epidemiology | EVENT ★ WELCOME TO ZETA-12

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EVENT ★ WELCOME TO ZETA-12

WELCOME TO ZETA-12

Recruits arrive on a relatively calm, placid afternoon on the tundra. The snow is sparkling white and completely untouched, the sky overhead is a dazzling blue that seems to go on forever. The new arrivals have hopefully dressed warmly, though, because the temperature isn't nearly as nice as the weather. It's well below freezing today, helped not at all by a nippy breeze that stirs to life now and then.

THE TUNDRA (WEEK 1)

Not far off, the scene grows a little less tranquil. Here the ground is raw, ripped up and shredded by the recent, skidding passage of an asteroid on its way to a violent stop. Snow has already begun to fall and soften the torn up earth, but it's a long way from looking whole again. The asteroid itself sits huge, the size of an office building, half buried in the ground and cracked open. The interior of it is a silent labyrinth of stone, and here and there basketball-sized clear, jellylike balls can be found: the squidge eggs. There are no adults in sight, although there are many pools of spilled liquid here and there, presumably from eggs that didn't quite make it.

The eggs nearest to the outside air are cold, some of them even starting to solidify. They'll need to be warmed up if they're going to pull through. All eggs should be kept warm, but some of them are strong enough to pull through anyway if neglected — while some of them are going to need a lot of attention to make it through. Those eggs that do make it will eventually begin to soften, and 24 hours after the recruits arrive, will finally blink open their black, beady eyes and unfold into the squidge shape everyone will come to know and (hopefully) love. A small handful of squidges that hatch won't seem to imprint on anyone. These squidges are standoffish and sullen, but follow the group at some distance.

Any time after that, the journey begins. Recruits' jewelry will pull up a compass when needed, with a blinking red light urging them on south. The journey begins whenever you start walking.

The weather stays fair as the recruits head south, and the snowy plain is fairly uneventful, but eventually an impasse is reached: an enormous lake. Its shore is studded with beautiful snow stars, and may as well be an inland sea, for all that it seems to extend before them; that flashing red light asks that they cross straight over it. The water is iced over, but not thoroughly and not reliably. Even now, before any attempts to cross it have been made, there are cracks in the ice, great floating chunks that have broken free of the crust and would give a nasty surprise to anyone attempting to step onto them.

The first choice is a simple one: take your chances with the ice and attempt a crossing? Or do you venture east or west and hope it has some sort of end that won't take you weeks out of the way? Please choose one of these options to determine how your character fares.

As the journey takes them on, plantlife makes a slow return to the scenery. First it's the water cactae, proving a welcome relief to anyone tired of melting snow for water, if you can get into them. But eventually the temperature drops even further, and a forest begins to spring up around them. The first few days of it are chilly, sometimes even still snowy, but further on the plants are beginning to get a little more colorful.

THE FOREST (WEEK 2)

The second week of the journey is entirely under the leafy canopy of the forest. There's green all around, and the sun is warm whenever it breaks through the leaves. There is much more food to be scavenged here, although you couldn't possibly have made it too far through your food rations, right? Meals can be supplemented by berries, roots, or edible leaves, although it's suggested you find some way of quickly telling what's poisonous and what's nutritious. Here and there are plants trying to bite back, too. Do you hack these apart, or just give them a wide berth? The learning eyes of your squidge are on you, whichever option you pick.

Eventually comes another obstacle, not unlike the earlier frozen lake. This one, though, is a sheer drop. A deep, seemingly bottomless chasm has been slashed through the forest. The good news is that you won't have to find your way around it this time! There's a thin spit of land joining the two sides, only wide enough for two people to walk abreast, provided they don't mind getting cozy. You could walk right across… but you'd be leaving your squidge behind.

It turns out that squidges are terrified of heights. They want nothing to do with this, and would much prefer they just live out the rest of their natural lives on the near side of the chasm. The choices are these: A squidge must be sweet talked into crossing, calmed and comforted for several hours, or, if you must, forced into it. The squidges collectively are doing a lot of nervous wailing just at the suggestion of crossing, but a forced squidge will do a lot of screaming, even for days afterward. Recruits will find that they have an easier time of it in a group with at least one other person and their squidge. Although they still clearly hate it, they can handle it better in groups. But take heart: on the other side of the chasm will be a grove of large winefruits , a reward for the haggard parents. Just make sure your squidges don't partake as well, that wouldn't go well.

Please select an option below to determine how your squidge will be gotten across the chasm.

The forest begins to thin out again after the challenge of the chasm, and finally begins to warm up. In fact, it's getting a little muggy. It's easy to feel drowsy in the sunlight dappling through the leaves… or maybe that's the magical poppies. Seemingly innocent little red, purple, and yellow flowers begin to line the way. They're generally harmless on their own — but they're rarely on their own. Any recruits who lie down in the vicinity of a batch of magical poppies may find themselves slowly overtaken by dermal vines. Discretion is most definitely advised, as recruits finally make it to the swamp.

OOC NOTES

This log ICly and OOCly covers two weeks! Characters may proceed at whatever pace they'd like, but going too quickly or too slowly will mean they travel alone. (And those going too quickly will probably have to contend with screaming squidges, who prefer to travel at the speed of an easy plod.)

The unbonded squidges mentioned at the beginning of the log will be determinedly trailing after the group. They refuse to interact with much of anyone currently around... but may be convinced to take a liking to someone as we get new characters apping in.

Characters have been provided with large backpacks containing basic necessities -- food and water rations, shampoo, soap, etc -- and whatever they decided to pack. They will not be receiving another official supply drop, so it's up to them to make the rations last.

We are also introducing a Bounty Board for Zeta-12! It is entirely optional, but gives you some ideas to spark threads and rewards you for playing them out.

Please remember to select your choices in the threads below! How you choose will determine how your squidge grows.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

1 | EASTERS

[ Rhys and Peanut Butter Cup had unfortunate run-in with some starbursts, he doesn't want to talk about it, it was awful, but they've both moved on. Mostly. They've both got cuts and look resigned. This is our life now, etc. He's got her propped in one arm as he inspects her cuts (she has far less than him, implying he made a few terrible mistakes during the incident) and hopes it isn't that bad. Is it bad?? ]

Hey, does anyone have any... Band-Aids, or, you know. Antibiotics...? Maybe, like, a hamster ball I can put her in? Y'know, for protection.

2 | CAMPSITE

[ He's entirely ready to pass out when the group finally makes camp, but life is cruel, and the moment he's allowed to sleep he ends up wide awake. It's late in the night, likely that many people are asleep, and he and PBC are both hanging out in a sleeping bag. PBC is actually napping, though, or so it seems. Rhys is propped up on his elbow, seemingly looking at nothing and talking to himself. This is a somewhat usual occurrence, if you've seen him around before. ]

God, can you not— where have you even— yeah! Yes. I am working on it. Clearly. Just go back to— I'm trying to sleep here? This really isn't a good time.

[ And it's just consistent nonsensical babbling like that from there on out. ]

3 | WILDCARD

[ hit me with ur best shot. pp me at regnant or pm me if you have questions or want a closed starter c: ]

[ Injured squidge just had a way of tugging at Natasha's heartstrings. She leaned in over Rhys' shoulder, a cursory inspection, but none of Natasha's input comes without sass, so that's the unfortunate price. ]

You could always hit up Tony for the plans to that iron squidge casing. [ She glanced behind her at him while she pulled out her canteen. ] I've heard it's very effective. [ Her tone of voice says, no, that's not actually effective. In fact, iron suits and hamster balls are unethical. But that's fine. Be bad parents if you want.

She holds out her canteen to Rhys. ] Clean them off with some of this. It should be fine, as long as you keep her off the ground for a while.

[ what a good time for him to wander by, sup. little iron wonder is tucked under one arm, twisting around as it do. ] Effective, check. But I'm not taking commissions, if that's what you're asking.

[ He reaches for the canteen and ducks his head a little, because oh, my god, Tony Stark can't see him like this. Looking so uncool, while Tony over there has built his blob a suit of armor. ]

Thanks, it's— urgh. [ He attempts to clean her cuts with one hand and ends up spilling a little. She looks slightly more clean, though, so... that's a plus. ] When... did you make that? [ To Natasha: ] When did he make that?

You'd be surprised how productive chronic insomnia can make you.

[ That's her completely unhelpful contribution at least. ]

Don't encourage him.

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