(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

[quackery]

[laughs!!]

I'm older than you, kid!

[velveteened]

Are not! How old are you?

[quackery]

I am too, I turned sixteen all the way back in February!

[velveteened]

Well, I'm technically 25, so I'm still older.

[quackery]

Oh, sure, that's really—

[p a u s e]

Wait, what?!

[velveteened]

( ....blinks )

Gil never told you?

[quackery]

[WHAT]

Told me what?

1/2

[velveteened]

( WELL THIS IS AWKWARD. )

[velveteened]

Well -

( takes a reflexive step back

and

trips over a starfish, falling for the nth time. )

[quackery]

[QUACKS and waits for the inevitable but nothing happens because they are conveniently standing in an ocean, loopholes.

So she wades towards him again to pull him up, staring worriedly at the spot where he'd tripped over the starfish.]

Oh my gosh, are you okay? [And then as soon as he starts to answer:] Oh, I meant the starfish, but are you okay too?

[velveteened]

( WELL FINE THEN )

Do you need a moment...?

( TO TALK TO THE STARFISH SINCE APPARENTLY IT'S YOUR FRIEND NOW!!! )

[quackery]

[looks at]

I can't actually talk to it, you know.

[speciesist]

[velveteened]

( WELL SURE BUT )

That wasn't stopping you just now.

[quackery]

Tons of people talk to animals without expecting them to answer! Jeez.

[WAIT]

But that isn't even important! You're twenty five?!

[velveteened]

( FOILED )

You don't think I look my age?

( that's a joke. )

Well, sort of. It's a little complicated.

[quackery]

Complicated how? You can't just say that and not tell me how!

[SQUINTS]

You don't act twenty five!

[velveteened]

Well, it'd be weird if I did. I really am fifteen, but in my world, I was born 25 years ago.

( you're in a time-travel game ahiru work it out )

1/4

[quackery]

[brb trying to reformat her brain so maybe this will make sense]

2/4

[quackery]

[processing]

[quackery]

[processing...........]

[quackery]

[yeah no this conversation does not compute ABORT ABORT]

Well, um, that's... Okay.

[#so done with ph]

[velveteened]

( he laughs, a little rueful, and pulls his legs in closer so he can sit indian-style.

patiently: ) Is it confusing...?

[quackery]

How could you just skip ten years? That doesn't make any sense!

[velveteened]

Ah! You did get it.

( he pauses; it's funny because there's not a person in pandora who doesn't know this story, and not a single person here who does. )

It's not a common thing, even in our world.

[quackery]

[frowns!]

So what happened?