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

[You and him both, McCree. Winter sucked. He hated being on Drum Island, the wintery cold section of Impel Down was literally hell, and let's not even talk about Punk Hazard. Ice and snow was probably his least favourite kind of 'scape to deal with, so it's entirely unsurprising that the rubbery pirate captain wasn't paying much attention as he's enjoying his stroll through the much more preferable warm, forested land along with Shanks the red-and-gold squidge.

And it's the absent-minded enjoyment of the surroundings(It's been a while since he's been in a jungle, when was the last time--Sky Island?) that makes him absent-minded enough not to notice the vines before they're already crawling up his legs. He starts to yell when they tighten, about to bend down to try to tear himself free, but...

He can recognise the click of a gun.

He might not be able to be killed with a bullet, but that doesn't mean he likes being shot.]

H--hey, whoa, whoa!! [Hands up, dude, what are you doinG]

[ McCree doesn't have time to explain himself. The vines twine ever more tightly around Luffy with each passing second, and he can see more of the writhing mass rearing up, preparing to strike--or molest, as the case may be. He makes a disgusted face, and without a word, fires off two quick, precise shots from his revolver. Bang, bang. One bullet shreds the first vine around Luffy's ankle; the next gets the second. ]

Over to me, and be quick about it! That plant is tryin' to have you for lunch.

[ Or--something. Something untoward.

Meanwhile, Eastwood huddles deep into McCree's serape and wails. Wups. Gunfire is upsetting; who knew? ]

[Yeah, there's no way he's going to be some plant's LUNCH. Plants are for eating and occasionally for growing food--there's no way he wants to become food himself. That's just backwards.

When he realises that McCree's weapon isn't aimed at HIM--(and McCree's not in any danger of the ricochet hitting him)--he's quick to get the hell out of dodge. A hand on his hat as he dashes away from the creeping vines and past the now wailing baby the cowboylike man is in charge of.]

--That was close.

Man, you're a good shot.

[ The plant definitely wanted to eat Luffy in some kinda way. Fortunately, it's mostly in pieces now, though said pieces are still writhing menacingly on the forest floor. McCree looks at them, clearly both disgusted and weirded out, before glancing back at Luffy. His expression melts into a grin as he spins Peacekeeper in his hand. ]

Oh, I ain't bad.

[ Said in a tone that suggests, 'yep I'm amazing and 100% aware of it, too'. ]

You all right, though? No bruisin' or nothin'?

[Haha, that tone reminds him of Usopp, somehow. He can't help but to grin at the gunman, hands on his hips now.

Were all sharpshooters like this, he wondered? Probably.]

Yeah, I'm fine! It'd take a lot more than some dumb plant to make a mess outta' me.

[A pause... and he rubs an eye, though.]

...'m real sleepy now, though.

This place ain't so good for naps, partner. Plenty more unfriendlies like that one lyin' in wait.

[ He gestures with his gun. ]

Come on, I got a camp set up. You can rest easy there for a while.

[Unfriendlies. Yeah, that was definitely one word for it. He turns his head back where the plants are still smoking from getting shot by Jesse's (impressive) sharpshooting.

The heel of his hand rubs into his eyes again, and he makes a low, groaning sound--as if trying to wake himself up.]

Not riskin' that again. Plants aren't supposed t'act like this at all.

Let's get outta' here.

[ He really hopes this kid doesn't pass out before they get to camp. But, if he's really made of rubber, does that mean he's easy to carry? Points to ponder.

He nods in agreement, in any case, and gestures with his robotic hand. ]

C'mon. Ain't too far off.

[ He sets to walking, picking his way through the overgrown vegetation, one hand tight on his revolver.

Eastwood, meanwhile, clings to his neck, crying like a baby. ]

C'mon, lil doggy. Y'can't cry every time y'hear a loud noise. It ain't proper.

[Sorry, Jesse. You'll be disappointed to find, Rubber Body or not, Luffy weighs about as much as a normal person. But he can be carried in almost any position and not be uncomfortable, at least.

Joints can't ache when they're made out of rubber.

Luffy drags hands up through his hair, knocking his hat back so it settles against the back of his neck, held up with the string around it.]

Your jellything is loud. [This sounds like a complaint, but it's also groggy so at the same time... it almost sounds like he's laughing.] Eastwood?

[ Ah, well. That's what the metal arm is for, should it come to that.

McCree sighs at he pats what he's pretty sure is the squidge's back, trying to calm it down. ]

Reckon he got scared of the gunshot. Ain't livin' up to his namesake at all.

[ He keeps patting as they walk; the camp's in sight. ]

And yeah, Eastwood. As in Clint. He was in the pictures back where I'm from, years back.

[Maybe it's partially due to how groggy is, or due to the fact that he has no idea what Jesse means by 'the pictures' back home, but he laughs a bit, looking up at his new friend with a wobbly grin.]

Pictures, huh. Does he have a bounty too, then? [Pictures, like a wanted poster, right. That's obviously what Jesse meant.]

[ Eastwood keeps wibbling, but he eventually does settle down as they keep walking, his wails quieting to an occasional sniffle. ]

Naw, partner. He was an actor and such--y'know, movies?

[ He squints. ]

Unless they ain't got those where you from.

[ A possibility, albeit a horrible one. They've reached camp, though--some tents, some bedrolls, a cookpot suspended over some logs. Nothing fancy. He's been sharing with Hanzo. ]

Movies? [He says the word... like it's the first time he's ever heard it. Because surprise, it sure is. He tips his head to one side, and then the other...

And then decided that was enough thinking.]

Nope! Never heard of those in my life. [At least he doesn't ask if you can eat them. As soon as they reach the camp though, Luffy's sitting down as if all of the bones in his body suddenly turned into rubber. (hahaha.)]

Hwwaa.... we made it.

Yeah, it's like a picture that moves and talks. Series of pictures.

[ Not the most precise explanation, but. How sad that Luffy doesn't know about movies! He 'hmmns' in his throat. ]

Maybe I can see what all they got back at base. I saw a library, though it might just be books. Can't hurt to check, though.

[ He sits down beside Luffy. ]

Anyhow, go on and take your rest. I'll keep watch.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT ★ WELCOME TO ZETA-12

ii-a ! ! !

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