epidemiology | EVENT ★ THE MOTHERSHIP

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Sebastian has managed to blend in here a bit better than Maya, but not completely. He's definitely not taking a role that demands attention like Maya is, and has instead opted to be an observer in this establishment. It was easy enough to incapacitate another, borrow their outfit, and then slip in. Though... He is a little put together for a seedy establishment, and he refuses to blend in any more than this. Unfortunately, he's vain. But still, minus surprised glances that someone so elegant would be here, no one pays him much mind. He's quiet, unassuming, and very generally not trying to make a scene.

Of course, that's dashed to pieces as soon as Maya's attention turns to him.

He's surprised that she picks him out, though it doesn't show outwardly, since he's quick to pick up on the farce and play along, but that doesn't mean he'll just obediently acquiese. ]

Ah... Do excuse me, but I thought you were joking. [ Sebastian takes a half-step closer, then leans her way to look at that pile of money ] With such winnings, I thought you would be quite able to buy one yourself.

[Even if Sebastian sticks out a little, it's nothing compared to Maya, who has very unseamlessly integrated herself with these band of thugs, for the moment. Who knows how long until they get pissed a teenage girl is beating them at space poker, and mouthing off, and all that.]

[Anyway, she notices that they're paying too much attention to this dapper looking fellow who she is pretty sure is part of Audentes -- and Maya's ready to lend a hand. And get an actual burger, c'mon, Sebastian, get with the program here.]

That's what I pay you for, isn't it? Jeeves.

[Yes, pays him with imaginary money.... the other players kind of snort, but at least seem less suspicious of him.] Don't tell me you've got a butler or something. Is that even regulation?

No, he's my intern. [Because thuggish card sharks have those??? Maya Fey: Ace Improviser] Jeeves..... Beeves.

[Sebastian did nothing to deserve this]

You do not pay me, actually.

[ Sebastian immediately corrects her with a smile that just barely touches at being passive-aggressive, but it's unlikely to stand out at all with the story she's weaving here. He's an intern, so he doesn't get paid! But also, he's not completely sure what an intern even is, but he can pick up the general idea from context clues. So playing along, he sighs, then looks at some of those thugs with a somewhat sympathetic expression. ]

Though, goodness, this is quite a lot, isn't it, ma'am? I will get you a burger if you insist, but perhaps it is time to leave...?

Maybe if I would, if you earned it. With burgers.

[How is "Jeeves Beeves" supposed to buy her a burger if she doesn't pay him..... the guys are all raising their eyebrows, but considering they keep losing money to this brat, they're on board for this]

[One guy is sniggering at "Jeeves Beeves"]

No way! The night's young, I'm not even close to done. [She huffs and puffs out her cheeks as if this will make her look more formidable. It doesn't]

Beaver is right, kid. Clear on out of here, you've suckered enough of our money!

I somehow doubt that is the case.

[ Sebastian responds lightly, even with a slight snicker in his voice, since he seems to be amused at the proceedings here. At least until the other thug pipes up, since the laugh he'd been able to ignore, but his cheer falters at the name actually being picked up. ]

Beav— Ah, goodness, please do not pick up on such a poor nickname. She's joking.

[ Sebastian glances at Maya again, partially disapproving that they've pick up on it, but also partially ready to absolutely help clean them out even further if they do continue with it. It may be her fault, but petty revenge against minor slights is important?? ]

...Well? Are you really going to continue playing? It may be unwise.

[She might have cut him a little slack with the Totally Really Name, but Jeeves Beeves Beaver keeps sassing her, so she's not feeling quite so generous]

Am I? I don't know yet.....

[It all depends on how he proceeds.... Anyway, Maya both is very impulsive and also a love for money, so she's not ready to turn in, even if it would be logical to stop here. Logic clearly doesn't factor. Sebastian is the closest thing to impulse control she has right now, and if he's not outright gonna stop her, the bad decisions will continue]

[Meanwhile, that one guy is still laughing .... he's incredibly mature] Ha! Lighten up, Beaver.

I've got a better idea! What if we all play? Jeeves may look prim, but he's got some slick moves up his sleeve!

[Yes, the bad decisions continue]

[ His expression says that she really should be wrapping up, and yet... When goaded, Sebastian just keeps smiling. He shrugs lightly, still seeming quite unassuming. ]

Well, you flatter me with your praise, but...

[ He trails off as if hesitant to join in on this, but the smile turns to a bit more of a wry smirk as he brings his hand to his chest lightly. It's a gesture that usually comes with a bow, but in this case, it only comes with a seemingly teasing cant of his head. ]

It would be a shame for these gentleman to lose so badly. But if they do not mind, I will not refuse joining in.

[ he really is just That Petty apparently ]

[Her "intern" is kind of weird and showy (thinks Maya, the pot,) but this could be fun. It'd be nice to have some Audentes back up juuuuust in case things didn't go wrong, and of course, as her "intern", he'd hand over his winnings. So whats the downside?]

[These men don't seem to come to the same conclusion, instead, they're thinking about how humiliated their rival would be if she lost to Jeeves Beaver Beeves, the unpaid intern, so one by one, they chime in]

Fine but only if you beat her ass!

[Maya's looking deviously pleased, though]

I taught him everything he knows, so there's no way he can beat me! Bring it on!

[Yeah, this is happening]

Well, I cannot promise that. It is important to respect one's superiors, after all.

[ Sebastian responds politely, but takes a seat with a confidence that doesn't quite match up with that pleasant, sheepish politeness that he seems to be going for. He looks at the table (and her stack of cash...), the cards, and seems to be taking in exactly what game they were in the process of playing. ]

Though out of respect, I should hardly go easy on you, correct? That would be a disrespect in itself.

[ He sits back, then motions lightly to the table. ]

I believe I know, but just to be sure, what game were you playing?

[They're about to complain that he has no chips, but Maya "generously" donates the bare minimum from her stack of winnings so he can play, pushing it from her pile to the sad empty spot in front of him]

That's right. Come at me with everything you've got!

[The other guys seem pretty pacified by this, or at least convinced he'll rise up against her tyranny and defeat her, so the cards are laid out. Maya explains in the meantime]

It's basically like poker, but with some added rules and stuff. [Which she adds for her important card game exposition. Now, it's time to D-D-D-D-D-D-Duel] Ready, Jeeves?

[ Sebastian takes his chips with a light and modest bow of his head, and even by the way he sits, this seems like a lost cause. He's far too prim and proper to be any kind of wizard at poker, right? It would be true if not for one fact: he's a demon and therefore a guiltless cheater... ]

Ah, poker I can handle. So long as the extra rules are not too troublesome...

[ He motions to the deck of cards ]

May I deal?

[Certainly, Sebastian doesn't look like the kind of person who'd excel at playing poker, but then again... neither does Maya. She's willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and the rest of them are eyeing him too.]

On your first game? I don't think so, buddy. I'LL deal, and the two of you can lose.

[Tough luck for Sebastian! But he'll probably find some other way to cheat.]

I'll dea---

Not you either!!

[Tough luck for Maya, too]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT ★ THE MOTHERSHIP

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