( 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

Exilium, 23rd-30th Close-ish.

[senseandcecilbility]

[Kevin has decided to stay and fight, which means he will lock himself in the ruins of St Paul's and pray until he gets some freaking answer, please God just this time, please!, or hopefully amass enough strength for whatever is coming in the direction of the increasingly panicking Exiles. He has raised enormous crystal barriers before, but the chances of deploying such power here and now are very slim.

Still, it is not like he can abandon the alternate version of the people he is supposed to protect. And he will not.]

[ audio/private ]

[maddeninghatter]

[ Ding-a-ling-ling-ling

Hope you brought your tablet to your prayer session, Kevin, because someone's trying to call you. ]

Hi hiiiii~!

[ You're a moron and an overgrown pigeon, however.... somebody might owe you one. Maybe.




Pick up, idiot. ]

Re: [ audio/private ]

[senseandcecilbility]

[He recognizes that number.

And really considers not picking it up. B-BUT Mister Break might be in trouble again, so...]

Y-yes?

[maddeninghatter]

Is something the matter?

[ You know, apart from MASS SLAUGHTER ]

You sound tense.

[senseandcecilbility]

...

[He looks around the deserted church, and then back down at the tablet. Break will not stay behind. Mister Gilbert, Collette and Master Oz would not let him. Perhaps it is time to say goodbye?]

I am alright, Mister Break.

[maddeninghatter]

D'you need any help? Packing up, I mean?

[ A beat ]

Cos Gilbert's verrry handy at that sort of thing. And others have offered assistance. Cute kids called the "Dan," or something like that.

[senseandcecilbility]

[He makes a high pitched noise, which is amplified by the empty cathedral's acoustics.]

T-there is no need! No need at all!

G-goodbye, Mister Break. B-be nicer to Mister Gilbert, please?

[He turns off the tablet in a hurry!]

[maddeninghatter]

[ CALLING BACK


AGAIN


REPEATEDLY: ]

What do you mean, "goodbye"?

[senseandcecilbility]

...

...

[Oh God.

J-just leave him alone.]

[Action]

[soul_sister]

[The Cathedral is a cavernous place, even in its ruin. There's something far more human about it now, with its gold stripped and tile cracked, more like the frayed robe of an apostle than the finery of a pope.

But it is, in its loss of luster and more than a few breaks in its walls, a false security of being alone.

So when Kevin hears footsteps on the shattered tile, heading towards the great altar, it seems a more profound question of who.]

Re: [Action]

[senseandcecilbility]

[Kevin would not disagree with her assessment, except that all the churches he has seen in Exsilium are always so, so empty. If this was his own Britain, his powers would be terribly compromised. Angels do not take the loss of their territory too well.

He has the ingrained habit of observing others, and so even as he prays his eyes turn to the altar. His first thought is: well, at least she still goes to church. Perhaps the demon has not completely corrupted her after all.]

[soul_sister]

[Unaware she's being watched, Rosette crosses herself solemnly before standing in front of the great altar. She's quiet a long moment, head down in reverence and contemplation ...

Before stomping a foot down on one of the velvet-stripped prayer benches. The sound echoes powerfully through the hall. She points a finger up at the ceiling.]

OKAY LISTEN UP!

This is a big prayer so I found the biggest church still standing so I better have your attention down here!

[senseandcecilbility]

...

[Oh.

My.

God.

Kevin looks up at the ceiling, out of sheer instinct. Then back at the fallen nun, his own prayer changing immediately to something along the lines of Father, please forgive her, she has problems.]

[soul_sister]

[She continues over his reverent pleas for her salvation and un-smited state.]

I don't know what the big plan is here, and I'm not going to pretend to understand what it would be even if I knew.

But there are a lot of lives here, a lot. I don't know what the point was to bring us some where like here if we can't DO anything when they need us most. I wont waste time with questions, but believe you mean I have a ton of them when I get up there.

... But right now, we could use a hint. Something, anything! A sign, an angel, set some talking bush on fire!

...

This isn't the way anything should end.

[senseandcecilbility]

[In spite of her irreverence, her thoughts mirror his own. Indeed, not getting direct replies is one of the worst parts of his punishment.

Again, he wonders how humans do it, though Rosette's answer is apparently: yelling a lot.

...Well, if she wishes an angel, this much he can provide.]

Rosette?

[soul_sister]

[She seems to jump out of her skin, arms windmilling to keep her balance. Flustered and confused, she looks between Kevin, the altar and the ceiling in rapid fire disbelief.]

Kevin! You... HOW....

THAT WORKED?!

[senseandcecilbility]

[It would be wrong to lie about this.]

W-well, in fact I was already here, though you know...mysterious ways?

ACTION

[individualist]

[As if going from the planet to the moon and back wouldn't be difficult, so of course Lucifer isn't gone yet. One minute Kevin may be alone in his prayers, but the next he's joined by a familiar presence, that well dressed figure sat on the steps of the Altar nearby, one leg crossed over the other.]

Has he put you on Hold, Uriel?

Re: ACTION

[senseandcecilbility]

[It startles him badly, and he fights the urge to hide. He is not afraid, but genuinely mortified. This is the last person he wished to see him like this.]

What are you doing here?

[individualist]

[Unfortunately, it's much more fun to skip over that entirely, and instead steer the conversation elsewhere.]

I could ask you the same thing.

Do you think He's going to do something about this? Any of it?

[senseandcecilbility]

[Miracles do happen, but they are also very unlikely.]

...

[He straightens his back, looking very much like the angel he is.]

I am here because He allowed me to. And perhaps I might be able to do something about this on his behalf. As anyone who tries.

What are you going to do?

[individualist]

Is that so? It must be nice, having others do all the work yet getting all the credit. He lives a fine life.

[Lucifer's demeanor is so steady that it's probably obvious he isn't too worried about this situation.

Granted, that doesn't mean the United Earth isn't a threat. He's simply well prepared.]

As for your question...nothing.

I think humanity has gone on long enough relying on the likes of you, Him...even me. They need to start relying on themselves, and as it stands, they haven't completely failed yet. Many will die, but there will be survivors, and their rebellion will continue. That's what matters most.

[senseandcecilbility]

[Another angel would have delivered a spiel about God's perfection and the sacredness of life. Raphael, probably. Uriel merely looks away, keeping his thoughts to himself. Lucifer, even this Lucifer, has already made his choice a long time ago.]

Currently, they do not seem to be relying on us at all.

[individualist]

[He'd appreciate it, funnily enough.]

Exactly - they don't need to anymore. Humanity is taking steps towards true independence; defeating the United Earth is just one step towards that.

Isn't it wonderful?

[senseandcecilbility]

[He makes a face. Nothing about this seems wonderful.]

Forgive me if I cannot share your enthusiasm, Son of the Dawn.

Britain is my home.

[It is a strange thing to say, considering his nature and where he comes from, though it is still the honest truth. This is the place he has been happy with his young master. Or at least its alternate. He has met its people face to face, bought bread from its bakers, visited its theaters and museums, known its joy and pain, even if from a careful distance. The angel of the element earth is not very fond of changes, or letting anything go, let alone the things and people he cares about the most.]