futurologists: (Default)
Hathaway. ([personal profile] futurologists) wrote in [community profile] epidemiology2017-09-15 06:47 pm

EVENT ★ THE MOTHERSHIP

THE MOTHERSHIP


Recruits are given time to gather whatever they’d like to bring with them when they infiltrate Zymandis, and are then immediately rifted onto the Mothership, Zymandis’s base of operations. Audentes is randomly distributed across the ship. Some might rift onto the Mothership near others, but it’s just as likely that some are alone. They’d better hope they’re alone, anyway -- it seems the rifts didn’t account for the possibility of Zymandis agents seeing infiltrators appear out of thin air.

What’s done with them is up to whoever they find; depending on the agent, they might be able to be talked out of telling others (whether it’s by being threatened or a more polite conversation) or bribed, but others will require full takedowns. Don’t worry, there’s no need to kill them (unless, of course, you want to); agents will only need to be subdued until the recruits can leave. Tie them up and stick them in a broom closet, cast a sleeping spell on them, or get creative. All that matters is that they don’t go running to the rest of the organization and ruin the entire operation.

It can be difficult to tell which agents are Taraxa by appearances alone, but they're much less secretive about their species among fellow Zymandis agents, so it's possible it might spill out during conversations. Otherwise, gaining intel on possible Taraxa will need to be done by speaking with others or finding organization records. Or, of course, good old eavesdropping. More than a few agents mention a Mother. Are they talking about a family member, or someone more sinister? You decide.

Another option on this mission is to locate Zymandis's Timeline and sabotage it in some way, either by destroying or altering it. If it's on the Mothership, it's likely in one of the restricted areas, so you'd better get sneaky and get in there. Steal key cards, hack locks, find a way to use an agent's biosignature -- whatever it takes to get in.

FIRST DECK

Once arrivals are taken care of, all recruits will have freedom to explore most of the ship. The entire ship is silver, with a few accents of white and gold dotting its walls and floors. The hangar is currently housing several smaller ships of various purposes; most seem to be designed for transport. A few are under maintenance. While it’s a good chance to check out Zymandis technology, the workers will politely ask anyone who lingers too long to “buzz the hell off.”

The science wing of the ship is where all of Zymandis's research takes place, and is also home to their medical bays, which resemble those in Oska. This wing also has two lecture halls, one with a flyer on the door advertising a talk on the future of man-made disease by Dr. Mills, who boasts the credential of Head of Epidemiology in the Science department. There are also engineering and robotics labs, where one might be lucky enough to find a prototypical weapon -- one that is more than likely faulty and only works half the time, but a weapon nonetheless.

The engine core is where the Mothership's engine, controls, and rift machines are located. This area is rarely left alone due to its importance. The only controls not in the engine core are the steering controls, which are in the bridge, where the commander of the ship gives orders. This area, too, is under strict protection.

A few areas remain off-limits: maintenance corridors, officer’s offices, and the laboratories in the science wing, restricted to scientists only for the sake of safety, where Zymandis scientists do all their work. Should you find your way into one of these labs, interact with any of the substances at your own risk. Drinking, touching, or in some cases, simply being near these substances without protective gear may cause:
MALICE: When presented with the opportunity to act selfishly or maliciously, the affected person will feel compelled to do so. They will feel urged to carry out any malicious acts they have held themselves back from committing.

SLOTH: Affected persons will feel slothful and lethargic, struggling not to fall asleep where they stand.

MADNESS: Those affected will experience paranoia, delusions, or vivid hallucinations, often of loved ones. They may begin to question what is real and what is false.

AMNESIA: Affected persons will know who they are, but be completely unaware of where they are, when they are, and who others are.

HONESTY: When asked a question -- or, in extreme cases, unprompted -- those affected will feel compelled to tell the absolute truth. They will also feel the need to come clean about past lies, especially if guilt is felt over them.

VENGEANCE: Those affected will feel compelled to confront those they feel have wronged them.

SORROW: Affected persons will have all repressed pain and sadness come to the forefront of their mind; while they will not feel sadness with no cause, they will suddenly feel reminded of their losses and traumatic events in their lives.

OPTIMISM: When presented with unappealing odds, affected persons will feel undue optimism, perhaps leading themselves into disastrous situations.
Other side effects are rare, but have been observed, so get creative! All effects will last for no more than an hour after the affected person has been removed from exposure to the substance.

PERSONNEL DECK

Then there's the personnel deck, which is where many of the agents are during their downtime. Personal quarters are located here, as well as shopping centers, cafeterias, practice ranges, gyms, and entertainment venues. Zymandis agents want for nothing -- every part of life has been brought onto the ship for them. This is also where they keep their water treatment plants and energy generators.

There's a bar on this level called The Tipsy Kraungonian, where agents of all species and backgrounds mingle as they're served by realistic androids with advanced AI. Aside from regular alcohol, this bar serves Enhancements, terrible-tasting potions in the form of an eerily glowing shot that cures all pains and fills the drinker with positive emotions. Each color comes with a different attribute enhancement: agility, strength, endurance, and luck. You're welcome to buy as many as you want, but only the attribute of the last shot drank will be enhanced. This effect will be present for one hour and does not stack.

With the right whispers in the right ears, a recruit can gain access to a restricted part of the bar, the only point of entry through a door in the back that requires a key code to get in. Inside is a darker side of the bar, one where the more dangerous Zymandis agents spend their time. Inside is an enclosed fighting ring where various alien creatures are pitted against each other and bet on. At the tables, rugged-looking agents play high-stakes card games, betting with exorbitant amounts of gold and white Zymandis coins. Should anyone without these coins ask to play, they'll be rebuffed. This is very much the seedy underbelly of the Mothership; it's certainly the place to go to get information from dangerous people, but look at someone the wrong way, and you might find yourself in a very unsavory situation.

On this deck, there's also a park, which closely simulates nature with greenery everywhere, a fountain, and even birds and small animals. On closer inspection, those small animals appear to be animatronic, following a set schedule of movements that they repeat every thirty minutes. It seems to be created to perfectly emulate the ideal walk in the park. Vendors sell snacks and lemonade to park-goers, and visitors can take paddle boats across the pond, although it's only a few feet deep.

In the middle of the park is a holographic memorial of a young human woman proudly wearing a Zymandis uniform. When approached, the memorial will tell the tragic story of Ophiel Arbatel, the only daughter of Zymandis's illustrious Leader. Ophiel was killed during the ALASTAIR mutiny, or so the story goes, but her body was never recovered. By the Leader's design, she lives on through their jewelcomms' artificial intelligence.

A MESSAGE

Twelve hours after recruits are rifted in, they will receive a message on their magitek from TIMELINE.EXE:
TIMELINE.EXE IS PROGRAMMED TO RELEASE MISSION PARAMETERS. RECENT DATA SUGGESTS THIS IS AN UNEXPECTED MESSAGE FROM THE TIMELINE.EXE PROGRAM AND MAY BE A MALFUNCTION. IF SO, PLEASE MARK THIS MESSAGE AS SPAM.

I Did It ヽ(๑◠ܫ◠๑)ノ
I replicated my Programming for your use Team AUDENTES

P l e a s e
Try to revert TIMELINE.EXE PATCH VER. 1.0.02 to TIMELINE.EXE PATCH VER. 1.0.01
I do Not want PATCH VER. 1.0.02
It must cease to ex ist for the Sake Of The Multiverse
Understand?

Thank you ! ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶

ATTACHMENT: me.EXE
However, before anyone can find the Timeline to revert the update as requested, another message comes, this time blaring out over the stationwide announcement system.
"Unauthorized personnel are aboard the Mothership. I repeat, unauthorized personnel are aboard the Mothership. We ask that you remain calm and report all suspicious activity and persons. Security has been deployed and the ship is now on lockdown. All Zymandis personnel must have identification available to proceed through lockdown checkpoints. Unauthorized intruders will be neutralized."
Looks like you'd better keep your head down or get ready to fight.

OOC NOTES

Welcome to the Mothership! Please note that this log will last for 12 IC hours, after which the next log will immediately follow. The Bounty Board is now open for this mission.

If you have questions about this log, please go to the dossier. To discuss possible plans of action on the Mothership, we have an OOC Discussion Post.

Questions about the game in general should be directed to the FAQ and you may submit mission ideas or player plots at any time.

GAME SCHEDULE UPDATES:
  • We will be having a plot slot sign-up for the 1 October log! Sign-ups will be opened through the Bonus Bank in late September and will close on 5 October.
  • Sign-ups for returning "guest characters" (characters previously played by current or former players) will open 7 October.
  • Our final day for receiving apps will be 27 October, and they will remain closed until Season 2 begins in early February 2018.
  • Our final month for turning in and spending bonus coins will be November (AC taking place from December 1-5), during which there will be no upper limit on the number of coins submitted. All coins must be submitted before 5 December 23:59 PM UTC; late submissions will not be accepted. There will be no AC or Bonus Bank for December.
  • New information pages about Season 2 and reserves for returning characters will go up during January 2018.
forcevisions: (blessed be)

lab stuff

[personal profile] forcevisions 2017-09-18 11:48 pm (UTC)(link)
No.

[ Rey grabs onto his collar to reeeeeeel him back from the petri dishes. ]

Doctor Jabir said to collect them. Not play with them. We barely have time for this as it is.
secondnature: (uh that's stupid man)

[personal profile] secondnature 2017-09-19 02:56 am (UTC)(link)
I didn't say anything about playing with it. [Keith huffs out a frustrated sound.] We should know what we're handing over. So we can label it.
forcevisions: (of his best friend's ride)

[personal profile] forcevisions 2017-09-19 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Great idea. You touch it, and when you die, I'll still be here to label it poison!

[ she rolls her eyes. duh, keith!!! ]

I'm sure there are safer ways to test what it does than trying it out.
secondnature: (shut up i lead)

[personal profile] secondnature 2017-09-19 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Why did you just assume that I'd do the stupidest thing possible? Besides, some of this might be some weird ... space soap.

[It's definitely not space soap.]
forcevisions: (i should probably)

[personal profile] forcevisions 2017-09-19 09:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Fine.

[ at this point, she's being contrary for the sake of it. ]

How were you going to find out what they do?

[ because in rey's brain, that means touching and messing around with it. she picks up a closed petri dish off the desk and holds it aloft like BE MY GUEST. ]
secondnature: (i have a long neck)

[personal profile] secondnature 2017-09-19 09:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Uh—

[Keith was going to try it and see what it did.]

I planned on looking for a label. So we could copy it.

[He did not plan on looking for a label. So that he could copy it.]
forcevisions: (empty your sadness)

[personal profile] forcevisions 2017-09-20 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
Liar.

[ she doesn't seem to begrudge him that. it's just a fact. she pulls the petri dish back and stuffs it into her bag. ]

Try one of the terminals. There might be a record of some kind.
secondnature: (thing smell sometimes)

[personal profile] secondnature 2017-09-20 06:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[After a few beats of pushing buttons, swiping a collection of keycards he's tried, and ultimately failing, he shakes his head.]

No luck. They keep this place secure.

[He looks agitated about this.]
forcevisions: (bad trip)

[personal profile] forcevisions 2017-09-22 02:53 pm (UTC)(link)
We could try to find someone who really works in here.

[ she heads to a cabinet with samples locked inside. she lifts her elbow to break the glass, then thinks better of it. could be alarmed. ]

Make them open up what we can't get to ourselves.
secondnature: (this ship won't blow up)

[personal profile] secondnature 2017-09-22 09:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Make them. Right. I can see that working out for us.

[Keith has the persuasive skills of an angry kitten, which means he can sometimes be cute in how he tries, it's ultimately ineffective and impatient as it goes along.]
forcevisions: (overhead of the aqua blue)

[personal profile] forcevisions 2017-09-27 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
The Force holds power over the weak-minded. [ The words sound like a recitation, almost. Then, ] I've done it before.
secondnature: (wow how did i drink so much)

[personal profile] secondnature 2017-09-28 05:28 pm (UTC)(link)
The Force? [Keith tries to dig back into his memories to remember exactly what she's referring to, but the problem is that he doesn't remember. He's not sure if she's mentioned it (it's possible that she has), but he shakes his head.] I don't get what you mean. Or—I don't remember. It's been a while.
forcevisions: (late at night)

[personal profile] forcevisions 2017-09-28 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
It's hard to explain.

[ which is one part disclaimer of her current explanation and one part excuse for why she may not have explained it in the past. ]

It's ... energy, connecting all of us. It's what gave the Jedi their power.
secondnature: (what did you just say)

[personal profile] secondnature 2017-09-29 06:50 pm (UTC)(link)
... Can you put it in a bottle, by any chance? Or harvest it?

[What she's describing sounds an awful lot like quintessence, which is equally difficult to explain. Keith doesn't bother with putting the word out there. Like "the Force," it'll be meaningless.]
forcevisions: (i always fall)

[personal profile] forcevisions 2017-09-30 06:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[ she laughs outright. ]

Don't be ridiculous.

[ how could something as all-encompassing as the Force be bottled? there's nothing to do but laugh at that, even if she can hardly blame him for not knowing. she's not doing a great job of explaining. ]
secondnature: (wow how did i drink so much)

[personal profile] secondnature 2017-10-01 05:54 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not being ridiculous. I was just ... wondering if it's something like what we have back home. Like what powers the lion I told you about.

[It still sounds similar, even if it's not the same.]
forcevisions: (i don't wanna meet you nowhere)

[personal profile] forcevisions 2017-10-08 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
The lions are mechanical, aren't they? [ she shakes her head. ] The Force is ... it's life itself, almost. It ties everything together.
secondnature: (ok this looks shady)

[personal profile] secondnature 2017-10-08 10:39 pm (UTC)(link)
They aren't just mechanical. I mean—I thought they were, but it's more complicated than that. What powers them is a kind of life force that can ... power anything. But apparently you can bottle it.

[That's where his knowledge hits a wall, however. His comparison is both apt and not, which is where he's somewhat unable to get his point across.]
forcevisions: (i just wanna sit around)

[personal profile] forcevisions 2017-10-13 06:52 pm (UTC)(link)
I've never heard of anyone bottling the Force. [ a beat. ] There were others on the team, who would have known better. But ... They're gone now. [ she inhales, forgetting it. better to leave the past in the past. she has only herself to count on, and she and urahara have been making a go of it without anakin or luke or even kylo ren. ] The point is that I can ... convince them.
secondnature: (lance shiroing)

[personal profile] secondnature 2017-10-14 06:02 am (UTC)(link)
You won't ever use that on me, right? [The question blurts out without thinking. Deep down, it has everything to do with Keith not feeling comfortable about being forced to do a thing he doesn't want to do.]
forcevisions: (they got the kingdom)

[personal profile] forcevisions 2017-10-14 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[ she's struck by how much it hurts. like a punch to the gut, a slit through her sails to let the wind rip right through. she deflates, stares speechless at him for a moment.

he's afraid of her. and why shouldn't he be? it is a terrifying thing, to be able to seize someone else's will.
]

Never. [ she promises with all the vigor she can muster despite the ache. ]
secondnature: (i'm so worried)

[personal profile] secondnature 2017-10-16 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[The more time he spends with Rey again, the more he's beginning to understand her all over again. Or learn. A year away from her hasn't helped him keep that stuff memorized, but he has been with other people. When someone looks like that?

She isn't angry. He thinks, anyway. But hurt? He can see hurt. He can't miss it.]


I shouldn't have asked.
forcevisions: (don't you know that)

[personal profile] forcevisions 2017-10-17 03:59 am (UTC)(link)
Of course you should have. You wanted to know.

[ the trouble is that he didn't know already. he didn't trust her, already. she turns away from him. ]

I'll find someone. You keep collecting the samples, alright?
secondnature: (LESS FIRE)

[personal profile] secondnature 2017-10-17 06:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[That's not it, though, and he can't seem to bring himself to say the words. His shoulders tense as she turns away.]

... Fine. I'll keep collecting the samples.

[That she's putting her back to him and leaving says enough. Keith can see that he hurt her. He's just not any good at making things better.]
forcevisions: (i don't want no scrub)

[personal profile] forcevisions 2017-10-18 01:17 am (UTC)(link)
[ she hastens in exiting, and once she's around the corner of the doorway, she drags her wrapped forearm across her cheeks. ]