( 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

[oncearanger]

When you're used to being able to solve almost any problem...when people turn to you and you can't solve one, it's a threat. It's as if you're not yourself anymore if you can't solve the problem.

[This he understands. He nods, trying to think back on what he'd heard.]

I haven't utterly failed to solve this one yet, but it looks overwhelming from here. But that's why we're not on our own, isn't it?

[interspace]

You've got it. Hank's got his team back home, and we've got... well, and entire lunar base on our side here. Not to mention a time travel machine. We're well-equipped, if not ridiculously understaffed.

[ Billy earns himself a grin. ]

Now, what say you put the watch back in order? Unless that thing is some kind of, I dunno, time beacon and you're doing way more work than I thought.

[oncearanger]

We might be able to make it work.

[He's still not happy, and this will still weigh on him for a while. But he's recovered enough to get back to real work---and so he frowns at the watch.]

I wish. I wasn't doing something quite as ambitious: I was wondering if it was possible to combine the time-telling function with a communicator if I set up the proper broadcast equipment.

[interspace]

How do you mean? [ Her brow furrows. ] Shouldn't putting a clock in... anything be really easy with the tech around here?

[oncearanger]

Right.

It's mostly a space concern for what I want to do. I don't want to make the head of the watch bulky, but I want to fit those gears and hands in as well.

[There's some familiar silver and blue wiring being attached to the straps. He can fit some power in those folds, maybe.]

[interspace]

Maybe I'm just a product of my generation, but why not put in a digital face that'll simulate the hands and the rest of the face without adding all that much bulk to it?

[oncearanger]

That could work, but I don't want to tend to digital. Mechanical is easier to keep working in a supply-limited environment like this.

[He's still poking away, though he makes a noise of surprise when something seems to slot in perfectly. Yes---there. He hurriedly fixes that up.]

Were you able to bring most of what you wanted?

[interspace]

You make a good point.

[ Here she gives a one-shouldered shrug. ]

Didn't have much to start with, so yeah. I'm great at packing light.

[oncearanger]

I couldn't teleport an entire lab. I only have my blueprints and a few simple tools.

I guess I'll be furnishing the lab for the foreseeable future. Did you work out what you're doing?

[interspace]

Apparently DIY media rooms. The idea of anyone having the chance to be without a proper method to destress is terrifying when we're stuck in an artificial atmosphere with a bunch of supers.

Yours sounds pretty fun, though. Gonna run some cool experiments now that you've got an atmosphere like this to work in?

[oncearanger]

I'll be working on whatever I can that will reverse the deaths faster.

[What is this fun? He has no time for it. But he does understand the need for other people to do it.]

What's your plan for wearing them out? An obstacle course?

[interspace]

It's not wearing people out so much as giving their brains a chance to settle or work on less strenuous problems for a while. If it's something physical you need, apparently the simulation room can do some brain chemistry trickery so they can work out in there without smashing holes in the walls.

Nah, this is just good ol' fashioned party games.

[ It seems she's completely unapologetic for speaking if such frivolous matters while Billy is so focused on the people they're about to let down. ]

[oncearanger]

Party games?

[That's a raised eyebrow. He's not really judging her for this, just...a little suspicious of what she might be thinking.]

[interspace]

Yeah. Like Sorry! or Monopoly or Mario Party. Whatever people feel like.

[ There's that one-shouldered shrug again, due mostly to the fact that she's still leaning on Billy with her other arm. ] There's single-player stuff, too, but after all this I figured it would be a stupid idea to skimp on the relationship-building stuff.

[ misha no mario party does not build relationships it destroys them ]

[oncearanger]

I can't recommend Monopoly for that.

[It's such a silly thing to comment on, but he looks apologetic.]

The rushes on the bank, the squabbling over mortgages, and the fights about jail and Free Parking ruined any game I ever tried to play with my old friends---an economics lesson turned into a disaster. Eventually we tossed out the deeds and started building castles with Legos instead.

[interspace]

I know exactly how that is. Back when I was a kid, I... [ She pauses, then shakes her head. ] Well, we all cheated, right? Now, Legos — those were fun even if the best I could do was make back-scratchers with them.

[oncearanger]

What, you never built the Eifel Tower?

I tried to build my theoretical starship design once. Of course, as a child, I didn't understand how much space the engine would need to take up, and my corridors were too narrow for people to pass through.

But it was fun to speculate and dream.

[interspace]

Nope. My siblings might have, but it's not like I can ask them here, you know? [ She says it in a tone that speaks of unwillingness to continue on that track. Billy can push, she's just not ready to really talk about her actual life before her "super" life. ]

Bet you made up an awesome hull and thruster design, though.

[oncearanger]

I did.

I would've liked to build it someday, but I'm still not a world-renowned genius with extensive access to resources.

[He sighs and shakes his head]

Anyway, those are good choices for games. I almost worried that you'd chosen something a little more socially hazardous.

[interspace]

You'll get there someday, I bet. Even if you have to invent a machine to make your own resources first.

Socially hazardous. [ She gives an amused scoff. ] For example?

[oncearanger]

[He just nods faintly at that. It seems so far away.]

Drinking games. Dares. That sort of game designed to encourage people to make fools out of themselves.

[interspace]

Hah! No, that's definitely the opposite of my intent here. One wrong move and half the base could be without oxygen or heating. Best not to give people reason for actual stupidity like that.

[ She raises a brow at him. ] I find your lack of faith in me disturbing, though.

[oncearanger]

I didn't think you would have that kind of intent.

I thought perhaps you just wanted to forge friendships with people.

But I like your way better.

[interspace]

I don't need no stinkin' friendship ploys. [ She leans back, waving her hand around her head vaguely. ] That's what ALFRED is for. You know, that friendship thing.

[oncearanger]

He's the only friend you need?

Or he assists you in that department?