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

[punk_cute]

Kanji finds himself suddenly somewhere else with strange creatures attacking people and people attacking people. He doesn't even think, he just acts.

Protect the one being attacked; it's all that goes through his head at first. He dives toward's Peeta, trying to knock him aside and deflect the arrows with his shield instead. He's so focused on defense from the most visible threat that he doesn't even register the humming.

[howherolls]

Peeta connected to the ground with the wind being knocked out of him, but he looks up and sees someone there with a shield. Peeta frowns, knowing that of all the weapons the Capitol would give their tributes, a shield would be the last thing on their minds.

The humming gets louder, and so does the singing. Peeta clamps his hands over his ears for a minute, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to figure something out. Finally, he yells, a finger pointing at Katniss as she draws another arrow.

"It's her! The mockingjays and the trackerjacks are here because of her!"

[punk_cute]

"The hell are-- Nevermind. Not for long!"

Kanji has no idea what those are and what's going on, but he can hear it now, the creepy singing. And if they're because of the girl with the bow, he can try to take care of it because whatever it is, it's bothering this poor guy so very much.

He sees the arrow drawn and hurriedly raises one hand, palm out, shield in front of him, and it starts to glow. In a split second there's a card there, crushed in his fingers and the glow becomes blinding just for a moment. When the glow is gone there's a mechanical giant with a flame and samurai motif floating/standing behind him. When Kanji raises his hand further so does the samurai--

And then lightning is raining down on Katniss and the mutts. Kanji's magic isn't the strongest, but he's confident that if the spell hits they'll have a moment or two to regroup. Not long, but long enough for the other guy to get on his feet, he hopes.

[howherolls]

Peeta's eyes widened as the newcomer unleashed his...weapon? Whatever it was, it was nothing that had ever been introduced to the Games before. And the following of lightning just confirms it. A brief thought of the man being a Gamemaker's creation flits through Peeta's mind, but it doesn't make much sense for the Gamemakers to try and keep anyone alive.

Lightning explodes around the arena, and Peeta stood.

"We have to get out of here, now!"

Katniss dodges the lightning. Some of the mutts don't. But it breaks her concentration for a moment. Maybe that's enough for them to escape.

Overhead, mockingjays start landing on branches in the surrounding trees. All of them look at the two with hungry eyes as they start to chorus "Hanging tree, hanging tree, hanging tree.

"That can't be good."

[punk_cute]

"Hell no it ain't good. Come on! Don't give 'em something to hit!"

Kanji makes a grab for Peeta's arm, trying to hurry him somewhere away from the birds and Katniss both, and if that fails into the trees. The giant follows around behind him--kind of translucent but definitely still there.

"Do you know the area? We need somewhere safe to figure out what the hell's goin' on."