❧ Life's An Adventure

[luministimods]

[surprisingly, a private text message is sent not to the device Nathan left behind but to all of the residents' CATs. it reads:]

Get to the nearest door and wait. When the alarm sounds, immediately go through the door and await the next signal.

[surely such a text is confusing, but the sender hopes those words are heeded. ten minutes after it's sent, all vidscreens in the town begin to flash red, and a wailing siren breaks the din. the only word that flashes on screen is:]

EVACUATE

[similarly, back in the spacestation, red flashing lights drop down from the ceiling and a constant, beeping alarm begins to ring. over this, a pleasant and feminine automated voice says:]

Please find the nearest exit and evacuate the station via escape pod. A distress signal has been sent to the closest galactic space authority. Those with small children are asked to--[but this message is interrupted with another]

Life support systems in sectors A through L are at 80%--65%--50%. Life support failure in sectors A through L is imminent. Warning, please evacuate sectors A through L immediately. Warning...

[the automated voice continues with warnings about those sectors--but oddly enough, nothing is wrong in the spacestation itself. no one is evacuating, and in fact, no one can be seen fleeing from the town. the only people who should be in the station are the residents, if they all heeded the text message's warning and went through their respective doors at the right time. all doors brought everyone back to the observation deck, near the first hallway that used to lead to the Mayor's house.

suddenly, Nathan's device begins to chime and an audio message from him begins to play. (oddly enough, the automated voice's warning messages soften, like the volume's been turned down.]

Oh good, you made it out safe! I didn't think that person would...[he trails off] Anyway! I've had a bit of help and I think I can finally get you out of there. I'm sorry though, but I can't get you back into town. I had to shut off life support there to distract those in charge, but I also managed to open up access to the lower level. I can't find the staircases, but the elevator should be working now, so you'll have to use that. This is your chance, everyone! Find the one responsible for this mess and find Lab #3. Contact me if you need me.

[the audio transmission ends. a moment later, there's a soft "ding" as the elevator set behind the Maintenance door in the nearby hallway opens, ready for occupants to board it.

shame it won't be a simple elevator ride.]


❧ Plot Details: Life's An Adventure **Quick-time Event**

Thank goodness everyone (hopefully) got out in time! Staying in town during that life support shutdown would have been...unfortunate (and if anyone DID want to stay behind during that? Let me know.) But who sent that helpful text if it wasn't Nathan? Was it Audrey? Was it someone else? Was Nathan just pulling a fast one? In any case, now everyone can move on to, well, the final level if we take it in RPG terms.

Funny that though...

For this quick-time event, we are going to keep things to this entry. You'll be given a choice of going up or down in the elevator. Actually...just about every action in this plot is based around choice, and fittingly too. Depending on how much you discover during this plot--there are four objectives that can possibly be fulfilled (and they don't all have to be by every person)--the outcome will shape the end of this plot, the game, and next season as well. I'll have a list at the bottom of this entry so people can easily see how many objectives have been completed. You'll only have a week! Keep in mind that only one objective--the main one--has to be accomplished by week's end and things will not progress until it's accomplished. (If we accomplish the main one before the week is done, I will still wait the full week before going ahead with the second half of this plot.)

So what are we doing in this mad week-long event? Like I said before, you'll be given a choice of taking the elevator up or down. From there, you'll be given the another choice via vidscreen about which direction you want to go in. Sometimes it'll be two choices, other times it'll be three. But nonetheless, you'll have to make a choice--and you'll have to make the choice in the style of a text adventure. This is a bit of a hybrid rather than a straight text adventure, though. You can talk to people normally and interact with them as you would do in a normal action thread, but when you go to make your choice or wish to interact with the environment (you don't have to do it for every single step or anything), you'll basically be inputting your command to help the adventure to progress. If you don't ever interact with the environment or make a choice, well, you're stuck in that room. Kind of a boring adventure, being stuck in a room.

If this explanation isn't quite making sense, I did a mock-scenario of this to illustrate the hybrid/pseudo-text adventure I'm talking about. Head here! Hopefully that helps explain things? If it didn't, please, please don't be afraid to ask me. The first two comments to this entry will be for the IC interaction, and any additional ones can be for OOC comments/questions.

I do advise that while you can go in groups, please keep them small so we can go through things at a steady pace. Heck, if you want? You can even solo this and interact just with, well, me as the text adventure prompts, and then contact people if you find something. I just ask that if you want to solo it, that you indicate your intentions in the subject line to whichever direction you wish to go in the elevator.

Threadhopping via the CATs can still happen, especially if you or someone else learns something that might be important for the others to know. (Of course, if you want to join in physically, you can do it like this.) Also, I do recommend tracking your threads, especially when I pop in with prompts and disrupt the notification process. (And let's hope varnish errors are few to none!)

So...that's it! If you have any questions/comments/etc, leave them here or get a hold of me through the normal channels! And before I leave, here's our handy objectives list!



Objectives! Objective #1 = Completed! Objective #2 = Completed! Objective #3 = Completed! (Also here and here.) Objective #4 = Completed!

Comments

[grandbellknight]

Washington, I think I found-...

[He turns, sees the rising water, and his eyes go a bit wide.]

... another way out, which is what we need right now.

> You turn back to the VIDSCREEN and quickly press the button labeled "A".

[vengefulagent]

[he sighs as the water runs down his helmet. he really does not like this place any more.]

Yeah, you can say that again.

[watches which button Croix hits and starts making his way towards that door. he's really damn glad Croix didn't choose the town hall.]

[luministimods]

> The NORTH DOOR ("A") opens all on its own! Congratulations! Added bonus? The WATER doesn't pour into the other room! It does, however, continue to rise, so better move fast! But do you go into the DOORWAY? It is pitch black and...doesn't show what lies beyond. But you trust that it really does lead to the BOTANICAL GARDENS...right?

> What do you do?

[grandbellknight]

[The eastern door did look a bit more suspicious, being partially hidden and all, but... oh well. No time to think, just time to move.]

> You don't trust it a damn bit, but frankly, it's better than drowning. You leave through the NORTH DOOR.

[vengefulagent]

[yeah, he follows right behind. thankfully, he's used to the armor's weight increasing once he gets into a deep enough amount of water.]

> You follow suit and go through the NORTH DOOR.

[luministimods]

> For a brief second, you can't see. Damn the BLACKNESS! However! The blackness immediately goes away to show that you have entered the BOTANICAL GARDENS! You notice...A SHIT TON OF TREES and thick, tall BUSHES. And white WROUGHT IRON STAIRCASES, one to the WEST/LEFT and another to the EAST/RIGHT. And to the NORTH is...a lot of TREES. But is there more beyond the BUSHES and TREES?

>What do you do?

[grandbellknight]

[Croix's armor isn't that fancy. And now, the end of his shoulder-cape-thing is wet. He pauses long enough to wring the water out, as he takes a look around. ... And then comments, flatly:]

I wonder what could go wrong in here.

> You look up the staircases to see if you can determine where they might lead.

[vengefulagent]

> You immediately check your motion tracker for signs of life besides yourself and CROIX, and cautiously approach the WESTERN STAIRCASE, being sure not to touch any TREES.

How about we assume the worst and go from there?

[he cocks his pistol just in case--well, he stops himself from thinking anything absurd might happen. he doesn't want a repeat of the last room]

[luministimods]

> You--CROIX--see that the staircases go up into a second level that wraps around the room. Only by looking UP, you also see that the room isn't as tall as the real BOTANICAL GARDEN'S PALM HOUSE usually is.

-----

> You--WASHINGTON--are wise not to touch the TREES. Nonetheless, your motion tracker lights up so much, it practically covers your entire screen--but you don't need it a second later to notice that the TREES start to move towards you and CROIX.

> Luckily, the WESTERN STAIRCASE doesn't move. It's quite stationary.

[grandbellknight]

[When Croix turns his attention back to the trees, his eyes narrow. Are you kidding...?]

Good idea.

> You take the EASTERN STAIRCASE up to the second level.

[vengefulagent]

[he stares at his motion tracker for a second then mutters, his shoulders slumping] You've got to be fucking kidding...

> You dodge the DAMN MOVING TREES before they get you and head up the WESTERN STAIRCASE since you're already near it.

[luministimods]

> Congratulations, you--CROIX and WASHINGTON--are now on the second level of the BOTANICAL GARDEN'S PALM HOUSE! Look to your LEFT/WEST and you see a door at last! Look to your RIGHT/EAST and you see...another door! Look straight ahead and see a VIDSCREEN covered in VINES.

> And you also notice those TREES are still moving and are still trying to come for you. Damn their branch-y reach.

[grandbellknight]

> You draw your LANCE and take a swing at any branches that come a bit too close for comfort. All the while, you make your way toward that VIDSCREEN.

[vengefulagent]

[he quickly switches to his rifle, taking note of where they are in conjunction with the vidscreen]

Move! I'll cover you!

> You start firing precise and careful SHOTS at the base of BRANCHES, hoping to shatter them and give CROIX and you more room between you and the TREES.

[luministimods]

> Ow, that hurts the TREES, you BASTARDS! Lucky for you both, though, the LANCE and BULLETS are enough to keep the branches temporarily at bay. For now. Careful of those VINES though.

[grandbellknight]

Right!

[Croix was already running before, but now he's moving even faster. He's really damn grateful for the cover fire, thank you. Extra room to move is always a good thing.]

> Once there, you attempt to cut the VINES with the tip of your LANCE without damaging the VIDSCREEN.

[vengefulagent]

> You continue to shoot any oncoming branches, not taking any chances with them, and continue to back up towards the CROIX, making sure he's covered.

[luministimods]

> The VINES each let out little shrieks as they are cut, and if you listen closely, it sounds like the VINES are yelling in squeaky voices, "Argh, I am slain!"

-------

> Man, you are such a jerk! Killing BRANCHES that just want to touch you... It works, but the TREES don't like it and you both can hear a deep, rumbling groan that reverberates throughout the room.

[grandbellknight]

> You pretend you didn't hear that, seeing as it's... really, really weird, and touch the VIDSCREEN to activate it.

[Every few seconds, he glances back over his shoulder to make sure Washington is okay, of course. And then, that rumbling... Come on, vidscreen, go faster...!]

[vengefulagent]

[Wash is cool as a cucumber, especially since these branches aren't shooting back at him. It's nice to have an excuse to shoot at something and expend a little anger at the town that's prevented him from doing his damn job for the past three-ish months. and besides, the branches are pruned back enough that it gives him a nice bit of breathing room]

except when he hears those yells and the groan, he stops for a moment]

What...was that?

[luministimods]

> You have activated the VIDSCREEN! Congratulations. You win the following text:

Choose your destination! If you wish to go to the malt shop, please press the "A" button. If you wish to go to 'The Chrysalis', please press the "B" button.

> You see TWO BUTTONS appear on the screen below the text, one below each choice and labeled as indicated above.

> What do you do?

---------

Also, when you stop shooting, you might hear a faint crying sound.

[grandbellknight]

I don't know. It doesn't sound very happy, though...

[Croix frowns at the vidscreen. Neither seems particularly useful, but then again, you never know...

He hears the crying, though before he goes to investigate, he quickly deals with the choice.]

> You somewhat absently press the "B" button, distracted by the sounds coming from somewhere in the room. Then, you cautiously approach a clear point of the railing and look down.

[vengefulagent]

[lowers his rifle a bit] Is that...is it crying?

[he doesn't know what to think about that, so instead, he looks at the choice Croix made and simply heads over to that door]

Let's just...keep moving.

[luministimods]

> The EAST DOOR ("B") opens all on its own! Congratulations! But do you go into the DOORWAY? It is pitch black just like before and still doesn't show what lies beyond. Hopefully, you trust that it really does lead to THE CHRYSALIS.

> But when you--CROIX--look down, you simply see TREES, but...they all seem to gather around the one that WASHINGTON wounded the most. The TREES don't seem to be paying any more attention to either of you.

>What do you do?

[grandbellknight]

[Croix would be lying if he said that the crying didn't make him want to stop and... ... well... how do you help a crying tree? ... Regardless, part of him does want to try.

This whole room hits too close to home - to the fake Metafalica, the land turned against them. And Luca... maybe there's something else going on here, something different than what he'd first assumed on instinct.]

... Go ahead. I'll catch up.

> You put your LANCE away and walk back down the STAIRCASE, toward the gathered TREES