( open ) i'll fly you to the moon and back

[initiates]

Date & Time: September 21st - September 30th, 11:59 PM
Location: The Hold, the Moon Base
Characters: Any/all.
Summary: The Transports are evacuating to the Moon Base. Those on the Moon Base try to settle in and figure out their next move. Setting info can be found here.
Warnings: Talk of nuclear warheads and reference to immense loss of life. Please contact the mods should any individual thread get graphically violent or anything else of the sort.
Note: Use date and location tags in your subject headlines! Such as "On the moon, 23rd onward" or "On the spaceship, 25th" or "down at the Hold, 29th."

The Hold is a flurry of activity, grim faced members of the Initiative group directing supplies and people with the subdued air of people facing their own doom, and wondering at how to process the knowledge. None of the Initiative appears unaware of what will happen; their eyes linger on the Transports, expressions pleading, hopeful, doubtful, or immeasurably sad in turn.

Every eight hours, the space ship is sent back up with a load of people and supplies. The pilots are worked until they can't; the AI stolen ages ago by the Initiative greets and corrals people and supplies at both ends, and in the middle step between.

The network continues to broadcast on narrow channels between the Moon Base and Exsilium, up until the time that all connections are lost, with the carrier located en route to Exsilium. The first airship will pass by without dropping anything, but it's too early to celebrate. At a six hour delay from behind, the second airship arrives, and with it, the dark promise of the Black Code's nuclear weaponry.

The six hour window allows for time for those left behind, either by choice or circumstance, to be pulled to the Moon Base with the successful activation of the Transport Pad. New characters will ultimately arrive with the remainder of those not yet on the Moon Base, all in time to witness the explosive contact of the nuclear warhead with the ground of Exsilium live on satellite.

But until then, there's only the hurry, the silence, and the potential for full out rioting should the Transports spread word to the Exiles inevitably left behind to face this fate.

Comments

[strategic_guile]

You can teleport from here to the moon?

[Damn, he's a bit surprised and impressed. That was damn convenient.]

What supplies in particular?

[have_hat_will_travel]

Greater Teleport has no range limit; as long as I've been there, I can go there.

So I just flew up with the very first flight.

My supply focus is entertainments; alcohol, books, you get the idea. I'm planning to turn one of my magic resources into a place for Transport comfort.

[strategic_guile]

[You are speaking a foreign language when you talk about 'magic resources' and 'greater teleport' but he can puzzle most of the meaning out of it.]

Does that include backwards or forwards in time?

[Because that's a legit question, right? He softly laughs and shakes his head.]

Yeah, I'm sure plenty of people will be wanting the booze, but the library has plenty of books. Just pick out whatever ones to keep and leave the rest behind.

[have_hat_will_travel]

No on the time travel, sadly.

The library here? Or the one on the moon?

[strategic_guile]

The library here. I don't know what's on the moon right now. I haven't made my trip up there yet.

[have_hat_will_travel]

... The one that won't be available once we're stuck up there, you mean?

[strategic_guile]

Yeah, because it's going- [makes a poofing motion with his fingers.]

We should save as much as we can that's even slightly useful.

[have_hat_will_travel]

Hard part is there, I don't have too much space to devote to them...

[strategic_guile]

How much space do you have to carry things back and forth?

[have_hat_will_travel]

I've got several rooms focused on shuttling right now.

If you need long-term storage, we can work out an arrangement to rent one of the rooms, though I'm trying to keep most of them for short-term use once my plan is up and running.

[strategic_guile]

Gonna make a speak-easy in there? [He's half-joking.]

No, I don't need anything long term. Not yet.

[have_hat_will_travel]

Actually? Yes.

The way I see it, no way in hell the Initiative's going to remember to bring things for people's happiness. Combine that with psychological scarring from losing so many people, and you've got a recipe for people going insane.

So the Chaotic Evil thing to do is to let it happen and watch people fall into despair, et cetera et cetera.

The other Chaotic Evil thing to do is grab stuff, create opportunities to bring others some happiness and rest, and give a couple large middle fingers to the Initiative's inability to plan ahead when they knew the UE had the ability and plan to nuke Exsilium while I'm at it.

Guess which I'm going to choose?

[strategic_guile]

Can't say our happiness has ever been on their list of things that are vital, but I have no idea what you mean by chaotic evil. That just sounds like, 'Fuck the Initiative. I'll do what I want.' Didn't know there was a special term for it.

[He shrugs a bit. He's not arguing against it, but he's not in favor of the booze. A bunch of depressed people in an airtight building with guns. Not his idea of fun.]

[have_hat_will_travel]

Where I'm from, it means a few very clear things.

Though there's a little bit of screw the Initiative involved there, too, yes. Mostly out of frustration of their forgetfulness.

[strategic_guile]

I don't think they forgot. [Blaine looked at his bags.]

If you can take these up there for me, I'll find you some supplies in exchange.

[have_hat_will_travel]

They forgot about the nuclear capabilities - something they knew the UE would have - long enough to not have a plan ready to negate them if the UE decided to bring them to bear. Thus why we're having to flee.

[strategic_guile]

They didn't forget. They made a calculated choice to risk being wiped out in order to save their soldiers. The soldiers who are the only ones who stand a chance against the UE and saving them. They're putting their hope into us going into the past and erasing what happened.

[He isn't happy about this.] They should have planned better.

[have_hat_will_travel]

I mean further back than that. They could have quietly sent people with the right abilities in to sabotage missiles or something, if it'd been planned ahead of the kidnappings - months ago.

[strategic_guile]

They definitely didn't plan enough, but sabotaging all the nuclear missiles around the world is pointless. They can make more.

[Blaine rubs his neck.] There are just too many things they fucked up to point the finger at any one thing in particular.

[have_hat_will_travel]

Either way. For now, all we can do is what we can. And for me, that means booze peddling.

[strategic_guile]

If you take my bags, I'll bring you some with more stuff I need taken up there.

[have_hat_will_travel]

Deal.

[strategic_guile]

I'll see you later. [And off he goes to procure some alcohol.]