transport log » ❝ welcome to Exsilium ❞

[initiates]

Date & Time: Sept 23rd, 2012.
Location: The Initiative Hold & Courtyard.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports have all arrived and have been shuffled into the Courtyard after their initial briefings.
Warnings: None.

You've just been hustled and bustled through mazes of information and literal, wide corridors of the Initiative Hold and you've been equipped with your weapon—be it a gun, a sword, or even your existing powers. They've handed you this light netbook and a small pouch of coins (or a debit card, if you're more inclined), and there are several Transports before and after you going through the very same motions. You can hear the Greeter's voice as she walks alongside large groups, telling them all about the history of this place and sharing with you your purpose here in a hurried and urgent tone. "This isn't standard," she's saying, walking perhaps faster than most of the people she's dragging around. "We don't normally have so many Transports at once. Please, let me show you into the courtyard."

You pass what looks like huge gymnasiums, all with dummies and targets strewn and splayed around the room. Training areas. There are even classrooms, and a few small offices. You're rushed past a large library while the Greeter informs you that you can find almost all your information there, if you've got the time to look—and trust her, you'll have time. You don't spend a lot of time in the bank, and it's a bit of a blur of exchanges with more and more of these strangely-accented and oddly polite-seeming members of the Initiative.

Soon enough, you're in a massive courtyard bustling with all the other Transports. It's not exactly what you'd expect, and it looks more like barracks than anything—huge walls of concrete and stone, separating you from all of the hallways you'd just passed through. It's raining heavily, and dark clouds loom in the air. It's a chill cold, and there are shelters—long cloth hangings that extend from the walls of concrete to house you from the rain, but not enough. Most notably, the courtyard is filled with a marketplace. Even in the cold and the rain, there are several citizens seated at their covered booths and tables. They're selling all manner of their own handmade goods and foods, and citizens and Transports alike are traveling from one small covered shop to another in search of all manner of necessities.

The Greeter's voice has become so faint now, but you swear you can make it out in the back of the crowds as she tells you, "Good luck. Be safe!"

Her voice is drowned out by the busy marketplace, though even the transactions taking place are somewhat subdued. Nobody is overly happy, really, though most citizens can be found with smiles on their faces. It doesn't seem like they're that shocked to see you, either; even if you're not bound in tattered rags and wrapped in heavy shawls as they are. You're welcome to walk up to a shop, and find yourself something to eat—hey, maybe you'll even find something akin to a raincoat. Or, you can join the others under the coverings against the walls. Where am I? What war? She was talking so fast, and it didn't all make very much sense… did anyone else catch it all?

Welcome to the courtyard. Welcome to the Initiative Hold—and most importantly, welcome to Exsilium.

Comments

[onblackwings]

[ She's not paying much attention to where she's going, or how she's getting there. She's content just to wander, tightly gripping that bag of coins and comforted by the weight of a dagger in the pocket of her... fuzzy white bathrobe. Her by now sort of damp fuzzy white bathrobe. So it is that she backs straight into Quorra, backing up to try and see the full height of some building nearby. She turns quickly, golden eyes already narrowed suspiciously, and stares.

Apologize, what's that?? ]

[lastisocorn]

[Quorra stumbles forward a few steps at the bump, but she doesn't seem terribly perturbed. Rather, she turns and smiles at this newcomer--wow, look at those pretty eyes. Fascinating!]

Hi! Are you new here, too?

[onblackwings]

[ She casts a quick look around, to be sure she's the one being spoken to, and only then does she hesitantly nod. Not that she isn't sure of the answer, she's just not sure what Quorra wants from her. ]

[lastisocorn]

[WHAT SHE WANTS IS TO BE YOUR FRIEND. She offers her hand, her smile warm.]

I'm Quorra. Are you a User?

[Q figures this person must be, right? There's not a strip of circuitry anywhere on these people, after all.]

[onblackwings]

[ She just sort of... stares at the hand, not sure what it's asking for. Surely not these lovely coins she'd been going through earlier, because there's no way she's giving those up. ]

A user of what?

[lastisocorn]

[Quorra wiggles her fingers. Don't leave her hanging ...]

Ah--computers. Like these. [she produces the netbook with her other hand.] Though I suppose everyone here must be a User, since we are clearly outside of a system ...

[onblackwings]

[ Oh shit why is she being asked to solve more than one puzzle at a time?? After a quick glance around, and digging up some memories of watching humans greet one another, she... hesitantly puts her hand out, to meet Quorra's. If all they're supposed to do is grab hands and move them up and down, then that's... bizarre, but not so bad.

Right. Now for the other half of that mystery. ]

What's a system?

[lastisocorn]

[her grip is warm--perhaps even a little electric--and firm. She shakes Khisanth's hand, probably for a few too many seconds, and then taps the netbook.]

It's what runs inside of a computer. You know, where all the programs live.

[she is actually getting the sense that Khisanth does not know. It had never occurred to her that Users might exist who don't know anything about, well, Using.]

[onblackwings]

[ Whoa, weird, it reminds her of being touched by the nyphids. She rubs her hand a little when Quorra releases it, watching her a little more closely. Maybe this one isn't human? ]

No, I'm not a "User". [ Time to take some kind of firm stance here, even if she's not sure if it's the right one. She's tired of being bewildered by everything she says. ] Are you?

[lastisocorn]

[Hmm. She considers this in one thought, while another part of her mind wonders about Khisanth's response. Clearly, her definitions are not clear enough.]

Well--a User is just someone with the ability to write programs ... and now that I'm outside of the system, I suppose I am. But I'm a program, too.

[onblackwings]

[ She stares, thoughtfully, trying to decide if it's worth asking what a program is. But none of these questions have actually cleared anything up, and she's pretty sure none of them pertain to her. So instead, for something that will make more sense to her: ]

Are you human?

[lastisocorn]

[cheerfully.] No! [she taps a line of circuitry on her shoulder; the white brightens slightly in response.] Program.

[onblackwings]

[ So a program is a species that looks exactly like a human with enchanted armor. Got it. She looks distinctly unimpressed. ]

It looks as if you're close enough.

[lastisocorn]

[maintaining cheer!] I could say the same for you. [leaans forward.] But is it true?

[onblackwings]

[ oh shit wait hang on. Eyes widening just a little! ]

What— I'm human.

[lastisocorn]

[she inclines her head to one side. She had been trying to make a joke, but this girl seemed a little bothered. Hmm ...]

If you say so! I have only met a few other humans, so I don't have a very broad basis for comparison.

[onblackwings]

[ oh look they... have something in common... not that she'll be admitting to that. ]

Obviously not. [ god she is just SO SMOOTH about this cover identity. what a pro. With a nod of her head to the crowds around them: ] It looks like you have a good chance to fix that here, though.

[lastisocorn]

[Quorra nods eagerly.] Yes--I'm going to learn everything I can.

[onblackwings]

[ You and her both, sister. Although, it occurs to her that maybe she could use this. ]

Good luck. [ And with a tiny smile: ] Bring your findings to me, I'll make sure you're learning everything properly.

[ or just... learn vicariously, whatever. ]

[lastisocorn]

[A GREAT BIG SMILE BACK.] I will! Thanks--er--what is your name?

[onblackwings]

It's-- [ this isn't an awkward pause, that's just totally your imagination. ] --Dagger.