( 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

[maddeninghatter]

[ It's not as though he hadn't expected this sort of reaction; but it's enough to make him blush, all the same. Now would be the time when he'd typically say something terrible, or shove Emily in his face. But right now, Gilbert is a overwhelmed child - who needs to be picked up and carried home, out of the rain. ]

Most of--

[ He starts to speak, but finds he has to clear his throat first, coughing into his fist. ]

Erm, yes. Most of the rest of this stuff is food, I had a little time, so I went to the market and bought up whatever I could find. You should pick out whatever you want for yourself. And Oz and Collette, naturally.

[ He indicates several bundles of various sizes, wrapped up tightly in brown wrapping paper and string. ]

And then I suppose there's some general supply repository for us Transports as a whole, hm?

[retraced]

[His hands drop away from his pathetic face as soon as he hears Break cough. The trip had been difficult for him; he can barely imagine what Break must have gone suffered through to make the same trip in his currently physical condition. Though he still feels a little weepy, he sniffles and steps forward to take the rest of Break's things, as many of them as he can carry.]

Follow me. We can talk once you're settled in.

1/2

[maddeninghatter]

[ Ugh, this sniffling. It's beginning to become more than he can bear. Gilbert, you idiot. It's just coffee, for heaven's sake. ]

Gilbert...

2/2

[maddeninghatter]

[ But he had decided to do this, in the days he had on his own, gathering up what Gilbert had left behind and amassing supplies. It was one thing in Exsilium, where they had a comfortable apartment and days on end of leisure. He could make Gilbert do everything and let him fuss over everyone - because doing these things makes Gilbert happy. But here, on the moon, the situation is different. Between short supplies, cramped quarters, and the awful sense of doom hanging over everyone, Gilbert could not be expected to do everything on his own. He needs looking after.

And he'd sounded awful, when he first turned up. Exhausted, probably. And afraid and anxious and miserable and who knows what else?

So he steels himself against Gilbert's tears (happy tears! Over coffee!!! How embarrassing...) and says mildly: ]

...lead the way.

[retraced]

[Break definitely doesn't need to see him to know what a mess he is right now. His feet shuffle even more than usual, he drops a bag or two before picking it back up, and his voice mirrors how weak he feels. But he still turns and heads towards their temporary (please let it be temporary) room.]

There's a large hallway up ahead. [He won't point out that Break isn't able to see it, but he still needs to know where everything is in order to get around on his own.]

Turn left and it heads towards the rooms where everyone is staying. Right and it leads to the cafeteria. [And then after clearing his throat:] You, Collette and I are sharing one bedroom...

[maddeninghatter]

[ He takes in the directions. He'll prowl it all later, systematically, but for now it's good to have a starting point. The news about the bedroom he hears also, but it's about what he had expected. From everything he'd managed to learn about life in space prior to arriving, he had assumed all of the living areas would be very cramped...

What is bothering him the most right now is Gilbert's condition. And if Gilbert is this ill... ]

How is Collette?

[ Are conditions really that bad? ]

[retraced]

She's upset. Scared. Everyone is.

[For a lot of people, that's their world down there. Collette is one of them. It wouldn't be easy for anyone to learn that their world, the place that they call home, was about to be destroyed and until anything can be done to fix it, they were exiled even further away.]

[maddeninghatter]

Yes, of course.

[ That also he expected. How could she not be? ]

I mean, is she--?

Look, is there something you're not telling me? Something the matter with the air or the water? Are there food shortages already?

[retraced]

[He startles a little, shifting the bags around in his arms as a few people walk past them on the opposite side of the hallway, hurrying down to meet their own friends and loved ones.]

Food shortage? The food is terrible, but I think there's still enough to go around. Showers are limited, too.

[maddeninghatter]

I'm asking because--

[ The thing to do is be direct.

... ]

Ah...

Haha! Give me some of those bags, you--

[ --clumsy idiot he was going to say, or something like that. Ugh. ]

Gilbert, you sound terrible. More than just upset. What's the matter?

1/2

[retraced]

I'VEGOTTHEMIT'SFINE!

2/2

[retraced]

[A nervous gulp and then he drops his voice and tries again.]

I'm fine...

1/2

[maddeninghatter]

[ What a moron... ]

[maddeninghatter]

[ Emily shrieks: ]

YEAH RIGHT!

[retraced]

[Damn it, why is that doll on the moon, too?!]

I said I am! Stop talking and pay attention to where we're going! I'm not showing you a second time!

[maddeninghatter]

[ Neither Break nor Emily answer back, and it seems as though Gilbert is going to get his wish...


...until five seconds later, when Break asks off-handedly: ]

When was the last time you slept?

[retraced]

[He tenses; it's mirrored in his voice.]

I think I fell asleep for a few minutes in the observatory yesterday.

[It's been short dozes here and there, but nothing anyone would call actual sleep.]

[maddeninghatter]

[ He's quiet again, for a longer period, as they make their way through the housing wing.

Then: ]

And the last time you had anything to eat?

[retraced]

[Aaaaand then tenser.]

That depends...

[maddeninghatter]

[ He knows all about you and your sensitive stomach, Gilbert. ]

Hm.

[ Another little silence. ]

How long d'you think you can keep going, this way?

[retraced]

I can keep going on fine just like this!

[That irritation is back in his voice, but it's not up to its usual volume.]

It's not like it's by choice...

[maddeninghatter]

"By choice."

Well, you can let me know if I'm right or not, but...

[ He is actually managing to keep his voice light, and his manner pleasant. ]

...I think you've been running about trying to take care of everybody. But you won't let anyone take care of you.

[retraced]

[His silence should speak for itself. They turn another, rounder corner as they head down the hallway where their room is located.]

[maddeninghatter]

That is how these things work, you know.

[ He overshoots the curving corner a little bit, before coming back and following the sound of Gilbert's footsteps. ]

Haha! I seem to recall your getting a tiny bit upset when, ah, people don't ask for help.

[ Upset as in spine-kicking. ]

[retraced]

Hnngh-?!

[Damn it why does he have to bring that up now?! Gilbert walks a little faster, not bothering to wait for him to catch up. Because clearly that will get him to stop talking.]