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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
Walls aren't exactly a barrier to the enforcer, but it's as good a reason to pause as any other. Scans sweep out behind, checking for pursuit as he lowers Asriel down, visually examining him. The helmet angles to one side: status?]
no subject
S-sorry, my hands and feet are all cut up. I can't walk really well.
[There's pain in his neck too, from where the collar keeps scraping it. Every once in a while Asriel will try to tug on it. But right now, he watches the moving vehicles while trying to keep himself hidden behind Rinzler.]
Are we gonna be able get through?
no subject
"You done?"
...is whether they have time to do it unharassed. The voice echoes down the alleyway just as the signatures come into scan-range, and Rinzler stills, one orange-lit hand tightening on Asriel's shoulder before he gives the monster a pointed shove towards cover. The gesture doesn't go unnoticed. Laughter drifts down the alleyway, two users side-by-side as Rinzler turns: a female twirling a pair of chain-linked staves, and a male with a large firearm leveled on their position.
They don't look like they're expecting trouble.]
no subject
He knows them. They're the first pair of humans he ran into while he frantically searched for his way back to the ship. They were armed with weapons, and he tried to run-
Much to Asriel's horror, they seem to remember him too. The man keeps his gun pointed on Asriel with a cruel smile on his face.
"Hey look, ain't that the rat we sold before? Yeah, that's the little shit that bit me. Looks like he ran away."
Asriel tries to scramble back, his goal is less cover and more trying to attach himself to Rinzler. But he can't move. He's too scared. The girl gives him and Rinzler both a bored look.
"Really? It doesn't look like it could run away on its own. Maybe that guy over there stole him."
"Who cares, let's just get 'em both and get our money's worth."
And they start to advance, while Asriel tries to scoot back while shaking, terror and panic filling his every thought. They're going to drag him back to that slave market, he's going to get punished for running away, he's going to-]
P-please... no...
no subject
The pair pauses, exchanging an incredulous look.
"Is it... growling?"
"Yeahp."
"Wow."
"I know, right? Y'think they both bite, or just the rat?"
"I think I'm glad it's got a muzzle on already."
The words are irritating (infuriating), but hardly new. And this time, Rinzler doubts even the ship-admins will prevent him from retaliating. The enforcer steps forward one pace, then two, before the barrel of the weapon swivels off Asriel to fix on him. Its wielder makes a few clicking sounds under his breath, and Rinzler's hand stills a disk-width from his own baton.
"Bad dog. Now you... does it even understand?"
"Hard call. Hey! Little shit!" The woman's voice pitches further, stare locked on Asriel as she flips her weapons idly in one hand. "Tell your shit-friend to lie down 'fore it hurts itself."
Rinzler doesn't move, stare tracking the woman's steps as she circles around. Just one pace closer...]
no subject
"Just what I thought. It even squeaks like a rat. Guess it won't mind if we yank out all its teeth first before we sell it off? After we get this dog under control."
The girl laughs, focusing all of her attention on Rinzler. And once she thinks she has a good opening, she lunges forward.]
no subject
Their loss.
The female lunges, and Rinzler drops to the side, letting the swing of her chain-staff slice through the air just to his right. He rolls with the momentum, feet lashing out midflip to kick her underneath the throat as she curses, moving to adjust. She's fast enough to bring the weapon swinging back inside, tangling one of the enforcer's wrists as he comes back up. No pulling away, no gaining distance, and the look in her eye as she slides a knife free says she isn't planning to take risks again.
It doesn't matter. She's in position already.
Her body blocks the gunman's line of fire. They're trapped too close for either one to quickly pull away. And this threat wasn't the only one who pulled a weapon in the quick exchange.
Rinzler's baton hums to life, lightsword rezzed up through her hip and out her back, and the woman crumples with a scream.]
no subject
"You bastards, I'll kill both of you!"
And he starts to wildly spray the area with bullets, trying to hit either Rinzler or Asriel.]
no subject
If it wanted to get away, it really should have stuck to just one target.
He's moving before the body even falls, a quick sprint up the left side wall as it sprays bullets up and after. Rinzler's not quite fast enough to dodge bullets, but at this range, he hardly needs to be. There's only one threat, only one weapon, and it's easy to track each shift and twitch of the long barrel. He leaps off to the opposing wall, body twisting midair as the spray of fire skims past just above. He slides partway down and throws his baton, blade-end shimmering out to template as it leaves his hand. The man steps aside, a triumphant "Ha!" as it clatters to the ground—
—only to be cut off by a quiet snap as Rinzler's weight hits his neck and breaks it.
A second body hits the ground, just moments after the first. Rinzler reaches down to scoop up his baton, and steps past the corpses without sparing a glance. He's going to check on Asriel.]
no subject
P-please, I-I don't want to go back, please...
no subject
He doesn't know how to fix damage. But the program stops and crouches down, noise whirring out harshly, and waits until Asriel responds to scoop him up.
They're not wasting more time here. As soon as the beta's tucked under one arm, Rinzler darts for one side of the alley, sprinting vertically half the distance and flicking out a red-orange grappling line from his baton to ascend the rest. He stays in motion, leaping from one structure to the next, rolling easily over the top of interposing vehicles. It won't be long before they reach an isolated set of docks—and the transporter Rinzler parked inside.]