epidemiology | EVENT ▸ ELECTRIC SHEEP

ELECTRIC SHEEP

After Ophelia spends some time getting the lay of the land and settling into Drakstadish life, Rost informs them that one of their secret sympathizers has gained access to information that has the potential to bring the Prime Minister down. One of his maids has found security footage of him talking to other governmental officials in his home about incriminating plans.

There is no time to explain what's in the recording, Rost member Froken explains, only that it has something to do with taxes: citizens of Drakstaden have had to pay an increase in taxes with the understanding that it will be used for revitalizing the lower levels -- including the promised Vakdir presence that has yet to come to fruition.

Ophelia will need to infiltrate the City-State Broadcasting Station in the upper levels, where another secret sympathizer is ready to get them into the the master control room and disseminate the incriminating recording for the entire city to see. Rost will be accompanying them, ready to act as distractions or sacrifice themselves to the Vakdir who patrol the station; Ophelia has a better chance of completing the mission, and that is the most important thing to the rebels.

▸ BROADCASTING STATION

The upper levels of Drakstaden are cleaner and brighter than the ones below; the pale blue sky of Heimland is visible here, peeking between gaps in the buildings. There are plazas here, promenades and courtyards and gardens built on the roofs of buildings that end before the topmost, giving the upper class places to walk and take in the fresh air that is foreign to the lower levels. But everything is colder here -- fewer people in the upper classes means less body heat, and although the taller buildings buffet the wind from blowing too harshly against the plazas, it's still present, along with the seemingly endless rain.

The Vakdir presence here is noticeably heavier than in the middle levels, though the upper class citizens' reaction to them is markedly different: whereas the middle class tends to cringe away from the Vakdir and avert their gaze, the upper class either ignores the Vakdir entirely or engages them in friendly conversation. It seems as though the oppressive force of the Vakdir is not so oppressive for the wealthy. You may want to take the time to explore.

The City-State Broadcasting Station is on the uppermost floors of one of the taller buildings, meaning that Ophelia and Rost will need to climb several flights of stairs to reach the doors. Once there, the "secret sympathizer" -- Petyr Larson, the janitor -- is there to let them in. It's the middle of the broadcast day, so everyone else will be busy in the broadcasting and control rooms, giving characters plenty of time to explore the station, though they'll still have to be on the lookout for the Vakdir patrolling the halls.

Larson's iris scan allows him to enter any room in the Broadcasting Station, including offices, and he has made copies of his iris scan on credit card-sized discs: the infiltrators only need hold the disc up to the scanners in front of any locked room for access. This allows for the team to split up into smaller groups or head out solo, and it keeps Larson out of immediate danger; though he's sympathetic to the rebel cause, he's a very nervous sort and is not exactly equipped to explain to the Vakdir why he's accompanying roughly 80 people around the station.

While exploring the whole station can potentially turn up useful information for Rost to use against the oppressive government, they'll insist that everyone's sights are set on the control booth so they can upload the Prime Minister's secret meeting. It'll have to be timed carefully -- there is a fifteen minute break between broadcast shifts where the majority of the staff breaks for lunch, and the control booth should be abandoned. Once inside, it's a small matter of plugging the drive into the console and hitting the button marked BROADCAST:

The recording is grainy-looking and from a high angle. It's a spacious, many-windowed room where the Prime Minister is seated at a desk. Seated across from the desk are three men, all dressed impeccably; their high-end cybernetics gleam even in the low-quality recording.

Prime Minister Ivarson speaks, his voice clear even though the visuals are muddy:

"So we're agreed, gentlemen. I assure you, your constituents won't mind the "repurposing" of their hard-earned funds once they realize they will earn it back thricefold once we clear out the... riff raff plaguing our fair city.

With our new involuntary labor force, we'll finally be living like we were meant to. And they'll be doing the same."

As this recorded "off the record" meeting continues, it seems to indicate that Prime Minister Ivarson does intend to stay true to his promise to fix the lower levels -- by jailing the majority of the lower class, thereby clearing the lower levels of crime and undesirables once and for all. The prisoners would then be used as a cheap labor force, driving the middle class into poverty as they try to compete with the unpaid workers, thereby establishing a new lower class and ridding the upper class of all competition.

It's certainly damning to the Prime Minister and will likely disturb the lower and middle classes, but it begs the question -- is it enough to drive the upper class against him too?

▸ THE VAKDIR

The Vakdir are immediately alerted when Rost’s counter-propaganda is broadcasted; the handful of Rost members who stayed behind at the hideout let the infiltrators know that, and that it can only mean one thing: the broadcasting station has been compromised. For Ophelia, this means it’s time to get out, and quick. Vakdir backup is quickly descending upon the broadcasting station, and anyone caught nearby is being taken in and questioned.

Any safeguards against entering the broadcasting station don’t keep all of the Vakdir out; there are already several inside, searching the large building for anyone who doesn't belong there. You’ll need to be stealthy if you want to get out without being apprehended and arrested, which will obviously happen if you're found there. The Broadcasting Station has quite a lot of tech one might be able to hide behind, as well as rooms -- offices, closets, dressing rooms -- to duck into if the Vakdir are patrolling the halls.

If caught, characters can struggle to break free -- although they will still be known as a fugitive if they escape, and their likeness will be broadcast frequently as a wanted person. The Vakdir are equipped with powerful stun guns that will disable the average person almost instantly, as well as body armor that protects them from most attacks. Characters who do not escape will be brought to the prison, a high-tech complex adjacent to the Vakdir Headquarters, where they will be required to relinquish their possessions (it's your choice if your character's jewelcomm and/or specialization magitek is included!) and change into the grey prisoner uniform provided.

The prisoners are informed by a particularly slimy Vakdir officer that there will be no trial, and that their punishment will be severe; the Prime Minister is very displeased with their malicious attempts to destabilize a peaceful nation, and evil acts deserve justice. “Sleep well,” he tells them, locking the door to the cell.

On the bright side, due to severe overpopulation in the prison, all the prisoners from the broadcasting station have been thrown into one -- cramped, uncomfortable -- cell. In addition to whatever guildmates have been imprisoned, there are a few Rost members in the cell as well, as well as some innocent bystanders -- and Petyr Larson, the Broadcast Station's inside man. It looks like it's sleepover time!

But don't worry -- the Rost take care of their own, and rescue is surely on its way.

▸ OOC NOTES

This log takes place over several hours, with the next log -- featuring a jailbreak! -- beginning a few days later. In other words, there will be time dilation in place, meaning that only two IC days will pass between this log and the next.

Please note because this log has been posted so late in the month, you may use threads begun in April for May AC. You may not use the same thread for AC in both months.

If you have questions about this log or the mission, please direct them to the dossier. Questions about the game in general can be directed to the FAQ.

▸ Up now:

Optional. The Great Escape II player plot!
The Free Bird and My Fair Lady bounties are now unlocked, along with the upper level locations.
May calendar is live!
Plotting post for this log is up.

▸ Coming next (Futurology runs on timezone UTC):

30 Apr: Optional. Player plot sign-ups.
01 May: April AC begins at 00:01 UTC, ending on 5 May 23:59 UTC.
All characters accepted in April must provide one proof. Failure will result in an idle.
Reminder: bounty threads do not count toward !plot proofs. Please review the AC requirements to prepare!
01 May: Hiatus trimester turns over. Review what this means on the hiatus page!
05 May: Optional. Player plot log.
12 May: Next !plot log goes up.

▸ CR/Welcome Meme ▸ Drakstaden Dossier ▸ Drakstaden Locations ▸ Drakstaden Bounty Board ▸ May Calendar

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ "S-stop, please!"

There was a gaggle of well-dressed, sleek-haired citizens, each sporting the high-end cybernetic enhancements most in vogue with the style of the upper levels -- they stood out in stark contrast to everyone else in the cramped plaza, including the middle-aged couple they were currently surrounding.

'S-stop!' echoed a dark-haired young woman with pink highlights in her hair. Her voice was high, mocking. She had a knife in her hand. "You lazy bottomfeeders make me sick."

There was a dangerous look in Majima's eye as he started through the crowd, toward the confrontation, though he still kept a cool enough head to address the teammate he'd spotted over the magitek. ]

I'm breakin' this up.

[ There's enough going on in the plaza that Lissa doesn't immediately notice the commotion. In fact, it's not enough the words blip in front of her eyes that she swings her head around to stare at the cluster of upper-class citizens displaying behavior she certainly wouldn't attribute to the upper class. (Though bullying, she supposes, is universal.)

There's another figure wading through the crowd, a man, whose face looks distinctly more familiar than all the rest of the faces in the crowd. The teammate off to break this whatever it is up, she can only guess, and in response she types out a quick message. ]

wait!
are you going to be okay? do you need help?

[ Surely she can't just let him go at this alone. ]

Welcome to tag along. Someone's probably gonna get hurt.

[ One way or another, though, this was going to happen. He was nearing the end of his patience trying to keep a low profile while things like this were happening. Logically, he knew that even if this altercation turned out well, it wouldn't really change anything -- not when the rest of this city was busy chewing these people up and spitting them out.

But even still.

The ringleader was holding her knife at the older woman's throat, so intent on her intimidation that she didn't even notice either of them until Majima spoke up. ]

Hey, lady -- and I use that in the loosest meaning of the word. Why don't you back the hell up and leave those people alone.

[ The woman looked up at Majima, glanced at Lissa. "Stay out of this." ]

[ Hurt?? No way, not on her watch.

Her hands wrap around her staff tighter - it's a bit of an odd accessory in futuristic Drakstaden, but in times like these she's glad to have brought it - and she scurries behind Majima, keeping a couple feet behind just in case a fight breaks out. Just because she's a Bruiser doesn't mean she's equipped to punch multiple people in the face.

Of course, that's never stopped her from running her mouth in front of other people. Her lower lip juts out as she takes another step forward. ]

Maybe you should stay out of this. Those people weren't doing anything to you.

[ The couple cringes again, not wanting any further attention drawn to them that might make the situation worse. ]

[ "That's exactly the problem," the woman said, sneering. "They don't do anything but sit around, waiting for handouts. Meanwhile, everyone else has to pick up their slack."

She started pressing the tip of the blade up against the older woman's throat, drawing a thin bead of blood. The victim made the slightest, quietest cry before Majima gripped the ringleader's wrist and yanked it away. ]

Yeah, you're deliverin' some real value to the community -- threatening people who can't fight back.

[ Uh oh. Now the rest of her goons were starting to close in, obviously spoiling for a fight. ]

EVENT ▸ ELECTRIC SHEEP

For Lissa

yikes, sorry for taking so long

no worries!

no subject

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