( 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

[velveteened]

( oz most definitely did not go to observe.

it'd be a pretty thing to say something about how it wouldn't stop anything or save anyone, but his self-delusions don't extend that far; he hadn't wanted to, had found it too horrible and frightening, and had instead sat on the bunk he'd chosen out for himself in their room with his tablet (off) in his hands.

he glances up when caesar walks in. )

I was wondering when you'd get here.

( if you'd get here, more things not to say. )

[commentboxtroll]

[ He pauses in the doorway to first give Oz a tired look, then eye their new 'home'. Ugh... ]

I said I was staying as long as I could, so it's not like it was a mystery.

[ That said, he drags his stuff in, tosses it in a random place, and immedately faceplants on the other bottom bunk across from Oz, all in about three steps and one turn. ]

...what a dour looking place...

[velveteened]

That's — 

( true, he was going to say, perhaps make a joke of it, but caesar's faceplant makes the way he'd been about to smile that off less insincere.

the more things change and all )

Unfortunately, the whole base is like this.

[commentboxtroll]

I know. Collette gave me the five second tour.

[ He says, voice somewhat muffled by the bedding. Well, not literally five seconds, but the tour was certainly not a lengthy one. ]

[velveteened]

( there isn't enough livable space for the tour to be much longer, really, so he accepts that. )

So you've seen Collette already. Have you run into Lenalee yet? She was going to be on the last ship too.

[commentboxtroll]

I wasn't really paying attention on there, so no, not really.

[ He remains as is for a few more seconds, then sighs and shifts over just enough so he can turn his head and squint at Oz with a single eye. ]

Those other people, her friends, they wouldn't have let her stay behind, right?

[velveteened]

( he thinks back to lavi, miranda, allen. )

Definitely not.

[commentboxtroll]

[ That confirmed, he lets his face fall back entirely against the bunk's mattress once more. ]

Then she should be fine...

[ Muffled again. ]

[velveteened]

( well, it's true. )

Ah, you're right. I'll let you sleep.

[commentboxtroll]

Yeah...

[ And then he'll just lay there in silence for, say, another three minutes before speaking again. Yeah, no, he hasn't managed to fall asleep just yet. ]

Hey. [ He rolls over properly onto his side this time so he can look at Oz. ] Do you know if the Initiative sent a medical team up?

[velveteened]

( he'd gone back to contemplating his still turned off tablet — riveting stuff okay — and looks over at the question, bemused. )

I don't know, sorry.

[commentboxtroll]

[ Not being the answer he wanted, Caesar rolls his eyes and flops back over as he was before. ]

How come the people who've been up here the longest apparently know the least about what's up here... ugh...

[ Less a question, more... complaint. Of course. ]

[velveteened]

( his reply is sardonic, even if caesar's point isn't exactly totally unfair )

I haven't looked around much yet.

[commentboxtroll]

I guess you've spent all the time moping around instead.

[ Irritating! And useless! Though he won't add those aloud. His point might not be unfair, but those? Those would be. This isn't exactly an easy time. ]

[velveteened]

( unfair enough to make him bristle, not a very easy thing usually. )

If you want to know that badly, there's no reason you can't find out for yourself.

[commentboxtroll]

[ Okay, pushing himself up so he can look at Oz again. ]

Considering the only reason I need to know is because your man dragged Collette up here before she could get looked at and I'm exhausted, there's no reason why you can't do it for me.

[ oooo so many italics ooo ]

[velveteened]

So in other words, ( not afraid of any italics!!! ) you're worried enough to complain about it, but not to take care of her yourself — or to say something to either of us earlier, while you knew we were all here.

[commentboxtroll]

She said there wasn't one up here yet when she called the first time! I thought she might actually try and find out while she was here.

[ Which wasn't the case. It might even be that they didn't send a doctor up until the last flight or-- he doesn't know! He makes a frustrated sound and, again, flops back down against the bunk's mattress. ]

I was going to look, but she wouldn't let me...

[velveteened]

( well, that knocks the fight out of him more effectively than any italics would have done. he flops backwards himself, leaning back against the wall. )

Because you look exhausted. ( mildly. ) I'll check a little later.

( after he's quite sure he won't run into anyone still leaving the observatory. )

[commentboxtroll]

[ ARE YOU CALLING MY ITALICIZED WORDS INEFFECTIVE ]

It's not like I wouldn't have time to sleep after.

[ He grumbles directly into the sheets. ]

[velveteened]

( DAMN RIGHT.

the grumpy reply makes him laugh. )

You look like you'd fall asleep just thinking about looking around! Wouldn't that take even longer?

[commentboxtroll]

I'm rather certain I look like that whenever I'm thinking about anything.

[velveteened]

I think I know how you look better than you do.

( unless you pointedly think in front of mirrors! )

[commentboxtroll]

[ Oz only has himself to blame for this one. ]

Gee, Oz, I can't believe you really spend so much time admiring my good looks to know something like that.

[velveteened]

( that actually makes him burst out laughing, surprised maybe. )

It's because of how often you fall asleep on the couch! Do you know how many times I've had to pull Li Jun away before he can jump on you?