( 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

[curiousredsoul]

Celena watches him for that brief moment, knowing well the indecision that plagued his mind on what to take what to leave. A slight smile coming to her lips as she leaned slightly against the door frame.

"I've attended to my own things already for the most part, I came to see how you were doing, Billy, to see if you needed a hand at all, or someone to talk to,"

[oncearanger]

"I don't know what you can do, unless you have a subspace compartment on you somewhere."

Billy doesn't mean to sound snappish---he sounds more sad than angry, and his head hangs as he flips through his notebook. "The scale of what we have to do seems overwhelming, and none of my planning can be enough."

[curiousredsoul]

"Something I've yet to develop unfortunately, in time perhaps," She comments with a small smile, "I could offer a minor suspenser, would be able to offset a measure of the weight to allow a slight bit more to be taken?" Celena offers as she pats her pouch.

She pushes off the doorway to walk around to him slowly, reaching up to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "You are not alone in this Billy. It will be no simple task, but let us take it a step at a time. We've taken on great odds before, and together we shall do so again," she gives a light squeeze to his shoulder at that.

[oncearanger]

"Even that small amount would help," Billy answered, making a note somewhere on his pad that an extra tool might be able to fit.

He sighs at the contact, though her hand does encourage him to look up and really take her in. "I know. We'll do whatever we can. But it certainly won't be easy...I can't imagine how uncomfortable it might be for you," he guesses.

[curiousredsoul]

Celena nodded to that, pulling out a small device with a crystal at the center, with four attachment points radiating from it. "Attach this when everything is set and it will take around ten kilograms off the weight, depending on size, will last long enough to get up there at least before recharging,"

She offers him a warm smile when he finally looks up, "It will be a challenge, that is for sure, but when is anything in these situations easy?" she gives a soft chuckle at the comment to lighten the mood somewhat, "Likely as comfortable as I was on Stacy, this form suits well as does my normal form at the size it was when we were on board,"

[oncearanger]

"You can shrink yourself to that size?" Billy wondered. That would help, certainly, but it seemed so strange to him.

Somehow he got stuck on that and not the human transformation.

[curiousredsoul]

"Indeed, one of the simpler aspects of shape shifting, a talent picked up with a great deal of practice and assistance from a particular wizard," Celena dipped her head with a fond smile as her thoughts drifted to that time spent with the elven wizard in question.

"A particularly useful one I've found however,"

[oncearanger]

Billy allowed a shadow of a smile to cross his face.

"We could've used his advice right about now. But we're doing the best we can, and though the constraints are woefully inadequate for any grand plans...I'm starting small. Necessities first. Emergency lights, for example."

[curiousredsoul]

"Indeed, his talents and magical knowledge would have been quite useful," Celena dips her head slightly, a smile crossing her face as she thought of just how the wizard in question would have taken the situation.

"We shall make do with what we have available I am sure," she nods to his example before giving a wry smile, "Should the lights go out I can always act as a walking emergency light in my normal form," she commented to help lighten the mood a bit.

[oncearanger]

"All that fire, right?" Billy said softly.

He stared at his hands for a few moments, then looked back up at her. "How are your preparations going?"

[curiousredsoul]

"Not so much fire as my markings," Celena comments gently with a smile to him.

"I've gathered all the essentials to continue my work, both the crystals I've on hand and other supplies. As well as salvaged any key components from the abode. Otherwise just finalizing what I can about the city,"

[oncearanger]

"I'm sorry. It's been so long since I've seen them."

Billy leans forward on the table, resting his head in his hands. So she's doing well, then. "I'm trying to maximize what I carry. Every part of my bag is going to be reusable, and I'm trying to recycle every part as I can. But I'll never get too far without help, and...well, that's my problem.

This isn't the ship. I haven't worked extensively with the other inventors save for Ed and you---and I don't think they think too highly of me."

[curiousredsoul]

"You'll see them again soon enough I'm sure,"

Celena turns her back to the table and leans against it lightly as she watches him, "A wise course of action indeed, the more that is available the better. We'll find ways to get supplies, even if it means running missions out directly for needed parts,"

She gives a thoughtful look, nodding to herself, "There are a fair number of engineers and others that seem to be working fairly independently, indeed. If they saw even a small measure of your work from on board they would think otherwise,"

"It is unfortunate that there is no group or organization yet that would allow greater cooperation in that regard, as the engineering department did previously. Perhaps that should be rectified,"

[oncearanger]

"We'll be cramped in fairly close quarters. That might be the boost we need to get along, though I can see us clashing at first."

Billy scratches at the back of his neck. "It'll be strange not to be in charge anymore, but...I was never really an alpha sort of leader in the first place, was I?"

[curiousredsoul]

"Indeed, proximity may well be the spark needed for such cooperation, even if it at first clashes do happen, with a common goal in mind such clashes will hopefully be able to be overcome, or at least mitigated,"

Celena looks over to him at that offering a smile, "No doubt, after such a time there. Perhaps not, but you were still a capable leader nonetheless, far from it,"

"It shall certainly be interesting to see what talents and skills that will be brought to the table here after the vast array we had back onboard,"

[oncearanger]

Billy could only nod his head in agreement and sigh, sagging against the table for a moment. He's not feeling ready for this at all, but the only choice is to move forward, right?

He slowly stands, folds his bag, and spares a smile for her.

"Do you need any assistance with packing?"

[curiousredsoul]

Celena smiles with a small measure of her usual cheerfulness as he stands. Shaking her head slightly to his question.

"Assistance, no, I should be fine, I would not mind the company however,"

[oncearanger]

"I'll be with you, then," Billy answered, rising with a faint trace of a smile on his face. "It's a shame to say goodbye to all our work already, but life is cruel sometimes."

[curiousredsoul]

"Thank you, Billy," Celena dips her head slightly with a smile as she pushes away from the table, "Indeed, it is something of a pity, but such is the way of things. We still carry what we've learned from such hard work, and besides if all goes well, it may yet remain if we are successful,"

[oncearanger]

Billy nods slowly, leaning to bump against her as they leave. "We won't even have a City or the Sensoriums to distract ourselves. It'll be all close quarters, all the time.

I hope you're prepared to get to know each other very well."

[curiousredsoul]

Celena raises an eyebrow with a soft chuckle nodding in agreement before giving a slight bump in return as she nods and steps off and to the exit, "Quite prepared," she quips with a wry look. Indeed, the close confines would provide a better opportunity to get to know and better gather information on those they were working with.

"I will miss being able to properly spread my wings to the open sky though for our time there,"

[oncearanger]

"Maybe we can take a mission to a time where a dragon would fit right in," he wondered. "This place is like my Earth, there isn't much, but...perhaps it's possible somewhere."

[curiousredsoul]

"Indeed, that could be quite possible, an earlier time period where humans are far from as widespread would suit well I would think," she ponders before nodding, "Such a time would also allow for greater gathering of resources, whether water, food or other resource, without worry of detection,"

[oncearanger]

"I like this idea. I'm definitely taking a mission around then, if you'd like to join me?"

[curiousredsoul]

"Of course, I'd be more than happy to,"