( 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

[5055034455]

[Damn.

He knew it.

Saul considers shouting, but he knows it won't stop her. So what he does instead is take a few running steps before leaping up and over her, twisting in midair so that he's facing her when he lands.

Thanks for the anime powers, Coby.]

Ahiru, don't. You can't take anyone with you.

[quackery]

[She has no actual clue what happened, so she skids to a halt, staring at him in shock for a moment and then looking back to where he had been a moment ago. She can try and process this later, though; after those few seconds of surprise, she turns and starts running the opposite way.

Because that's obviously going to work.]

[5055034455]

[It so totally is!

Except not.]

Damn it, kid —

[This time, he simply runs after her, making a grab for her arm once he catches up.]

[quackery]

[She keeps running until he grabs her, and tries to pull her arm free once he's got a hold of it.]

Let go!

[5055034455]

[Stupidly, he does. It hurts to do this to her — it was one thing to ask Steph to drug Jesse, when Saul wasn't there and didn't have to see it, but he's not going to wrestle Ahiru onto the ship if he can help it. He doesn't need someone else to hate him.

He crouches in front of her instead, holding his hands out in a surrendering sort of gesture, a silent plea for her to just give him a minute to talk.]

I know you're pissed off. I am, too. But you can't — Ahiru, what makes you think you're gonna be able to sneak anyone on board, anyway?

[quackery]

[She pauses, but shakes her head.]

I'll figure something out! I will.

[5055034455]

You're smart, I know. You're smart and you're brave, and I love that about you, but this isn't gonna work; the ship's employed by the Initiative, they probably have a list of names — they'll know. And there'll be consequences.

[Saul's sure she'd be doing more harm than good, even if leaving everyone behind to die is literally the most harm that can be done.]

Please, Ahiru. Just come with me to the ship.

[quackery]

I don't care about consequences! They're all going to be killed!

[And she knows that she can't stop that, but - she has to believe she can save at least person.]

I'm not just going to leave them.

[5055034455]

And we're gonna fix it. Okay? That's why we're going up to the moon. We're gonna do the time travel thing and stop the United Earth. We'll save the city.

[He doesn't know how true that is, but he sounds like he means it.]

[quackery]

[That's not how it works, she thinks. It's not that she doubts that they can fix it, but she knows if you change something so huge it can bring back thousands of people, it's bound to change those people somehow, too. The people here will be gone. When they bring them back, they'll be bringing back thousands of people who might look the same and sound the same, but she's certain they won't be the same.]

That doesn't make it okay to not try to help them now!

[5055034455]

[Saul's voice drops to a harsh whisper and, even though he doesn't quite realize it, he reaches for her arm again.]

What happens when we bring whoever's been saved back down here, after it's all been fixed? What happens when they run around telling everyone how we let the rest of them die? It's bad enough the United Earth wants us dead — we can't just save a few people without risking something much, much bigger. It's all or nothing, everyone or no one.

[quackery]

[She pulls away again, scowling.]

That doesn't make it okay to let people die when we can at least help a few of them!

[5055034455]

[His hand drops down to his side.]

But you're not helping! I know you think you are, but — if you really want to help, you'll listen to me and board the ship. Please.

[quackery]

I'm not just going to leave them! You can't seriously...

[She draws in a breath, shaky.]

I can't do that.

[5055034455]

[It becomes clear to Saul, then, that she means it when she says she can't. If she's given the choice, she's going to attempt it anyway.

So the only thing he can do is take away that option. That way, Ahiru can't blame herself.]

I'm sorry.

[In one quick motion, Saul moves forward and snatches her up, holding her tight against his chest. She can kick if she wants to, she can wriggle, she can scream at him, but he's not letting her go until she's on that damn ship.]

[quackery]

[She doesn't know quite what she was expecting him to do, but it certainly wasn't that. There are a few moments before she understands exactly what's happening, what he's planning to do - and then, of course, she starts to struggle.]

No! No, please, put me down. Please. You can't do this. Let go of me!

[5055034455]

I'll put you down if you promise to let me walk you there.

[And watch her board. That's the best he can do.

Until she agrees, he's running with her in his arms, headed for the boarding area.]

[quackery]

[She hesitates for a moment, struggling harder and trying to see if she can get out, before she relents.]

Fine! Fine, just put me down.

[5055034455]

[He puts her down.

But is giving her a look like, Seriously, don't you break this promise.]

Alright. After you.

[quackery]

[She looks around, thinking. She knows she can't run. She could change and try to fly off, but with the way it's always raining here, she doesn't think it would work too well. She could - she doesn't have any other ideas. For a moment, she's sure she's going to be sick, but she isn't.

What she does do (stupidly, embarrassingly, she thinks) is start to cry, bowing her head and bringing her hands up to her face to try and shield it. It doesn't hide the way her shoulders start to shake, though.]

[5055034455]

[Ah, shit.

Saul stares at her for a moment like he's not sure what to do, but he knows exactly what he has to do. Maybe now's not the best time, considering how he just tried to basically kidnap her, but if she'll let him, he's going to hug her.]

Ahiru...

[quackery]

[She knows she's being selfish. This shouldn't be about her and how she feels; she's not the one who's going to be left behind to die. She shrugs away, shaking her head as she tries to force herself to stop crying.]

Sorry. I don't need... Sorry.

[5055034455]

It's okay.

[His voice is soft, gentle. He even crouches so he can hold her a little more comfortably, waiting for this to pass.]

I'm sorry. For just now and for everything. If there were a better way, I promise you, we would've done everything to make it work. But there's just — there's not enough time.

[quackery]

[She takes in a breath, trying to stop her voice from shaking.]

You don't have to apologize, it isn't your fault.

[5055034455]

Feels a little bit like it.

[Everyone's carrying their share of the guilt, it seems.]