MISSION: RELEASE THEM BACK INTO THE WILD

[initiates]

Date & Time: April 27th - May 1st
Location: Wollongong, Australia, 2464.
Characters: All voluntary transports + maybe a few drafted ones.
Summary: Make those stay-at-homes leave their nerdcaves! My god, do they even know what sunshine looks like???
Warnings: none planned, will be updated accordingly!

The city is old, dark, and very, very quiet. A good deal of the buildings are crumbling and old, but the ones that are actually inhabited glow like candles in the dusk the Transporter has dropped you into. All of these buildings are infested by wiring pouring in from every angle, ensuring that each inhabitant in his or her little block of a room has every modern convenience available in 2464.

There is no one on the streets, no public transportation, and even cars look scarce. But that doesn't mean there's no movement. Maintenance drones, controlled remotely, run deliveries or work repairs. Armed law enforcement drones patrol on rounds through the city, although their mechanized attention is mostly turned outward. Still, they might come to investigate a ruckus within the city limits. And if the persons causing the ruckus don't respond to peaceful attempts to get them to cease, the drones might attempt to subdue them with paralyzing technology and haul them in for a night in the city jail — another dark, unused place.

If you get hungry, there are entire warehouses dedicated to the production of foods. It can't be that hard to sneak in and collect a meal, right? Or you can hack into the system and order whatever you want, if you're good with that kind of thing. Or you can just scavenge—or fast for four days, maybe—if thieving and hacking aren't your style.

And somewhere around here, in those glowing, secluded towers, behind the legions of automated drones, live the reclusive citizens of Wollongong. The methods are up to you, as long as you can get them to come out and breathe the fresh air somehow.

[[ ooc; Mission details are here! This will run from 27th of April to May 1st, with those on the mission returning to Exsilium at the same time that the new arrivals show up. It's an optional mission, but if you'd like your character to go along that would ICly sit it out, feel free to say that the Initiative drafted them for this one.

There aren't any teams or structured threads to this one, so go wild! ]]

Comments

[concealingeyes]

[Well, she guesses that the animals wouldn't be afraid of people anymore considering they rarely see them but really? Also why does he have leaves?? Jade is full of the weirdest questions.]

- Huh? Why is that a shame?

[clinical]

[Jade feeds a few more leaves to the koala. His glove apparently makes a very good branch for it to hang out on.

He could give the real answer, or...]

I've been told the females are more tasty.

[concealingeyes]

[Kido stares at him, mouth open.]

W-Wait a second! That's a joke, right?! You can't eat it!

[clinical]

[Jade offers it another leaf, which it takes in its cute little claws to munch on. He gently scratches it behind its ears.]

They're supposedly quite delicious when cooked on a skewer.

[concealingeyes]

[It's so cute how could you want to eat it?!]

Th-That doesn't matter you're not eating him!

[clinical]

Is there a reason why not?

[concealingeyes]

[Because she likes it and it's cute.]

You'd be betraying its trust!

[clinical]

Then I'm removing one of the less intelligent members of the species from the genepool, aren't I?

[Gosh isn't it so cute? It's resting its head against Jade's branch-arm as Jade continues to scratch it.]

[concealingeyes]

Wait, uh-! No, it makes sense! Because why would they be afraid when they haven't even seen people around, right?! So I bet he's a really smart koala! You can tell it in his eyes!

[She likes her koala shut up.]

[clinical]

Hm. [Jade lifts the koala up to eye-level. It looks at him. He looks at it. He pats it gently on the head.]

I'm afraid not. You can tell by the shape of the skull, particularly the placement of the nose, that this koala is less intelligent than the species average.

[concealingeyes]

What?! No way-!

[clinical]

—is what I'd say, if it were true.

Of course, we have no way of measuring its intelligence except by its behaviour. Brain mass doesn't necessarily indicate intelligence levels.

[concealingeyes]

J-Jade...

[She hangs her head with a groan. This guy. Well, it's fine. Now that she thinks about it, he --probably-- never intended to eat it in the first place.

She ends up moving closer, reaching out to see if she can pet it, too.]

At least you have a strong sense of humour. I don't think anyone could deny that.

[clinical]

[Jade holds out a hand to stop her. He offers a few leaves to her. Feed it first. Then you get to pet the koala.]

I'd been hoping instead to find a koala carrying a child.

[concealingeyes]

[She offers it the leaves carefully and watches with a small smile as he accepts them.]

Did you want to study them? Do you guys not have koalas?

[clinical]

I don't believe we have any species that would be classed 'marsupials.'

[So, yes. He was curious about marsupials.]

[concealingeyes]

I think they're pretty rare even on Earth. They're the ones that carry their babies in their pouches, right? There's...koalas and kangaroos... I don't know if there are others.

[She scratches the koala's back.] But since you even know what they are, you must've read up on Australia before the mission, so you probably know a lot about them now.

[clinical]

No, no, I know very little about Earth zoology. I was browsing an information brochure.

[concealingeyes]

You know, I think the last time you said that, you still knew way more than anyone usually would from a brochure.

[clinical]

I'm not sure what incident you're referring to Kido.

Now, shall we take this animal away from the city? It would be unfortunate if hungrier humans came across him.

[concealingeyes]

Ah, yeah. He'd probably be happier away from here.

[She pauses, looking at how comfortable it seems with Jade.]

...I think it likes you better, though.

[clinical]

Hm? It must be my natural charisma.

[So he's been carrying a heavy animal on his arm for a while, in an uncomfortable position for arms. How ARE his old bones managing it? No one knows.]

[concealingeyes]

[She's going to remember this for the next time he says his bones are weak.]

Why don't you carry him then? You can be his dad for now.

[clinical]

Hm? I suppose my son could only be a creature as adorable as this one.

[He did really just say that.]

[concealingeyes]

[She looks between him and the koala.]

...You're definitely nowhere near as cute. N-Not that it's really cute either...