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

[deem]

[9S steps back enough to allow the man respectable distance, though he's clearly conscious of the next person behind him. He doesn't bump or jostle anyone, at least, even when he stretches his arms. That last battle was difficult, but not in the manner he's accustomed to.

Restraining himself, as a unit ill-suited to melee combat, was a novel experience.

But he stills at the question, reminded of something]

Oh, right. Guess I must really be the only one. [It's said lightly enough, and yet there's something vaguely wistful in his tone] I'm an android, a 9S unit, so that's what I meant. I'm...still getting used to how things are here.

[A total lack of androids, when he'd only ever known units like himself]

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian notices the care that the young man takes when moving, though it's only quietly noted as he starts to get a sense of the sort of person this young man is. Small behaviors and gestures say just as much to him as a conversation, and considering his line of "work"... Well. He's rather attuned to pick up on such details. ]

An android...

[ He trails off thoughtfully, but it's clear from his tone he's not familiar with the term. He can make his guesses just based on the probable roots of the word as well as how 9S uses it, but it's only a guess. Considering the disparities in eras, it's at least fine for him to be honest, so he shakes his head. ]

My apologies, but I am not familiar with the term. If I were to guess, it is because I am from a bit of an earlier time than most. 1889 in England, to be specific.

[deem]

Wow, that really is the Old World...

[Not just the name of the nation, but a year so far back in history that what little data he has on it is fragmented at best. There's something remarkable about the potential information this man represents, something he'd doubtless be unable to acquire otherwise. Nothing from such a bygone era has survived to the present.

After all, so many, many millennia have passed since then]

Well, let's see... [He frowns thoughtfully as he considers the best and simplest way to put it] I'm a product of technology, made in the image of mankind to protect and serve them. So I was made rather than born, and my body's composed of metal, circuitry, and synthetic materials.

[cutlery]

[ The explanation at least clicks easily, and Sebastian nods in understanding. He may not have encountered an android, but the dactyl robots are hard to miss. It's also quite clear where the distinction is to have a different term, since they're hardly as conversational. ]

I see! Then my, if my own time is quite a long time ago for you, your own must be quite far flung. It is difficult to imagine humanity creating such a thing, but... [ He shrugs with a smile ] I am always surprised by innovation.

[ It's part of why Sebastian is a rare demon to be willing to bow his head and serve, though not without strings attached. He enjoys observing humans and seeing what they make, since it's been a fascinating show to see how they've developed over the millenia. ]

I imagine you may be better suited to this work than I in some cases. There is much that I have to marvel at for being so ahead of what I know.

[deem]

I was activated in the year 11942, so we're...pretty far apart in time.

[Which is as bizarre to think as acknowledge. No such thing is possible, even when bringing all their technological innovations to bear. Had he not seen that battlefield for himself, he doubts he'd believe it even now.

It seems useless to linger on the how, no matter his natural curiosity, when something ought to be impossible and yet they're confronted with it. At least, for the time being.

He's been afforded an opportunity at the same time]

Actually, one of my tasks was to piece together information about the Old World by studying ruins and anything we could find. Not surprisingly, I've got barely anything on your era. If you want, we could trade information.

[Although he'd just as easily share his technological knowledge for nothing at all, if it was of interest]

[cutlery]

[ Now that is a surprise. Sebastian knows that he's the anomaly, since most of the people he's met are from at least a few centuries ahead of his time. But true eons is quite surprising, and he doesn't bother to hide the look of great surprise. ]

My goodness— That is farther ahead than I expected.

[ And a bit surprising, if he's honest. Humanity moves at such a quick pace that the idea of them even surviving that long is surprising. He was certain they would have managed to cause their own extinction by then. ]

I would be quite interested in trading, yes. [ A pause, as he considers it, but his curiosity is genuine, so he adds: ] In fact, I may be able to offer quite a bit about the time before it as well. I have an interest in history, so I know a fair deal.

[deem]

Oh, you do? That'd be really helpful.

[And he certainly brightens at the prospect, an earnest smile on his lips. His favorite data to collect may concern combat, but his purpose runs deep. He knows it's data he could never otherwise obtain with any reliability]

I can show you all sorts of data where technology's concerned, even schematics and typical materials, if you want. Or if other records interest you, I know as much as any other Scanner. It's the sort of thing my unit type's meant for, details and all that.

[And he's more than happy to make himself useful in this regard]

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian brings his hand to his chin thoughtfully, since it's a prospect he's quite interested in. Technology does genuinely fascinate him, and if this young man (...He supposes?) is just a part of it, the rest of his world must be just as full of marvels he wouldn't have guessed humanity would have achieved. Though in this case, he supposes time is helpful. ]

I would be quite interested in that, yes.

[ The line moves up, and Sebastian's thoughtful expression turns to a smile and a soft laugh ]

—Though later, perhaps. There are more pressing matters for the time being. [ But still, to make sure that happens, introductions seem necessary. It feels out of place to give a proper bow considering the setting, but he does bring his hand to his chest and dips forward very slightly. ] Sebastian Michaelis, by the way.

[deem]

[The gesture comes as a surprise, if only because 9S recognizes it as similar to how units like him salute, and no such gestures need be issued to him. Still, it's different enough that he supposes there may be another reason for it. Perhaps, and some later time, he can ask Sebastian about it.

For now, however, it seems that he'll soon be able to shower]

Nice to meet you, Sir. [Said with a smile, in good cheer] My unit type's my name, too.

[9S, that is. Friends call him Nines, but he can't assume such familiarity with humans when he's only just met them. It certainly would be nice to be thought of in such kind regards, one day. But at this time he's pleased with the prospect that he might yet be useful]

I'll put together some data for next time, then.

[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. ]