( 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

[pauldron]

[She watches the magic expand, ignores the vague twitch in her chest at the memory that it brings--it looks like Protect--before she looks back at him.]

So you want to repay the favor. Protect them. [It's not even a question, really. She crosses her arms over her chest, cupping her elbows in her palms.] But do you really think that barrier can stand up against an attack of that magnitude? Or that you can do it multiple times if the UE doesn't give up and go home after one strike?

[He has to look at it logically, is what she means. Good intentions don't save lives.]

[limitstorm]

[ riku is usually so logical. he would understand what this meant, he would get that he had to pick the safest option to keep going. he scrubs his face, listening to her--he knows he's right. he's asked himself the same questions. he's shrugged them off, thinking that maybe, just... maybe... if he tried hard enough, maybe the small bit of light in him could make some sort of miracle happen. it always seemed to for his best friends.

but he wasn't them. he closes his eyes. ]

I'm not a run-and-hide kind of guy.

[ complete lies. ]

[pauldron]

[That just clinches it. He reminds her of Snow, looks like Hope....dammit why won't he see reason? She runs a hand through her hair, pinning her soaked bangs to her skull for a moment.]

So you're the kind of guy that keeps trying until it gets him killed, too. Is that what you're saying? [she frowns.] Because that's what it looks like from where I'm standing. You know you can't do these people any good if you die with them, right?

[limitstorm]

[ there's some careless callousness as he speaks, stern and angry--even if it's mostly at himself.

failing again. ]

I'm not doing them any good right now, either. Who knows, maybe I'll be some use to them dead.

[pauldron]

["It would be better for everyone if I just stayed behind." It sounds so similar that her fists clench at her sides, and with only a couple of strides, she closes in to loom with all five foot seven of her height and come face to face with him.]

No one is useful to anyone if they're dead. Not even kids with busted up arms. If you die, all you are is another person the Initiative has to try and bring back. That's it. You don't save anyone, you can't help anyone, all you are is another body in the count. Do you really think that's a way to be useful?

[Her tone rises during that last sentence, going from calm to clearly angry in just a handful of works. She. clearly has issues with this sort of thing.]

[limitstorm]

[ riku can't help but lightly flinch--it feels like such a scolding, and long pink hair distantly remind him of his mother with her fierceness and gentleness held hand in hand. it feels like just blade here, with no flower or niceness. it's enough to actually make him a little subdued, looking down and away from her with his shoulders hunched.

he sure looks ashamed. ]

What is?

If none of us could stop it, what's the point? What can we do?

[pauldron]

[She presses on, shaking her head.]

We can live. We can find other ways to fight. [Her shoulders slump. She gets it, in a way. She understands how it feels to be useless on ths level.] If the Initiative really can send us back in time, we can fix this. But only if we're alive to fight back when it counts. Only if we don't give up hope and give up here.

[Living without hope is just a way to die. She closes her eyes, breathes, and then shifts to look him in the eyes.]

You have to think things through more. Make a plan and act on it, not act recklessly trying to save everyone in one move like this.

[limitstorm]

[ used to be a time when i could.

he rubs a hand against his cheek. feeling so hopeless, useless on this level--riku hates it. it's like being a puppet all over again. he has no control over what's happening, but he's forced to watch and be a part of it. he can only think of how the natives must feel betrayed. they were doing this for them. ]

I'll just--stay until the last ride. At least if I try, I'll know for sure.

[ he hears her words. he really does.

he just can't comprehend them after all he's been through. ]

[pauldron]

[Definitely not listening to reason. She sighs. She's not his friend, not a relative, and certainly not a parent. It's his call to make, so even though it rubs her entirely the wrong way...]

Fair enough. Just make sure you're on that ride. [She turns, looking out in the direction of the Hold.] If they do have a plan, it's probably going to need all hands on deck. [her eyes flick towards Riku.] Even ones attached to busted arms.

[limitstorm]

[ he glances down to his arm and then awkwardly shifts it closer to him, looking at the ground. ]

Yeah. I'll... do that.