❧ Take A Breath

[luministimods]

[An older man sitting in the bridge of the spacestation appears in a video transmission that shows up only on the CAT devices. He...does not look thrilled to be back, but he does look composed and professional in an environment that is becoming decreasingly anything but.]

I'll be the first to say that I'm not happy to see there are people in this place again, but I haven't decided if I'm more dismayed to see those who were brought in as part of the project or those new to all this... [He frowns, his brow crinkling in concern.]

For those of you who don't know who I am, you may call me Proctor. Now that I have recovered most of my memories of the events after I left this accursed spacestation, I can begin to piece together what's happened. I trust food has been rationed in the town as it has out here, and I've been informed that the passageway to and from the town has been locked once more. I haven't been able to figure out why they've done this as everything here says they are very much unlocked, but we have more pressing concerns at the moment.

From the read-outs here in the command center, the life support systems are failing. [Sorry, but he isn't going to sugarcoat it.] The systems just need to be reset and recalibrated. Since the town wasn't put into stasis when no one was around and the spacestation didn't have anyone to maintain everything, the life support systems have been overworking themselves needlessly. That they haven't shut down completely before now is a damned miracle. But--

[A sudden and loud noise heard and felt throughout all of the spacestation and town, interrupting him. The several terminals in front of him light up, casting flashing red light glares all over his alarmed face. At the same time, all vidscreens in town begin to blink red and similarly, red warning lights drop out of the ceiling in the spacestation. This might seem like deja vu to some.] --Shit! What just happ--?!

[A red holographic warning message appears over the video transmission that reads:]

WARNING, WARNING
Life support systems in sectors A through V are at 85%.
Complete life support failure expected in 72 hours.

[Just then, a pleasant and feminine automated voice starts to speak just as it had before, except this time, the message is greatly different:]

No galactic space authorities have been alerted this time, and there is no exit from the spacestation. Death is inevitable. You have been warned.

[The automated message ceases, but will repeat again in five minute intervals. Meanwhile, Proctor is frantically typing away at the terminal and swearing up a storm, but after the message ends, he grabs his CAT and starts to leave the bridge]

Like hell am I going to die in this place! Nathan, I don't know why you're not answering any of my attempts to contact you, but we really could use your help here. [Bitterly, as he remembers what he read from Ichijou's texts:] But I think someone or something is preventing you from contacting us. [He sighs heavily] I can't wait that long. Everyone listening, I'm going to need your help--and that includes you all in the town construct. Contact me if you're interested in living a little longer.

[And with that, the video transmission turns off.]


Plot Details: Take A Breath **Quick-time Event**

Short explanation this time around! Basically, get in contact with Proctor here in this entry. From there, if your characters want to team up to handle tasks and whatnot, go ahead and do that here or in an entry of your own. Or you can keep talking to Proctor while all this is going on.

But what kind of tasks, you ask?

Well, Proctor knows quite a bit about the town and the lab (as he had helped run it during the previous season) and knows many of its secrets. There are vital system terminals hidden in the town and in the lab that need to be synched up with each other and can also be used to reboot things when things go to pot. But what he doesn't know is that something has set up control panels at each of these points that will require you to make a choice--that is, once you find them. But all choices have consequences, some good and some bad. And some consequences might not be felt until later whereas others will be immediate.

Whatever your choice, there are several terminals to be found for everyone to have a go at helping out. The terminals will turn certain things back on, which will mean no more hoarding and rationing of food! Hot water! Air!

Oh yeah, about that? The air will slowly start to thin as the hours pass, and the air life support systems will be the hardest to get back online. (And for those who need a refresher of vital things in the lab, here is this.) If the air life support systems aren't turned back on three days from right now (so by the end of the 19th), then...well. Bad things. Very, very bad things. I don't think any of you want to see what will happen as the outcome of this will work towards the game's end. Getting the other two systems back up and running are secondary goals, but are goals nonetheless. I'll keep a list updated here as to what systems are back on and are still off:



Goals: Air life support systems: online Food replicators: online Hot water production: online




And that..should be it! If you have any questions or anything, you can still ask here! Just label it OOC and we'll go from there~ And of course, other avenues of contact are still available if you don't want to ask here or use this space to OOCly plot with each other (or feel free to toss something up in the OOC comm!) I'll leave that up to you guys~

Good luck everyone! ♥

EDIT: And by the way, our first Activity Check will be on the 23rd! Look for it in the OOC comm on that day!

EDIT 2 OOC plotting post is here!

EDIT 3 ALL TERMINALS HAVE BEEN FOUND! \o/ You guys rock!!!

Comments

[Video/action depending]

[bonnypiperlad]

[After talking with Proctor, he starts to head towards one of the labs, activating the CAT as he does so. His steps are rather hurried, since he wants to get there as quickly as possible.]

Hey, I don't know how many of ye are trying to get the air going in the town, but if there's anyone left there who's not and wants to get the food or hot water working too, I can give ye an idea where to go.

[ video ]

[painlessfighter]

[Aaand the feed clicks on! You are not Proctor, so Natsuo will gladly talk to you, Jamie!]

I can do it. Tell me where to go.

[ video ]

[bonnypiperlad]

Either the gardens or somewhere central in the town. I think ye might have to do a wee bit of looking around to find them, though.

[ video ]

[painlessfighter]

Okay! I'll go to the gardens. Am I looking for a computer? [yeah he's been listening in. Just being a jerk.]


((OoC: Vriska's gonna go with Natsuo, so she'll be tagging in too! o/ Ok?))

[video to jamie | action to natsuo] or something??

[notsot8rri8le]

[Oops, Vriska's also been listening in. Here's jerk #2.]

Jamie! So I hear you're the leader of this team. [She would give Jamie a mocking salute, but she's busy flying and looking for Natsuo. She gives him a distracted smile instead.] Tell me what to do, leader! I'm ready to be lead around like a chump. By the way, we should have a team name!

[Oh, there you go. Teammate spotted. She hasn't met him officially yet, but it's enough to know that he's apparently helping Jamie.

She lands nimbly on her feet in front of Natsuo.]

Hey!

[video]

[bonnypiperlad]

(OOC: works for me!! Feel free to skip over Jamie if I don't get to stuff immediately, since I'm at work atm.) [Jamie's original comment is directed towards Natsuo.]

Aye. Some sort of screen or something, maybe. [Vriska's chiming causes him to pull a bit of a face.]

Look, how can I be the leader when I'm stuck over here? All I know is that Proctor let me know where some things are. Figure out where ye want to go look first and keep an eye out for some sort of computer-y thing, like Natsuo said. There should be a button on it ye press to reset it.

[A beat] And we don't need any team name, either.

[painlessfighter]

Yes we do. [The underlying tone is akin to: "duhhh."

And then he nods at Vriska.] We're looking for a computer in the garden. So let's go!

[notsot8rri8le]

The leader's the guy who knows the most. And for now, it's you. [Duh!!!!!!!!] As senior members of your team, we say this team needs a name to boost our morale or whatever.

[She nods back to Natsuo.] I can fly us there. We have a choice between that one place with a lot of grass and mazes, the other place with a lot of grass and mazes, and that other other place. You know, the one with--coincidentally--more grass and mazes. Where to?

[painlessfighter]

[A firm nod for Jamie - Natsuo agrees with Terezi! Team name please!]

Let's go to the other place with a lot of grass and mazes. The one not at the beginning. The beginning would be too easy, and even though the person who keeps doing stuff like this to us is pretty stupid, I don't think they're that stupid. Or we wouldn't still be here.

[bonnypiperlad]

Och. Fine, then. Ye can be team Palaver. [Mostly because they're making such a fuss about it, and palaver=fuss.]

But if you're flying, why not fly over all three first and see if ye spot anything out of place that way?

[notsot8rri8le]

Team Palaver. Great. [Her tone of voice says it all. And if it doesn't, there's also her expression. See: icon.] It sounds like a sneeze.

He's pretty stupid, but he's lucky stupid, isn't he? Anyway. [She thinks about it for a moment. She's sure a guy of Natsuo's caliber would realize that she'll just drop them off at a random place in the gardens regardless of which one they pick. Because, despite being extremely specific in their descriptions, all the places they've listed sound exactly the same. Imagine that!] Yeah, okay. Let's go to that one. And we'll look around and stuff.

[painlessfighter]

[Snicker snicker] Jamie can't name things anymore.

He is. I don't like it. [Of course Natsuo realizes, but it doesn't matter. They have to start somewhere, and with no better idea, why not wherever? Time to get started.] Okay! So let's fly!

[He should be more shocked by flying. ... His time here has kind of dulled him to that though - weird shit always happens. And besides, this is awesome, it means he gets to fly!]

[Action!]

[vengefulagent]

[Wash had been on his way up to speak to Proctor, but he happens to run into Jamie (and his video broadcast) just in time, and quickly falls in-step with him.]

Jamie, tell me what you know. Is there anything we can do out here?

[If Jamie's nose is keen enough, he just might smell gun-powder and whatever else has been made to explode 26th century grenades. Seems someone has wanted to get in to help turn things on and has been unable to once again.]

[Action]

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye, well, Proctor and Ichijou are going to try and get those terminals recali-whatevered to get the air going, but Proctor said there's terminals in two separate labs that can get the food and hot water up as well. I was going to go to the one with all the wee plants in it first and see what I can find.

[vengefulagent]

[he nods firmly, picking up his pace] Then I'll try the one with the computer terminals.

Let me know if you find anything! [and he takes off in a run]

[bonnypiperlad]

I'll send a message if I do.

[Or if he doesn't, so one or the other of them can try a different place. And, as Wash runs off, Jamie does get a whiff of that gunpowder/exploded things smell. His eyebrows arch for a moment, but really, now is not the time to ask. Although he can't imagine Ichijou is going to like it. He picks up his pace as well, only coming to a stop once he gets to the oxygen lab.]

Right. So, lets see what we can find in here.

[Opening the door, he begins to look about to see if he can spot anything out of place, thinking that's the best way to start his search.]

[vengefulagent]

[Wash continues running past the oxygen lab. He figures if there's any lab that'll have a terminal of any kind, it'll be the one in Lab #4 where it was just all computers. The trick would be to find just the right one, but Wash isn't too worried as he enters the lab.]

[luministimods]

[The thing that stands out the most in Lab #1 is the fact that the moment Jamie enters, the curtains separating the oxygen farm (which is also where the fresh veggies and such are grown) stop fluttering. Other than that? Nothing looks out of place...at least in that section of the lab.]

-------------------------

[When Wash enters Lab #4, it shouldn't be a surprise to him to see that the computer terminals are all up and running. Ever since things went back to normal before everyone came back, they'd been functional. Now, of course, they continue to warn about the decreasing amount of air in the spacestation, but perhaps one says something different...?]

[bonnypiperlad]

[The movement of the curtains - or, well, the lack of movement - catches Jamie's attention, and, with a faint frown, he snaps into creeping mode. He quietly makes his way towards the curtain, then slowly reaches towards it, easing it back just a fraction so he can peer through it at the other side of the room.]

[vengefulagent]

[Wash stands for a moment just looking around the room, his eyes scanning for anything changed--or rather, one that isn't doing something that the others are. It takes him a minute, but then he starts slowly walking up and around the regular computer terminals.]

Where the hell is--ah, there we go! [He finally spots something that isn't blinking obnoxiously about their impending deaths and begins searching for anything that he can start changing.]

[luministimods]

[As Jamie peeps into the oxygen farm, he will hear hear a "click" as a panel in the lab's wall pops open just a bit, and soon, a glow begins to emanate from behind it.]

-----------------------------------------

[The moment Washington touches this particular computer terminal, a panel in the lower portion of the construction slides open to reveal a terminal! It is a foot wide and looks like it can be removed from its holder. The screen glows brightly before it shows a field of stars--but it soon turns yellow with simple blue letters that read:]

To access this terminal, your choice is a simple one: A or B.

Answer correctly, and you may proceed.

Answer incorrectly, and you may not live long enough to regret it.

[Then two buttons appear onscreen, one with a bright A on it and a B on the other. Both pulse patiently while a decision is made.]

[bonnypiperlad]

[Back in the oxygen farm, Jamie is looking at the glow. Well, that's certainly something that warrants further investigation. Cautiously, he moves forward to get a better look, murmuring to himself as he goes.]

Now what do we have over here?

[vengefulagent]

Whoa! [Wash takes a step back from the terminal--but his surprise is short-lived. This is becoming a bit familiar. He's reminded of the choices he had to make with Croix when the spacestation turned into one giant fun house. He really hopes the same shit isn't going to happen again.

But...nonetheless, he has a choice that needs to be made. First, though, he activates his CAT, contacting Jamie] Hey, have you had any luck yet?

[manicurious]

[Somewhere on the bridge, Ichijou experienced a dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach. Maybe it's just from the hunger or the stress, or maybe it's something else, like a sixth sense. Someone, somewhere, has made a tremendous mess, and Ichijou will throw a fit if he lives to see it.

Damn you, Wash.

Damn you.]

[vengefulagent]

[and somewhere in the station, on his way to a lab, Wash can't wait to see Ichijou's reaction.]