
When: August 9 and onward
Where: An unexpected destination
What: The newcomers go on a trip and end up far from where they expected
Warnings: Potential violence. Please label your content!

NOTE: PLEASE READ THIS OOC POST FIRST.

When the time comes for the travelers to go on the off-world trip that will help restore Thisavrou, they are not alone. Others who have settled on the planets longer and come to call them home are also prepared to travel; through the Ingress and do their part. Yet when the newcomers step through, whether they stepped through the Ingress seconds or hours apart, they will find that they have arrived at the same time, and only newcomers are in sight.

What awaits them is not a land of plenty. The land is barren, and dark storms in the sky resemble those held at bay by the Ingress complex—but much, much closer. Those who traveled on the Moira may recognize the landscape; though they have come through at a different point from the crash, they are on the Midway Hub. And there is no portal back. They are trapped.

hitting the road

Though some have been here before, the Midway Hub is not as they remember it. The storms fill the sky, leaving it dark and ominous even when they are not sweeping across the landscape—but they have clearly done so in recent times, and often. While never a lush land, large patches of ground an acre or more wide looking nothing more than utterly dead; the thistle that naturally grows is brittle, black and unable to be consumed even with the usual preparations to make it edible, and here and there animal corpses are found twisted into unnatural poses, but seemingly uninjured. These places are particularly concentrated near the broken Ingresses litter the landscape. While Midway Hub as a whole may seem naturally arid, these dead spots leave no hope that anything can possibly live there again.

The travelers have two options: stay where they are, or move on. While it might seem that they've been tricked into coming here and been left abandoned, those with the technological ability to do so may detect a sign of hope: a familiar energy source, far in the distance. Although none of the Ingresses they pass will ever work again, the faint energy shows that one still-functioning Ingress lies far in the distance, days away.

Although technological scanning or impressive memory of the landscape indicates that they are not separated from their destination by one of the gates that divide the land, they are also far from the shelter of the facility at the center of the Hub. Any attempt to travel in a direction other than that of the energy signal will result in a strange disorientation after several hours, bringing individuals back to their original path as though they've gone in circles. Meanwhile, though travelers will feel the need to slake their hunger and thirst through any natural water sources they discover, wildlife they can hunt for food and any supplies they have on them, if they don't find sustenance, they'll find that they will never pass out or reach the point of starvation. Instead, they'll be left alive and awake but feeling utterly hollow.

storm front

At regular intervals, the energy storms above descend onto the land, bringing not rain but violent clashes of negative energy and thunder so loud that nothing can be heard above it. The passing of the storms leaves some strange effects. The ground is warped and rotted by their touch, even solid stone degrading to a spongy surface. The air is tepid and oddly charged. Prolonged contact with air or ground will not supply energy, however — it drains it from organic and synthetic life alike.

Those who remember their last trip to the Hub, or simply explore in the right direction, may come across the cave complexes with their glowing surfaces and streams. The light is dimmer now, a sickly green, but drinking from the streams will still restore the energy lost, for a time. This time, however, the lethargy that inevitably follows is much more severe, and the drinkers are left with a raw, empty feeling leeching in from the wasteland around.

Those who are exposed to the storms, either by finding themselves in very close proximity or even closely observing them for too long as they approach, may lose their sight, or hearing, even much of the ability to feel touch — whatever sense they used in observation. What lingers in its place is a numbness. A hunger. And as time passes, the time between storms decreases; what seemed like hours between the storms becomes scarcely one, and their intensity grows.

wild life

Sentient beings are not the only ones affected by the storms; these creatures, attracted to sound and able to track by scent, and these panthers, which once looked normal but have been twisted by the storms into more monstrous forms, are numerous enough that travelers must be constantly alert for their presence. Though natural predators, the threat the creatures represent is not itself natural. They are also more aggressive. Some strange instinct drives them, not a need for food. While the panthers themselves can be caught and their meat cooked, it has little taste, offering nutrition but not satisfaction.

old familiar places

Although it's difficult to track the passage of time without day-night cycles, after what seems like more than a week of the travelers' unexpected trip, the storms abruptly come rushing in at the group of travelers, as if they're herding the group to move faster toward their destination and the Ingress energy that awaits them. The true nature of that destination becomes clear when debris appears on the horizon; the energy comes from the wreckage of the Moira, the interstellar ship that crashed here months ago.

Despite the trauma of impact, large sections of the ship remain surprisingly intact, though few of them are properly vertically oriented. If travelers are able to make their way inside the damaged sections of the ship, they'll find familiar territory, if they are one of those who traveled on the Moira, as well as shelter—something that's increasingly necessary as the storms seem to center over the ship, leaving little hope for survival outside. Useful items may be scavenged from the ship if they are willing to explore, but no personal items of any kind remain.

Strangely, the deeper travelers go into the crashed ship, the less familiar their surroundings will seem, regardless of their orientation. The inward-leading paths into the ship become generic metal, and as with the travel on the surface of the planet, they may find themselves back where they started. And no matter how far they go or how hard they try, they will find themselves unable to make it to the Ingress chamber itself...for now.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ The first indication that something is wrong is the simple fact that Venom's overtaken Ana at all without her noticing. Stealth operatives are silent by habit, yes, but Ana doesn't seem like the type of person that would ever be caught out of left field.

The hike of her voice is the second indicator that something is wrong, but Venom doesn't jump to conclusions— it's entirely possible that she's trying to talk over the storm in the distance, after all. Best not to patronize her before she really missteps.

Still, Venom hovers. Keeps close enough in Ana's peripheral, by the side of her one good eye (he knows the struggle, ok). ]

Not sure if we're all gonna last in this weather, at this rate.

( there's a frown before ana nods. this place certainly wasn't inviting or intended for anyone to live there, and how they'd gotten through before-- well they had, which was the important part, and they could again )

I don't remember what Jack mentioned about shelter before.

( whether there was any, or where. though for appearances it doesn't really look like there is any in the near distance )

Wasn't much in the way of shelter before, either.

[ Just a whole bunch of wasteland, no different from what they're looking at right now. Rocks, the occasional crevasse. A hill they can hide under. ]

...You two got separated?

No, just checking in.

( they knew how to find each other again, but with all of them displaced they'd wanted to check on other friends, make sure that they were also safe in all of this )

And making sure you have enough supplies.

( ahab had given them some once. she can return the favour )

[ He blinks at her, feet stilling for a split second as if he needs a moment to register what he's hearing. Ana's answer is benign, but in a way that makes him double-take.

As if he didn't expect her to be checking up on him. What a dingus. ]

...Good of you to offer. [ But, well. His expression softens just a fraction, as he tips his head. ] But you should worry about yourself before you worry about me.

We have enough.

( ana he was not talking about your level of supplies. he's met jack. v knows exactly the kind of packing and preparation he'd have done )

And though I know you're prepared not everyone else is.

[ He hums a mild mm in concession, but he also follows it up with a somewhat-knowing: ]

Have to say that we'd all benefit from you being in good condition, though.

[ "So take care of yourself too." We all need battle grandma to kick ass if/when we need it, ok. ]

Then you don't have to worry.

( except he does, and ana isn't oblivious to it. she's noticed the difference in her hearing, and it bothers her, but she's going with the hope that maybe it's something on this planet, maybe it's temporary. whilst she can still function, she can still see, shoot, she's going to carry on. battle grandma isn't down yet )

Hopefully I don't either.

[ Maybe it's his past life as a medic— he's hard-pressed to let physical irregularities go, unless they're his own. Still, he knows when not to press too hard (soldiers are stubborn creatures of habit, after all), but he will gather some more intel on her condition for his own benefit.

Mostly so he can know when and how to cover her, if it comes down to it. Efficiency is key. ]

...Bear with me, then.

[ He pulls away from Ana, and stands in front of her with his human hand raised. His bionic raises at hip-level to indicate a silent I'm not gonna touch you, don't worry, before the first hand slides a foot away from Ana's left ear and curls.

He snaps his fingers, once, and then repeats the gesture for Ana's right ear. ] Any difference in hearing?

( she remains still while he tests, and only once both snaps have been done (and she did hear both) does ana give a slight shake of her head, taking a small step to the side )

No, but that would be because the change has happened to them both.

( she supposes she can be honest. she knows how far to try and keep an act going )

Jack knows.

[ Both. That visibly deepens Venom's frown, but not so much that he looks chastising. ]

—Glad to hear it.

[ He says, and then

immediately realizes that he made a semi-dad joke??? Or just. Said something potentially insensitive.

He scratches his chin. ]

...I'm not gonna worry if Jack's on the job. [ NAILED IT.... GOOD DEFLECTION. ]

That doesn't stop most people.

( though whether he's trying not to 'care' or is not most people ana doesn't indicate to. she's happy enough to prod him, and not talk about what's happening to her )

How have you been here?

[ They're all believers of sidestepping their own issues; so is Venom, but he'll answer her question, if only to take her mind off of the current state of things. ]

It's been an adjustment.

[ "I've been fine" is trite, so he doesn't insult her by saying so. Obvious posturing is more harmful in the end. ]

I'm used to rough terrain, but this is something else.

One day I might ask you more about that.

( maybe even share a few of her own stories, because she doubts that jack has told them all. or many )

After we're out of here.

[ Jack's a private person; the only thing Venom really knows is that he cares about Ana and his comrades fiercely, which is fine by Venom.

But. ]

—Sounds good to me. [ A low hum, and he bumps Ana lightly on the shoulder. ] Drinks on me.

( ana nods, reaching an arm out to rest on his arm briefly )

I look forward to it.

August Event Log: Part I

hitting the road

storm front

wild life

old familiar places

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

slams back in

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject