open log » ❝ The VR Program ❞

[initiatesnpc]

Date & Time: August 5th, mid morning.
Location: Anywhere characters happen to be/the VR.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: From August 5th to August 8th, characters are plunged involuntarily into the VR Program.
Warnings: Potential violence within the threads.

When the chance arises, she's quick to take it. The programming is incomplete, she knows; the simulation isn't ready — but she's not likely to get another shot at it. And so she moves, slipping through security codes to input the command. The machines hum to life with nothing but a flicker of a green light in a dark room, and it takes only seconds to establish connections. The signal is sent out; the weapons respond.

In a single pulse, reality drops away.

There will be darkness at first as the mind realigns itself to the signals being sent it. Slowly, the darkness fades, forms take shape. People take shape. The setting is terribly familiar, plucked from the user's own mind. It might feel like a dream at first, with events playing out as if predestined, the would-be dreamer moving through a familiar and unalterable route in them. But as things begin to feel more and more realistic, as more senses more fully connect to the simulation, awareness will change. This is not a dream. This is more than a memory.

Welcome to the VR.

Only 20 minutes later, in some underground quarters, Doctor Sponde is roused from an undignified sprawl. He's hastily briefed and shuttled toward the command center, looking grim. He knows the problem demands an immediate fix, but… well, this is some complex machinery. It could take some time. It could take days. He gets to work.

Comments

[deadelfwalking]

"Kinetic energy, eh?" Koltira lifted a palm, and a half-second later a ghostly fork of shadow energy, like dark lightning, burst forth. The fork became a spindly-fingered hand, which closed around Shaw's throat and yanked him over to where Koltira stood. Knowing now that these people were not people at all, but merely shadows given false flesh, Koltira drove Byfrost into the man's stomach without remorse. The runeblade glowed a sickly green as its runes activated, and plague seeped out from the metal, seeking blood to corrupt. "Let us see if he can absorb this."

[myownbestfriend]

"Magic? Probably not." Emma sounded as though she were discussing the weather. Knowing that Shaw was merely a VR construct, and that he was Shaw in the first place, she had no problem with putting him to what looked to be the particularly agonizing sword, especially since diamond form made her emotions as hard and cold as it did her flesh.

[deadelfwalking]

The disease worked quickly, spreading throughout this Shaw's body in a matter of seconds. His veins turned black as Koltira twisted the sword, and then he began to choke, coughing up thick, dark blood that hissed as it spattered on the ground. Drawing back, Koltira yanked Byfrost free with such force that Shaw buckled, his body now convulsing violently as the plague did its work. Koltira watched the man suffer implacably, which was confusing: agony to this degree usually soothed his own all-encompassing pain and drove him to further heights of cruelty, but he felt nothing.

Frustrated, he clenched his fist, and as he did so, a red rune on Byfrost shone brilliantly in response. The sickened blood in Shaw's veins boiled and then burst, causing the plague to erupt like a sore in every muscle, every nerve.

[myownbestfriend]

"Oh, my." Even through the diamond, Emma found the intensity of Shaw's reaction surprising. "Effective. Remind me to take you out early if we ever end up on opposite sides." It was a compliment, really.

Kicking over a concussed Pierce, Emma looked around the warehouse. "Unless that trick works on machines, we should be on our way. If Namor goes down, I think those are next." She pointed at one of the Sentinels that loomed over them with glowing eyes and a palpable sense of menace. Or maybe that was only if you were a mutant who knew just what sort of history the things had.

[deadelfwalking]

"I shall gladly do so," Koltira replied, his tone grim. He had hoped that the battles in these fake worlds would satisfy the curse in his body, but so far he had known no relief from any of them. Even though his opponents appeared real to every sense, they were nothing more than dolls, made to be taken apart, with no substance--and no ability to feel the real suffering that Koltira hated and needed to inflict on them. Turning away from Shaw's body, he scanned the warehouse for some fuzzy edge, trying to find another entrance to the in-between darkness that had brought him here.

"We must find the limits of your memory if we are to escape," he said, keeping an eye out as well for an attack from Namor--and from the gathering robots. The plague would not harm those without blood, true, but he had other methods of melting steel.

[fe_male]

[ He's taken cover behind some convenient boxes and shit and is effectively taunting Obie with stupid things. Obie's just reiterating shit from that night, little prick, plans to take over the world, take his company, he was the one who nearly killed him - what the fuck ever, okay. Tony was periodically attracting his attention and periodically ducking for life. But, in a lull: ]

No, it's -- well, mine is built to be inactive if neither myself nor JARVIS is in it. No, or Rhodey. He can fly them. I don't know about his, I didn't have it long enough to find out.

[myownbestfriend]

"Try the door," Emma said dryly, looking at the hole Namor had knocked in the brick wall when he made his entrance. "The inside of the warehouse is the focal point of the memory. I doubt there's much coherence beyond that. No emotional significance."

She took her own advice, glass fragments cracking under her heels as she made for the damaged wall. "You'll pardon me for not watching if you repeat your performance on Namor. I'm rather fond of him."

Even now, years later, she still caught herself wondering in idle moments how her life would have gone if she'd reacted a split second sooner to Selene's telepathic attack. Unprofitable speculation, but it was one of the few turning points in her life where she didn't have only herself to blame.

[deadelfwalking]

"Then I won't repeat it," Koltira said. Instead, he leveled Byfrost at both Namor and the lurking Sentinels. Cold, glittering blue winds swirled around the runeblade as Koltira drained all the heat, real or imagined, from their environment. Frost crystals formed around Namor's feet, then his legs, then the whole of his body, until both he and the Sentinels were fully encased in blocks of shimmering ice.

That done, Koltira followed after Emma, hoping that the next exit would be a true one, and not just another path into someone else's mind.

[curepotion]

Relief floods his body for but a moment--he tenses right back up as he hears more splashes behind him.

Inside. He turned sharply and aimed a solid kick at a locked door, its hinges creaking in protest as it swung open. All the buildings were largely deserted for the most part. The Dark City had no inhabitants, after all--not with the Castle That Never Was floating ominously above, shining its eerie white glow down over the rooftops.

"Come on," he urged, standing by the doorway to let her in first.

[curepotion]

A gun?

That didn't sound at all like the guns he's heard before from the Organization--so he turns his head to sense Roslyn to his left. Immediately, he skids across soaked streets to try and reach her, knowing that time is short. He's thankful that he knows Roslyn well enough to know her scent and her presence, or he would've been confused on who the newcomer was in the first place.

... now, why was Roslyn here? He narrowly dodges a beam of light as he's chased, lengthening his gait so he could catch up to her quicker. "Roslyn!" he calls out, hoping to whatever entity will give pity at this point that she can hear him through the pelting rain.

[revelation]

Madoka can only nod when Sayaka speaks, afraid if she spoke then everything she wanted to say might come spilling out. Still, she is lost in her thoughts only becoming completely aware of her surroundings again when she hears the sickening sound of Sayaka being hit by an attack from the witch. Shaking her head once, she tries to get herself to focus once more on taking out the wheels that continue raining down on them. The witch moves to the swelling music, swaying around in something resembling a dance as she continues to fight. Madoka realizes that to stop the onslaught meant killing the witch, the very thought tearing at her heart even more than before but… it was okay, right? Sayaka was right here with her, this witch was only a terrible nightmare brought to life.

Falling back onto one knee, she draws another arrow in her bow back tight and begins pushing her magic into it – watching it come alive with energy. She continues to weave her magic into it until the wood of the arrow starts to crack under the pressure. Taking aim at the witch, she swallows but focuses, she had to do this before Sayaka was hurt anymore. Her fingers begin to release it when a familiar voice rings through the air and it takes Madoka a second to realize that although it’s Sayaka’s voice, it’s not coming from her friend fighting a few feet away.

It’s coming from the witch.

Prepare to die!

It’s enough to throw her off, distract her that she can’t react to the newly summoned wheels in time. There’s sharp pain that erupts through her as she’s hit, the arrow flying off and missing its mark completely as she slams into the ground.

[twiceadays]

[Shepard is the worst person to go to for comfort sometimes, but it's mostly a joke on her end. She doesn't know Fiona well enough to actually be more... of a comforting person.

She wavers on her feet, jumping out of the way of a falling rock with a muttered curse. Because seriously, one day she won't have pieces of building trying to crush her into oblivion. She notices Fiona fall back, turning to look at her.] Are you okay?

[twiceadays]

[She has problems with this entire mess, really. It's nothing personal on you, Tony.]

Sorry, wasn't much of a video game girl growing up. [Because she was on a farming planet, mostly.] I am starting to hate everything in this place, seriously. [She needs a drink after this. Or right now, but unfortunately, she doesn't carry booze around with her.] So is there a way we can actually force the program to shut down?

fuuuuck elle, i am so sorry for this late ass tag, sob

[undeadarmies]

She frowned then, waiting for him to say something. Anything. Well, maybe not anything. People could be wrong, could be evil, but she knew she wasn't one of them. Even if she wasn't exactly innocent by any means, but she wasn't out to hurt people.

And then he did speak, and a relieved smile flickered over her face, letting out a breath she had been holding. "Okay. I... I have to go back in there before they come out here." Her words were a lot braver than she felt, because the idea of heading back into the darkness was enough to make her sick, but she couldn't... She just couldn't let those poor souls suffer the indignity of being trapped. Or let them attack other people, should they escape.

[undeadarmies]

[Watch out for the kids. Chloe eyes them carefully before shoving the soul of the man just shot back into his corpse. He climbs to his feet with a growl and a murderous glare directed at her. They're not real, but this still makes her feel sick.] Stop. [He does. She now has two in her zombie army.

Glancing back at Jack, she yells out.] We have to get out of here! It isn't real!

[insecrets]

That... training program the drunk guy was talking about?

[myownbestfriend]

That shouldn't be enough to kill Namor, but the simulations lacked the power of the originals, or he'd have buried her under tons of rubble by now. Still, dead or merely inconvenienced, it ought to keep him out of the fight long enough for them to be well away.

"My name is Emma Frost," she said over her shoulder as she climbed the small rubble pile to escape the warehouse. "Delighted to meet you." She certainly didn't seem delighted, but Emma wasn't demonstrative at the best of times, much less when circumstances had forced her into diamond form.

[boughtabookstore]

She does hear him, and her turn is quick but controlled, gun already lowered so she doesn't accidentally shoot anyone she really doesn't want to shoot.

"We need to move." It's fast, clipped. "This is a memory, it's not real." Given the memories she's fallen into so far, she wants him out of here before things start getting -- well, they're already a little bad. Worse, then.

[fe_male]

[ He doesn't either, but he should see if he can get on that post-haste as soon as they're out of here. ]

You mean aside from just beating it?

I'VE DONE WORSE TBH

[theguideless]

Not by yourself, he thought, feeling much more apprehensive than he looked. Slowing down and trying to understand was more exhausting than pulling out the stops and trying to barrel through each crisis blindly to their conclusions. Too much open time to think, and he didn't like what he thought.

"Then let's go," he said, shifting in place before moving, stepping around her and back toward the door.

[sacrificar]

The very same, though it's sooner than he announced.

[stonefaith]

Me? Fine. I'm fine. [ the repetition a clear sign that he is not. bariyan was never any good at battle; he had no reason to be, he'd always left that to everyone else.

he looked around, swallowed. yes, they have to get out. and get ros proper care. how is the question. he walks out a little further, scanning the horizon, desperate to find something unfamiliar. ]

If this isn't real, then-- what is this?

[rorosa]

For all his faults and recently-discovered fears, Corosa was still well-hardened by years of training and experience. He fell back, as promised, and followed Halibel's movements to judge where he was most needed. Pressuring the monsters when they fell too heavy, every shot carefully leveled and aimed.

Until he heard movement from behind. He grimaced and ignored it for the moment, long enough to pick off one of the Adjuchas coming at Halibel from a blind side -- then turned.

The shadow that it cast over him blocked out what little light there was. Corosa blinked into the sudden darkness, and managed to swear loudly and fire off one shot before the thing lunged forwards and knocked him off his feet.

[rorosa]

Corosa hears the words and horror flickers over his face -- he may be nearly mad out of his mind with confusion and panic, but he's still got just enough rationality left in him to realize that he does not want to be responsible for a catastrophe.

Unfortunately, he is near mad out of his mind with confusion and panic. So he's already pulled the trigger before the full impact of Feferi's words catch up to him.

He yanks his arm back last second, which sends the bullet straight into the tentacle gripping him.

[deadelfwalking]

Koltira almost always used his ice runes defensively, with the intent to stop or slow an enemy's advance. Ice was for control more than killing, though it could certainly do both. Should the ice break before they escaped, Namor at least would be infected with a fever designed to numb his reactions, both physical and mental.

"Koltira Deathweaver," he replied. "Likewise." There was just as much--or as little, in this case--emotion in his tone; he tired of this game of memories already, and wished to be done with it. His own past was a horror best kept locked away, and he was certain that the rest of these people would have preferred a little privacy, as well.

He expected that whatever lay beyond the rubble would separate them, whether it was another illusion or a return to reality, so he added, "Perhaps I shall see you again."