exsiliumlogs | Mission: Bad Science Saves the Day

Mission: Bad Science Saves the Day

Date & Time: Mid-Day, 3310 | Present Day June 14th-16th
Location: Andersfeld, in the (far former) state of Alaska. (Also known at one time as Anchorage, Alaska.) | Back in Exsilium, those manning the Transport Pads, or working on developing the antibiotics and administering them to the ill throughout the city. Yet others will need to hop-scotch through time gathering sufficient supplies to save lives.
Characters: Volunteers to alter medical research, people working on antiobiotic cures, people distributing appropriate cures, and those who are doing minor missions into the past to retrieve adequate supplies to treat the sick in the present.
Summary: Transports are asked to help save tens of thousands of lives, first by traveling two years into the past and altering scientific research. Second, by helping with the manufacture and development of antibiotics or other cures, once the mission is complete. Third, by distributing the cure to the affected parties. Fourth, by going on pointed supply missions solo, or with up to two other people, in order to get enough supplies to save people in the present.

Whatever your character decides to do, the weight of saving lives is on their shoulders, unasked, and perhaps unwelcome. What will they do when faced with this decision?

Warnings: Illness. Freezing cold. Possible death. Drunken scientists.

In Andersfeld, the snow falls in thick, fat flakes, winds blowing in gusts up to 60 kph. Everyone is bundled up against the weather. Spirits are generally low, if not outright alcoholic. Safety lines and lights guide those brave enough to venture outdoors from building to building.

For the Transports with a six hour window to alter a future that will kill over a hundred thousand people in three weeks, it's a dangerous and necessary bravery.

In Exsilium, the success of the mission to Andersfeld is felt as soon as scientists notice the virus responding to antibiotic treatments. It becomes a race to finding the most effective means of combating the now bacterial infection, and of mass producing any working cure for distribution.

Some help with the production.

Others hurry to cart the supply out to the places hit most heavily. Yet others work directly with administering the antibiotics, in most cases, via an IV line. Those less heavily affected will be granted ridiculously large antibiotic pills, needing to be coaxed down spasming throats.

Those who need action, or who are no good with the sick, are asked to make countless small trips through time to secure the supplies needed to produce enough of the cure to save the tens of thousands who are ill but not yet deceased.

And for those too ill to assist, now is the time to rest, heal, and get better. In a world like this, one never knows what surprise might next lie in wait. The Transports and the Initiative have thwarted total disaster for now.

Mostly.

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[That question is getting easier to answer. Shintaro's smiling a bit that Erika responded to the headpat because that must mean she's at least a little okay, and even though he honestly wants to crawl back to the apartment and into his bed and tremble at the thought of his short experience with death, he pushes that to the back of his mind.]

Oh, that. I didn't.

[So he died. A strange feeling surfaces, a sort of addition to her usual emptiness. He doesn't matter. Just another worthless person. Still...]

...I see. [Erika lifts her eyes to him rather than move her head entirely.] Please try not to do that again. It's an unpleasant experience.

[There's no sympathy for him but it isn't an entirely selfish feeling, either. Trying to convey herself when still stumbling blindly through buried emotions isn't easy.]

Hey, Shintaro-san? Will you let me bring you books when this is over? I've been so bored. Talking to you was one of the few stimulating things I've done.

No kidding. [He takes it as a kid being shaken up by the idea of death itself. He's watching her for her reaction, hoping he wouldn't have to comfort her or that she would start crying. He didn't know how to deal with that.]

... But sure. I don't mind you bringing books. Mysteries, I'm assuming?

Yes! [She brightens up in an instant, sitting straighter.] I've been catching up on all the mysteries past the eighties. Did you know some of them even got anime adaptations? I want to see those and see how they measure up!

They make a bunch of things into anime so I'm not surprised.

What do you think of the more modern mysteries, then?

Hmm... [She puts a lot of thought into that, crossing her arms.]

Well, I like the mixing of genres. It keeps me on my toes. For example, I've seen a lot of horror mysteries or sci-fi mysteries now. I'm used to more traditional mysteries so changing the framework is interesting. As long as they're still 'fair', I like them.

Huh. [Shintaro leans forward in his seat, propping himself up with elbows resting on his thighs.]

I thought they were just cheap tricks the author used to make their novels more "interesting" ... Did they actually work out?

Sometimes they do. [She takes on a less dignified position, sliding down and crossing her arms over her stomach.] Sometimes, like you said, they turn into cheap gimmicks. Most mysteries don't try to be fair anymore. They go for a twist ending... well, you can say that about a lot of things. It's just lazy writing. If you can't figure it out by the end, what's the point?

[Shintaro would have liked to have had unsolvable questions in the past. Now the questions haunt him. He glances in Erika's direction and is silent, then]

There's probably not a point, but sometimes there's no point in being able to answer all the questions, either. It's laziness I guess, but it could also be preference.

[Erika takes note of that silence, because it matches the one she falls into. She can accept she won't always know the truth now and that she was wrong in the past. But even then, she wants a certain answer.]

...I like having answers, though. I don't like lingering questions. Well, the real world is full of things like that but in stories you can indulge, pick and choose the ones that tie up things nicely. Maybe some people prefer having mysteries in the world. I wouldn't be surprised...

[She sighs.] Ah, I'm really torn on it. If I run out of mysteries, I'll definitely be bored of life all together. But if something is truly unsolvable, it'll eat away at me forever.

... [He opens his mouth, then shuts it. Opening it again, he takes a breath, a little shaky.]

A balance... might be good, right? Know the answers to some questions, but leave some unanswered. I mean, that's probably how it'll turn out in the end no matter what. There'll always be a question you can't answer, or... you miss the chance to get that answer.

Or something like that.

That's an interesting answer.

[What happened to him? Did he miss an important answer, too? He must have. He can't go back so it must bother him as well...]

Shintaro-san? What do you think 'truth' is? That must be a strange question but please answer seriously.

"Seriously," huh?

[What a strange question coming from someone he think is hardly in middle school. But Erika had shown signs time and time again of not being an ordinary person, too. Shintaro is silent, wondering if she'd accept his answer, before he decides he might as well go with it.]

Honestly speaking... that sort of thing doesn't matter to me and I've never given it much thought, so I don't have an answer for you. I could think of one right now, but something I come up with on the spot won't be the "serious" answer you want.

Then you should think about it. When you have an answer, please tell me. I'd be very interested.

[She tilts her head back, thinking for a moment.]

Because... even if my title was revoked, I'm still the Witch of Truth at heart. So please consider it carefully someday in the future. There are multiple truths, so there isn't a wrong answer. I just want to hear yours.

[... Aaah, well, he knew she was a little off. She acted strangely, like she knew more than someone that looked that age possibly could. It was different from the way he was good at academics and thought he knew all the answers. It was different from how Kano and Kido probably went through a lot because of their eyes. She was just... different.

So when he asks her, he doesn't look too surprised. It's more like asking for a confirmation.]

You're a witch?

[She was wondering if he thought she was eccentric or something else. Must have been option B for a while.]

Not anymore. I'm human enough. But it was my title for a bit. I retained most of the knowledge I was created with, though.

So... you're a little different. I guess that was pretty obvious, huh. [He did it. Again. He'd ignored it, hadn't he, despite getting the feelings.]

I can still call you Erika?

Please. I like the way you treat me, Shintaro-san.

That's good to hear? [He never thought he was treating her in any way special, but if she was a "witch" she must have been treated weirdly for it. Perhaps like how Kido, Kano, and Seto must have too. He glances at her but doesn't ask her anything.]

... Well, I guess I know some things that are as weird or weirder than witches, and it's not like you're biting my head off. It's fine.

Very good. I have no reason to hate you so it's truly fine. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on my book selections still.

I've finished a couple already, actually. They weren't bad.

[Something thoughtful. Something more thoughtful.]

I mean, I guess mysteries aren't really my choice of genre [and he solved them pretty easily] but they weren't a bore. Compared to some of the other stuff I've found on my own, they were worthwhile?

Good. In that case I'll give you harder ones. I'll probably have to write some myself but that shouldn't be a problem.

You do a lot of things, don't you, Erika-chan? You read mysteries, you solve them, and now you can even write them?

I can do anything. After all, I'm a perfect Detective.

Right. Well, tell me when you've written your mystery. I'd be willing to read it.

(no subject)

vimdicare - 2013-08-02 01:18 (UTC) - Expand

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