september 2019. welcome to the void.

[modblob]

Who: Everyone in Anchor.
What: Third Introductory Mingle
When: The Month of September 2019
Where: Around and outside the city.
Warnings: Please add any warnings in the subject lines.

Redshift: Welcome to the v͖͕̺̲̘̱̜͎o̴̦̣̠̦̘̹͞i̯̖d̛̪̬͈̱̦̝͍̕.

Click here to read what characters will experience when arriving in Anchor.

a. turrets.

That power surge kicked off some sh... stuff, all right. It took a while for the systems to cycle back on, but two new areas of Anchor are now accessible and usable. One of them is nice and relaxing and safe, and we'll get to that one in a minute. The other one, addressed first, is not very nice and not very relaxing and definitely not safe.

The internal defense systems on the upper levels have come to life, and have targeted anyone within their range as a hostile entity. Get ready to run the gauntlet if you want to turn them off - you'll have to dodge lasers, bullets, and aggressive defense bots (that can be rewired and/or rebooted to assist characters instead of trying to murder them). The reward? Getting to the heavily protected (think many many murderbots and lasers) security control room. If you can make it, you'll be able to reboot the internal defenses, turning off the aggressive targeting and having access for the first time to surveillance of almost all of Anchor. Those areas your characters didn't know were there? Revealed. Those dense patches of jungle-like growth in the agricultural center? You've got a spotlight into their heart.

Though, huh, not all the cameras seem to be working. What's with those screens that show up from time to time that are nothing but static?

Oh well, doesn't really matter, does it?

b. hot springs episode.

One of the areas adjacent to the bar and intimacy lounge has been sputtering on and off ever since the power surge. One evening, with a loud crack and a humming sound that slowly dissipates, the lights come on and water starts flowing down the artificial waterfall into the fountain out front. The spa is back online!

The lobby is inviting and zen, with holographic walls that depict scenic locations (some of them very unlike Earth), with fountains splashing delicately on either side of the door. The attendants are slightly malfunctioning bots, but the most harm they'll do is bring you six towels when you ask for one, or a bucket of massage oil to work on those knots in your back with.

There are three areas in the spa, each of them fully-outfitted with towels, robes of all sizes, fuzzy slippers, the works. One has all the amenities of a Turkish bath, right down to the fantastically arched roofs and mosaics of Istanbul. One is designed not unlike a Japanese hot spring, though the spring is heated artificially rather than naturally. The springs are large enough to be communal in some areas and small enough to be private in others, varying in depth from deep enough to swim on one end and shallow enough to sit on the bottom on the other. All hot springs have a stone shelf around the edges where those who don't want to swim can sit. The last area is more Western, with steam rooms, saunas, massage tables, and mud baths for the adventurous.

One thing all of these areas have in common: the settings on virtually everything can be adjusted to taste. Not in the traditional way, either. The steams and waters can be tweaked to be soporific, can serve as muscle relaxants, can ease anxiety, and can even bolster moods. None of these effects are involuntary, and none of them are brought on by drugs - it's more an advanced mix of pheromones and harmless compounds that can affect a single person or a given pool or room. Also, the baths and hot springs have adjustable bubble settings. The water colors can change, some of them even allowing characters to dye their hair the color that's been selected for the tub without staining their skin. Bubbles of all kinds can rise up out of the water, from the foamy comfort of childhood bubble baths to hovering golden bubbles that chime when you pop them. Characters can choose from a variety of bath salts, scents, and oils - the spas were designed not just for relaxation, but for pure and simple fun.

c. joe's dirt.

So you've survived the security malfunction. You've washed off the dirt and anxiety at the spa. But the newly reactivated security stations throughout Anchor have revealed something odd. There's a blip in the power systems in one area of the agricultural level, like something is siphoning off power from the main lines. Tracking down the source in the deep tangle of underbrush won't be easy, and there may be a few mutated, fanged, clawed cattle that maneuver shockingly well between the trees, but eventually you'll come to a breach in Anchor's wall. At first it just looks like a crack, but it's large enough to squeeze through and there's the darkness of an open space behind it. A tunnel, leading down into the earth outside, well below surface level and thus largely safe.
Wires run along the roof and floor, though the tunnel itself is dark. Walk long enough and you'll come to a wider space, open enough for two or three people to move around comfortably at the same time. It's still dark, lit only by screens that show the same security feeds that are available at the stations throughout the city. And others. Angles on the surface that show Anchor from a distance, and other visuals that don't show Anchor at all, trained instead on massive structures or formations or lakes out on the surface somewhere. But there's something more disturbing: there are cameras set to record some people's rooms. And the only rooms that are shown are occupied.

Someone has been here, recently enough to track where new people have moved in.

On the floor in one corner, there's a crumpled photograph of a man some might recognize as Creepy Joe, happy and whole, with a little girl sitting on his shoulder. It looks like it's been stamped into the dirt.

Navigation.

Comments

DANG

[itsnotaonesie]

[It's all good, Peter had some time to go over his supplies again. He slings his backpack over his shoulder when Qubit approaches, narrowing his eyes at that makeshift gun. On one had, that is badass. On the other hand, man that looks like it would be awkward as hell to use.

Well, Peter did say to come armed.]

I think I've got it narrowed down a bit, but whatever we're trying to find is gonna be in there. [He motions towards the thick foliage, and then pauses for a moment while he takes in Qubit's whole situation.] ...You gonna make it there, buddy?

[superposition]

[ Look.

Qubit is a genius, okay? He is constantly brimming with ideas. And many of those ideas are good! But also many of them are bad, and he sometimes does not think them through far enough to determine which is which. And by sometimes, I mean frequently. ]

Yeah. Yeah, I've got it.

[ He hefts the gun on his shoulder, trying to get it situated more comfortably. It doesn't work, and he sighs heavily. ]

In hindsight, the guns on the robots would have been more portable. But I've lugged it this far, might as well.

[ I mean. Getting it through the overgrowth miiight be a huge pain in the ass. But he's nothing if not a stubborn bastard, and he's already sunk a lot of cost into this fallacy, so FUCK IT, LET'S ROLL. ]

[itsnotaonesie]

[The look Peter gives Qubit is one that could very easily be interpreted as saying "Do you, though??", but he's going to be nice and just not say that out loud. Qubit what even are you.]

...If you say so. Do yoooou need a minute to catch your breath, maybe?

[Peter wants to get this show on the road ASAP, but he wants to be absolutely sure that Qubit's ready to go before just diving in.]

[superposition]

[ He... he's probably got it? And maybe it's overkill, but he'd really like to avoid a repeat of the other day. At least the gun's not as likely to fry his nervous system.

He does take a few seconds to catch his breath, but then nods, tipping his head in their direction of travel. ]

Lead the way.

[itsnotaonesie]

[Yeaaah the other day was some bullshit. Peter gives Qubit a bit of a skeptical look, but ultimately decides to just go for it, leading the way into the wooded area.]

Stay close. There could be all kinds of weird animals crawling around in here.

[superposition]

[ SURE WAS. Qubit follows, staying both close and alert. ]

We ought to do something about that. This is supposed to be a controlled environment, people shouldn't have to be risking life and limb over a couple of tomatoes.

[itsnotaonesie]

I figure the guys working in agriculture are figuring out something to do about this? I can work it into my schedule if they end up needing extra help, though.

[CAN HE, THOUGH? No probably not really.]

[superposition]

[ Yeeeah Qubit's beginning to catch on to that. ]

Peter, how much is in your schedule? Seems like you've got a hand in just about everything around here.

[itsnotaonesie]

Eh, y'know, just a few things here and there. I like to keep busy, y'know?

[Of COURSE he's not going to give him a straight answer, PSSSHHHH.]

[superposition]

So do I. That's what worries me.

[ Because he is exactly the same way. He can't stand being idle, he's terrible at relaxing, he needs a problem to solve. It used to be driven by an almost manic enthusiasm for his work - and still is, sometimes. But now there's also a darker reason: that if he fails to keep his mind occupied, it rapidly turns against him.

He's not sure which it is for Peter, but neither option is healthy. ]

After this, why don't we go over your to-do list. If nothing else, so we don't duplicate each other's work.

[itsnotaonesie]

[He wants to be a little shit, tell Qubit it's not his business and that he can handle it. That it's his job to handle it and blah blah blah. He's not used to sharing the load these days, and part of him feels like he shouldn't be "dumping work off" onto other people.

Every now and then though, the rational part of his brain pops in and tells him to sit the fuck down. Qubit's just as capable of doing this kind of stuff as Peter is, if not more so. So, Peter refrains from arguing, even if he does still look slightly put off. It's just a teenager thing, don't mind it.]

Yeah, no, that-- that sounds like a good idea.

[superposition]

[ Look, if Qubit had any aversion to sticking his nose into shit that's not his business, he would never have become a superhero. But he's satisfied by that response. At least they didn't have to argue this time.

Right, then, back on task. A power draw means tech, and though he's "listening" for that telltale buzz, all he's picking up at the moment is his own weapon. ]

See anything yet?

[itsnotaonesie]

[Peter does not see anything yet, and he shakes his head before deciding to get himself a better vantage point. He hops up onto the nearest tree and climbs up a bit further, taking a quick look around.]

Uhhh, hm. Could just be the way the light's coming through the trees and making shadows and junk, but it looks like there might be an opening in the back wall? Like a big crack.

[superposition]

[ Qubit watches him, not even a little jealous, why would you think that. But a potential opening in the wall? Immediate red flag. He goes straight into business mode. ]

A breach? That would explain how the fungus got in. Which way?

[itsnotaonesie]

If it goes all the way out to the surface, yeah. Let's get to the back wall and hang a left, that'll take us right to it.

[Peter hops out of the tree and rejoins Qubit, leading the way and trying to keep an ear out for horrible mutated animals and shit. Luckily the turbo cows must be busy, because the reach the hole in the wall without incident.]

Damn. I was kinda hoping I was wrong.

[superposition]

Wouldn't have to be the surface. My guess would be a subterranean cavity, fungi can't resist those.

[ But they'll find out when they get there, presumably. As they reach the fissure, he frowns and takes his tablet from his pocket, holding the gun (a little precariously) in one hand while he tries to unlock the screen with the other and yeeeah this isn't gonna work. He huffs in frustration and turns to Peter. ]

Can you hold this a second? [ He'd set it down, but you do have super strength, so... ]

[itsnotaonesie]

Y'know, fair enough. I don't hang out in many subterranean cavities.

[BUT YES, Peter reaches out to take the gun from Qubit, and hefts it effortlessly onto a shoulder.]

You want me to just hang onto this for you?

[superposition]

[ He shakes his head. ] No, just for a second. If there's anything living in there, I don't want your mobility compromised.

[ Sticking Peter with the gun is bad for both of them, actually. Peter needs his agility, and Qubit needs ... the gun. He doesn't want to be caught unprepared again. Anyway, he points his tablet into the fissure and runs a quick battery of scans. ]

... Hm. I'm picking up some EM signals, but no life signs. Radiation level's slightly elevated, but not unsafe. Not sure how far back it goes, though. [ He taps in a few commands. ] I'll have it alert us if anything changes.

[ That only leaves heading on in, but as he turns back to Peter, he hesitates - briefly, but it's hard to miss. Logically, Peter's better equipped to take point, but Qubit finds he isn't eager to suggest it. It's only been like two days, and that fiasco with the defense bots is still fresh in his mind. Hell, Peter's armor is still out of commission from that. What is he doing? He ought to be protecting the boy, not -

Catching himself, he forces a deep breath through his nose. That's your amygdala talking, Qubit. Peter chose to be here - this whole thing was his idea. Past a certain point, you have to let go and trust him... but be there to back him up.

He pockets his tablet and goes to take the gun back. ]

Looks like it's going to be a tight squeeze. You ready?

[itsnotaonesie]

[Peter would protest that carrying this thing around wouldn't really compromise his mobility at all, because like super powers, but he decides it's not worth arguing about.

He watches Qubit fiddle with his tablet, arching an eyebrow at the way he hesitates, but decides not to call him out on it. Which is probably for the best, he'd probably be pretty irritated if he knew that Qubit was doing this whole overprotective thing on him. They've known each other for what, like a month max? Don't be weird. Peter's pretty much an adult, man, he's got this.]

I've been ready the whole time, man. Let's get this show on the road. [He hands the gun back, pausing for a moment to make sure Qubit's now going to fumble it, and takes point at the entrance of the fissure.]

[superposition]

[ It's not weird! He just thinks Peter's a good kid, and full of potential, and wants him to survive to adulthood! And maybe has some legitimate hangups about everyone he gets attached to dying horribly! It's fine. This is fine. Whatever. Shut up.

Anyway, he gets the gun situated on the other shoulder this time. ] Lead the way.

[itsnotaonesie]

[It's FIIIIIIIIIIIIINE, there's no way Peter's going to die twice, it's someone else's turn. Which is awful.

Peter slips into the crack, making sure he doesn't get too far ahead of Qubit on the way in since now Qubit's got this big dumb gun and bringing it into a narrow hole in the wall is sure to slow him down a bit but THAT'S OKAY.]

Man, this is... this is going pretty far in, isn't it?

[superposition]

[ Yeeeah, it's definitely slowing him down some, but he's managing. ]

Yeah. My question is, how long's it been here?

[ - just then, the gun gets caught on something on the low ceiling, and Qubit has to take a second to free it. But seeing what it caught on, he gestures along the length of the ceiling and floor. Wires. ]

Look. There's your power draw.

[itsnotaonesie]

It could have been here since before we ever started showing up. I think we would have noticed someone digging it, y'know?

[Peter stops and looks up when Qubit get stuck, aaaand yep, that sure is a bunch of wires. Peter was right! Which is nothing to celebrate this time because this is kind of not good. In fact, Peter's heart sinks a little. Aw maaaaan.]

Dammit. This isn't good.

[superposition]

Just stay alert.

[ ... As if he needed to tell Peter that. Now, there've been no new alerts from his tablet, which is maybe a good sign. But it also doesn't necessarily mean they're safe.

After a few minutes, the tunnel finally opens up and gives them some breathing room. There's some light up ahead, faint and flickering; its source becomes clear as they approach. Monitors, with camera feeds showing the inside of the station.

Qubit's eyes narrow. ] Quite the setup we've got here.

[itsnotaonesie]

[Far less eloquent that Qubit, Peter pauses abruptly when he realizes what's in the room and just exclaims,] What the shit.

[He heads right on over to the monitors, clearly disturbed by what they're displaying. Bro that's his ROOM.]

Oooh, this is screwed up. This is really screwed up.