thisavrou_log | ( august intro log )

Entry tags:

( august intro log )

Who: Everyone
When: August 1st and on
Where: The Moira
What: New “guests” join the crew on their journey and implement some changes.
Warnings: None for now. Please label your content!

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old but unfamiliar faces
"We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once."

The Ingress has pulled you in. Your body experiences several sensations at once: being pushed forward as if a hand is resting on your back, momentary and startling blindness, a gentle ringing in your head. You have difficulty discerning whether it is hot or cold, but where you have been prodded is noticeably warmer than the rest of you. Some may suffer from dizziness while others are perfectly fine. Once equilibrium has been reestablished, you will notice you are standing on a long platform and that the room is filled with a soft cerulean light. It's slightly humid and dark despite the glow around you, and nothing is familiar. Shortly after, you are led out and toward the medbay.

Inside this room, you are given a physical scan and offered a contract to sign that states you are now part of the crew of the Moira with a specific job. Any questions you might have would be answered in a straightforward manner as well as an explanation about how the Ingress, the thing that has pulled you onto the Moira, is broken and bringing people here unintentionally. This process also consists of a complete work-up of medical history and current health, and afterwards, you are given your MID, a device that is integrated into your hand or wrist with only the slightest pinch. From there, you are guided out of the medbay and to your living quarters.

At first, this month seems no more unusual than the previous one for those who have been aboard the Moira for any amount of time. The crew who had landed on the slaver outpost were rescued, and with everyone aboard, the ship has pushed forward into the darker parts of the Runoff. Anyone arriving through the Ingress follows the same routine—moving from the Ingress room into the Medbay for their physical and contract before being assisted by seasoned crew members and helped to their assigned decks. But all familiar things must eventually come to an end: two final travelers come through the Ingress. The first, and most noticeable difference between them and all the others, is their clothing. Both are dressed in standard Moira uniforms, though they bear the insignia of one sharing the same rank as Captains Cúrre and Thán. After a moment to take in all the people on the platform ahead of them, one of the two latest arrivals approaches one of the Ingress panels and begins to manipulate the controls. The Ingress completely shuts down. Unlike before, however, there isn’t an imbalance felt across the ship; everything remains normal and stable.

Utilizing the computer systems located in the Ingress room, they send out the following message to the crew via the MID:
To all those aboard this vessel: I am Ira Phirun, assigned captain of the Moira. First Mate Egan and I will be commandeering all rights to the ship as soon as word is sent to those currently in charge. Expect a more detailed report as soon as all records and logs in Navigation have been reviewed by myself and the First Mate. All questions will be answered in a timely matter. For now, there will be no interruption of daily routine or reprimand if conduct among ranks is broken. Thanks for your time.

Heading to Navigation, the Captain and First Mate, for seemingly unknown reasons, approach Navigator Manasseh and have her show them all records and logs of the Moira. Those working in Navigation when the Captain and First Mate arrive will see Mana greet them in a professional manner. Oddly, the Captain and First Mate act very familiar with the Navigator. They review all documents, but when they come upon news that the Ploiatos is on board, their mostly friendly demeanor shifts quickly. The Captain issues a sharp order, unintelligible to those who are close enough to overhear parts of their conversation, and without any warning at all, Mana loses consciousness and collapses right there on the bridge. Within minutes of this happening, the ship as a whole falls into a low power state with basic functions only. Mana’s MID alerts Medbay, and without hesitation, Captain Cúrre places her in cryo with strict orders to those who work there not to disturb the unit.

As promised, the Captain and First Mate soon address the crew.

☄ lights down low

The lighting has dimmed in all the rooms and halls, the normally crisp air that is pumped from the vents low, and all machines and tech are running at half-speed. These effects can be found throughout the ship. Water in the showers remain hot for only a few minutes before reverting to cold. Recreational equipment powers off not long after it has been turned on. The sanitation and water filtration systems require an hourly manual reboot, and all unused areas of the ship have no power allotted to them until a crew member steps inside. Even then, most functions are not optimal. It’s as if the Moira has been transformed into a dark house with only a candle flickering on the window sill.

☄ reuse & recycle

The Captain and First Mate are quick to establish that this is a new regime and go about making the ship and its crew more efficient in the wake of their change in course and the low power state of the ship itself. This means they will systematically inspect each occupied barracks room and leave notes for what needs to be disposed of or stowed away. Unlike before, this is no longer a pleasure cruise, and each member of the crew is a guest on board; they will not tolerate useless clutter. Anything seen as unnecessary will be either placed into storage in the Cargo Bay or disposed of through the airlock. This new need for efficiency also extends to the need to conserve resources until they reach their destination. The showers are set to an automatic timer to minimize water waste. Those few minutes of hot water are all a crew member is now given. Meals are smaller, bordering on ration sizes, and luxuries are done away with entirely in order to preserve supplies so that the ship can go longer before needing to dock at a planet.

☄ new jobs, same faces

The Captain and his First Mate, as expressed in their addressing of the Moira, explain that work efficiency is a priority. Applications for a head of the following departments will be accepted for a short period: Navigation, the Tower, Medbay, Defense, the Hold, Sanitation, Ingress work, and the Galley/Mess Hall. (Here.) After reviewing what they receive, one head of department will be chosen and tasked with helping crew find positions relevant to those departments and their own skillsets. They will be allowed to retain any positions that they held before that aren’t ship-functional jobs, but they will have to be done in leisure time. In two weeks time, they’ll be accepting department position applications which will be approved, and all those that do not apply will be assigned in accordance with their initial work application. They will also choose three individuals to act as guards of Ploiatos to ensure that there is a rotation available at all times. Will you choose to follow this new decision and promote yourself into a position of responsibility? Or will you simply wait for a reassignment?

( ooc; For questions, go here. Please comment to activity check to receive new ranks (if applicable)! )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You could say that.

[ Snake wishes that he could offer up a different answer, but their situation (six years difference) isn't even that severe. ]

There are some people from our world who are from way in the past, back in the 80's. [ Raiden had probably been barely older than five, maybe even younger. Snake doesn't know his exact age, though he could probably extrapolate it now that he's aware of his participation in the Liberian Civil War. ]

Ever heard of Master Miller? [ Snake cants his head to one side and narrows his eyes. If Raiden is really as familiar with Shadow Moses as he'd claimed, then he should at least recognize the name. ] He was my mentor, back in FOXHOUND. We're the same age here.

[Has he heard of Master Miller, pfft. What kind of fanboy do you think you're dealing with, Snake?]

Yeah-- McDonell Miller. He served all over the military, teaching troops how to covertly deal with superhuman threats before he was recruited into FOXHOUND. [All delivered naturally, of course, and he gives Snake a bit of a look.] You're the same age?

[ At one point Snake might have rolled his eyes at the way that Raiden recites the information like he's read too many military reports, but at the moment he's strangely relieved to hear it. It helps that it isn't him who Raiden's singing the praises of this time around. ]

Yeah, here on the Moira we are. It's... taken some getting used to.

[ They don't need to go through all of this in the middle of the cargo bay, though. Snake starts walking, motioning for Raiden to follow along. He doesn't think he'll get any protest there. ]

The last I remember, we had just finished up with Big Shell and I'd sent you on your way with Rose. [ The question is implied: what the hell happened after that? This is the first time that Snake has been behind someone else in the timeline by such a huge margin, and it's making him uneasy. ]

[Raiden follows! Taking care to memorise where they walk and any routes that look like they might be useful as they go.]

Things... Didn't really work out.

[He's hesitant to say much more than that; there's no Avoiding Creating a Paradox 101 in basic training and he wants to tell Snake everything, wants desperately to let him know how hard the last 6 years have been but he's still fighting, but. What if that causes some sort of time paradox and they all get sucked into a black hole? He's not a quantum physicist he doesn't know how this stuff works.]

[ That sounds like a gross understatement based on the fact that Snake is now walking side-by-side with someone who's more mechanical than flesh-and-blood. It's the kind of thing that would have made him uneasy in another situation, but he can't really feel that toward Raiden. Not with what they'd been through together. It may have all happened over the course of a day, but sometimes that's enough to forge a bond. ]

Mhm... sorry to hear that, kid. [ Is he even allowed to call him "kid" when Raiden's six years older and a cyborg now? Well, Snake plans to keep doing it anyway. Maybe it will help Raiden to feel a little more normal.

Of course he wants to ask more, but he figures they should get settled somewhere first. Snake taps a finger on his MID. ] They give you a room assignment yet? Have you met the people you're staying with?

Moro 009, haven't been there yet.

[It's been a while since he shared (Rose nonwithstanding) and he hasn't missed it. Especially now, when he feels like he needs to be solitary more often than not. It's probably just gonna end up somewhere to store the junk he can't carry on his person.]

[Raiden casts a bit of a hesitant glance Snake's way, wondering when he's gonna get to asking the rest of the questions that are on his mind. He knows better than to assume he's not gonna bring these things up, and Raiden needs to be prepared to adequately dodge everything.]

[ All in due time, Raiden. All in due time. ]

Moro Deck, huh. There are private bathrooms there with a view. Four to a room, I think. I'll show you how to get there.

[ Even if Raiden doesn't have any intention of spending much time there, it will help him to get a lay of the land. And if the room just so happens to be empty when they get there, it will also give them a relatively private place to speak. If not, they can always go to Snake's room instead.

Snake keeps his line of questioning simple as he strides confidently through the halls of the Moira. He knows it like the back of his hand by now. ] How much of the ship have you explored so far?

[If there's anything Raiden doesn't want to hear when bathrooms are being described, 'with a view' is probably pretty high on the list.]

Top couple of decks. [Walking the halls, committing them to memory, popping out of vents at inopportune moments. The usual.] I haven't had the time to look around the whole ship yet.

[ Snake finds it strange too, but then again, no one is really going to be floating out in space to peek in on you while you're doing your business.

He has to deal with communal bathrooms on his deck, but at least he's used to that. ]

Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to learn this ship like the back of your hand. [ It's strange, the way that Snake can feel both like they're back in Big Shell fighting side-by-side and like he's speaking with a relative stranger. This is going to take some getting used to. ] It stops off on planets, but in between that there's not much to do except whatever job they gave you.

[It's comfortable, falling into step just behind Snake, being lead through unfamiliar territory. Raiden makes a noncommittal noise as they walk, more focused on that than anything Snake's saying right now. It's comfortable, deferring to Snake, but all the same he doesn't like it. It's not who he is anymore.]

[He sighs.] Guess I've got plenty of time to learn how to weld.

[ It doesn't take them long to reach the Moro Deck. Snake doesn't spend a lot of time here, not having any real reason to unless he's visiting someone, but all of the doors are clearly marked. He continues down the hall, looking for the number Raiden had given him.

Although he has to pause for a moment when Raiden mentions his job, glancing over his shoulder at his friend-turned-cyborg (but still friend?) with a raised eyebrow. ]

... That's what they've got you doing. Figures. I was assigned to the cargo bay for my first few months here.

[Raiden's counting the numbers off in his head as they walk, as if he really needs to memorise the order instead of just knowing his numbers. It's something easy to focus on instead of the conversation he knows is coming and desperately doesn't want to have.]

[He slips past Snake when he spots the room, opening the door and casting a hesitant glance inside to see if anyone's there.]

Maybe they thought you'd feel at home with all the boxes.

[Look at that, he made a joke! It's almost like he's a real person or something.]

[ The joke actually helps, easing some of the tension of this strange interaction out of Snake's shoulders. Raiden may look dramatically different, he may be showing some of those added years in ways that have nothing to do with his appearance, but he's still Raiden. ]

Don't worry, I got myself a collection while I was working there.

[ So far the new captain hasn't seen them worth confiscating, either. He'll put up a fight for them if he has to, but hopefully it doesn't come to that.

Snake tilts his weight to one side, trying to see into the room. ] Anyone in there?

No, it's just us.

[He walks fully in, holding the door for Snake, trying to figure out which bed is unoccupied, but Raiden almost instantly decides he's not using one of these beds. Suspended bunk beds is not a thing anyone needs or should find acceptable. He'll sleep on the floor.]

[Okay well. This is happening. Raiden looks around a second time and moves across the room to lean on a desk with his arms crossed. Totes casual.]

You have questions.

[ Snake has to admit, between these bunk beds and the egg beds that are on his deck, he'd go with the latter. He'd rather be settled on solid ground when he sleeps. If he has to get up in a hurry, stumbling out of a hammock-like bed isn't how he wants to do it.

While Raiden finds a place to put himself, Snake eases up against the opposite wall. That puts a lot of distance between them, but chances are that the kid needs it. Snake knows not to crowd someone who's got a tough story to tell. ]

Pretty sure you would too, if our positions were reversed.

[ Just saying.

Snake lets out a sigh and looks Raiden over again, forcing his mental image of him to shift. This is the Raiden he'll be working with here, so he'd better get used to it. ]

What happened?

A lot.

[It's accompanied by a hesitant sigh as he looks at the ground, but Snake just needs the bare bones, right? He's not about to recount six years of horrible trauma if he doesn't have to.]

A, uh... A mission went bad and I was captured. Guess TRIDENT figured they could use a new body to experiment with cybernetics on.

[ Snake isn't going to ask for all the gory details, but he at least needs something to work from. Not that there's much that can be done for Raiden in terms of reversing the damage. What's been done to his body looks pretty permanent.

The story is more or less what Snake had expected, except there's one large detail that doesn't click. ]

TRIDENT? [ It's not a name that he's familiar with, but it's easy enough to assume it's some kind of organization. ] What's that?

[The look he gives Snake is at once incredulous and suspicious, hackles raising immediately. He's fairly certain it's a trick, but he can't decide if it's Snake deciding to have a sense of humour suddenly or if this is some kind of fucked up simulation or a bad spy or... What. (All things considered, it's probably no surprise that's what occurs to him first rather than alternate universes.) The way his body language shifts is subtle, defensive posture moving from guarded to that of someone expecting a fight.]

TRIDENT? [Repeating the name helps right.] The biggest collective of supervillains and associates?

[How can Snake not know that after the Big Shell?]

[ The shift in Raiden's body language may be subtle, but Snake picks up on it. It doesn't matter that Raiden's body itself is no longer familiar, he still moves the same, more or less. And something that Snake just said set off alarm bells. Raiden think he's supposed to recognize that name, even though he doesn't.

Unfortunately, the subsequent explanation doesn't clear anything up. Actually, it makes things more confusing. Snake frowns and shakes his head. ]

Supervillains? That's not really a thing where I'm from. At least not in the way that I think you mean it.

[ If there's a mix-up of organizations, then Snake figures it's time for another test. He watches Raiden closely as he asks. ]

Have you heard of the Patriots?

The... AIs TRIDENT were supposedly developing?

["supposedly." It's complicated, but something makes him think that Snake's answer to that question would be pretty different. Which isn't making him relax at all, if he's honest.]

[ Snake's face twitches at the mention of AIs. It's like Raiden almost has the right answer, but a signal got crossed somewhere. For his own sanity, he's going to assume this isn't a result of whatever was done to Raiden physically. ]

No, they're...

[ Is he really prepared to explain the Patriots to someone right now? Especially to someone who's already supposed to know?

Snake makes a waving motion with his hand. ] Let's start over. Do you know what Big Shell is?

If you start asking me if I know what day it is tomorrow, Snake, I swear to god.

[That's a yes. A huffy one, because if there's anyone in the multiverse who could reduce Raiden to a huffy teen, it's Snake.]

[But his mind is still racing with every (awful) possibility; there's enough similarity in what they seem to think and Snake seems just as confused and frustrated as Raiden right now, so it's probably not a simulation or a spy or something like that. An alternate timeline maybe? It's not like the idea is alien to him, but he's never come across anything so similar and so different to his own experience at the same time.]

[The second the idea crosses his mind, Raiden's positive it has to be what's going on, and something in him just deflates. He doesn't know that he and Snake are friends exactly, but he's always been safe. That security is something Raiden's missed a hell of a lot over these last few years — especially after his escape from TRIDENT — and now, just as soon as he's got it back it's been torn away again.]

[Raiden looks down-- away from Snake. And the way he speaks is almost a murmur to himself rather than a comment to the other man.]

... You're not him.

[ What day it is tomorrow? Snake tilts his head in confusion, since he has no idea what Raiden's getting at. (Although this time it has less to do with different universes and more to do with the fact that he hadn't spied on Raiden's conversations with his girlfriend.)

It's not hard to see that Raiden's mentally running through the possibilities, that they're both coming to the same conclusion. They're not actually from the same place, even if they know versions of each other from their homes and match up on at least some of the details.

Raiden's obviously disappointed, and Snake's not sure what he can do to comfort him in this sort of situation. He's not good at comforting people in general. There's a few moments of drawn-out silence before he sighs and rubs at the back of his neck. ]

Listen, kid. If we still go through Big Shell together, then that means enough is the same about where we come from that I'm just going to treat you the same. If you don't want that, then let me know now.

[ He can always keep his distance, if that's easier. ]

No-- I, uh...

[God, he doesn't even know what to say. Raiden exhales, heavy and tired. Of course it'd be too much of a happy coincidence for Snake to be here-- a Snake that actually actually knows him instead of some other version. He probably looks like a pale imitation of that Raiden to Snake, which is a thought that'd get a bitter laugh out of Raiden most other times. He feels like a pale imitation of himself too.]

[He tries to affect a more indifferent posture, but it doesn't really work. The offer's nice, sure, but treat him the same as what? As some guy he doesn't even know? As if Raiden doesn't feel wrong enough already.]

[Plan B: Disengage.]

Look, I not the guy you know, so just-- You don't need to worry about it.

[ Snake can see what's happening here, that Raiden's quickly retreating from a situation that's made him uncomfortable. Just like he'd suppressed those memories, he's planning to suppress any feelings he has about this too.

But that's not going to help either of them. Not when they're out here in the middle of space and there's so few people to trust.

Well, it's not like Snake's above some firmness. ]

You know who else is here who you might know of? Liquid. Ocelot. [ He's hoping that those names mean something to Raiden, to this Raiden. ] Not people I want to trust my back with. [ There's Miller too, of course, but that's besides the point. People who Snake can really rely on here are few and far between. ]

We'll be better off working together, not ignoring each other.

( august intro log )

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