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

[praevikaan]

How?

[The assertion seems absurd to her. But then, she has never been beaten or starved or betrayed, not in any lasting ways. She has had people take her money, but that did not truly bother her. It was business.]

[controlledvariable]

[She shrugs, and her posture closes off slightly, not defensive, just a little... sad.]

The world kind of sucks, sometimes it's easier to read stories and forget, for a little while.

[praevikaan]

Ah.

[It's a slight noise of enlightenment.]

We create. Or learn.

[controlledvariable]

I think some people do that, too. Everyone copes differently.

[She tends to hit things.]

[praevikaan]

[It's k, she runs away to play 007 when she has no idea what she's doing! Hitting things is the better pastime by far.]

Mm. That is true. Differences are good, they keep a people from stagnation. Uniformity is dangerous for this reason.

[Then again, she's from a culture where people are praised rather than punished for thinking outside of the box.]

[controlledvariable]

[She smiles]

That seems like a good way to look at things, sometimes people get too caught up on the idea of fitting in.

[Or it's safer to fit in; which is something she's had on her mind more, since she figured out the whole liking girls thing.]

[praevikaan]

[It is a fear she herself fostered, during her time in Eganzi. There was too much there that was unfamiliar, it was... easier, to go without notice. For her purpose and otherwise. She gives the dragon a thoughtful look.]

Safety. Versus identity?

[Was that what she'd given up? She's not certain.]

[controlledvariable]

In some cases, yeah. [Not all of them, though, and she's quiet for a moment as she tries to work out how to say what she wants.

Eventually:] Sometimes I think it's more about ego. People want to fit because it makes them well liked, or 'cause there's power in it.

[She can't help thinking of the Bruce Wayne persona.]

[praevikaan]

[Like the merchants of Shazahd. Or the Atticat. Is their entire political structure not built around the assignation of seats of power based on feats of prowess or skill or wealth?

Stephanie's words make sense to her, and that in and of itself bothers her.]

It seems a prison, to be so restrained by the opinion of others.

[controlledvariable]

[Steph isn't sure what to say to that. She's not really sure if she agrees, but she can't really disagree, either.

She smiles, wry.]

I think I should've had more time in my philosophy classes before having discussions like these.

[a joke!! just not a very good one.]

[praevikaan]

[It's okay, she laughs.]

My apologies. I did not mean to encumber our conversation in such topics.

[controlledvariable]

It's fine. [She waves the apology away.] I think it's just something about me, this always ends up happening.

[okay not always but.

a lot.]

[praevikaan]

Is that a bad thing? Perhaps you inspire people.

[She kind of likes Deep Conversation!! how is it bad she has no idea.]

[controlledvariable]

[That surprises a laugh out of her, it isn't mean, just - her inspiring people.

That's funny.]

Usually you need to be smart to hold those kinda conversations.

[Today in self-deprecating humour with Stephanie Brown.]