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

[itsnotaonesie]

[Oh hey, a distraction! That's a good idea. Peter only has like a split second to react, but as soon as he hears that shot fire he hops out of his hiding place, shoots a strand of web at the turret, and yanks it right out of the ceiling. It smashes to the ground, and Peter relaxes a bit.]

I can fix that later. Thanks for the distraction, man!

[numerouno]

[Scaramouche was only testing the goods. He stares at the turret as it's torn from the ceiling, watching its descent and peering over at it with a frown after it crashes. He doesn't really hear the kid.]

Don't mention it, [comes his distracted reply. He redirects his attention to the hallway ahead.] So now what?

[itsnotaonesie]

[Peter brushes himself off a bit and turns his attention to the hallway as well.]

Well, if I know Anchor's layout as well as I think I do, there should be a security station at the end of this hall. If we get in there, I think we can shut all this stuff down.

[numerouno]

[A security station? Hm, he oughta check it out. Scaramouche looks down at him. In the blink of an eye, he's showing off the grin of a bot without a care in the world.]

It's that time, babe! Time to show 'em what we're made of.

[itsnotaonesie]

[Peter doesn't find this creepy or weird or suspicious at all. Which probably isn't a good thing, but that's fiiiiiiiiiiiine.]

My thoughts exactly, bud. Let's go. Watch out for lasers!

[ONWARD, to the security station. Peter wastes no time charging right down the hall, he wants to get at them good good security room secrets.]

[numerouno]

[Scaramouche watches the kid go. Still smiling, he follows at a leisurely pace, hanging back a bit. He's started to scat a tune under his breath, tilting his head this way and that as he settles on a rhythm for his oncoming performance. A hand dips into a pocket and brings out his flute. He could make this quick by dodging the lasers, but he doesn't want to turn down this chance to put on a show.

The instrument is lifted to his lips. The first few notes ring out across the hall.

Then the first laser fires.

He hops out of its path and twirls on the spot. Remember those pieces of rubble lying around? Well, this is their cue; a few of them are now levitating about three inches from the ground. One of them hurtles straight for the turret and pings off its chassis, nearly knocking it clean off its axis. By the time it recovers, Scaramouche is out of range, slowly strolling along to the off-beats of his fast-fingered jazz solo and dealing out the same treatment to the other turrets when he steps into their sights.]

[itsnotaonesie]

[Peter manages to dodge himself a few lasers, but the music is something he hadn't been expecting at all. Same with the floating rubble.

He's generally really good about not letting himself get distracted, but uuuuuh, he lets himself get distracted by Scaramouche's cool flute tricks and ends up taking a laser blast to the shoulder. His armor protects him, sure, but he's still annoyed with himself. After he recovers and a few more turrets are taken out, he takes a second to chat.]

Sooooo, care to tell me how you're doing all that cool stuff? Because that is super cool.

[numerouno]

[Scaramouche can't say he's used to getting compliments. Once the flute comes out and the number is in full swing, his co-stars are either fleeing or drawing their weapons. Screams--of terror, rage, agony, you name it!--are all the applause he needs.

The flute is lowered from his mouth.]

I can't tell you that, kiddo, it's my signature bit.

[And the only one who can perform it is him. That's the nifty thing about having the boss's star power on his side.]

[itsnotaonesie]

Aw, you're no fun. I guess that's fair, though.

[If Peter were on the receiving end of all that, he'd probably still think it's cool, let's be real.]

[numerouno]

Lesson One, babe: you gotta keep 'em guessing.

[He continues his 'ditty', his mouth curved up in a smile. They haven't got far to go.

That's when two bipedal bots come out of the security station itself, both fitted with their very own laser guns! Scaramouche sends a barrage of stones at their faces; that's how you welcome late-comers, babe. It doesn't knock them off-kilter or do any significant damage, but maybe the kid will get the hint and do something about those weapons while the bots are distracted.]

[itsnotaonesie]

[Peter does indeed get the hint, taking the opening to bounce off the wall and maneuver himself between the robots. They realize that he's there, and simultaneously raise their weapons to blast him, only for him to leap up onto the ceiling at the last second. They blow each other's heads off, it's kind of sad. But in a funny way? Robots are dumb.]

Wooo, okay. I think that might be the last of them.

[numerouno]

[Scaramouche's eyes widen in delight.

He wraps up his number, instructing the rubble fragments floating nearby--so close to each other that they're almost one mass--to drift back to the floor; they'd all been waiting for his invitation to join in the fun if the kid choked. He keeps a hold of the flute for now in case this defense system decides to make more trouble for them.]

You've got style, kid.

[itsnotaonesie]

[Peter dusts himself off a bit and gives Scaramouche a bow. No reason not to ham it up a little bit, right?]

Aw, thanks! Y'know, I've kind of always wanted to do that? Now I can cross 'blow two robot's heads off at the same time' off my bucket list.

[numerouno]

Hey, this day isn't over yet!

[Scaramouche beams at him, strolling past the headless bots to join him by the entrance to the security station.]

So have you got a name or do I have to guess?

[itsnotaonesie]

[The security station door is not budging. It's being super rude and denying them access, so Peter jams grabs hold of it and forces it open. He can fix that later, it's fiiiine. Once inside, he retracts his mask and takes a look around the room.]

As much as I wanna see what kinda names you can come up with, it's Peter. You?

[numerouno]

Scaramouche! [Said boisterously loud, holding his arms out wide like this is all a show. (This is when the crowd is supposed to go wild.) He leans in closer to his new pal; it's time to impart a secret onto him:] They call me the Pied Piper, babe.

[No one calls him that.]

[itsnotaonesie]

How many times have people asked you if you'll do the Fandango, though?

[The words are out of his mouth before he realizes he's saying them but fuck it, how could he not make a Bohemian Rhapsody reference right now?]

[numerouno]

[Scaramouche gives a knowing smile like always. Who can say whether he actually understands the reference?]

I do like to cut a rug...