(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

[celestial_wizard]

[ Very subtle by comparison of her usual celestial summons, but its there. It's there and helping her - it answered her call. ]

[ BUT IT WAS TAKING THE PARASITE AWAY. She hadn't reached the key yet! ]

No! Wait!

[ She pushes herself up, only for her arm to give out again, coming nowhere near either beast. ]

Bring back Loke first!!...

[theparasite]

[it's a little late for that, with the Nightcap squalling and shrieking in the snake's coils, lifted and pulled away. there's a strange, ethereal sound hanging heavy in the air, lamenting the whole affair. an apology, but certainly not the monster's.

they disappear, but not anywhere near as gracefully as the snake's initial appearance.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ Damnit damnit damnit. No no no...! ]

Loke!!

[ Lucy can only stare in horror as the creature is pulled away, and that thing's -screams- and words seem to cling to her like a second skin. What did it all mean...? ... no, she'd look into it later, after she got her key back. But by the time she gets to her feet, the creatures - both of them - have already vanished. The loss is like ...well, no different from losing any of her dear friends. She turns, staggering, hurt and bleeding, back towards the camp with a heavy heart. She has a message to send out - a warning. But before she gets too far, she whispers a silent thank you to that spirit - Skigaa. Even though the way things ended weren't the way she wanted, it did come to her aide and she wasn't even contracted with it. ]