(open) mission: hit the beach

[aithinkthereforeaiam]

Date & Time: July 18th-24th, Exsilium Time
Location: Sea Shore during the Late Cretaceous Period
Characters: All! Oh those pesky mandatory missions.
Summary: In lieu of the success of the space shuttle's test flight, all of the Transports have been sent back to the Cretaceous period to gather mineral supplies and volcanic rock, while doubling as a sort of 'vacation' and chance to get Transports out of the Initiative's hair. With well stocked supplies, camping gear, and more burlap sacks than anyone could possibly ever use, the Transports have been set under a protective dome and told to collect what they can... and to enjoy the sunshine.
Warnings: Shenanigans!

The overflow log can be found HERE!

It's almost surreal, the quality of color, of light, of oxygen saturation in the air once people arrive. It's so rich that the Initiative sent people back with respirators, to help ease the transition, and warned those who would listen about the effects of too much oxygen on a system.

What they don't warn for is the sheer alien familiarity of the landscape, the warmth, the roughness of the sand on the beaches. This is not the fine, sandy beaches out of vacation dreams, but a rougher, larger granule sort, with shells that might be recognizeable as ancestors to ones those from Earth would remember washing up on familiar beaches, millions of years later.

Most striking is the lack of abundant wildlife found among the fronds and leaves and foliage, or underneath the surface of the saltier, much warmer waters extending off the beach. While acting as a permeable membrane to oxygen and water, along with the sorts of phytoplankton that kept sea creatures alive, all the larger animals had been pushed out by the Initiative's installment of the safety dome. Along the transparent walls, curious creatures would come close, peer in, tap against the barrier and run off if frightened, but very few were found inside at any size larger than that of a house cat. It was for the better in the long run.

Too bad that the Initiative didn't have ultra-violet blocking technology in their shielding. For all the atmosphere is in much better shape millions of years in the past, the sun is as strong as ever, and the unwary will be burned through and through if they're not careful.

Comments

c

[payback]

[The stars out here are absolutely on fire. It's daunting, a little scary but whetted with excitement too - they're miles and millenia away from the modern day, and Rin couldn't find it nicer.

She comes down to the beach to enjoy a slow stroll after a long hot day herself, basking in the still-warm nighttime air and enjoying the silvery light of the moon, the ridiculous piles of glittering stars. She crunches and shuffles through the sand, and mutters a soft, unladylike curse when she scuffs her foot on a sharp bit of rock. The dangers of going barefoot.]

[anklets]

[A curse echoed, not quite as crudely but water-slurred, and prompted by the unfortunate discovery of the many tiny scratches on her hands. Drags herself back to the air, pursed lips, and wrings her hands and her hair, so that she can see Rin where she stands silhouetted, small.

The water is too sour that she can't put off dredging herself from it.]

Careful!

[payback]

Why? [A little disproportionately alarmed, all at once. That voice is familiar too...] Why? What happened? What?

[anklets]

Shore's rough.

[payback]

Oh! [A pause. There's enough moonlight to see her surprise companion, if not really enough to illuminate the scratches on her. Rin squints a little.]

... Isn't it late to swim...?

[anklets]

Late? [ she wouldn't know ] I'm already so burnt I wanted to wait until the sun had gone down.

[payback]

It's getting a little dark, isn't it? You'll get cold...

[Not for a while, though. The air still saturated with warmth. Rin looks past Lenalee towards the horizon.]

It's pretty though...

[anklets]

[Turns to face the same, gathering her hair at her nape and wringing it. The sun is a crimson sliver on the water.]

It is, isn't it... Like something from a fairytale.

[payback]

lalala