cityship: (GLaDOS)
cityship ([personal profile] cityship) wrote in [community profile] trans_92009-12-10 02:51 am

It Must Have Been the Mistletoe

Something...odd is happening on the ship. Plant-like protrusions are occasionally sprouting in places throughout the ship.

They look like mistletoe, but this is purely coincidental. It's not like it's the holidays on the ship, right? It might be for some people, back home (if they still had a home), but others were grabbed from different times. No, it's just coincidence that these little devices look vaguely like mistletoe, and coincidence what they're being used for.

For you see, when this "mistletoe" is overhead, a crew member will be trapped in an invisible forcefield, and won't be able to escape until someone has kissed them or otherwise showed them some equivalent of affection. (Cheek kisses and sloppy puppy kisses from the canine crew members count). The "mistletoe" spring itself is shielded itself and can't be destroyed, the only way out is a kiss.

Why is this all happening? GLaDoS is performing whacky behavioral experiments, that's why. Each time, it happens, she intones messages like the following.

"Please express affection for your fellow crewmate to free them."

"This is of the utmost importance, and part of ongoing Crew Coherency and Cooperation Studies."

"Please do not attempt to leave the vicinity until you have participated."

"Participation is required. Why wouldn't you want to participate?"

"The Transmigration9 AI Complex thanks you for your participation in important research. Unless you don't want to participate, but not participating would make me disappointed. I suppose you just want to disappoint me."


And of course, sometimes she even outright lies.

"There will be cake."

[identity profile] is-the-ultimate.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 08:06 am (UTC)(link)
It's been a bit of a slow time for Shadow. After the training deal with the Outsiders, things seemed to have stalled to a crawl. He was itching for something - ANYTHING - to happen.

When it hit him!

"HURGH!" Shadow yelped out, smacking into an invisible wall. Rubbing his snout, he noticed that, well... he was stuck. "What is this? What's going on!?" With that, he began ramming the wall, kicking it, spinning into it, everything he could. "RRrgh! Fine! I'll do this MY way! CHAOS... CONTROL!"

In the blink of an eye, Shadow disappeared from his spot and reappeared a good distance away.

"Ha! Serves you right!" Shadow said, turning to walk away. "No one outwits the Ultimate Lifef--OMPH!"

Another wall.

"GGRRR! LET ME GO! LET ME OUT!"

[personal profile] not_the_philistine 2009-12-10 08:08 am (UTC)(link)
"There will be cake."

"I have no interest in cake."

Nevertheless, Goliath cannot leave his position beneath the small piece of greenery. How irksome.
withoutspice: (what the hell)

[personal profile] withoutspice 2009-12-10 08:11 am (UTC)(link)
Ghanima had been on her way to visit Sheeana's worm, needing a few moments of quiet to get her thoughts in order. Though she hadn't even moved far from the Vatican when she found herself hitting an invisible wall of sorts.

Frowning, she turned to move in the other direction, but hit another wall... And then another and another. No matter which direction she tried moving, she found herself unable to get more than a few feet.

"What is the meaning of this?" She cried out, her hand fisting up. "I demand to be freed right this minute!" See, she knew there was a reason she hated the computers on this ship.
deep_sky_diving: (I see you)

[personal profile] deep_sky_diving 2009-12-10 08:12 am (UTC)(link)
"Well, ain't this a boondoggle." Tess looks up at Goliath, hands resting lightly on her hips. "I wonder who decided to let this system have charge o'stuff."

[identity profile] unsc-rabbit.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 08:12 am (UTC)(link)
Kelly had been on the way back to her room. She needed to talk to John about something. And it seemed like awhiles since she'd seen her brother. Despite the fact that they'd been sharing a room. She was taking her usual long strides, covering ground rather quickly. That was until the force field snapped up in front of her. Blinking, she reached out a hand to touch it, frowning slightly as the announcement was made.

Affection for crewmates? What was this all about then?

Looking upward she spotted the plantlike protrusion. Was was that? It looked vaguely like some sort of plant she'd seen in Déjà's lessons before. But she couldn't remember what it was. Turning back to the forcefield, she braced her feet and strained against it, trying to break free, to no avail. This was not good.

Leaning back against the shield she took the moment to think about her next move. The AI didn't seem to be threatening this time. But what exactly was going on? How would she get out of here?

[identity profile] bone1ady.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 08:19 am (UTC)(link)
"Please express affection for your fellow crewmate to free them."

Tempe stands in the center of the obs deck with a seriously unamused expression. She's stuck and really just cannot begin to fathom what is the purpose of the AI's experiment.

"This is illogical!" Tempe frowns as she looks around.

"There will be cake."

That causes her frown to deepen. "I don't want cake! If I wanted cake, I'd get it on my own!"

[personal profile] not_the_philistine 2009-12-10 08:20 am (UTC)(link)
Goliath has pressed his talons up against the forcefield and is feeling around for his way out. Yes, he looks like a mime. A mime that could rip your limbs off and beat you to death with them. You may commence with your nightmares as usual.

"I do not understand. There is nothing to defend, and nothing to shield us from. This barrier presents no reason for being."

He doesn't get the mistletoe. He hasn't even noticed it yet, and why would a twig be linked to greenery?

[identity profile] not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 08:20 am (UTC)(link)
Lafiel was startled to find Kelly trapped in some kind of forcefield. She drew her Klanyu, cleared both ends of the hallway, then approached the bubble.

"Petty officer, are you all right?"

[identity profile] sgmitchell.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 08:23 am (UTC)(link)
It's the cake that get's his attention. He generally avoided the woman--so that she wouldn't find some reason to deem him crazier and harass him. Yes, she definitely was the one who did the harassing.

But the cake made him curious enough to investigate. He'd heard mention of cake a few times.

"Do you want anything?" He crossed his arms, and tilted his head. "Just curious."

[identity profile] unsc-rabbit.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 08:25 am (UTC)(link)
Kelly's head shot up when she heard the Abh's voice and her arms quickly moved to wave the woman away. "No, wait, don't!" but she was too late. She saw the forcefield snap a little wider to trap the other woman inside with her. The message played again and she sighed, raising a hand to her face. She'd need to teach the Abh about clearing a room sometime.

"I'm quite alright, Empress. Though I believe we're trapped in here now. Until we 'show our crewmate affection.' Whatever that means."
deep_sky_diving: (snerkgiggle)

[personal profile] deep_sky_diving 2009-12-10 08:26 am (UTC)(link)
"Please express affection for your fellow crewmate to free them."

Tess' face twists a little as she looks up and around for the nonspecific source of the voice. And then she spots the almost-not-quite mistletoe...

Goliath might have difficulty figuring out why she's broken into a giggle.

[identity profile] bone1ady.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 08:28 am (UTC)(link)
Of course. It had to be him. It just had to be. Scowling at Cam, Tempe presses her hands against the invisible barrier that seperated them.

"Of course I do," Tempe frowns. "I wish to be free of this... Thing."

[personal profile] not_the_philistine 2009-12-10 08:30 am (UTC)(link)
"Express affection?"

He looks at Tess, then at the mistletoe, then at Tess again. "There is some significance to this that I am not aware of."

YOU BETTER TELL HIM WHAT IT IS. Or he'll glare at the mistletoe some more.
bonnypiperlad: (hrmph)

[personal profile] bonnypiperlad 2009-12-10 08:31 am (UTC)(link)
Jamie is heading down a hallway when he runs face first into a force-field. Wincing a little, he gingerly feels his nose to make sure he hasn't broken anything, then reaches out and finds the space in front of him blocked. With a shrug, he turns to go the other way, only to find that blocked as well.

"Hey?"

Frowning slightly, he tests the area around him to see if there's any way out...then he hears the announcement.

"Crew Coher...what?" Confused now, he looks around for the source of the voice, and finally, up at the ceiling. If looks could kill, the mistletoe that is up there would be very, very dead.

Finally, he lets out an aggravated sounding sigh and leans back against the wall, hooking his thumbs behind his sporran as he settles in for what may be a long wait.

[identity profile] sgmitchell.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 08:34 am (UTC)(link)
Who else would it be, Tempe? Cam doubted, personally, that Tempe knew very many other people. Why else would she single him out to harass?

"Thing?" Did he know what she was talking about? Maybe. He wasn't about to say, either way.
livestoannoy: (Aw man!)

[personal profile] livestoannoy 2009-12-10 08:37 am (UTC)(link)
Marco had been in the hanger, taking the chance to gawk at all the very cool aircraft they had there. And the other strange machines that Marco wasn't at all familiar with, but he was sure that whatever they did, it was awesome.

And then, while he'd been admiring an F-15E Strike Eagle, bam!. Some voice starts taking about expressing emotion and research and cake. And then Marco couldn't. go. anywhere!

Several hours later, when Marco was still sitting around the ground waiting for the goddamn force-field to go away - and staring gloomily at the plant he'd eventually noticed was hanging above him every now and then - he was seriously pissed.
deep_sky_diving: (smile)

[personal profile] deep_sky_diving 2009-12-10 08:37 am (UTC)(link)
"It's a," she sniggers, "tradition thing. Y'kiss under the mistletoe this time've year. I think somebody's tryin' t'pull a prank on us."

It seems to be amusing her much more than bothering, though.

[identity profile] bone1ady.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 08:38 am (UTC)(link)
Frustrated, Tempe tries to step forward but only bounces off the invisible wall - and lands on her butt. Looking up at Cam from her spot on the floor she sighed and motioned around her. "Yes! This.... This invisible barrier that seems to surround me. I can't lea-"

"Please express affection for your fellow crewmate to free them." GLaDoS' voice intterupts.

Pushing herself up from the floor, Tempe dusts off her backside. She's not liking this at all.

[identity profile] not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 08:39 am (UTC)(link)
"That's ridiculous." Lafiel said dismissively, before opening fire with the weapon. The beam was invisible, but Kelly had seen it melt right through personal armor. She knew the kind of force it was resisting.

And, aside from reddening at the point of impact, nothing happened.

"Ryteruc giflauth!" She swore in Baronh and kicked at the field, which did nothing but bounce her back.

[personal profile] not_the_philistine 2009-12-10 08:39 am (UTC)(link)
"WHAT?!"

Goliath's sudden attempt to flare his wings out is foiled when they smack into the forcefield surrounding him. Ouch, that will leave bruises.

His roar settles into a growl as he addresses the mistletoe directly, pointing at Tess. "She is not my mate! I will do no such thing!"

[identity profile] captain-jtk.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 08:40 am (UTC)(link)
Kirk was strolling along, tapping at a datapad when he ran right into a force-field. He staggered back, a look of confusion on his face. Then he scowled and looked up, "Alright, what's all this? You let me out immediately, do you hear me? Stacy? Stacy?"

[identity profile] sgmitchell.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 08:46 am (UTC)(link)
He might have been mildly concerned at her fall, but he figured he was decent enough at knowing when a fall actually caused damage, and she seemed more annoyed than anything else.

The voice that interrupted her caused him to look up at the suspicious looking plant hanging from the Obs deck ceiling. "Well..." He glanced back at the woman--Doctor Brennan--and arched an eyebrow. "The cute lady in the sky wants you to express affection before you go on." He put on a concerned look--primarily to cover the amused smile that threatened to bubble up. "Gotta hope she'll get bored and give up before lunch. Considering."
Edited 2009-12-10 08:51 (UTC)
deep_sky_diving: (smile)

[personal profile] deep_sky_diving 2009-12-10 08:46 am (UTC)(link)
Tess jerks back when Goliath's wings unfurl. It's not fear—just sharp reflexes that work a little faster than the rest of her brain does.

A gloved hand settles over her mouth until she can manage to temper her grin into a more neutral (but still positive) look.

[identity profile] aworldnevermade.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 08:49 am (UTC)(link)
Meluly was going the opposite direction when—whomp.

Bouncing off the force field, now that she's trapped in it, might result in her running right back into Kirk.

[identity profile] scarlett-flames.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 08:50 am (UTC)(link)
Jean as always was in the MedLab working, doing her Doctoring thing. Turning to go get another medical chart, she ran face first into some sort of force-field and was tossed back only to find herself bouncing off another shield.

Frowning, Jean stumbled and fought to regain her footing so she didn't fall flat on her face. "Alright! This isn't funny!" she called out, thinking that one of the Metas was playing around.

"Hello?!" She called, looking around, trying to figure out who was holding the shields up. "Hello?!"