agogelogs | THE AMAZING BASE.

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THE AMAZING BASE.

WHO? Everybody!
WHAT? Welcome home, nerds.
WHEN? Outside time and space, in the aether between dimensions.
ANYTHING ELSE? There is also a fish. Please warn in subject lines for anything beyond physical violence and move to a personal journal if things go beyond PG-13.

MYSTERY FISH;

question the mystery fish

DEPARTING GALLIPOLI

The order comes the day after the Marie Antoinette sets sail:

PACK UP AND GET READY TO MOVE OUT. WE'VE DONE ALL WE CAN HERE.

DEPLOYMENT: BASE.

WE NEED TO RESTOCK. BE PREPARED FOR MORE TRANSFERS ON ARRIVAL.

STAY SAFE. TIME-STEP EXPECTED TO BEGIN WITHIN THE HOUR.

FOR THOSE OF YOU NEW TO COST: FIND A SECLUDED SPOT AND TRY NOT TO EAT ANYTHING BEFORE THE JUMP.

The Time-Step

The transfer begins like a vibrating heat on the collar bone, just a hum of sensation.

But the vibration spreads. Veteran COST soldiers often refer to this phenomenon as "the buzz". The feeling builds, not unlike standing near a great engine or the wind-rattled branches of a massive tree. There is a long moment of motion sickness and you can't be sure if the world is shaking you from the inside out or the outside in. It may be better to close your eyes against the growing nausea, as the world blurs out of focus.

A star shines in the distance. You may hear the faint rustling of leaves. Some swear they hear voices in this moment, indistinct words echoing off nothingness. Others say they feel a touch of the divine, that the eyes of the eternal look down upon you. Ancient bones rattle just out of earshot, cold and brittle and nothing more than the suggestion of sound. Or maybe it's only an illusion, brought on by the powerful technology grafted into your skin.

One thing is for sure: One moment you are here and the next you are not.

The shift takes you from whatever solitude you could find aboard the Marie Antoinette to the temperature-regulated hallway of what looks like a very poorly put together space station. Droids rush up and down the long hallway, fixing broken bits of machinery or just chattering with each other. A few crows sit on high ledges, looking down and watching. Someone mutters something about a centaur around the corner.

And you might just notice, provided you were in Gallipoli long enough to acquire stowaways, that the parasites lurking on your skin are mercifully gone.

For new arrivals who didn't experience Gallipoli: You, too, will appear in this long hallway, filled with droids and crows and humans (still filthy and clad in ANZAC uniforms, carrying battered equipment from the first World War). And you'll be wearing the minimal COST-issued athletic underwear and holding whatever one item you were allowed to bring. Surprise!

READ THE BASE INFOPAGE.

home away from home

Those who have been to BASE before may find a strangeness to it all: BASE seems...still. The windows show a verdant world instead of the usual aether (though with the typical paranoia), and the halls are bereft of all but a few crows. A man stands at the end of the long hallway you arrived in, waiting for you to get your bearings before he speaks.

Except, you know, he's not a man. He's a centaur.

"It's been barely a week since you left, by my reckoning. But for you, I'm sure, it's been much longer. Still, much has changed. You may have noticed we are...becalmed. This is due, it seems, to an error in our ways. We kept something that does not belong to us, several wild creatures that are meant to be free. They seem to have psychically called out to their home, and their home responded; we are now somewhat stranded.

"But let me explain—the Aether is the nexus between worlds and times, but it is not a dead thing. Creatures live in it. We have crashed onto the back of one such creature, a mighty beast, as large as a small country and entirely undiscovered. We have found why the creature has intercepted us: we have accidentally taken captive some of its children. Shapers, the wild creatures I mentioned, it seems they form a symbiotic bond with the creature, and live happily within its stomach."

He frowns, considering this.

"Shapers, I should mention, are creatures that briefly infested our fair BASE. The issue was dealt with, though we kept some for experimentation. The coelacanth took issue with this, it seems. It can speak, of course; we are stranded very near its head, and if you wish to ask it a question, I implore you to do so. The creature is older than creation—older than me—and only speaks once to any creature it encounters. It's said its wisdom brings kings to their knees."

His eyes crinkle in humor.

"My name is Chiron and I am the caretaker of this place, for those of you whom I have not had the pleasure of meeting. More importantly, I am a trainer and a teacher of some experience; if you wish training or schooling of any sort, do summon me. I will be happy to assist."

He's easy to contact, often found in the library, the training area, his capsule, or elsewhere in the station, attempting to fix what he understands and arguing with crows.

"We intended to spend this time exploring, for this is a rare opportunity to discover more of an entirely uncharted world. I hasten you to see if anything on the coelacanth can be of use, but be careful. Take only what you need, not what you may want. I intend to learn my lessons well; these creatures are not pets. Takes food, water, and any materials of use to us for our survival and perseverance, but no more. We task you with this: explore the coelacanth, and see what of it can be understood. Bring us back samples, but do try to interrupt the natural habitat as little as possible. We are guests here."

He bows and the action shows a slight limp in one of his back legs.

"I would join you, but I am far too old for such activities. Still, do pepper me with any questions you should encounter. I am always available on the network, or in person, within this hulking mass we call home."

And then he leaves you to find your capsules and rest.

CAPSULE ASSIGNMENTS

Once you've found your room and settled in—perhaps taken a shower, collected clothes, and eaten—a droid will approach you with camping equipment and give you a brief explanation of how to access and use the database. It's time to get your gear and go.

Of course, you can decline. You can stay and tend to the fort, maybe try and clean up this patchwork jumble of metal and machinery. But seeing the sights on the back of a giant fish flying through non-space? Who can say no to that?

the undiscovered country.

BASE's airlocks open into a lush valley, vibrant with color and rustling with life that has thrived on the coelacanth's back for millennia. It's a striking shift from the rot and gunfire of Gallipoli, unmarked by shrapnel, bombshells, and never-fresh air.

No, the air here is clean in a way that can leave you breathless, untouched by pollutants and stirred into a gentle breeze. It's a marked departure for anyone used to a more modern Earth or rough equivalent; letting the air sit on your tongue leaves a crisp, unsullied taste behind. And the whole forest feels alive, in a way that reminds you of how small you really are.

A white crow perches in a tree near BASE's exit, too high up to properly engage but a stark contrast to the bright leaves around her. She merely watches recruits come and go with a shrewd eye, feathers fluffed against the light chill. There are other crows scattered throughout the wilderness, some easier to find than others as they flit through the trees, sit on camping equipment, or hitch rides on the hoverbikes.

Besides those brief flashes of black feathers, however, you're left unsupervised.

Try not to fuck up anything too badly.

EXPLORE:INFOPAGE|DATABASE
talk to a fish | destruction report

NAV. NETWORK LOGS OOC MEMES PLURK

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You can't tell me you wouldn't find that satisfying, given the opportunity.

It's clearly just cursed to be dirty.

[CHiron's glad for that warmth, and he does sit as instructed. It's...a little clunkier now that he's a centaur, but still do-able.]

Of course.

Just warn me before you hop on, please. I need to prepare myself for redistributing weight.

[Don't break his back Mordred. But either way, her response is interesting. Chiron's quiet as he mulls it over.]

Mm, that wouldn't surprise me in the least. It's strange how wisdom always tries to present itself vaguely.

[ Whatever Sebastian was expecting out of his day, maybe getting his arm grabbed hurriedly by someone he's barely ever spoken to in order to get jerked back away from a crashed hover bike wasn't part of it. No regrets. ]

Don't "oh, my" me. Are you even listening? There's still spores all over it. [ He's guiding him further away, more in line with the row of bushes where Noctis has been taking shelter for some time now... that is, until he gets distracted. By staring at Sebastian himself. ]

... your hair.

[ Which also in turn means that when Noctis does open the door, he has to do a double-take. ]

Chiron? I mean... yeah, obviously you're Chiron... [ But this Chiron and not that Chiron, despite how he now looks more like that Chiron than this Chiron. Fifty percent more. ]

What's with the legs?

I can be interested in two things.

[ A whole TWO, Henry. ]

I'll take that as a compliment. [Of course Dorian will take all the credit for your sassy layers Chiron, with a great deal of pride in fact, if you're going to give him the credit.] I might have to do that...as you can imagine I'm not much of a stable boy either. So there's that.

[Yes, trust, Dorian could opt for trust.] He's too exuberant to watch like a hawk, I'll have to trust his good sense from his good breeding. I only hope he can tell the difference between good plants and toxic ones.

[Dorian can't help but wonder if the hart ate something that's giving him so much exhilaration or if this is just a natural state of not being enclosed.]

Ah, the Qunari, not easy to describe but I will give it a shot. They are humanoid with a sort of dragon-esque appearance to them. They are quite tall, metallic skin, white hair, and the facial features that give you the impression of a dragon complete with horns...and a very inflexible philosophy.

You'd be surprised by how little having a good heart matters in some places as opposed to successes and flawlessness. [Dorian merely offers him a wry smile suggesting that Dorian grew up in one of these places. You don't get praised for having a good heart in Tevinter.]

[ Indeed, this encounter is getting more and more perplexing by the moment, though Sebastian doesn't try and stop Noctis from dragging him away. He doesn't respond immediately, instead looking back to the bike with a mild frown. The idea that it's covered in some kind of spore is marginally more believable, but... If there's any effect, he's immune. He thinks? It's difficult to know, considering he thought himself all but invincible until the miasma in the trenches took away some of his abilities. ]

Ah, you likely needn't worry, though I—

[ He cuts himself off as he looks back to Noctis, and then aside to his long bangs. ]

...Is there something wrong with it?

[ Now that's a genuine concern. Aesthetics are important! Also Sebastian is a moron that genuinely cares about that more than most things. ]

[ (a lot of practice.)

he's very well aware this is a terrible idea. but how much angrier can a thing this big possibly get, right? percy's always erred on the side of risk like it's in his blood, like he was always born under a bad star, so adjusting his grip with his free arm, he pulls out the derringer, removing the safety and turning to level it at the pursuing creature.

it's even more terrifying from the back of the hover bike than from running away on foot, but percy digs his heels into the sides of the bike and controls his shot, doing his best to aim for a softer spot - the open mouth, an eye, an ear perhaps? he settles for the eye. if it can't see them, maybe they can lose it in the foliage. even one eye taken out or at the very lease blurred will give them some ground.

he fires and the derringer jerks (not in the way bad news or retort might, but jerks none the less) and the shot goes sailing. it's not dead center of the thing's eye, but it's close enough that the sphinx behind them digs its claws into the ground and roars, reaching up to claw at its own eye in sudden shock. a distraction, but it's winning them seconds. ]

Go, go, go!

[ that thing's going to be even angrier when it gets to its feet again. ]

Better than in a trench, I suppose, though I'm not sure I'd have preferred the lack of clothing.

[ though really, he's not sure which scenario he'd prefer. the gunfire or the age-old nightmare of walking around in your small clothes. or in this case, maybe even less than that. he busies himself at the table of clothing before - oh look it's a shirt, it might fit him too. it gets offered over for perusal/approval/donning before he leans against the table. ]

You've far better timing than some of us.

A kitchenette and sort of common area.

[She goes all the way up the stairs so no tot block him as she expects he'll want to stick his nose up here too. They'll presumably be spending a lot of time in here until next mission, so they might as well get used to it. She takes a seat on one of the corner-booth cushions and throws both her arms over the backs of them, slouching comfortably. He's tolerable, so far. Another person who favors swords, though? Maybe COST had a thing for them. Makes her feel like the odd woman out.]

Interesting that COST is able to retrieve weapons and belongings after acquiring the person who owns them. Seems like an awful lot of trouble.

[She mostly muses out loud. Samus could at least understand why her suit was still inaccessible, and she didn't expect that to be a permanent feature. You know, technically speaking.]

Technically the answer is yes, but I've never actually had a pet, that's what he is if I name him, right? A pet...like a giant hamster with antlers. [The worst description, it's not a hamster with antlers.] Fast? Well if you want to compare them to horses, yes, they are marginally faster.

[He's not certain how to compare the Hart to any other mount he's ridden, he doubts most people have ever heard of a Nuggalope. All that is an aside once the man told him who he was.] Ah! The one who kept his face covered at all times? Quite a shame, that.

[That 76 was capable, that wasn't really news - Gallipoli showed him enough that he was a reliable person to have in whatever field they were sent to. But he does tuck his shades a little higher on the bridge of his nose when he hears the quick succession of punches into the bag.

Seriously, he could swear he almost hears the leather - or whatever the bag is made of - thinning whenever he decided to give it a hook instead of a jab.

So that makes him stop, and lean his weight against the huge mechanical spider.]

Some people drink energy drinks.

[ Ah. Well. She supposes she did ask for the outpouring.

It has always seemed to her that many people here are all too accepting of what COST has thrown their way. There is a large difference, in her mind, between adaptable and foolish, and there are far too many questions in her mind for her not to be at least mildly discontent on any given day. So hearing a few complaints is surprisingly welcome, even more welcome than the stray compliment, and she half-smiles in response. ]

I think it ridiculous at best. I have spent several missions on Earth as through I have reason to care about its history, and though I have now heard of other Earths where there is magic somehow we only seem to work on one that has none.

[ Her eyebrows rise as if to say explain that. ]

This-- [ She gestures with one hand toward, well, nature... such as it is. ] --has been the best part so far.

You're practically yanking it.

[ The scowl is half meant, petulant as he moves to sit behind her and starts to comb through her hair. The familiarity is comforting, the easy banter, Vax doing her hair as he has done so many times before. She's glad he is here with her.

A laugh pushes past her lips as she kicks a little at the water, causing little waves to ripple outwards. ]

How terrible for you.

[ The resentment is understandable, even though she makes a jab at him she feels for him. Had she arrived without her bow she would feel similar, unsteady and wrong-footed. Thankfully, she had been spared that fate though her supply of arrows took a hit. At least they have Percy to smooth the transition, to give Vax another option while they wait for something that suits him better. ]

Most everything comes with a catch. [ Here at least. It's just a feeling she has. ] I'll see what they can do for me, with any luck it won't cost me to dearly.

[ the water flicked at him earns her a startled jerk, his arm lifting up to try and guard against it but not quite fast enough to keep himself from getting a little wet thanks to her. he turns to her with a look that couldn't be more amused, feigning annoyance and sorely losing. he leans against the edge of the tub and flicks some water right back at her. ]

I do not. I made sure to scrub behind my ears quite thoroughly this time.

[ half hazarding now: ] Do you need a closer look?

[ nailed it. ]

Not at all.

[ She shifts, collecting another nearby feather to put in her hair, before standing motioning for her new companion to follow. With a glance about their surroundings, Vex starts to lead a little to the right then straight, gaze following the tell-tale marks left behind by the jaybears and the nest up in the trees.

Only a couple of times does she glance behind herself, checking to see whether or not the other is following. ]

Oh, my name is Vex'ahlia by the way. It's a pleasure.

Huh. [He follows her to the upper floor, looking around once she gets herself settled. He frowns a little, interestingly enough, as he moves his head one side to the other. The air sounds... different, on the side of the kitchenette, and behind her, over her shoulders, there seems to be something buzzing. He had heard that, too, above his room, when his focus hadn't been on the sword. A machine, of sorts, or an engine. He wonders if it's something in the walls or a room beside theirs. But the whole corridor had been sleeping quarters, right?

He pads over to the kitchenette, actually finding it bigger than he expected. A sink, washing appliances, an actual counter, but no stove. Hm. He'd have to make do.]

Heard that some quantum connections are kickstarted [a press of a button, and-- oh, ok that's the trash -- beeping it closed] only when other connections are made with the same elements. If that makes any sense. I ain't an expert.

[He nods, coming back to near the stairs. Mapping how many steps it takes him to reach it - creating sound landmarks. He's glad there's enough decent room to move.] But yeah, sounds off, doesn't it? Why would they bother?

[76's eyebrows creep upward as she downs a solid third of the bottle, though he's honestly too impressed to be angry. In hindsight, this really shouldn't be surprising to him, and he supposes he deserves it for offering her the whole thing outright.]

All yours.

[She's earned it, at this point.]

Better than the rum, right?

[Not that those rations were very difficult to surpass.]

Pulse munitions.

[He's aware that sounds vaguely sci-fi, but otherwise he doesn't really think about it. 76 has been using some variation of this rifle for his entire career, to the point where he finds nothing odd about it, nor does he think he'll have to explain further.

It's a pulse rifle. It uses pulse munitions.]

It'll suit our purposes.

I wouldn't want the samples to contaminate anything else.

And risk you not returning?

( she jests but there's part of it that isn't a joke. it's possible. she hasn't seen him for years -- angela doesn't know what could have changed with him )

We can clean you up there. ( just enough for now ) Besides we have a lot to talk about.

( and angela knows that he wants those answers. besides she can handle the soldier smell. it's not the first mission she's had to check him out after )

( angela takes another slow step forward as he lights his hand up again, eyes curiously watching how the fire wraps around his hand and then looks back up at his face )

Does it not hurt?

[With the logistics out of the way, all that's left to do is start the bike. 76 nods and does so, feeling it rumble to life underneath him. It's a little shaky, but not the worst thing he's ever been on. He'll figure out how to make do.]

Ready.

[ At this point that seems like somewhat of a pleasant surprise to her. ]

Perhaps to minimize the fears of those who do not deal in it?

[ Regardless of why, Natasha's last addition makes her smile in spite of herself, her exhale amused. ]

What do you do that occasionally lets you brush up against this very secret magic?

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THE AMAZING BASE.

no i love them

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iii because where else would he also be

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