❪ event ❫ THE DESCENT: PART ONE -- the overflow.

[natha]

THE PROLOGUE     Your sleep on the night of the 15th is not a restful one, unfortunately. It’s unclear whether you are in a state of half-wakefulness, or dreaming. The voices you hear certainly sound very real. What is it, Sael? —Is everyone asleep?! Every one, yes. Sael, it appears you do not have good news to deliver...? N-No! I don’t know how it slipped past us, but there’s something powerful coming this way. Something hostile. I can barely keep the core systems online! ... I don't know what to do... I see... and we cannot protect Thesa and Alria in addition to transferring the Refugees to Olympia. This force, they waited for this moment. They knew I have been Intervening, and that I have become weak from such Interventions— ... We've been had. It cannot be helped. To save the Refugees on the Stations, we must eject the awoken unto El Nysa. My remaining energy shall go into shielding Thesa— left defenseless, every being we have saved on this station will perish... Sael, where is the ideal location for the landing? Hmm. There aren’t any people within a ten mile radius of The Outlook, and there shouldn’t be any for a few more days. I think that’s the best location right now. Very well. Instruct Zasere and Roman to begin preparations for an emergency eject. This is the only way we can save everyone. I am counting on you to ward off the enemy on the space front. The rest... is up to our Refugees. The alarms are blaring. It shouts against your eardrums, calling you to wake again. This time, you are in new pod, strapped down completely and cushioned tightly against the walls. In truth, you had no idea when you’d gone to sleep, but it is reminiscent of when you had been saved from the force of the Storm. A voice greets you when you come to, while the conversation between Darma and Sael is still fresh on your mind. Despite their voices playing like an old tune in your memory, you still know it is something that happened. Something has gone terribly wrong. You hear Darma speak, her voice loud in your head. Fellow Refugee, I wake you with regrettable news. A force equal to our own is attempting to engage Thesa, no doubt to steal the souls contained here. My energy is near depleted with this last Intervention, so I cannot send you to the grounds safely as originally intended. However, there is hope yet.This power shall instead shield Thesa and Alria — and believe in me when I swear no one shall be hurt. Your loved ones are safe with us. —Unfortunately, that is at your expense. Your descent will not be an easy one. This pod that contains you shall pierce through El Nysa's atmosphere and land you on an island west of Olympia, simply called The Outlook. Travel east. Find the West Outpost, then continue east until you find the Olympian North Gate. There is a method to this madness. You shall be sent in waves. The inhumanly strong shall be first. The parachute will soften the landing, but I am aware of all your capabilities. The first wave will survive the drop, and will work tirelessly to secure the others. Find your bearings, and ensure the safety of the second wave. They are the healers and medics. Catch their pods, ease their landings, make certain that they shall not be harmed, because you will need them for your wounds. The third wave are your strongmen. They shall help clear the debris and take people to safety, making way for the fourth wave, those can conjure magic to help. Bring everyone to a safe distance. A supply drop will follow soon after; it shall contain tents and tools that will be useful for the long night. The fifth and sixth waves are largely vulnerable humans. With your combined efforts, you shall survive this great misfortune. Forgive us, Refugee. Leave the Moons to us, my promise to you is still in tact— focus on what you can do for others like you. Helping at least two (2) Refugees will earn you one (1) Natha REP. Threads must be AC length to qualify, and can be submitted HERE by JULY 31st. THE DESCENT     FIRST WAVE. The instructions are clear. Those who are a part of the First Wave should be equipped with physical strength and fortitude to survive the drop or the power to regenerate and heal their own wounds. While the pods are already designed to cushion some of the impact, as this is the first group, it will likely to be the most jarring. In all of the waves, some of the pods will malfunction and offer no cushion at all. They will be expected to quickly find their bearings. Their mission isn’t simply just landing, after all. The first wave will be expected to help the next wave, and the wave after that. Whether through their abilities or brute strength, they will be expected to help soften the landing for those who are falling. They will also be expected to pry open hatches, carry people to safety, and to just... survive. It’s not always easy being first. SECOND WAVE. Within the next hour, it’s time for the Second Wave to make their descent. You were selected based upon your aptitude for healing and/or being able to administer first aid. Perhaps you can help the tired and weary. Maybe those who have landed have have strength, but no stamina. Either way, it may be unwise to exhaust all their abilities at once. The night is long, and you may want to conserve their energy for the next waves to come. At least you’ll have help in getting settled. THIRD WAVE. Akin to the First Wave, the Third Wave will possess some durability, and some manner of strength, making you a reliable ally. Especially in a time of crisis... Or so we hope. While the landing is tough, and some of you may need first aid. As soon as you’re all healed up, you’ll have no time to dawdle. Your help is required. “Please help those still trapped in pods. Carry those unconscious to safety. Lift debris, and rescue all you can.” May be a vague message still stuck in the back of your head. Something whispered to you while you were just waking. Well, might as well roll with it. It’s the best shot you have, after all. FOURTH WAVE. Those in the Fourth Wave, as Darma projects, were selected due to the versatility of their abilities. No one expects one man to do the same as the next. Rather, that’s precisely the point: to be different. To be able to accomplish something unique. While one individual may be blessed with powers that assist in putting out fires, another may have the ability to shield those from oncoming debris. Maybe one even has the ability to channel all of these. Regardless, it’s up to you and your quick wits to see what tasks are open. It’ll take some coordination, especially as there are more people mixing into the fray, but, you can do it, can’t you? FIFTH WAVE. If you are in the Fifth Wave it is likely that you have a specific power or ability. One that isn’t easily channeled or called upon. Or, perhaps, you were merely placed here for insurance. Whatever the case if, your expertise will presently be put to the test. Maybe you’re quite proficient in survival skills, and you’re already eyeing the supplies that were dropped between the Fourth Wave and now. Goods all ready to be salvaged. Okay, maybe some can’t, but as they say, “it’s the thought that counts.” Besides, the injured from earlier certainly need a space to rest, and camp isn’t going to make itself. Regardless, maybe you feel more comfortable joining in the efforts to assist those who still require it. Whatever it is, you are sure to find your place and use. Darma obviously held the same faith. FINAL WAVE. The Final Wave is fortunate in a variety of ways. With Thesa Station a bit more stabilized, Darma utilizes the last bit of her powers in insuring that these last remaining pods are met with the softest landing, right beside the fifth, that is. The fragility of life is nothing she is unfamiliar with, after all. Still, that isn’t to say nothing is expected of you. Most of the individuals that have dropped earlier will likely be exhausted. An hour stretched between each one, makes several hours for the first couple of waves. They'll need a place to relax. You will act as the final group of helpers. Settle into whatever role feels best for you. Are you an excellent cook? Great at rationing supplies? Perhaps, you have a secret skill in ______ that might come in handy here? Or, maybe, despite the gentler landing you still managed to get hurt. The sky's the limit, and you got this! Meanwhile, in the distant kingdom of Olympia, the Empress and her loyal subject discuss matters late into the night... I’ll have the results of that dragon toxin study ready for you soon, Your Highness. I just need a few helpers to— oh wow, is that a meteor shower? Oh yes, it appears so. How beautiful.. hehe. Let us thank Thesa for this blessing. GATHER YOUR BEARINGS     All in all, the descent lasts for nearly seven hours. After the deployment of the last wave of refugees, it’s only natural that you may be feeling pretty worn out. A. Within the remains of the pods, Refugees will find basic camping supplies such as small tents, sleeping bags, and compasses. Not all of the supplies remain intact, thanks to the impact of the crash. But, sharing resources will ensure there is enough for everyone to rest for the night. Can you really in good conscience leave that stranger next to you without shelter? B. Although you may be tired after such a life-threatening ordeal, there is still work to be done to ensure your survival. Fortunately, it works out because now there are plenty of empty hands. There are stray debris and metal parts that should be collected and disposed of. There's firewood that needs to be collected, and campfires to upkeep. The nights in the Outlook are particularly chilly, and so it will be imperative to keep warm! C. Your clothes are tattered or too bloodied to sleep on with comfortably. Fortunately, Darma thought ahead. There will be various types of clothing provided, mostly robes that resemble her own in earthy tones, all to help them camouflage you for your next big adventure. FINAL OOC NOTE     This INTRO event will be broken up into three parts! Please keep this in mind when plotting your threads/tag load. PART 3 Will be up on JULY 22ND, at 6 PM EST. We will not provide an additional CAPTCHA for this overflow. Players are advised to move threads to an overflow post on their character journals in the event this overflow gets close to CAPTCHA. These threads remain eligible for AC, AC Rewards, and REP. The NETWORK is currently down, as Sael must concentrate all of his efforts on warding off the invading force. Characters may still message each other's personal IC inboxes. Submit two (2) AC-eligible threads from this log for one (1) Natha Orbiter REP point here by JULY 31ST. Recommended Listening: Alex & TOKYO Rose PART ONE | PART ONE (overflow) | PART TWO | PART THREE QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● world ● map ● reputation ● npcs taken ● reserves ● application calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

[beknight]

Again.

[ Of course he thinks of weaponry first. The defence he has to make are already in play for others. The rest is counterattack. He isn't willing to count on the woods or the campsite being safe even if the landing was. ]

Communication is our first priority.

[ No use running off if there's no way to contact anyone else for help. For better or worse, they're in this together. ]

[revlon]

[ She sets her hands on her hips, surveying the pod before her, breath puffing out her cheeks. ]

Yes, all right. [ It's absent-mindedly said; she's already thinking ahead, picking apart the equipment in front of them with her eyes. ] We haven't got enough light to work tonight. But we can start to pull things out and sort through it properly in the morning.

[beknight]

[ Clark and Kara are just over there, and they'd come instantly if he called them over. But they've done a lot, and Kryptonians can't be everywhere. ]

We can go mark out the less damaged pods meanwhile.

[revlon]

[ She glances at him, gaze sharpening. ]

What is it you did, where you came from? You're very efficient.

[beknight]

I was a bodyguard, before I retired.

[ His body speaks by itself of its age and experience. Soldier, policeman, and mercenary are all out for their own reasons. ]

My specialty was rich brats.

[revlon]

[ She doesn't comment on the second half but she does raise an eyebrow. A bodyguard of "rich brats" who can traipse through a jungle? Who can wield a branch as lethally as any other weapon? Who can pick apart machinery? The attitude certainly fits but not the skill set. What wealthy charges would need a man so well-versed in survival skills and technology?

Bodyguards can keep secrets, though. That much is very clear. ]

And what did you do with all that spare time, Mr Foster?

[beknight]

[ More sombre, ]

I had a change of heart. [ He shrugs. Jason's death follows him as doggedly as his parents' — the shadow over his face is real. ] Opened a dojo next to a friend's clinic. Now, I teach whoever walks through the doors and wants to stay. Gotham's a rough neighbourhood.

[revlon]

[ She doesn't think he's being dishonest with her; not with this, and not even before. People are entitled to their secrets. She certainly is and far be it from her to pry them out of anyone before they're ready (well, the job aside). She nods, and goes back to dismantling her pod as best she can. ]

I don't know it, but I'll take your word for it. [ She twists a piece of machinery free, squinting at it in the dim light. ] New York was the same way, depending on the part of town.

[ She can't say much about Los Angeles. She hadn't been there long before The Storm swept it all away. ]

[beknight]

[ His mouth twitches. No, he doesn't expect to be believed, but all things in time. Now, they're more useful to each other working together than acting on suspicions. ]

How long have you been in New York?

[revlon]

A little over a year, give or take a few months.

[ She'd arrived in New York in the winter of '45, assigned to the SSR office across the pond and well away from the ghosts in Europe. (But New York had her own ghosts, many of them in Brooklyn.) And then she'd left for LA in the summer of '47 with the intention of returning to the East Coast once her case had wrapped. But you know what they say about best laid plans. ]

I was in Los Angeles before all this. [ Sometimes she wonders of Zero Matter had anything to do with The Storm. ] For work.

[beknight]

[ There's no time limit on what one needs to feel like
a native. He always belonged in Gotham City. It's with him even now. ]

Did you like what you did?

[ It's a personal question — sounds like a test from him because everything does, really. ]

[revlon]

[ She smiles at that; her answer comes quick on the heels of his question, sure and steady. ]

Yes. [ Then - ] And I was bloody good at it.

[beknight]

That part wasn't a mystery.

[ It's probably the first smile she's gotten out of him, and something without sharpness. Whichever side they turn out to be on Bruce appreciates competence and efficiency. In turn, ]

I did what I thought was necessary. Like or dislike didn't matter.

[ But he was also very, very good at it. ]

[revlon]

Mm.

[ Non-committal. But not by much. She weighs what to give him, in terms of personal details. Half-truths are her speciality because it's never an outright lie if you're caught in it. Other people know she's from the 1940s which means the war is an unavoidable topic. ]

During the war, [ she finally says, voice light, ] I learned that you sometimes have to blur the line to do the right thing in the end. I understand perfectly.

[beknight]

[ Half-truths are theirs in a world that needs them. Even here, he's hardly going to have an open hand. But the details — they're there. The cover doesn't cover everything he's capable of. What they are will come to the light if it's not willingly given over. ]

[ He's learnt too harshly the demerits of isolation, recently. Diana, Clark, they're mainstays. But the problem with metahumans is one can't rely on their abilities, and their presence. Men have to do better on their own, too. ]

[ Bruce has to do better. ]

Does it help you sleep? [ He's wry; this is one question he doesn't need or want an answer to. ] How long were you there?

[revlon]

[ I sleep just fine is an answer she's heard thrown around in the months after the war. People who asked them if they brought it home with them (of course they did), people who thought they had another choice (maybe; maybe not). Her decisions don't haunt her. The sacrifices do.

No, she's certain the first question doesn't warrant an answer. The look she shoots him is probably enough. The second? ]

Five years. [ She was a codebreaker in the early days of the war. But her boots were on the ground by mid-1940. ] Give or take a few months. [ It doesn't mean she was a soldier, she could have been anyone. She even says it: ] Everyone had to do their bit. It was a world war, after all.

[beknight]

[ Five years in a world war. Survival in that environment for any length of time is nothing to sneeze at. It rewrites how the mind thinks. ]

[ Bruce always sees problems that need to be fixed. But he also sees threats and monsters first. ]

Everyone has to do it here, too. [ It's thoughtful — he's interested in how people are coping. The trauma of a lost world is compacted for him, to understand and examine when he wants to, but it's not always that for most. But, an offer of a length of time, ] Twenty years.

[revlon]

Twenty?

[ She's horrified. She reins it in well enough, the shock more expressed in the hushed tones of her voice more than anywhere else. But it's there. The Great War was bad enough, the last one unimaginable. The camps, the millions dead. And that was just a few years. ]

[beknight]

[ Not the worst of what's coming — gone, if he considers the Storm. It's a novelty still, to see shock. Bruce shrugs, his voice quiet and even, ]

We do what we have to.

[revlon]

[ She watches him for a long, quiet moment. What kind of world did he come from? A bodyguard, he'd said. But then there's this, too. And now everything they've fought for is all gone. ]

We do. And as you've said, now we have to do it here.

[beknight]

[ Gotham City is special, Peg. ]

We do.

[ His mouth twitches, amusement at himself. ]

I like to make friends.

[ As a comment, it's neither here or there. But as a declaration, he's had to turn his life around it. And he can't say he has that many regrets about trying. ]

[revlon]

[ She huffs out a breath, almost a laugh. Not quite. ]

Is that what we are? You're doing a marvellous job at it, Mr Foster.

[beknight]

[ Not quite, just as the sound he makes isn't one. ]

Alan.

[ An offer. ]

[revlon]

[ She narrows her eyes at him, then extends a (grimy) hand. The nail varnish is all but chipped off, she's got callouses. But her handshake is firm. They've met before, of course, but this is a shift in how they know one another. ]

Peggy.

[beknight]

[ He shakes it firmly. Bruce's hands are clean, and rough, with their own callouses. ]

Let's see what we can make of this pod.