❧ 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

[notsot8rri8le]

[Probably. But understanding between jerks awesome people is not bound by mere names. Though her own name is pretty damn awesome!]

She's not here. But it depends on which version of her, really. I told you she has issues. If she's dead, then she's okay with everything. If she dead but also a robot, then she's crazy and murderous. Honestly, she was right at the top when it came to trolls you needed to watch out for. If she's alive, she's........ nice. [Read: booooooooring.]

Aye-aye, captain. [She sets them down in accordance with his suggestion and takes a moment to stretch.] Do you know how many of these "somethings" the others have found so far?

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye, well, there's the ones in the spacestation, but I'd have to check with the others and see what they've turned up.

[read: he's been a bit busy looking for the terminals on his end.]

Let me do that and I'll get back in touch, all right?

[painlessfighter]

Okay Jamie! [smile!]

Meanwhile... let's look outside. [And he's already doing so! Looking around for any sign that something outside the building is strange.]

[luministimods]

[Meanwhile, in Vriska and Natsuo's part of the gardens, something definitely is strange. Well. Aside from the transformed palm house. The statues that had been set in front of it at various points along the walkway have been knocked over. Why is anyone's guess; the statues are quite nice and historic--or rather, were.

Except there is one that remains intact where the others have been smashed to bits.

What do?]

[notsot8rri8le]

[What's this?]

Hey, look here! [Gesturing to all bits and pieces.] Looks like someone couldn't stand the ugliness any longer and broke them all. All, but one. Soooooooo.

[What else is there to do?]

Heh, let's finish the job for them. [She pulls out her Fluorite Octet and, with a bit of Luck, rolls for the exact attack she wants. Out pops a megaton hammer, which she uses to smash the remaining statue into bits.] There.

Oh. Uh. [In hindsight, what if a "something" had been hidden in that statue? Whoopsie daisy!]

[painlessfighter]

[Natsuo snickers behind one hand, thoroughly amused by the added destruction. This is awesome. Best adventure ever so far! Better than the rest of this stupid, stupid town...]

Now they all match! [Wait. ... He starts looking through the rubble and remains, juuust in case something important did take collateral damage. But that doesn't mean he's not still grinning~]

[luministimods]

[The poor statue! Luckily, the thing that was within is made of pretty damn strong stuff and isn't destroyed!

But what's inside?

Why, it's a The terminal, of course! Like its fellows spread throughout the town and station, it's a foot wide and it's definitely been knocked from its holder. The screen blinks on, but instead of a field of stars, it shows nothing but white for a moment before it turns to a light orange with simple purple letters that read:]

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

Answer correctly, and you may proceed.

Answer incorrectly...well. You'll just have to choose, won't you?

[Then two buttons appear onscreen, one with a bright A on it and a B on the other. Both pulse gently as they wait to be chosen.]

[bonnypiperlad]

[Somehow, Jamie's not at all surprised that the statue winds up smashed to smithereens - not after that time with Natsuo and the mirrors - although the fact that it's Vriska who does the honors makes wonder just how intact the town's going to stay between the two of them. He's about to say something when the terminal is found inside...and he blinks in astonishment at the way the screen pops up.]

Hey, that's not what the one I found said!

[notsot8rri8le]

[Before Jamie's even finished with his sentence, she's already pushing 8--er, B, that is.]

Bring it on.

[>::::P]

[painlessfighter]

[Natsuo actually isn't ignoring Jamie!]

Ah? It's not? So how's it different?

[Buuuut he also doesn't mind that B has been pressed. Gotta think fast after all!]

[bonnypiperlad]

[Hrmph.]

Aye, well, I was going to say that the screen'd not started out all white like that. And the words at the end there were a wee bit different as well.

But I don't suppose that matters much at this point, does it now?

[luministimods]

[The chosen button flashes for a few seconds, then the whole screen goes black as though it were thinking...

It's black for a good minute before another screen appears that reads:]

To reset systems, press when ready.

[Then a single button appears, waiting to be pressed. It seems the terminal won't say whether the choice was right or wrong. But once the button is ready to be pressed, it will work without fail.]

[ooc: To make things easier, we can assume Terezi and Natsuo have waited for the others to find their terminals before pressing it.]

[painlessfighter]

I guess it doesn't.

[He looks back to the terminal, and when the other button appears, he smiles a bit.]

Hey, this one's asking us to reset systems, too. And to press when ready. [Beat.] Well, I'm ready!


[And so, he pushes the button~ May God help us all.]

[notsot8rri8le]

[Vriska leans in closely, curious to see what horrors they've brought upon Luministi part of Luministi they've saved. Food or water? Or maybe they've saved the whole town! (By being incredibly awesome, but also by picking the right choice, clearly!) It would just be their luck since she has so much of it--and plus a bit from Natsuo, too.]