(OPEN | Mutiny Log) Well it's been so long

[alittlesweptup]

Date & Time: Nov. 16 ~0300 through Nov.19th ~0230hrs, 3133
Location: Housing, Cafeteria, VR rooms, hallways etc (read: everywhere)
Characters: YOU!
Summary: Mutiny on the moon base! Vital systems are offline, mutineers are making PA announcements, and there’s conflict and turmoil brewing in the halls. Dun dun duuun!
Warnings: None yet (possible violence?)
Notes: Specify a date and location in your top comment. You may specify multiple dates/locations. A timeline for the plot and the IC PA announcements made during are available HERE.

[In the dead of night - or as close to ‘the dead of night’ as is possible to have in moon base - a small group of transports finally make the move they’ve been planning for weeks. Pre-determined teams, maintaining radio contact throughout, simultaneously take control of the Transporter Room and take multiple systems offline.

One moment things are normal; they next, they’re not. With a last message flagged as ‘maintenance’ left on the network, the network cuts out. A moment later, Transports across the base find themselves losing contact with the ground or shifting in their sleep and gently floating out of their beds from the force as the gravity drops. Lighting flicks over to emergency only: bathing corridors and rooms in a desolate, lonely red. Doors work - and then they don’t. Transports will find themselves confined to housing (and washrooms), the VR rooms, and the cafeteria; it’s plenty of space to be comfortable and largely covers most Transport’s basic needs (unless you’re fond of cheery light or having your feet on the ground in which case you may be out of luck).

Hours later-- Click-HHHSSSHK-click!

A woman’s voice speaks over the moon base’s PA system, echoing through the dark corridors and off the odds and ends gently floating through them thanks to the lack of gravity regulation. The voice is rich and accented, with a certain practiced ease to it - one that sharpens to a point the longer she talks:]

Testing. Testing-- are we good? Christ, I'm not echoing, am I? No?

All right good. Listen up, fellow transports. As you might have noticed, some of the base's general systems have gone offline: this, I assure you, is absolutely intentional. There's no need to panic.

So moving on from the understandably frustrating to the even more frustrating, I'm sure you all have also noticed the fact that we're currently all stuck-- starving and defenseless-- on the bloody moon. In a base that was, up until a few days ago, overrun with zombies. And before that, thousands of lives were bombed right out of existence, and before that, an entire world-- and before that we were all still being thrown at the United Earth for the sake of dying off repeatedly in a war we never stood a chance or had a say in. Transports have been treated like pawns since day one, and I'm sorry, but we don't deserve it.

If we're giving up our lives and our freedom, I'd say it's about time we earned ourselves a little equality.

We deserve a say in what goes on in this fight, and with that in mind, a few of us have decided to hold onto the transporter for a while. Just until the Initiative agrees to treat us like people instead of ammunition. Trust me, we’re not here to hurt anyone; none of this has to end badly. But it does need to end. Things have got to change. And if this is what it takes? This is what it’s going to be.

We need your help; please don’t make it any harder for us.

[The PA clicks off, pitching the base once more into complete radio silence.

Near the end of the first day, gravity regulation is re-established. The network is brought back online the following day, allowing everyone to communicate more freely. Lighting doesn’t come back online until the 18th and the door regulation isn’t normalized or operable until the 19th. Throughout the four days, the mutineers make multiple PA announcements.

In the mean time? Keep your friends close, come to the aid of your neighbors; help with reconnaissance and choose sides - are you neutral in this mess? Are you trying to help bring systems back online and root out the mutineers? Are you sympathetic to the mutiny and trying to sabotage those Transports standing for the Initiative?]

Comments

[ensorceler]

[ The first suggestion confuses her a little, but she is quick to draw back a little and shake her head at the suggestion of killing someone. ]

I wish not to kill, though I have my poignard if it ever came to dire blows. Would that they would see reason, this sort of thought would not be necessary, but I will do anything need be to save the boy, as I so promised his mother. Would you explain to me of hypnosis, so I may not worry of this violence?

[ She can pull out a little latin to fill in, but these days it's better not to assume, especially when being handed a super power. ]

[hostage]

[He's glad. He wouldn't want her to have to kill someone, either.]

It's a little like controlling somebody's mind. You tell 'em something and they'll believe it. They'll do what you say. Unless their will's too strong or they figure you out. But if you don't let on what you're doing, then they'll do what you want.

[ensorceler]

[ Oh, he means like witchcraft. The bad kind, the kind that gets you burned. ...Well, intangibility is no better. At least with hypnosis she can talk her way out of anything, truly!

Thinking more on it, it's actually a little humbling. She is a Christian woman, so to speak, and juggling that with these new acceptances is still a struggle. Plus, she doesn't actually want to hurt anyone (that doesn't deserve it). Just how may powers does he have, exactly? How many more will he have after tonight? This week? A year? ]

...This is no small gift to bestow, Jesse, even in short stature. It could easily be mishandled.

[hostage]

I know.

[He doesn't like it, either.]

But I trust you.

[ensorceler]

Why?

[ Her curiosity is genuine, and for once she lets the inquiry fly without first thinking of it's timing. Well, she has been truly terrified, as much as she tries to act not so.

The question has already been blurted, so she continues with it, her tone dropping somewhat, though not quite aggressively. The pressure against his chest is firmer, despite her not moving away. ]

Those you were supposed to trust as allies have decided to speak for you, for all of the stray and unique Transports, considering the true thoughts and consents of the others as little as they have the remaining Initiative and the poor Exiles who hide in the shadows these rebels only make loom more terribly,

How do you know who to trust? Is that a power as well?

[hostage]

[He gives a slight shake of his head. It isn't a power, no. Wouldn't that be wonderful to have? Except Jesse has a feeling he knows what it would tell him, if he had it: there's no one he should trust. Everyone has their own little games and too often they find a way to fit him into those games, with his consent or without it. He'd have to be really stupid not to see that by now.

So why does he trust anyone - especially enough to give them his loyalty and to empower them? It's a damn good question. Maybe he's stupid after all. But he doesn't think he is. He isn't lying to himself. He doesn't think he's blind, either.

After a long moment of consideration, he thinks he has it:]

It's hope. Or... faith. I need to believe it.

I don't wanna live if I can't believe in the people I love.

[ensorceler]

[ His explanation nearly makes her vision narrow, because he would have to be a better actor than her for her to believe him a liar. And knowing he is so earnest draws more fear out of her gut to clench in her chest, though she couldn't say precisely why. It isn't guilt, because she has never abused him, and surely never would.

And she must swear to herself now even if it's in silence that she can't abuse these powers, or a faith like that. She wonders if she even believes in God so urgently, ever since. ]

Then with it I do not need the other ability so as you do, for you seek them out and they may also have guns, and swords. Can you not use any magic still? It would do you better, for I could not stand it if you were hurt, or if even worse came to be.

[hostage]

[He shakes his head again, brushing her cheek with his palm.]

All I can do is give and take. But I don't want you to worry about me, okay? It looks like I'm alone, but I'm not. If anything happens to me, someone'll be there to help.

[ensorceler]

A guardian? ...Like Mike, then? He is to keep you safe?

[ Although that thought is nice, the idea of being watched and not realizing it is alarming, and it definitely makes her look over her shoulder once or twice before she lowers her voice more still. ]

Still will you promise not to needlessly endanger yourself? To think surely?

[hostage]

[Mike, huh. Look at her, paying attention. He almost smiles when she looks around.]

I won't do anything needless. You know I don't wanna make you cry.

[ensorceler]

I would not cry.

[ She steps back so that she can reach into her pocket, pulling out a small black silk bag, and within it is her rosary. Stepping back so that she can reach for his free hand, she presses the bag to it and carefully closes his fingers around it, before she lifts his hand to kiss his knuckles. Who cares if Mike's watching, he's not exactly a gossip. ]

Then you take my prayers with you. You must promise to return them to me when this is through, along with a kiss, or I will be very cross with you. I will not forgive you, Jesse.

[hostage]

[He knows how much this means to her and he doesn't take it for granted. He wasn't afraid before - not for his own well-being, anyway - but now it feels like he's got some talisman protecting him. Even if it's really just the vow that he has to return to her. Either way:]

I promise. I won't let you down.

[ensorceler]

[ The promise should be enough, and she should leave, but again her emotions get the best of her and she reaches up to hug him tightly. As fiercely as her little self can hug, and hey she's pretty good at archery! As often as she thinks of his uses in power, that hardly belittles how much she does care for Jesse, and the kindness she has seen him show again and again. His lack of ambition regarding the power is as puzzling as it is honorable.

Her father would absolutely hate everything about him. ]

Then I will do mine own part in safeguarding our charge.

[ She meant to say 'mine' but Jesse likes the kid a lot more than she actually does, as much as she wants the boy to survive and be happy. ]

Do not forget the Lord's Prayer. Carry it with you morrow and eve.

[hostage]

[Jesse leans into her embrace, his arms hanging at his sides with the gun in one hand and the rosary in the other. He nuzzles into the crook of her neck and breathes in the scent of her hair as he murmurs:]

I won't forget.

[ensorceler]

[ If he pays it any mind, she carries the scent of roses and powder with her, though it's faint by now. Anne herself is trying to memorize him, memorize him as someone dear, as one of the few here who do seem to try for her and she knows everything would have been harder without that care. She has never thought of the threat of death as temporary even before the Initiative had announced the change.

And he seemed so sure he was bound for Hell. If he survives this, she'll ask him once more why that is. ]

Then surely with the Lord's good guidance, I will accept this gift of yours and be soon out of your way. How shall I know I have it?

[hostage]

[The longer he's with her, the more he thinks he might be making a mistake. He hesitates when it's time to draw away from her. He wants to go with her. He wants to curl up with her and Bobby and forget that there's a civil war going on out here. A little family. That's all that really matters.

But it's okay. This'll be over soon. And of course he's going to survive. It's the other side that needs to worry.

He brushes a kiss over her cheek.]

I just gave it to you.

[ensorceler]

[ That is the dilemma, and one of her own. Anne has few here she can trust (if she can trust any), and she thinks on how much could unravel if Jesse dies. For her and Bobby, for Saul, Mike, and who else? Many care for him, and she is still just a ghost in this future tapestry.

But Jesse is like a Greek god, that is all she must remind herself of, and the ease with which he seems to give her power only strengthens her resolve again. One hand reaches up to grip his chin after he kisses her cheek, pressing a thumbnail to his lower lip while she is sure her eyes have his in their command. She needs no hypnosis. ]

God guides your hand, so long as you do right by your honor and the boy's. Fare thee well, Jesse.

[ She taps once more against his lip, a lingering look before Anne forces herself to move away, her intangibility summoned to allow her to continue right along her prior path--right through him and beyond as if nothing had happened at all, so that no indecision can force her to stay and regret any longer. ]