THE AMAZING BASE.

[agogemod]

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

Comments

[desynched]

[ She takes that as an invitation to enter the camp proper. ]

Likewise, Thor. [ An interesting name, to be sure, but it's kind of cool. ]

Yep! Thought I'd gather some samples, get the lay of the land, learn a bit about campin'.

[ In retrospect, maybe she should've stuck with someone until she got the basics down, but Lena tends to run off half-cocked sometimes. ]

[desynched]

[ Lena watches him make his way across the room and back. Blind or hard-of-seeing. A part of her is ready to help, should he need it, but she refrains from doing anything else. He seems experienced with this, and she doesn't want to patronize him.

She grins when he actually encourages her. ] I can't believe nobody's thought of it before. When I was in Overwatch, we'd bring snacks from our home countries and try 'em out. [ Mischievously: ] Sometimes we'd go outta our way to bring some of the stranger snacks.

[desynched]

[ Lena picks a spot near the campfire and drops her bag next to her feet. She rifles through it, almost like she's trying to relieve some restlessness. Lena looks up when he speaks again and tries for a reassuring smile. ]

I'm doin' alright. I met a few nice people who've helped me out a bit. [ A little proudly: ] I learned how to clean a fish.

[desynched]

[ Lena's smile flickers a little. She can't say she's really okay after Gallipoli, but there's no need to describe a battlefield to Angela. She knows what it's like and what it's like for the returning soldiers not to be okay.

So she opts to talk about home instead. ]

Back home? I kept busy. Traveling all around, wherever anyone called for me. Helpin' Winston out.

[ With the new Overwatch. Lena's sure that Angela got the Recall message. ]

[horsepowered]

"I did, yes. Your accent is distinct from many others around her," Chiron replies. He has no problem with new people, especially when there's an opportunity to actually introduce oneself rather than run into someone in some terrible situation.

He extends a hand. "Chiron. A pleasure to meet you."

[desynched]

[ Lena feels a slight pang of jealousy-- her guns didn't follow her here, but at least she still has her Accelerator.

She takes a moment to observe him, a bit surprised that he's more talkative. And he seems a little more patient. Already, the fight seems almost relaxed. It's truly a spar to hone their skills and shake off the rust, not a fight to vent frustration or ease anger.

Lena stretches, then takes her stance. ] Alright, show me what you've got!

[ She dashes forward, already anticipating that Genji will dodge such a bold head-on attack. ]

[desynched]

[ She giggles, not bothered in the least. ]

It's alright. I sort of set you up for that, didn't I? It's a bit complicated, but I have a condition called Chronal Disassociation. I'm not properly anchored in the present anymore, not without the help of a device. Kind of like how the BCE keeps us in the right place and time, but I was like this before I got here.

What you saw was actually me jumpin' ahead in my own timeline. Mostly looks like teleportation, I guess. You said your friend can do something like it?

[desynched]

[ Lena watches carefully, committed to learning what she can. She does, of course, recognize the accent but hasn't been here long enough to think immediately of other worlds and times. Just trying to wrap her head around an alien fish and centaurs is a stretch.

Lena holds her hand out for the knife, a stubborn set to her jaw but a playful sparkle in her eyes. Challenge accepted. ]

I would, Mr. Camping Master.

[desynched]

[ Lena knows next to nothing about most people here, so Meliorn could say that he's from the moon and she'd have no reason to doubt him.

Lena smiles-- she's really getting that question a lot, but deservedly so. ]

I'm a Londoner and not a very outdoorsy one at that. Any help would be great, really.

[desynched]

Lena smiles. "I get that a lot." Even back home, her accent is pretty unmistakable.

She shakes his hand and smiles a little wryly. "No relation to the other Chiron, I'm guessing?"

Or maybe there is. For all she knows, one of them was named after the other.

it was the shorts that made me give in and make a 2b journal, now I'm in hell

[garbagepilot]

[He'll recognize the door she reaches out to, too, because it belongs to him as well.]

They're not totally different, but slicers usually are breaking into things for credits- for money.

[The pieces are starting to come together, too, so...]

We also have droids who help humans with everything from protocol to flying ships. I think you'd fit right in.

[neutronium]

"One man's miracle is another man's science." As there must be a scientific reason for this. Hux continued forward, the failures in the roof giving way to smooth rock and cool darkness, moss and vines hanging here and there, somehow still thriving.

"There are creatures where I come from, called Exogorth. They live on planets, but one could be swallowed and not even know it. They have creatures that live there...almost habitat-like stomachs. I imagine this must be something like that." He'd never see an Exogorth in person, but...yes, unique.

"There are always special, unique things in the Galaxy. One simply has to find them."

[deem]

"For this sort of thing, I'd need to do some testing. I've been reluctant to rely on the BCE alone," 9S admits, because the strange mixture of magic and technology strikes him as questionable at best. The technology COST employs without it seems inferior to his own era, even his own design, and it leaves him unsure what to make of it.

Assuming Henry has been here longer, perhaps he'd have better perspective. "Do you consider it reliable?"

the shorts are so good... welcome to android hell

[deem]

Really? That's the first time I've heard something like that... Seems like what I am isn't a feasible reality for most.

[Which has been a peculiar experience for him, coming from a world populated by androids and machines. His normal is nothing at all resembling this.

Even so, he's grateful to have found himself among humans, impossible as he'd thought that would be.

He watches as the living quarter shift into place, and there's no missing the familiarity]

...This is your place?

[handsomefoil]

Well, at least the guy knows where he stands. He finds that both amusing and impressive at once. Not many are willing to pass themselves off as abnormal.

"Oh yeah?" He twirls the handle a bit, almost happy to hear that bit of news. "Well, guess I should be glad. Wouldn't want anyone just snooping about my weaponry, now do I?"

Though if Mamoru wants him to talk about his weapon, he sure wouldn't mind giving him a small summary. You can see it in his body language, he wants you to ask.

[prizeneck]

Nodding, Mamoru shifts his weight as he considers that. "It could be done, it just takes a long time, which I suppose COST doesn't really have." Which makes him wonder, really. If they could travel in time, there could be a way to go to a certain timeline where they had more time to prepare.

Hm, food for thought.

He understands the feeling perfectly, still riding on hyperawareness since he arrived, heightened even further by his lack of sight. Mamoru can understand claustrophobia, especially drawn from some traumatic experiences. "I don't really have a set sleep schedule," he shrugs. "Was about to get something to eat, and then head to the Rec Room."

[prizeneck]

[He does move rather well for someone who's completely blind, even having left his super speshul shades back in his room. It's been a couple of years, after all, muscle memory helping - and developing each time he goes to the kitchen to eat, which is... quite a lot.

He chews thoughtfully while listening to her. The rice seems slightly off, but he's too hungry to really care at the moment. He had been going at a long bout of training before this.

He stops, giving her a curious look.] What's "Overwatch"?

[prizeneck]

He knows it all too well; from his early years at the dojo, students and aficionados trading opinions on new gear, new equipment. To the yakuza he fought against. To the military back in Arizona. Team BLADE and even The Wall. He knows that kind of conversation, its tone and the inviting lilt of it. The Check this out, it has these brand new features, or I like the previous version to the new one because..."

So he takes the bait, not at all craving that familiarity. Not at all.

"Doesn't seem like a gun, at least not a traditional one," he tilts his head. "And ya told me you liked blades, right?"

[decisions]

Cass...

[ the word is soft leaving his mouth, like he might finish the name, but out of affection doesn't. there's something regretful behind his eyes. the idea that he might have left her behind perhaps... hurts more than he'd intended to truly live with. in death, he's sure he would have regretted it just as much. more pain along the rest of the coasting ache inside of him, like a clawed hand around his heart.

he watches her fingers glance the water and reaches over with his hand hesitantly, his own fingers hovering just barely before reaching in to scoop her own up into his palm. he doesn't meet her eyes, feels as though he can't for half a moment with his glasses fogging slightly in the warmth of the tub.

a sigh. soft. he left them. he left vex and he left vox machina and he left cass and they.

they brought him back. ]

Certainly wasn't wrong. Very useless.

[ he hesitates, bringing vex's hand up slowly to rest a moment against his temple, thumb glancing her knuckles. down to his cheek. ]

I'm sorry.

[ it takes a beat, truly, to acknowledge all of this. he died, and lived, and what else is there to do now because he could die again at any moment. they could. either of them. though he'd be loathe to let a thing happen to her ever again. not after his own foolishness. ]

Thank you.

[ a kiss, lingering, to her knuckles. ] I thank you.

[horsepowered]

"We're versions of each other," he says simply. There's zero sugar coating that simple fact, not when everyone else who's been around for a while is aware of that fact.

"Time travel and alternative universes tend to make for some strange appearances from time to time."

[horsepowered]

"Science should never be so cold as to not leave room for wonder or awe." Which had been Chiron's point with his terminology. It was strange to him how hard Hux seemed to cling to this cool, detatched view that looked down on certain elements of the world (gods, for example) even with suggestions that his thinking might not entirely be correct.

But his explanation of the concept of Exogorths is completely distracting. "...Fascinating. A world inside, rather than out. They're uncommon, then?"

[ryuji]

[There aren't any complaints to be had. In fact, just when he's about yanked out of the framing-]

Shit, man. This is kinda romantic. Gettin' fought over by two things at once.

[Leave him back in there, it's probably for the better.

Ryuji beams widely, yet he sees those vines reaching out for him possessively. This wasn't really what he had in mind- and yuck there's pollen in his hair and petals draped around his shoulders.]

It just sorta grabbed me and sucked me in.

[decisions]

But all of those ensure your ending without a doubt. [ he gives the shadow his attention briefly, an examination, a slow blink of acknowledgement before leaning against the wall a bit to face cheris once more. ]

To know that I may have to shoot someone whom, in such a short while, I've come to admire, is not the first thing i'd like to hear. I would hope that were I to shoot you, or to shoot Jedao, that I would see you come free of it unscathed.

[ he presses his lips together, and the concern is imminent in his eyes behind his glasses. [ brooklyn 99 gif goes here ] ]

I will do my best to see to it that you in fact do. [ a beat ] If the outcome is unknown, then the possibility for you to come out of this unharmed, or at the very least alive exists.

[cutlery]

[ His "name" or really, the lack thereof, comes as a surprise, and it's enough for Sebastian to raise an eyebrow quizzically, if briefly. It interests him in a way he imagines that 9S might not be able to answer, since he can only assume that he was created by humans, and that naming convention tells him more about humans than anything else. Or at least as he interprets it. ]

Of course. Hopefully we may have some time before training begins again. [ The line moves up, and Sebastian nods to the muck on his—Well, everywhere, but in this case, he nods to his arm. ] Or if it does, hopefully it will not be quite as grueling.

[ Relatively speaking, at least. He imagines it would be quite difficult for a human. He steps forward to head to a shower, though as he turns, he does give a light nod. ]

Until then.

[ And he's off to the blessed, blessed relief of a shower. He definitely ows you for this one, 9S. ]

[cutlery]

[ His smile increases marginally at her tone, since even though it's completely true, it's also meant as something of a joke in how he phrases it. How people react to the joke tends to be telling about their sense of humor as well as their impressions of Sebastian. It's always about gathering more information in subtle ways, though he admittedly rarely ever uses what he learns. It's more just pieces to keep in mind should he ever need to exploit them. ]

Oh, very likely. [ He responds easily, and there's a casual confidence in it that doesn't imply an unwarranted arrogance. Sebastian isn't boasting, but simply stating a factual truth. ] It could be a reason why they took it upon themselves to recruit me, since even though I have very little stake in how the affair is settled, it is better to have me as an ally than an enemy.

[ He shrugs, though his smile does shift to fit her comment better. It's sly, though there's a pleasant wryness to it and to his tone. ]

You are quite right that I am not a soldier. I am... [ He trails off as if trying to think of the best word to describe it, but quickly settles on one. ] A contract worker is really the best description. There is very little I cannot do, and whoever pays the price for my service can use that however they wish. For better or for worse, it does not particularly matter to me.