There were some things that Karis knew just had to be blown up once she saw them. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was one of them. Exploring the city was about the only thing that came close to entertaining her and when she saw that building, just sitting there and looking like it was about to fall over, she knew that she had to help it finish its journey. It called to her.

Karis glanced at Ter'thelas, "We need to blow this building up. You know that, right?"

_{[OOC: Please keep responses to one thread; no tag order, though, so feel free to threadjack at will.]}

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

Stacy's voiced called the entire crew, until all of them were gathered at the Obs Deck. Then, a dossier appeared on the screens, along with the image of a rotating planet.

Planet Designation: Pelau
Status: Terrestrial, H-class.
Non-sentient life: Moderate flora and fauna.
Semi-Sentient Life: Yes.
Sentient Life: Yes
Water: 75% of the planet's surface.

Climate: Climate varies by region.
Landscape: Landscape at the North Pole varies. Within the biodomes, significant development. Outside the domes remains mostly pristine.
Air: Normoxic concentration: 29% oxygen, 60% nitrogen, 3% xenon, 6% trace gases, such as hydrogen, krypton, and argon.

Air Pressure: 14.352 pounds per square inch.
Sky: Blue/violet with white clouds.
Sun: A class D4K, yellow star.

Warnings: Be careful of frostbite outside the biodomes.

Mission: None. Shore leave is now initiated.

[Here's a handy map of the North Biodome where the crew is being dropped]


( Read more... )

The latest disaster aboard the good ship Stacy had been a reminder to Ter'thelas that the whole damned expedition was likely doomed to failure. He'd lost no abilities, unlike a good portion of the ship's crew, and so had simply laid low in the city, occasionally cracking a robotic opponent over the head or blasting it into pieces with a firearm. At the same time, it seemed that it might be time for him to consider alternatives to traipsing along on this haphazard expedition.

He had a small pad of paper and a pencil and was scratching out a list that read:

Staying on the ship.

Pros:

• Security
• Karis
• the satisfaction of fighting another damned war for the greater good
• possible return home.

Cons:

• Constantly harried by Ohm
• lunatics popping out of the ship on a regular basis
• not in command of own fate
• death by any number of unpleasant methods

Leaving the ship.

Pros:

• Security from lunatics
• nice quiet life (hopefully)
• getting away from the damned madness

Cons:

No Karis

alone on a strange world (again)

And this is where he'd left it. It was hardly a complete list, but he was working on it, pacing back and forth in front of the massive view ports of the space bridge and enjoying the still disorienting view. Perhaps he'd seek counsel from some of the other members of the crew, if they happened along. He sighed and leaned against the wall, reading over his list again.

Would he be able to do it?

The Sensoriums were good for a few things, Ter'thelas had found. The strange rooms were usually a place he avoided as he found the simulated reality a bit too unsettling for his tastes, no matter how real things seemed. In this case, however, it was rather gratifying. Anyone who might enter would find themselves on a small boat, a yacht in fact, about 40 feet in length and rigged with a single triangular foresail and a mainsail amidships. A handy craft that could be handled by one man, provided he knew what he was doing. The weather, it seemed, was perfect. Bright sun, few clouds, and a stiff sea breeze.

At the aft end on the raised section of the quarterdeck was a small wheel directing the tiller; there stood Ter'thelas, hair tied back and out of his eyes as a sea breeze whipped stray locks of his long mane about him. The vessel fairly danced across the smooth blue-green swell of the waves, raising and falling as the elf set a course for nowhere in particular. For once, he had nothing but himself, the sea, and a fine craft to guide across the waves.

At least until the simulation ended.

Let it never be said that Stacy was not benevolent toward her crew. Truth was, she loved them, to the point of risking her own life. And thus, she'd been busy for quite some time... silently she had worked, trying to get into her own archives and cross-checking references. She was going to help boost morale and give them a gift - show them people they cared about, wake them up for a single day as proof that, yes, they were there, close by. She was going to give them a day to awaken, to see their loved ones again and to go back, knowing that their time would come one day or another...

It sounded so beautiful and poetic on theory. In reality, it could become a true disaster. Spent of most of the energies doing this task, in complete secrecy to keep it as a surprise, Stacy's never-ending work was only stopped by its own Warden program, which pulled the plug on the ship's search to find everyone at least someone they cared about. That, unfortunately, left her not only spent of energy which was dangerous in itself - but it also meant that some of the crew would be deprived of seeing their close ones, no doubt leaving some of them bitter.

The road to hell has always been paved by good intentions.

Stacy's voice was decidedly more cheerful than normal as she spoke to the entire ship.

|| Transmigration Nine crew, please report to the Observation Deck. I have a gift for you. ||

She repeated the request, and waited.

Once most of the crew had made their way there, she continued.

||I have been working on a...|| she couldn't quite find the proper word and settled on the next one, || present for you. While many of your records are locked to even me, I have worked to find the pods which contain people close to you. I...apologize if some of you may end up with no one, it is not my fault I...|| suddenly Stacy's voice seemed a little less cheerful, ||The Warden stopped me before I could finish everything completely. Please do not feel like I targeted you specifically, I really did my best to get as many of your friends and companions awake as possible for today.||

Now was the hardest part to explain.

||And that is, unfortunately, all that can be given to you. Because their avia are not yet ready to be properly awakened, they'll be here for a single day. Please make the most of it, so you can feel better and continue our mission with renewed vigor . I hope that meeting those that care about you will give you a boost of energy that you all need.|| Spoken like a mother who put her children before herself. ||But if you can...look at it this way, it means that they are here, and one day I will proudly awaken them properly when they are ready.||

Her voice was becoming strange as she went on. Not static-like, but raspy, like someone who was running out of breath.

||And I am afraid that I must go offline for a few hours due to the strain this is putting on...me...|| It sounded really painful for her to speak, completely spent and only going because she wanted to at least give them a proper last word. ||I...hope...you...will...be...happy...a...lit--||

For the first time in a long while, Stacy was completely silent.

[OOC: GO FOR IT.]

[This is for Team 2: Jinx, Mindfuck, Zouichi, Ter'thelas, Ashley, Edward, Jamie, Victoria. The first shore leave / observation deck post is here where they can say goodbye to others.] ]

The massive crystal spire jutted skyward perhaps a thousand feet. Alone, it would be beautiful.

With lasers playing up and down its sides, floodlights sweeping the sky, and banners hanging over it, though, it was just tacky. ULTIMATE ENTERTAINMENT! proclaimed one banner. D☺☺M AWAITS YOU! another added. And over top of the massive doors chipped in the entrance hall flashed a brilliant neon sign: CRYSTAL CITY.

The path led up to and through the wide-open doors, into a black hall beyond. No sooner had the last of the crew stepped in than the doors slammed shut behind them, plunging them all into pitch blackness. But not for long; a second later, two bright-white signs flared into life.

MEN -->

<-- WOM N

(A bulb was out.)

Each arrow pointed to a door surrounded by an ominous crystal. Try to go through the wrong gender's door and it would reject you, possibly making disparaging comments about your mental status. The rooms inside looked as if they'd been lifted straight from an athletic stadium; a row of lockers stood opposite a few lacquered benches, and each had a crewmember's name on it. Inside their assigned locker were a set of clothing along with instructions to retract their plantsuits to minimal coverage and don the provided garb.

The fanservicey-but-functional provided garb. Tight-fitting shirts that breathed magnificently, sleek shorts (rather short shorts) for both men and women. None of it interfered with motion in the slightest, and the outfits were only slightly uncomfortable, mostly because they were just a bit tight.

Once everyone had garbed themselves properly -- and not before -- the doors on the far wall snapped open. Through them, the members rejoined their companions in a large room (which of course made no physical sense, as the doors could not possibly have led to this room, but who's counting?), in a grand crystalline foyer filled with sweeping spotlights, glittering sparks deep in the walls, and extremely canned applause.

A drumroll began over the applause. A hush fell over the prerecorded crowd, the drumroll building in strength and then declining again, like a wave, to build suspense.

The drumroll abruptly stopped.

"TURN TAPE OVER!" blared over the invisible audio system. After a moment, fumbled clattering and muffled grumbling echoed distantly from some far point in the chamber, followed by a sharp CLACK, then a click. The drumroll resumed.

Then, in a crash of cymbals and a triumphant fanfare, the spotlights all swung as one to focus on a hitherto unseen throne at the far end of the room.

Celestia's new home was a grand residence indeed: the citadel of Camelot, a place which featured heavily in the myths and legends of Earth. Not that Celestia was familiar with these myths, of course.

Guests were free to wonder around the castle at will, but Celestia had decided that today, the courtyard would be a lovely place for everypony to get together. There were a few tables set up, with the treats Hoshi and Applejack had so generously made, and Rarity's beautiful decorations. And later, Celestia planned to invite her guests to ride on the Ferris wheel that happened to be located just outside the castle.

The crewmembers had suffered a great loss recently, but she hoped that this would bring them some small amount of joy, and the comfort of friendship in this time.

[[ooc: Sorry this is a day late guys, uni ended up being much more hectic yesterday than I expected. Anyways, I've put up a subthread for Celestia greeting visitors and rides on the London Eye. Those that ICly helped out this party can also set up sub-threads for the food tables/games/whatever as well, if you guys want to. (Edit: The sub-thread for Hoshi & Applejack's nibbles is up here!)

But other than that, feel free to start your own threads and tag each other. People can also wonder around and explore the castle - it's the BBC Merlin version of Camelot, but only the citadel itself (as opposed to the whole city).]]

With all the preparation for the confrontation with the Ohm, the battle itself, and the immediate aftermath, most of the crew were naturally focused on current events. But some crewmembers weren't so up to date on what was happening.

Mainly because they were stuck running mazes with GLaDOS. No matter what was happening the eternal, endless, quest for cake always continued.

[[ooc: okay, so this is basically just a general running-around-the-mazes log for my characters that are stuck running mazes with GLaDOS. It basically covers about a week before Lirath, Lirath itself, and a couple of days after - so anyone who was GLaDOS'd during that time can tag in. Marco, Celestia, and Daja each have their own thread, and Zita might tag in on occasion with GLaDOS herself if she has time.]]

The Maingate Hotel was pretty extravagant, and an entire section of it had been eked out for the crew's use during their stay. They had several suites, three communal areas, a conference room, their own kitchen with a chef on call if they required her.

They were all teleported from the main teleport pad of the hotel into the conference room, which was a large enough room to be able to hold a group their size and had plenty of chairs arranged in a circular pattern so they could mostly all face each other or whoever was in the middle of the room.

Everyone had to settle down so they were all able to talk, and the meeting itself would have to be carefully controlled so they wouldn't all talk over each other. But they were up for the task, right?

[ooc: Guardian Setup, General Mingling, Clone Checkup, Newbie Briefing, General Briefing, More Mingling, Back to the Meeting, and The Idea Guy sections are open. Backup characters introduced to the plot can join in the mingling subthreads if they want. The opening of new subthreads will be announced here and the ooc. Please read the linked OOC post for a plot timeline.]

The trip down was uneventful. The view was gorgeous when the viewing window shields were raised again when they were through the atmosphere, especially as they passed down to Megalopolis, the simply-named giant city that was this world's capital. To the Earthlings there, the continents of this world would look vastly familiar, but that didn't mean anything, did it?

Eventually the sparkling city spires of the mega-city, interspersed with flying traffic, rose up to meet them, and Obs Deck, attached by its massive shielded umbilical cord, deposited them at the Council's private spaceport. It retreated back up to Stacy after they'd disembarked.

This world was a gorgeous world, that much they could likely tell while standing there on the landing pad, looking at the rounded curves of the beautifully designed spaceport. Buildings rose up above them in shades of white, paneled with multi-colored glass, in creative architectural designs. The air traffic weaved neatly in endless lines between buildings, and the overcast sky was in shades of orange and pink, with occasional slips of a bright blue peeking through.

The Council of Five was waiting for them in person, clearly glad to see them all, dressed in resplendent clothing.

"Welcome to the Megalopolis, our capital city, and welcome to Galilee. We are the Council of Five, and we're honored by your presence."

[ooc: The first subthread is now open. They have split into groups! All subthreads are now open! Please do not set up new subthreads. The plot-runners will set them up as needed as we go.]

A large group of crew members was gathered. In fact, given the mission briefing provided, it was curious that there'd be such a large number for a diplomatic mission.

Planet Designation: Galilee
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 [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: Successfully negotiate with the Galileeans in exchange for their advanced medical technology.

It was very little to work with, so the crew gathered there possibly had a lot of questions.

So far, Ter'thelas had been avoiding the Sensoriums. What he'd heard of them had been mildly disturbing. A room of illusions. It all sounded too much like that human's tower, Karazhan. Still, he decided he ought to at least investigate them once. So he had entered the Sensorium with a package from the planet they'd left under his arm, summoned up an image long gone by now. A wonderous cityscape in whites, gold and reds, fine brick and mortar, curving architecture stretching towards the sky, open spaces and grand arches. The city of Silvermoon. He'd even included a few of the magical brooms that wandered the city, sweeping it clean.

Almost reverently, he unwrapped what he'd brought. An expertly wrought viola in a cherry-red wood. He lifted it, tuned it by his ear, and then, began to play. A sad, almost mournful melody filled the simulated city, as Ter'thelas, eyes closed tightly, played a dirge for his people for the second time in his life.

 Anyone wandering into the media library this morning would find a somewhat unfamiliar looking young woman (about eighteen, possibly nineteen) sitting in front of the equipment, head tilted back and eyes closed as she listened to some good, old-fashioned rock and roll. She looks fit, in excellent physical condition and seems cheerful enough. She has one leg folded over the opposite knee, toe tapping as she keeps time with the music. Yeah, she's discovered just how awesome music from twentieth century Earth is and she's enjoying it. 

Give her a minute and she'll probably notice whoever wanders in after her. 

Being let loose with a bucket load of money was quite a tantalizing thing. He'd have to watch his budget, but in the mean time Ter'thelas was in the market for first of all, real clothing. He cut into one of the clothing stores and immediately set about purchasing everything durable and practical he could get his hands. Five shirts, three sets of trousers, two belts, two sturdy pairs of boots, several jackets and coats and various other miscellany later, he had what he needed. But he still had plenty of money to burn. Perhaps some food to squirrel away?

Or perhaps he could see if someone sold mana. Not impossible on a planet like this, it seemed. In any case, he set off into the streets, shopping bags slung over one shoulder as he wandered the stalls.

It had been, up until this point, a fairly quiet day in the city. That it was no longer quiet was readily signified by the dull 'boom' of a grenade of some type going off, the sound carrying across the city. Two very bored Azerothians, one a new arrival, were doing their best to entertain themselves. Ter'thelas Baelion and Karis Needleteeth, accompanied by a couple boxes of grenades 'liberated' from weapons and possessions were doing their best to perfect their throwing arms. The pair wandered down an empty street, occasionally stopping to trash talk and/or point out a particularly interesting target.

"Five gold says you can't hit the second story window. You're an elf and it's a well known fact that elves can't throw for shit."

"A wager I will most happily accept. Though you've obviously never seen me playing darts, Karis. ANYBODY IN THERE WILL PROBABLY WANT TO CLEAR OUT!"

There was a pause of about thirty seconds or so as they waited a response. Since there were no indignant shouts back, Ter'thelas shrugged.

"Fire in the hole!" He pulled the pin on one of the pilfered grenades and hurled it upwards at the window of what looked to be a newspaper office out of the 1920s before ducking into a doorway across the street.

"Drat, I seem to have bounced off the facade--" BROOM! The dull thump of the explosion filled the street as the pair took cover.

"Told you, elves can't throw for shit."

The rest of the crew assembled on the Observation Deck to meet the latest editions to their numbers. After the revelation that their worlds are gone, many of them are even more eager to see people they knew from home.

Several people are set up near the doors to provide the new people with omnicoms and comm rings. New crew-mates might see a tall man in green armor and snake girl among their number. There are also several authoritative-looking figures ready to introduce themselves.

There's a lot to tell the new people. It's going to be a lot to take in.

[ooc: Only new characters and Command Staff can start new threads for introductions, to limit the number of threads. Everyone else, just tag in and have your guys greet the newbies.]

[ooc: Newbie Helpers List | Instructions: Post your character with one post establishing them as being podpopped. Tag each other in groups of 2's, 3's, and 4's, to get some interaction to start with. If a thread doesn't already have 2 or 3 people tagged in, tag it with your character's podpop popping near the other people, rather than making a new subthread. If you would like to play out them talking to the AI, please send an email to the mods making the request--we do this only by request. Then move onto the big Newbie Meeting. Once your character has gotten the rundown from the old crew, you may start posting entrance posts and freely tagging.]


||Pod Release Protocols Initating|| Stacy's familiar voice sounds out to all the podmates through the ship.

In the Pod Caverns, there are the sounds of: Pop. Pop pop pop. Poppuhpoppoppop. KASCHUNKhiiiiiiiissssss.

There is condensation and mist spraying out from cracks in the pods, as the people inside slide out onto the floors, covered in slime.

--

( There was nothing... )