agogelogs | THE AMAZING BASE.

Entry tags:

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

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Lena hands over the fish without a second thought-- she's not doing any good with it. But she will watch him closely. There's no knowing where they'll end up next, so she may as well pick up as much as she can. ]

I'm a city girl myself, but I'm not sure my life is quite "posh." I would like to learn a thing or two, if you're willin'. From one city-dweller to another.

[ Vax's expression tightens warily. The redirection of attention assuages Vax's initial defensiveness, but recognizing Meliorn as an elf raises a new unease. Elves at home had never treated him and Vex'ahlia very well. He doesn't recognize Meliorn from Syngorn. However, even if he isn't from Syngorn, there's not guarantee his attitude towards a half-elf is any more welcoming. ]

Thank you.

[ His tone's a little stiff. ]

They were a more beneficial purchase than I'd realized at the time.

[ And even if his daggers didn't arrive with him, Vax is glad to have his boots. It eases the transition. ]

Are you examining everyone's items?

[ JUST WONDERIN' ]

it will be fine
i will put my location public if you wanna check

yeah i

["you were what, Mamoru?" he actually frowns at the possible nomenclature. "took care of" was too much, "guarded" was too simplistic, "was partners with" is weird.

best to settle with Occam's razor]

i taught a girl who knew nothing about defending herself before

and you will. not try.

I imagine you've a steady supply of mana that keeps you away from the generous delicacies our hosts have gifted us? Good on you. [For his part, Dorian is stuck with it and with the weak vinegar that passes for alcohol as well.]

Hm...the mouth is the source of many problems...quite amusing. [Imagine if people didn't have the ability of speech, how wonderful and terrible that would be.]

To be perfectly honest the Qun only works up to a certain point, there are those who abandon the Qun and become Tal'Vashoth. They probably have some sense of ambition and resent their role, but I honestly do not know why some rebel. [Dorian snorts at that, if he didn't have to know he would.] You're probably right, being a Saarebas or a Bas under the Qun is...incredibly harsh.

[Anything that rivaled the harshness of the southern circles was inhumane...and southern circles were pretty inhumane on their own.]

Unfortunately for some, being a mage is not something one can quit, I'm certain if Vivienne could give up being a mage and trade it for being a noble instead she probably would. Being a mage makes her relevant...but that's something else completely.

[Diverting, avoiding, whatever the right word is, Chiron strives to do it. It means a few more running leaps than he ever intended to do, but he lands perfectly fine.

The finish line is ahead. Feeling daring, Chiron urges himself forward for the final sprint. He can hear the motorbike...somewhere? It doesn't matter. He's got this.]

Only metaphorically. None of the gods decided to get ah...more creative, as it were.

[Creative in terms of punishment? Sure. Poor Heracles had gotten too much of that. But anything else was decidedly non-existent, and that was very much for the better.]

How big is your bear these days?

Where have you managed to see already?

[This is a better question in Chiron's mind, one to encourage exploring and focusing on wonder rather than...well, grim reality. That they'd depart and get dropped into another mission that might be even more taxing than the one before. He isn't ready for it, not yet. All Chiron wants to do is spend a lifetime here, studying, learning, basking in it all.

But that is not a luxury open to him. Not as a Heroic Spirit and not as a part of COST.

That kind of self knowledge is why Chiron has a ready answer for the question asked of him.]

I had the most freedom in life. Between here and where I was originally summoned, I believe it evens out to about the same, with some very, very different stakes. My inital place of summoning and the war it was related to is much, much easier than this.

[Grail Wars were just one and done, not on going slogs. A month and done, if that.]

It is a relief. Mordred, I believe, has much stronger opinions on the matter of food, even though we share the same nature. You would probably enjoy and appreciate her opinions. She's frank enough with them.

[As much as an enjoyable aquaintance as Mordred was, there was also no denying that she was rough around the edges and at times, intentionally so. Regardless, it did make her singular, and that was always appreciable.]

If I was someone other than myself, I believe I would intentionally take that statement the wrong way. [Too bad he's not.]

So then how do they maintain it if they have such dissenters? It seems to me that those getting out and away from it would be able to work against them. Or are there nuances I am unaware of?

[Chiron chooses not to inquire any further about mages under the Qun, moving away from the topic as quickly as he can. Some curiosities are best left alone.]

Interesting. It's more literal for magi back home. Each lineage of magi families has what they call a family crest, which...best think of it as a magical organ, I suppose, one that is transplanted from one family heir to the next. It contains that family's entire knowledge, their body of work, and it allows the heirs to call upon that work with no effort at all. The next heir gets the crest and so on. If a mage decides to give up their path, they can quite literally have this crest removed and it will be passed on.

[ Lena had been trying to find the best place to fish, but her patience for both camping and fishing has run low. It doesn't help that she's always been the restless sort.

She hadn't noticed how much noise she was making until Meliorn pointed it out. To her credit, she only stares a bit. After meeting two literal centaurs, anyone humanoid doesn't get much of a second look. ]

I didn't realize I was being that noisy.

"I would not be down this particular path if I didn't feel the desire to go in deeper. I am also capable of transforming back into human form at this point, as the magic that enables it has completed it's 24 hour re-set period."

He simply was going to avoid that change unless he absolutely had to.

Hm. Then it may be worth waiting and seeking out his expertise. If only to avoid breaking down far away from camp and having to walk all the way back.

[It was a logical enough concern, and perhaps one that might manifest in reality for other COST members.]

Not that I have seen, and in truth? It doesn't matter. I can cover more than enough ground like this.

[Chiron's response is cheerful and upbeat, showing that the question was no skin off his hide.]

Wait a couple of minutes and you'll know the answer to that soon. It's... complicated. [and he has a hunch that when the information comes back to him again, he won't be really happy]

That ain't that bad. You could've been poisoned. [or worse. Hopefully, this won't have any long-term effects that weren't registered.] But seems like you only ate something that smells like cheese. That's all.

hah
that one did take me a while to get and i'm used to that kind of appliance

if you want i can guide you through it

[Her enthusiasm is almost contagious and honestly refreshing, Mamoru finds as he finishes up his noodles. He's still hungry. He's been training over and over and he feels like he could eat a horse, hooves and everything.]

Ya gotta try and get everyone to be awake at the same time, then. [He raises from his seat, picking up his plate and resting the chopsticks on a folded napkin. He already knows how to walk from his seat to a machine without needing his cane, but he still needs to run the back of his hand over the counter to figure out where the machines are and back on the table to find his things.

He places a bowl of rice and scrambled eggs and before he starts eating, points his chopsticks at her.] But that's not a bad idea.

Mordred reminds me of someone I know with strong opinions and that's something I can handle well enough. [Sera would probably get along great with Mordred...or they would clash, it could go either way. Sera was frank, gave few shits, and did things either for fun or for profit.]

Seems a part of you was at least thinking about how you could take it the wrong way. Naughty. [Dorian is a terrible influence, you need to quit him quickly.]

Interesting question. I suppose it has to do with those nuances, for some I suspect the Qun holds a certain appeal for example if you are incredibly poor or a slave or if you are someone who really enjoys rules. There is also the brain washing and their re-education system...only the incredibly lucky ones get out so the number of Tal'Vashoth are relatively small.

[Of course Dorian's information is second hand, but his people have been fighting the Qunari for quite some time so his knowledge would be better than most.]

Sounds disgusting, honestly...and disturbing, gaining magic without putting in the effort to attain skill. I suppose it's different where you are from, it just sounds like playing with something you barely understand...it typically backfires with mages in Thedas. Aquiring magic is one thing, a demon can whisper into your ear the ways of blood magic and there you have it. Problem is how very little it is understood...but if it makes us powerful why not?

[He hadn't accepted it yet. He has now Rey. Shh.]

Yes, actually. Though obviously on a ship. I don't think I'd feel very comfortable in space without protection.

[A little wry smile. Did he just make a joke? He really must be feeling better.]

Clean water, less dirt, the ability to change clothing--there are a great many things I'm glad for, at this point. Though a workable ship is apparently a step too far.

Your confidence is a virtue I admire, but clearly you're placing it in the right person.

[And Dorian is certain that his own confidence is inspiring, you don't put the fate of your face in the hands of someone who lacks confidence, certainly.

It doesn't take long for Dorian to finish up, he's practiced, certainly, but he's quick. No one likes to stand around for lengthy periods of time and no matter how attractive Dorian finds himself in a mirror, he'd rather be efficient with his grooming.

Once he's done he's also very careful in cleaning the equipment and getting it ready for Henry.]

Whenever you are ready I'll gladly put an end to your suffering.

Don't let them alone in a room then, they might be each other's undoing. [All Chiron can envision is two Mordreds, and frankly that's a terrifying mental image he never wanted to begin with. Thanks Dorian, he hates it!]

I've no idea what you're talking about. [This is probably never going to happen, Dorian's too much fun to bullshit with.]

If there's a logical order to why people have certain lots and that gives them peace, you mean? [Chiron wants to be sure he's following this, rather than making foolish guesses and being wrong.] I suppose that the re-education thing is unfortunately to be expected, although distressing to hear of. Does the culture produce much beyond a very disturbing society?

[There had to be imports and exports, cities, all of the other hallmarks of civilization and species.]

From the outside, I suppose it is a morbid thing. I believe that most magi view it as a supplement to their own work. It's easier to carry on the family's magecraft lineage if you have instant understanding to what came before, instead of having to spend half a lifetime with the writings of countless ancestors. The practice is fairly old, so they do understand it.

[What strikes Chiron is the little understood part.] Truly, the underlying mechanics are unknown?

[Her question made him avert his eyes, an almost imperceptible twitch passing across his face. It was a fair question, and if she went right to it, then she wasn't wasting any time if this sort of communication came easier for them than in person.]

I did.

[His reaction to it was less about Luke's passing, though, and more about that pair of dice he'd left behind, even for a few moments. The thought of them, and even that pair he'd found on the beach by unhappy accident, immediately sent his thoughts down darker, painful paths. It prevented him from making vindictive claims of being responsible for killing him at last, or anything of the sort. Every recent victory he'd had back home had been hollow, and most of what he'd faced in their last mission had reminded him of that.

When he looked back to her, his expression was the same carefully blank mask he'd tried to curate in front of her before.]

I don't regret it.

You didn't kill him.

[Just so that's clear. She won't let him get away with that, won't let him take the credit for it. What Luke did was selfless, a peaceful end, and Kylo will get no acknowledgement from her that it was anyone's doing but Luke's.]

It's just us now, and we're trapped here together. I'm tired of fighting with you all the time.

[ Just like on the boats with Percy, Vex feels her stomach sink at his question. Vampires? But that was... She breathes in sharply, body tensing up. No, no, no, no, not Vax as well. Percy was one thing, the distance between them manageable but this? If he means the Briarwoods, if he means their liberation of Whitestone then -

Oh gods. ]

No, I don't.

[ Fingers still work through her hair but she shifts, turning a little to face him, to gauge the look on his face. She had hoped, maybe, that her twin was on the same page as her but the signs were already there that he wasn't. Even so she hoped, that maybe the distance wasn't to great, that he remembered the battle against Thordark. How they finally got their revenge for the death of their mother. ]

There is worse than vampires.

[ She needs to find Percy. ]

[That stung, being denied any sort of credit. He could argue, absolutely, but it was clear that was pointless. They seemed to have been exhausted by arguing, which he didn't think was possible. It wasn't lost on him either that she'd used his own words against him: it was just them, now.]

Then what do you propose we do?

[The answer clearly wasn't to stop talking to one another, as their connection continued to force the issue. Not unless they intended to sit in silence until it passed, or they figured out how to shut the door. She'd done it once, though it had been far more literal.]

(hei functions. sharp eyes catch the first and second signal from the top of the rock formation and he takes off like a shot from the underbrush.

aiming for the young drumcrowns that toddle along after their parents, there's an immediate uproar form the beasts that changes the formation of the herd. they move together better than most armies do, stampeding into a tight circle around their children — and that's exactly what they're looking for. the lame drumcrown is accosted by cheris, hei avoids the headbutt of the pack leader with a limbo-like drop backwards, and they sync rather well.

by the time cheris gets the injured drumcrown away from the rest of them, hei's recovered with a flip back, spooked the alpha back with a crackle of electricity and wide stare from laser-light eyes, and reconvened with her. following beside their target's flank at a brisk run, his dagger's pulled from his thigh's sheath.)

Get its neck craned and I'll cut its throat before it makes a mess of the forest ahead.

("minimal damages," chiron said. yeah, right.)

(met with an uninspiring putter no faster than a car hurtling through a school zone on a residential street, hei lets go of 76 and leans back a little. christ...)

Get what done... they didn't even tell us what they wanted for supplies. (and a noncommittal grunt of an addendum,) Or whether we'll manage to get off this fish.

(tilts to the side a little, squinting at the direction they're going in.)

Have you found anything useful yet, or are you just heading out?

Yeah, wouldn’t that be something.

[But his tone of voice indicates that he is most definitely intrigued. He sets down his gun and turns to face 9S fully, an eyebrow raised. After a moment of consideration, he picks up his ammo clip—a small, rectangular object—and tosses it over.

Catch!]

What kind of supplies?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 58 of 92

THE AMAZING BASE.

no subject

crashes in even later without any starbucks

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject