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

treading a fine line between robots and robitussin (not really)

[fe_male]

[ You know what this place needs to feel more at home? A good press conference. Studies show if there’s one thing comic book fans love to see on film, it’s a good press conference. Hope you're not afraid of public speaking.

Then again, you're not really going to be doing a whole lot of it. There happen to be a few strategically placed podiums and what look like pews maybe but totally shouldn't be unless this is some sort of quote-unquote, 'random encounter', because who puts pews in front of the audience, but what the hell ever. You know what, on second thought, maybe considering the success of the first film’s scenes of press conferences and financial analysis programs, this is actually a Senate hearing. Who knows. Who cares. You're entering the memory long after any actual talking has taken place - although really, it's not as though any of them are really saying anything all that different than what they already would have anyway, right? It actually took him a little while to notice this wasn't how these memories actually went.

What's more annoying is how little there is to work with here. Having a more passive skill is annoying sometimes, and he's taken a couple of grazing wounds to the limbs trying to reach for something that he seriously isn't sure was there a few minutes ago. As it is he's managed to cobble together a few small grenades and manhandle-danced a gun from a legal-aide-slash-newspaper-intern-what-the-other-hell-ever-who-gives-a-shit. What's way more interesting is how oddly quick he's been able to see, catalogue, and put to use all the little things around him.

But hey, all in all, it's looking like a pretty stereotypical 'clear-the-room' type set-up - which of course just serves to make it more complicated, because nothing is ever that simple when it comes to Tony. Nothing. Ever. Who knows what's on the other side of that doorway across the room, but that's what you're going to find out, right? ]

[boughtabookstore]

[ She struck out as fast as she could, leaving behind the mess that was the headquarters of her dreaming consciousness. Somewhere a mile down the highway the scenery changed, shifted until she was in a room now and that isn't what she needed at all, not when it seems to be filled with people who seem to be more than happy to attack her the second she walks in.

The chaos is startling, overwhelming as it surrounds her, and she tries to fight her way through to -- to what, exactly? There has to be a way out somewhere, she just needs to find it, and fast.

Is that Tony? ]

Stark!

[ She yells it across the room, changing her angle of attack to head towards him. He might know more about this place than her, if he's been here longer. ]

[fe_male]

[ He hears his name being shouted - not like that's not been happening for what feels like hours now. He's used to hearing his name shouted at him anyway, for... god, so many reasons. It's a wonder it even works the way a name is supposed to at this point.

Point being, that he hears his name differently than he's used to hearing it, and looks over to see Roslyn making her way over towards him.

Okay. New. But cool. He could handle that. He kicks one side of his barricade open for her and lobs a makeshift grenade at the aides who try to pour through the hole before she gets there. Not that there were any immediately there, but grenade to the face for any first responders - he figured it would keep at least a few from trying the same direction, and give him some time in the meanwhile. ]

What the hell are you doing here?

[boughtabookstore]

[ She ducks into what shelter there is with him and yanks it closed behind her, taking the moment of (relative) calm to assess the room and the people in it and then Stark's makeshift lab before she speaks. ]

No idea.

I was walking along the road minding my own business thirty seconds ago.

[ Her glance shifts to him, a quick check for injuries. ]

How long have you been in here?

[fe_male]

[ He lobs another homemade grenade over the wall while she's talking - it thins out the herd a little bit and he stands up and pickes off another handful before dropping back down. ]

You know, not like, too long. Just enough to get grazed a couple times and realise that the Initiative is fucking with us again. [ yay. ]

[boughtabookstore]

[ Not hesitant about killing them, good at improvisation - now is not the time to be logging details and she stands for a moment, takes three shots before she has to drop down again for safety. ]

There's two doors.

If I can walk in here out of thin air, one of them might lead out.

[fe_male]

Okay so let's go out the door, right?

[ He goes out the door, runs, finds himself in an antechamber. Stane. In his suit. Saying things. Fuck fuck fuck. Tony pulls back to the wall. ]

[boughtabookstore]

[ She follows, not quite as headlong, and even as she yanks the door closed behind them her gun is centered on the --

There is no way her gun is going to make anything of an effect on that. ]

Stark? Tell me that thing has weak spots.

aww yess

[ladyspitfire]

[Elissa doesn't recognize such a setup. It seems too large, the space not used effectively enough. And there's too many people. There's flash photography enough to blind her when she first enters to watch and she she recognizes Tony with ease from when they've spoken together.

Of course, things get out of hand quickly enough.

She turns and nearly misses a shot to her head from some sort of black, metal device she's never seen before. It's too compact for her tastes and she ducks away behind one of the pews. Her blade slides out of its sheath and she slices off the man's hand, successfully disarming him. Heeding his screams very little, she kicks him back and advances on the next enemy that she comes across. The pommel of her blade hits them in the head and she makes her way to Tony.]

Are you injured?

let's get it started, yeah

[fe_male]

[ He's just been systematically taking out a row of senators who stood up in an almost comic, duck-hunt fashion line and started expounding on all his vices. It was almost... cathartic, really. Not that he wouldn't have done the same if they were extolling his virtues and still shooting at him, but hey. Lots of people dreamed about killing senators, right? (wow okay) And it wasn't like anyone was actually dying here. He'd worked that out a while ago. Too many anachronisms for this to be an actual thing.

Tony looks up at her when she draws near, coming up to his feet from a crouch behind something and ducking backward immediately behind something a little taller. ] No, I just like the color. I'm fine. How did you even - where did you come from?

[ladyspitfire]

Would that I could tell you.

[How she wandered in here, she hasn't the foggiest notion. But she doesn't tarry on the question, turning instead to slice someone's head off as they try to engage her. She springs back and then runs towards Tony, looking for a good place to gain her bearings. She draws her second blade and casts her glance back to him.]

How do we get out of this? Where do we go?

[fe_male]

[ Well, damn. ]

Remind me to, you know, stereotypically gamma male hide behind stuff from you when you're all slashy. Anyway, I think the point is to make it through to the door on the other side? [ pointing to the door ] Although it took me a while to get a weapon cobbled together and then I just sort of started having some fun - stress release - until I got shot, sort of. Whatever, I think it's that door.

Annd, have yourself a Hawkeye.

[bfpierce]

[With what could only be described as a snap Hawkeye suddenly found himself under a desk. A very nice desk based on the joint work and whatnot. Which really? Why is he concentrating on the joint work when there are gunshots overhead? He's still in his Army green, which sticks out like a sore thumb in a room like this.

Hawk stuck his head around the side, trying to figure out just what the hell was going on. There, the person seemingly being shot at. Well, why the hell not, two was better than one right?

He made his way over with that particular duck run that anyone who spends anytime in a warzone learns pretty quickly. He slides next to the guy, taking cover.]

Well, I suppose introductions are in order.

[fe_male]

[ He glances over at the guy. (who the fuck is that?) and then stands to fire at the crowd again before sitting once more. ]

Tony Stark. You?

((feel free to 4th wall if you'd like))

[bfpierce]

[He smirks and holds out a hand to shake. Just because they're being shot at doesn't mean he as to be totally rude right?]

Dr. Hawkeye Pierce, 4077th MASH. Nice to meetcha. Now, why are we being shot at?

[fe_male]

Fantastic, so you're already used to this crap. I'm pretty sure we're in a virtual reality. Think, pong, but if both sides had guns and decided to shoot the crap out of the little square and then each other. That's about as much reason as I can assign. Was pong after you?

[bfpierce]

[Pong? What?]

Unless you're talking about ping pong, I have no idea what you're talking about.

But virtual reality, I don't think I know exactly what that is but that's what the white lady with the creepy mind powers called all this.

[fe_male]

Yeah, ping pong, just with guns instead of paddles and random paranoia instead of a ball. There you go. Totally explained.

[ Excuse him for a moment he has some shooting to do, because some of them are way too close. ]

Did you just get here or something?

[bfpierce]

[Have a batch of defensive Hawk there Tony.]

Hey a week ago I was patching up solders in South Korea. Then as if one draft wasn't bad enough? I'm shanghaied into yet another war. So how about you give a man a break huh buddy!

[myownbestfriend]

[Annoyed, Emma looks around the room. She would really like to find a way out of this psychoanalytical nightmare, but apparently she's not quite there yet. With a sharp crack, one of her high heels comes down right smack in the center of someone's discarded iPad.]

Oh. Hello, Tony. Where's your armor?

[fe_male]

Fuck if I know. Here, you want a gun? [ He's got some guns he found and grenades he made and he's reasonably sure that they can get to the next section. ] Think we're supposed to get through that door over there.

[myownbestfriend]

If I must.

[She suddenly goes crystalline, and extends her hand for whatever weapon he intends to put into it.]

[fe_male]

Oh that's right. You can so th--- did I know you could do that? [ As he hands her a firearm. It's one he cobbled together so it works really well at certain things. ] Which side are you taking?

[myownbestfriend]

[She ignores the question about her diamond form.]

Yours, I assume.

[Yes, Emma will take conversational openings even under heavy fire.]

[fe_male]

[ you get a look. he stops to level you with a look. okay? and then he looks back at what he's doing. ]

no I meant like, which side of the room do you want, left or right.