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

[bloodthirsts]

Nice to meet you, Mike.

Um, let's start with the bathrooms, they're quite close to the observatory. Then we can go to the cafeteria before finding your room.

[fullmeasure]

[Mike gives a small shrug of his shoulders]

Lead the way, then. You're the tour guide.

[bloodthirsts]

[She nods and gratefully escaped the observatory with her new acquaintance in tow, they manage to navigate the press of people, some who are escaping as well and out into the corridors with their harsh flourescent lights which Seras is sure will end up giving her a headache soon enough.

It doesn't take long to reach the bathrooms which are divided into 'male' and 'female'.]

It's very simple facilities at the moment I'm afraid, showers only. I haven't had one up here myself yet but everyone I've spoken to say they're luke-warm at best.

[fullmeasure]

[Mike navigates behind her like a pro, someone who slips between the throngs of people like he's done it a million times to disappear or to stay low key. When they stop in front of the bathrooms he peers at the doors, then back to her]

That's better than being ice cold.

[bloodthirsts]

Hopefully it won't be permanent, I believe some of the other transports are looking to try and fix up the place.

[It must be taking a lot of energy to keep this place warm and running, even in this poor condition. And it's a little worrying to think how little there is between them and the vacuum of space outside.]

[fullmeasure]

That's what the missions are for, I'm guessing.

[bloodthirsts]

[She nods.]

They should make it so eventually we can go back down to Earth, though as to how that will work I couldn't tell you... I've never actually gone on one.

[fullmeasure]

[Mike gives a shrug]

You still know more than I do.

[bloodthirsts]

I suppose so.

[She gives a sheepish sort of shrug and moves on, leading Mike towards the cafeteria.]

So where are you from, Mike?

[fullmeasure]

New Mexico. [he pauses, and then adds] In the United States.

[bloodthirsts]

I've never been able to visit the States, always been rather confined to England.

[Duty and all that.]

What's your world like?

[fullmeasure]

"Confined."

[but he doesn't inquire about that particular use of the word]

And my world is pretty normal, in comparison to all of this. [he makes a vague gesture]

[bloodthirsts]

[Seras feels a bit of apprehension as soon as he catches onto it but then he goes no further in his enquiry. if Mike doesn't ask she won't explain.]

No aliens or elves or other creatures about, I'm guessing you mean? Or technological differences.

[Because 'normal' can extremely subjective given the variety of people here.]

[fullmeasure]

Only on TV and in the movies. [Mike gives a shrug]

[bloodthirsts]

You'll get used to seeing the real thing here. There's always something that will surprise you.

[They're coming up on the cafeteria as she speaks.]

Most of them are usually quite friendly, though you might want to be a little wary. Not everyone who gets brought in is good.

[fullmeasure]

I can't say that really surprises me.

[bloodthirsts]

You'd think they'd try to be a little more selective considering how much effort they go to to bring us in.

[In Siren's Port the people being brought there had at least been out of the citizen's control, Exsilium though...]

Not that I have any idea how it works. Well, here's the cafeteria anyway, are you hungry?

[fullmeasure]

You'd think.

[Mike peeks into the cafeteria, raises an eyebrow, then looks back to Seras] Thanks, but I don't have much of an appetite.

[bloodthirsts]

Alright, just thought I'd ask, possibly save you a trip. So... I guess that just leaves the living quarters. What's your room allocation?

[She clasps her hands behind her back, watching him. He's a very reserved fellow it seems or maybe it's that he's still adjusting to the shock of what's happened to him.]

[fullmeasure]

You saved me the time in finding this place later.

[little does Seras know that Mike's always like this] Unit 110.

[bloodthirsts]

Well I'm glad I've been some help.

Unit 110... that should be the north wing, this way.

[She points, then turns on her heel to walk that way.]

Units are made to support four people, so you'll most likely have roommates.

[fullmeasure]

[Mike should've figured he'd have roommates, but it wasn't until Seras said it that it actually sunk in.

Dammit]

Lucky me.

[bloodthirsts]

It's bunk beds as well by the way, quite close quarters. So um, you might need to prepare to negotiate if you have a preference for top or bottom.

[It would be rather unfair to make a man of Mike's apparent age have to clamber up and down a ladder every night.]

[fullmeasure]

[it just kept getting better and better]

I'm sure I'll be negotiating. Thanks for the warning.

[bloodthirsts]

No problem, the allure of the top bunk wore off for myself years ago. You can only hit your head on the ceiling so many times.

[She chuckles for a moment at the thought. That had been a long time ago.]