here they talked of revolution, here it was they lit the flame

[initiates]

Date: October 1st
Location: The Observatory.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports arrive and are shuffled into the Observatory for the show of the year. Initial briefings are very brief this time around, and that Greeter just won't stop crying.
Warnings: new confused people and old sad people??

Your arrival here has been very unceremonious. One second you were somewhere else, and now, very suddenly, your feet hit the glowing white of the Transporter pad, and you're here. You aren't alone, either. There's a crowd of others around you, each seeming just as bewildered, angry, or confused as you might feel. At the head of the group is a woman in purple robes, with eyes red as if she'd just finished crying. She hurries over a quick overview of your intended purpose here, and gives direct answers when asked for them, but to most things she simply shows you how to access the tablet you've just been given. There, you can find the history of this place and a record of what your new cohorts have experienced — although it won't have Network access for another 8 hours. Someone stands on hand to give you a weapon, and though the armory is now greatly reduced, you should be able to find something to suit you.

You're shepherded down a walkway tunnel and into the Observatory, where you will find screens mounted on three sides of the wide room. The only lighting comes from dull red emergency lights, and the scenes of a dreary, rainy city from various cameras up on the screens; the largest of the screens opens up to a view of Earth from a good distance away -- this one isn't a screen at all, you might realize, but a window. As you watch, all screens in the room fill with light, impossibly bright. It consumes the buildings, the people, everything. There is no sound played, perhaps mercifully, only that white light -- and then nothing.

Through the large window, there's a pinprick of light over one of the landmasses on the blue planet. It grows to a tiny blossom and then dies away, but a cloud begins to mushroom outward in the same spot. It pushes the natural clouds out of the way, claiming that small portion of the world and wrapping it in a uniform gray.

Strings of numbers begin to fill the blanked out screens as the base's AI begins collecting data and calculations, but the show seems to be over. You're free to explore the base, visit and use any of the VR rooms, or discover your new room and roommates, but try not to step out of any airlocks if oxygen is a requirement for your system.

Welcome to the moon base, with front row seats to the grave of Exsilium.

[[ooc; reminder! The Network will be down for 8 hours after the wave of new Transports.]]

Comments

IT'S OKAY <3 html is a cruel mistress

[fullmeasure]

[he's good, at not letting how he feels show on his face, even if what the girl just told him was fucking insane. He had to give her credit, though - explaining that had to be hard, but she'd gotten right to the point, and he appreciated that.

Though that doesn't stop him from frowning, deeply]

How long ago was this?

<3 :')

[vaccination]

[It probably helps that Ellie is fairly new herself. A few months in Exsilium wasn't enough time for her to grow attached.]

The big boom? Uhh... like, now?

Re: <3 :')

[fullmeasure]

[the frown deepens even more, if possible. When he speaks, at first it's almost as if to himself] I guess that explains all the tears.

[he looks down at her again] Anything else I should know?

[vaccination]

[She glances around at the people roaming about. It's probably easy to tell who some of the ones in the know are, given their expressions.]

There was a lot of arguing about what we could do.

That's pretty much all the major stuff. You'd think they would tell you, huh.

[fullmeasure]

You'd think they would. They didn't.

[five minutes in and already this place was pissing him off]

Thanks for filling me in.

[vaccination]

Yeah, no problem. There's usually--other people who do this sorta stuff, but I guess they're still getting used to us being on the moon.

[fullmeasure]

I doubt they would've cut straight to the chase, though. [getting used to the moon, getting used to the other place getting bombed . . . and here was a kid, explaining it all like someone his age would]

[vaccination]

[What's a nice way to say that she's used to talking to old guys and knows they don't have a lot of time for bullshit?]

Sugar coating it doesn't help anyone.

[fullmeasure]

I know. It's a compliment.

[vaccination]

[She doesn't smile at that. Compliments from strangers don't mean too much.]

Where are you from? Since you said you're not used to this sort of crap, I'm guessing... planet Earth, somewhere?

[fullmeasure]

You'd be right.

[vaccination]

[Oooh, no answer. Ellie's seen this before.]

And you're... American?

[Fine, 20 questions. She doesn't have anything better to do out here.]

[fullmeasure]

[he could play 20 questions all day. But the kid was helpful, and he was feeling a little less annoyed]

You'd be right again. New Mexico.

[vaccination]

[Somewhere in the south.... west? Ellie doesn't know geography well at all. She exhales.]

What year?

[Looking at this guy, he doesn't seem to come from one of the post-apocalyptic settings. Lucky him.]

[fullmeasure]

A good 1300 or so years ago. 2010.

[vaccination]

[Congrats, you have three years before the world goes kaboom. Ellie finds it hard to imagine the world so long ago, but shrugs as she offers up her own year.]

2033 here. It's like we've got people from every year there is.

[fullmeasure]

[both eyebrows go up, surprised. It wasn't that he didn't expect it or anything, but still, hearing it was just adding to all the crazy shit he's heard and seen so far]

Just looking around, it seems like it. A lot of kids, too. ["kids" was subjective, really]

[vaccination]

Mostly teenagers, I think. Then middle aged, then kids, then old.

[It's just a guess.]

[fullmeasure]

["then old". He wonder where he fit in. He had yet to speak to any adults aside from the Initiative, and he figured that didn't count, since it was probably the last he'd see of them]

Like I said: kids.

[vaccination]

[Ellie lifts an eyebrow.]

Is everyone a kid to you?

[fullmeasure]

Not everyone.

[vaccination]

[She gives him a funny look, like he's fucking weird (which he is), but figures she should practice being polite. Sorta.]

What's your name?

[fullmeasure]

[he's been given those looks before]

Mike. And yours?

[vaccination]

Ellie.

[Mike. She doesn't think he looks like a Mike, but she's never met a Mike before.]

[fullmeasure]

Ellie. A pleasure, ignoring the circumstances.