trans_9 | Mission 02 - Stacy Says Follow the Yules

There is a resounding mental alarum that sounds through the ship. Nearly "deafening." Lights flash from places for extra emphasis, making it impossible to ignore.

||Attention, Attention. All personnel please report to the Observation Deck. Attention, Attention. All personnel please report to the Observation Deck. Attention, Attention, all personnel...||

It's entirely likely that she won't stop repeating the announcement until, well, everyone reports to Obs Deck. Outside the windows, a very Earth-like planet is visible, hanging in space. The mouth in the huge statue opens, revealing a screen. On it, the dossier for the mission flickers into display, understandable to every person there. Smaller copies of the dossier appear in holographic form in front of everyone.

The planet's stats, right next to a rotating holographic picture of it, marbled blue and green, are as follows:

Planet Designation: Earth-78734XM45
Status: Terrestrial, H-class.
Non-sentient life: Extensive flora and fauna.
Semi-Sentient Life: Yes.
Sentient Life: Homo Sapiens. [Various translations of "human" appear here so everyone understands it]
Water: 69.5% of the planet's surface.

Climate: Earth-like, in the throes of a mild nuclear winter [Click here for cultural equivalents for non-Earth cultures.]
Landscape: Varied.
Air: Normoxic concentration. Slightly elevated levels of carbon dioxide.

Air Pressure: 101.3 kPa (kilopascals) = 14.7 psi (pounds per square inch)
Sky: Blue. Often overcast.
Sun: A class G2V, yellow star.

Warnings: Wildlife and plant-life can be hazardous. Humans can be hazardous. A human cultural and legal database is available. [click here]

Mission: Revive the spiritual entity at the North Pole.

--

Following that, there are various maps and things visible. The version of Earth this world is may be very recognizable to some, but vast cities dot its surface.

||Attention, podmates. Attention.||

Apparently Stacy wants their attention.

||It is critical that you pay attention at this time.||

A few people will be able to avoid the call by being in the right place at the right time, but most will be gathered up on Obs Deck.

[ooc: Organization Post | You can post into the gathering thread. I'll add more subthreads with explanations of aspects of the mission as we go. Note: If you don't have time to post to this mission briefing but still want to have your character in the plot, that's fine. You can just pretend they were there the whole time. If you DON'T want your characters to be in this plot altogether, however, don't have them in the briefing--Stacy could have missed snagging them.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Who is Santa Claus?" Samus had overheard and she honestly had no idea what they were talking about. Some important Earth figure? Maybe that's why Samus hadn't heard of him.

"He's, um... well, to be honest he's kind of a story for small children. He lives at the North Pole and flies around the world giving presents to all the good little children and coal to the bad, but it's really an excuse to get presents on Christmas morning and most people stop believing in him at about nine." Wyn says all in one breath.

Samus paused, but eventually gave a nod. That was all well and good but... "And Christmas is..?"

Kelly shrugged. "In olden times it was an over-commercialized holiday for the masses, identified by one person giving presents to another. And vice versa. Something like that. It held some religious significance for some, too."

Perhaps Samus had celebrated for the few years she was raised by humans. If she did, she didn't remember it.

"I see," the entire ordeal seemed sort of ridiculous to Samus, but she didn't mention that. "What would the Ohm want with him?"

Edited 2009-12-22 03:46 (UTC)

The Spartan just shrugged again, lifting her helmet and setting it on her head, adjusting it until it sat comfortably.

"Hell if I know. He didn't even exist where I was from."

"He's... not supposed to exist, I don't think. I'm just chalking it up to alternate universes and shutting up to enjoy the ride." Wyn says, raising her hands in surrender.

There's nothing wrong with having moments of childlike wonder, Kelly and Samus. Really, there isn't.

The radio-transmission cut through both their helmets simultaneously. Dry, sarcastic and very much familiar, Motoko's voice was clearly amused at their expense.

//Santa Claus was a character-aspect of American cultural imperialism that took on a spiritual, almost religious connotation. The legend may have part of its basis in hastiographical tales concerning the historical figure of gift giver Saint Nicholas.

The assumption we've been given is that works of fiction in some universes are based on factual circumstances in others. In this case, the 'Santa Claus' may represent a regional god or religious patriarch. Someone with a lot of political power, leaving aside the issue of potential metahuman abilities.//

The very fact that she could transmit a word of that with a straight face was a testament to the fact that she had been among this madness for far too long.

Thank you for that, Motoko. Really.

"Hmn. I see." Kelly and Motoko of course know who she is responding to. Wyn may be a little more confused. Samus still doesn't get all the hype about him or why she should bother caring but eh, a job's a job.

"Hn. Yes. I vaguely remember hearing something like that. I didn't think it had much bearing at the time." Because seriously, how was information about Santa Claus important when you were on a mission to assassinate a rebel leader? Seriously.

Mission 02 - Stacy Says Follow the Yules

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