Other Worlds: V 1.0

[initiatesnpc]

Date & Time: May 14th at 9 AM to May 15th at 9 AM.
Location: Elmer's world
Characters: Elmer and his volunteer squad (and some Initiative NPCs).
Summary: The Initiative is tentatively trying to find a way to get Transports home, as outlined here. This is their first excursion.
Warnings: n/a

The Initiative employees who stand with the Transports at the Transporter pad are silent, nervous, but determined. They’re good words for the entire Initiative Hold today, really. For a room full of scientists all poised at their stations, it’s awfully quiet in here.

Transports and employees alike have been thoroughly briefed, warned repeatedly about the dangers, and finally, thanked for their bravery and contribution to the efforts to find a safe way home for unwilling Transports. (And yes, everyone has been promised a healthy pay bonus, pending their successful return.) There isn’t much left to be said. With one final nod, a white-coated woman at the forefront of the home-side scientists throws a switch.

There’s a hum, a rumble, a light...

...And then a lot of water.

It’s different from being sent back in time on missions; there is disorientation, a fleeting confusion. But as all of those along acclimate to their new universe, they might become aware of their surroundings. The fighters among them, having been warned repeatedly that there could be anything waiting for them on the other side, might even be a little disappointed.

They’re on a giant black cruise liner in the year 2002 — a veritable floating palace, with room for 2500 passeners and 1000 more crew on top of that. They seem to have just left shore, and the group’s en masse arrival on deck has drawn a few curious stares. Fortunately, their holographic devices should already have been activated before leaving, so the stranger-looking ones among them (you know who you are, green, gray, winged, and pointy-eared folks) won’t get more idle curiosity than the rest.

“Well,” says one of your resident lab-coated companions, “Mr Albatross, welcome home. Techs, spread out, get on the readings.” He tosses a doubtful glance at the rest of the Transports, a little apologetic. Really, they’d been prepared for a lot more explosions and gunshots than this. “The rest of you... see what you can find. I have a best-case-scenario list* from the higher ups, supplies they need. If anyone wants to see if there’s anything around here, be my guest.”

So there it is: you have a day, and a luxury cruise liner to spend it on. Better get to it.


*THE SCAVENGER HUNT LIST:
A lot of this list, handed out to the group on request, is really long, complex names of chemical compounds and fuel sources. Really, it’s mostly just wistful thinking on the part of the Initiative. But, hey, how were they supposed to be sure the group wouldn’t find itself teleported into a well-stocked laboratory in a futuristic world?

There is one very mundane mention on this list, though: alcohol. Is there a shortage in Exsilium? Do they just want better quality alcohol back home? Or is this for some extravagant party back in the Hold? Who knows. What is clear is it’s about the only thing on this list available on the cruise liner (although you never know, diligent searchers may get lucky with other items), and the Initiative has only given all travelers about $50 each.

[[ ooc; You’re welcome to make your own threads, mingle, or make up basically any scenario you’d like here! Feel free to tag the NPC, or handwave any communication with him entirely. They’ll be told to reconvene in 24 hours in the same place on the deck (except Elmer, who is to stay and look for any longer-term effects), and anyone not there runs the risk of being left behind when they attempt to reopen the portal back. ]]

Comments

A!

[imperfect]

[In the apparent absence of trouble, Ed is naturally inclined to go looking for some. At the moment, he's keeping an eye out for some of the more obscure components on the scavenger hunt list - or more accurately, because he does have a little appreciation for statistical improbability, materials close enough to them that alchemy's law of natural providence can cover the rest. They're in a whole other world, and a vaguely futuristic one from the look of things; like hell he knows what kind of junk they might have loaded into this particular ship.

But he's pretty confident that a lone kid industriously removing part of the wall isn't it, and so he pauses for a moment as he walks past.]

You sure you can fit in there?

[pixieboots]

Who, me? [ It's a question with a stupidly obvious answer, as the panel comes away in his hands. It's awkwardly big and heavy once it's out, so he tilts it a little while he leans down to stick his head into the hole. ]

I don't know, but I'm gonna find out. [ He sets the panel down down as gracefully as he can, propped up against the other side of the vent. ]

Anything could be up there.

[imperfect]

[Huh, that vent is bigger than he thought. Ed steps forward almost without thinking to lend a hand with the panel, but the kid seems to have got it, so he backs off again.]

Well, what are you hoping for? Or were you just planning to kill some time?

[pixieboots]

Nah. Just thinking about how hard it's gonna be for me to get around some parts of the ship without an adult. If I can get into the air vent it'll open up like a can of worms.

[ He sits back on his heels for a second, tilting his head up so he can look at the newcomer, full in the face for the first time. ]

Don't you want to see what's really out there?

[imperfect]

[If he's honest, he's slightly annoyed that he didn't come up with the idea first. He shrugs.] I guess it'd have to be more enlightening than any of this [he waves his crumpled-up list vaguely], but I'm not sure I trust this boat enough to go poking around in there.

[Lowering his hand, he tugs his coat a little tighter around himself and flashes the kid a small grin.] You don't think you could get away with telling people you're older than you look?

[pixieboots]

Yeah, it might work. [ He's not really sure, suddenly, whether or not he's being teased. But he's smirking a little in return anyway. ]

But then the problem's that you only get one chance. If you're wrong one time then they'll know who to turn away.

[imperfect]

Hey, you never know. Sometimes one chance is all you need. [For a second, his grin widens into something clearly a shade too theatrical to be entirely serious.] Besides, I'd say half of it is making sure that the way you look, nobody wants to ask if you shouldn't be there... [It softens before long, though.] But that's just me.