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deep in the murk
"It comes first and follows after. Ends life, kills laughter."
With the outcome of the battle against the Caducans and the Moira having twisted together with their ship to form a strange combination of glass, metal, and organic parts (both across the ship and among the crewmembers), there is still the matter of the Ingress not functioning “properly”. It hasn’t worked correctly since the very first person arrived on the Moira through it, and there is little the Captains themselves know about its functions. However, now, more than before, it’s even worse than that. The Ingress malfunctions yet again. This time, though, it doesn’t simply combine time and space and objects around it—it encompasses the entirety of the ship and sends it far off into a completely different universe. Welcome to:
( click text for a rough map/layout )This puts the Moira closer to its final destination, and most of the glass has disappeared as the Caducan ship has been left behind aside from small things here and there (i.e., some of the walls in the corridors, random furniture in the rooming decks, the rooms themselves). Even the mess hall has permanently changed. Yet, there is some bad news that comes with this transition. The universe the ship is in is so terrible that it has been given its own name so that travelers avoid it altogether. Even the Captains themselves are aware of just how Bad News this universe is and had originally planned to take “the long way around” to avoid it. Anything shady or unsavory can be found in the Runoff, and while it might not appeal to the majority, it is simply second-nature to those who inhabit it. From arms trafficking to drugs, whatever one might think is illegal somewhere else is suddenly very legal and very dangerous.
Through the transition, some of the crew will accidentally end up on a nearby outpost specifically used for slave trade. It is a covered, temporary establishment used only for this purpose, meaning there are no open markets, hotels, or businesses of any sort. Stalls and tents line dirty streets, and ships litter the space around the outpost. This is a slave trade zone. People come and go but do not stay. Various lifeforms can be found here, and there are many different forms of slave trade happening. The motto “honor among thieves” does not exist in this place either. Crew who end up here will be “free”; however, this means that there is the potential to be taken and sold or kept by those of the Runoff. The Moira will not be close to this outpost, but the signals given from their MIDs will alert the crew to their location. Rescue, obviously, is imminent, but those who choose to help their fellow crewmembers must keep to small stealth missions using transporters or other crafts with one important detail in mind: they cannot bring attention or notice to the Moira itself.
Almost one-third of the crew has found themselves on the slave trade outpost, leaving the rest to plan for rescue. The Captains will immediately divulge all information that they have about the outpost, which is unfortunately very little outside of the stigma associated with the Runoff. The Captains will ask any MID techs or those with skills to create a program that allows person to person location; this function will allow crewmembers to search for those on the outpost via their MIDs. Rescue efforts are encouraged, and all the ships and transporters in the cargo bay will be available for public use. Crew will be told to be careful and quiet, bringing no attention to the Moira’s location, and most importantly, do not stand out. If crew look and act like they don’t belong there, others will notice. Stealth is the name of the game, and blending in is a necessity. ☄ time goes by slowly The unfortunate crewmembers who ended up on the outpost have now found themselves pursued by those looking to make a profit through slave trade. The standards of hard labor vary from owner to owner, but it is what it sounds like. Rough, hard work that will last as long as the body performing it can endure. If purchased, owners might examine their new property to determine what type of work they’d be best suited for and then split them up into holding areas until they are done with their purchases. Others might have their slaves begin work by cleaning their ship or holding stalls or packing up their tents and gear. The owners, and their needs, are as varied as the universe. Did you manage to escape? Or were you forced to work before you were rescued? ☄ and it seems to last forever Like the crewmembers taken by general labor owners, the murdersport slavers buy and take whomever they believe can last the longest in the pit. Some take those who appear to be strong or have great stamina, and some take those who are light on their feet or are quick-witted. Some crew are chosen simply based on appearance and how good they’ll look in their gear. If pursued, the slavers will do everything they can to capture the Moirans, and if captured, crew might be taken to a holding stall or a testing pit so that their skills can be witnessed by the public and tested. Some slavers want to show off their new property by throwing them into small roped off areas with other slaves, various creatures, or machines. Some make them stand up in front of groups and simply show them off, boasting that, at the next big event in the Runoff, they’ll surely win the grand prize. What kind of slaver has taken you? Will you be forced to fight before you rescue? Or will you not make it to the Moira before the Ingress pulls you back? ☄ but then it starts to fly ( cw: sex ) As is typical of this universe, slave trade comes in various forms. The most notorious being its illustrious sex trade. Slaves are bought and sold quickly and often, with no notable preference for appearance or species. Buyers come from all over to find slaves to work in their brothels, for personal use, as in-house entertainment, and much more. While the other two most popular type of slave trade don’t care as much about the physical well being of their property, these specific owners usually do. They might try to incapacitate first, so that the slaves aren’t bruised or cut, and if necessary, use binds until they can get them back to their ships or holding stalls. Some owners have their slaves cleaned and dressed in the finest attire, while others shove them into uniforms and tossed into stalls. Were you captured? Did you escape? Or were you rescued before something untoward occurred? What's more, events of the past always have a way of coming back to haunt you.
Months past, a monster terrorized the crew and left a very literal mark upon those that it touched. Those scarred by encounters with the Ploiatos will find their minds drifting as they work and go about their day. They may also find themselves in a different part of the ship than intended when they come back to themselves. It happens slowly, these small moments of lost time. But both before and after these events occur, one might notice that the scars seem to shift slightly. Where the patterns have been stable for months, suddenly the branching arms of the scars appear to be in a slightly different position than before. More often than not, those who lose time will regain awareness and find themselves in Navigation. When this happens, oftentimes Captain Manasseh will herd them out with a quiet, but undeniably firm, suggestion to visit the infirmary. More unsettling are the moments when they awaken in the I.L.R. standing outside the one door that should never be opened. As for those who were lucky enough to avoid encounters with the creature locked within, they must figure out how to deal with their friends and fellow crew who seem to walk around in a fog with no control of their actions.
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hownkai) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thisavrou_log2016-07-19 01:11 am
no subject
It's probably best if he doesn't depend on anyone else for his rescue anyway, but he's not looking to leave her behind either.]
I believe that. How are you even still here? [Hey, she's hot. Nick glances back at the door to see if anyone's listening in.] Probably not, but I never let that stop me. [He looks back at her with a little smile.] My 'good' ideas are the ones that never quite worked out for me.
no subject
You're sweet.
[Even if he's talking about someone buying her.]
There's three old men outside right now trying to decide who has the most money to snatch me up. When it was clear we weren't getting out of here on our own, at least not yet, I lined up the least threatening buyers I could.
[If there's one thing Chloe can do its manipulate a man. If someone is going to purchase her and hold her captive, she'll take the old man who probably can't get it up and hasn't in years.]
Lemme see.
[She reaches for his shackled hands if he'll let her have a look. Turning them over and examining the restraints won't do any good, though. It would take far more than a bobbypin to undo those things.]
You should be careful. In here we're the same as caged dogs. If they decide you're too much trouble, they might put you down and there's not a thing you can do about it.
no subject
[Nick's brows knit together. It's true, they don't know when help is coming, can't even be sure that it's coming at all. Her plan is logical enough. In this case, the weakest hands are the best hands, and that's the reality of it.
But three old men...it's gross. He's not inclined to let it happen, he just doesn't know what he can do to stop it yet.]
You can't get me out of these things?
no subject
Yeah. None of those old boys will be able to get it up, no matter how good I look. They probably all fall asleep at 7:30, besides.
[Which leaves her more freedom to figure out the escape plan. No doubt their people will come here looking for them, but they've already been here long enough to know that if rescuing the slaves were easy it would've been done already.
As for his shackles, she examines them, turning his wrists over to look at both sides.]
Sorry, luv, these things would require a hacksaw at least, and I haven't got one of those down my shirt today.
[Not today.]
Anyway, some of us have to get out of these cells so we can figure out how to get word to the ship. The Moira has some sweet, innocent things on board. If they're here... [Like his sister, maybe?] Let's just say I've been around the block. I can take one for the team.
[Better Chloe, who knows how to handle a man than some of the other options that could be sharing these cells with them.]
no subject
[Erectile dysfunction and early bedtimes included. Nick curses, pacing away for a few steps before returning right back to where he started. He's not even about think of Cassie in this situation, though maybe he should - there'd be some serious juice behind that anger.
But for right now, he takes a deep breath to pull himself together.]
You're right, some of us have to get out. But maybe there's a better way.
[He looks down at his shackles, which bind his hand, brand him as a slave on sight, but they don't dampen his abilities.]
Can you outrun them?
no subject
You're not thinking of doing something stupid, are you? Because I'm not in favor of that.
[Even if he's doing it to help her out. Normally, Chloe would be all about screw-you-I'm-outta-here but she doesn't really like it when people get all self-sacrificing on her behalf. She can take care of herself.]
no subject
[Nick purses his lips for a second before he says it, and he even has the nerve to look and sound just a little bit amused. But he quickly turns serious again.]
Look, one of us has to get away from here - really away. That's the best and quickest chance of getting help that I can think of. They'll be expecting me to try something stupid again, but maybe not you.
no subject
[Chloe isn't sure risking his life is worth the chance that one person can get away.]
I don't want you to get hurt. Our people will come for us. There's no way they're going to leave us here.
no subject
[Because that's one comparison that always impresses the ladies. Maybe he can use that on anyone who actually wants to buy him.]
Maybe you can find a disguise - hey, we could pretend to be a master and slave ourselves.
[It's not even the craziest idea that Nick's had.]
no subject
[Who knows, maybe disguises would work. She's not sure the aliens will buy it, though.]
And that's mistress, to you.
[Because obviously he'd be the slave, right?]
no subject
[Nick smirks, but he's more comfortable with that arrangement too. He takes a deep breath, psyching himself up as he glances out the door of his stable. Things are still a little busy out there, but at least no one's attention is directly on them. He gestures Chloe closer.]
Okay, stand back a little. When something crashes through your door, you run like hell. I'll be right behind you.
[He doesn't mention that the "something" he mentioned will probably be a slaver, but they've got it coming anyway. Nick lifts his bound hands and sends two of them flying back, and literally steps on the man's body as he ducks through the slaver-shaped hole in the door.
He wishes they had more time, he would've given his face a well-aimed kick. But right now they have to go.]
no subject
You better be.
[If he's not behind her, she's not sure what will become of him if she leaves him behind. Chloe didn't ask for rescuing, so he better rescue himself while he's at it.
When he makes his move and she gets her chance, Chloe is out of the broken door and right behind him.]