( 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

[crocodilesmiles]

( Gilbert you are such a piece of work!!!

Collette scans the area, pursing her lips. It doesn't do much to calm her. Very little does, until something clicks in her head. )

What's this?

( It sure wasn't white stuff in the air, but the air -- oh man. )

Oz, this is the space ship. It has to be! I saw them install these seats like, forever ago!

[velveteened]

( oz has seen the ship, came with collette to find it in the aftermath of ahiru's departure, but he hadn't seen the inside and isn't half as familiar with it as collette would be. )

— the spaceship?

[crocodilesmiles]

Yes! I don't know why, it wasn't supposed to get going again I thought until October. Besides -- what's with all the baggage?

( She twists herself around, confusion on her face, trying to figure out what this all adds up to. )

Do you have your tablet on you?

[velveteened]

I'm not sure.

( since he was asleep and all! checking dubiously, but )

If this is the spaceship, then where is it going?

[crocodilesmiles]

( Collette makes herself stop twisting around, taking in countless details. The feeling of deceleration disorients her. She looks back to Oz, reaching out for his hand, his sleeve, anything to hold on to. )

I don't know. I'd say the moon, but that's crazier than even what I come up with half the time.

[velveteened]

( NO OFFENSE BUT )

It really does.

( but he shakes out a sleeve to make his hand closest to her more accessible. but where she stills, he turns to have a look himself, considering something. )

I thought I heard Gil earlier. I don't think he'd be far away now.

[crocodilesmiles]

Gil was bringing us out, he's got to be here somewhere.

( Her hand finds his, and she holds on, giving it a squeeze. Waking up in unexpected places hasn't been fun lately. Being out of her chair isn't fun either.

She wonders if Caesar's more right than he realizes. She's tired, to let this much happen with minimal fuss. )

Will you call for him? He listens to you.

[velveteened]

( not so fun at all, but what he reminds himself is that gil would never ever let himself be far after what's happened. so, he does just as she asks, raises his voice to project. )

— Gil? If you don't answer, I'm telling Lenalee that it's your turn to watch the cat this week!

( DESPERATE TIMES OKAY )

[retraced]

[The door will be closing soon, the ship will be taking off soon, so Gil is on his way back when he hears Oz's voice booming out of the door--

Suddenly not so sure if he should get on this stupid spacecraft after all.]

[crocodilesmiles]

Gilbert --

( Collette looks to Oz. )

Does he have a middle name?

1/2

[velveteened]

( turns to her with a perhaps ominous air )

He can have one now. Like — 

[velveteened]

"Hopeless idiot!"

( ALSO PITCHED TO BE AUDIBLE, USELESS SERVANT )

[retraced]

[Oh no, it's getting worse.

Maybe he'll just...step in but try to hide...on the inside of the door here. Until someone comes along and demands that he sit down and strap in so that they can actually leave.]

[crocodilesmiles]

That'll work.

( She breathes in, using her other hand to cup around her mouth and shout: )

GILBERT HOPELESS IDIOT NIGHTRAY! GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!

[velveteened]

( — he laughs, he can't help himself. if gil still doesn't show, he'll help, but it's too amusing. )

[retraced]

[Ugggh now they're middle-naming him. Okay, he'll come out of hiding now. They might not notice at first as more people filter in, but eventually Gilbert also steps down the walkway and approaches the both of them, his chin tipped down so that he doesn't actually have the ability to look either of them in the eye.]

I - l-look, before you say anything--

[And his apology (or whatever it was going to be) is cut off by an announcement over the intercom for everyone to be sure that they're buckled in tight for takeoff. Or ignition or whatever it is that they're calling it on this spaceplane.]

[crocodilesmiles]

( Collette hears Oz's laughter, feeling a warmth in her chest that has nothing to do with the situation. He needs to laugh more often like that. It's one of the times he sounds genuine.

So she flashes him a smile, one that ultimately goes along with a narrowing of her eyes as Gilbert appears through the crowd of people.

A smile that goes smug when the announcement plays. )

I suggest sitting down and buckling up before you try to explain.

[velveteened]

( being this close means she can probably feel the way he relaxes when gilbert comes into view, something he doesn't notice himself, and his own grin becomes sharp-edged. )

Before we say anything?

( with the kind of brightness gil likely remembers usually precedes setting cats or miss kate or other problems onto him. )

[retraced]

[And that face of Oz's is his cue to exit.

There's a perfectly good, empty chair right next to the two of them, but there's also chairs in the back that are far better choices right now! Nervously, Gilbert turns and starts for one of those.]

Ah - I'll tell you later, I should go sit down now--!

[Anyone is free to grab hold of him or continue to threaten with cats.]

[crocodilesmiles]

( Collette releases Oz's hand to lean in to him and say -- )

Grab him.

[velveteened]

( she doesn't need to say it twice, or even once — oz's free hand is already darting out to grab for a handful of gil's jacket to give it a sharp tug. )

[retraced]

Hnngh-!

[Grabbed! His body twists and doubles over at the waist as he's tugged down. If Oz were anyone else he might put up more of a fight, but as it is he can't do much else but stare down into his master's face, pleading for something along the lines of mercy. They're in public, after all.]

[crocodilesmiles]

( Collette folds her arms over her chest, watching Gilbert plead with his everything at Oz. Knowing they'd grown up together made so much more of how they interacted make sense.

Like this moment. )

You're going to have to get strapped in, Gilbert, no one's allowed to walk around back here during flight! Speaking of... where are we flying to?

[velveteened]

( which means gilbert is treated to a hard stare for all of three seconds before oz answers brightly and aloud, at a conversational volume that's more than enough to get the attention of their neighbors (assuming that hasn't happened already, with the scene they've been making) and space flight attendants does the space plane even have those. )

It's dangerous to keep standing in the aisle like this! Didn't you know take off is soon? But it's lucky you were able to find this open seat with how many people are here already, isn't it? I'm glad for it too.

( they are in public after all. )

[retraced]

[This isn't like he'd planned at all! He'd wanted to hide out and let them get used to the idea...without knowing anything at all! For at least a few hours until they arrived! Because that's the mature, adult way to handle this sort of thing, clearly.

But they need to leave and people are staring now, so Gilbert does indeed move to sit down in the nearby seat, hands fumbling with the straps nervously. This had been a much easier thing to accept when it had only been an idea, but now that it's actually happening, they're really about to leave, his anxiety is shooting up exponentially.]

An evacuation notice was sent out a little while ago. [He mumbles as he works on tightening, loosening and actually attaching this thing.]

Everyone is preparing to leave the city.

[He's going to leave that part out about the moon...for now...]