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

[controlledvariable]

[She'd like to think it's his answer, but she knows she's not that lucky, not when he's so out of it.]

Is there any way I can fix this?

[This. Them. Him being so angry at her.]

Wanna take a swing at me, get it out of your system?

[That should probably be a joke, but it's not.]

[hostage]

What, so you can feel better?

[Besides, it's ridiculous. He can barely lift his arm, let alone try to take a swing. As if he'd hit a woman, anyway.]

[controlledvariable]

[She shrugs.]

Tends to help people with whatever they're angry about.

[It worked for Helena, got her to calm down long enough to actually listen to what Steph was trying to say.

She's seen Bruce fight with his family enough times to know that sometimes you just need to take a few blows to help someone move past their anger.]

[hostage]

I don't get off on that shit.

[controlledvariable]

Okay.

[She's not gonna argue it; Saul would be annoyed at her for even making the offer.]

Is there anything I can do?

[hostage]

[His shoulders shake with a laugh that isn't really there.]

You done plenty already.

[controlledvariable]

[There's really no point having this discussion now, not when he's still kind of drugged. Maybe once he's had more time to cool off, she can try again.]

I'm gonna go see if I can find Lisbeth for you, just-- [a sigh] I did it because I care about you. I know you probably don't believe me, but I just wanted you to know.

[hostage]

[He looks away from her, mumbling under his breath so quietly it's nearly unintelligible:]

Bullshit.

[controlledvariable]

It's true.

[But she doubts there's anything she can say to make him believe that.

She watches him for a moment longer, before turning around and disappearing into the crowd.]