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[MISSION LOG] GET IN THE CAR
CHARACTERS: All
WHERE: Avera 9
WHEN: Day :156 - 160
SUMMARY: Welcome to thejungle muddy junk pile in space. Avera 9, pt.1
WARNINGS: None; will edit if necessary.
THERE IS AN EXPECTATION that all hosts meet on the flight deck; that much is obvious on waking - something that, strangely, all new hosts seem to have done at the same time. Pack your things, says a gut sensation. It's time to go somewhere different.
ONCE ASSEMBLED, it isn't long before Prince and Cathaway make their own appearances. They have a set of kits with them - one for each young host - and a square that unfolds into a data pad with mission details. Each kit contains some of the materials hosts will find helpful for their assignment, and the equipment is not to be traded away or sold, Prince explains. The rest, Cathaway adds, will be provided once travel is complete. And then it's time to get underway. Today that means piling into a sleek, arrow shaped ship with plenty of space to carry personnel and equipment. There are a number of bikes lashed in the cargo area, places for hosts to stow their things, and enough seating at each side of the carrier's interior for hosts to be comfortable. It's a short trip, Cathaway assures and then makes her way with Prince to the cockpit. Today, they're coming with.
Initial checks. Engines go. The landing circular landing pad under the ship turns, lowering down into the flight deck floor as it goes. The ship comes with it, descending into the cool dark depths of the Station. There's a shudder as it locks into the launch tube, as the channel overhead is sealed; there is no countdown, just a pulsing moment of anticipation-- and then rocketing, teeth rattling momentum and a bright, hot flash of joy as the ship is projected from the Station - as it sears through time and space and a hundred versions of the same universe until it comes to rest here: smacked out into real space hung above a murky brown planet, clearly visible through the massive viewscreen at the front of the ship.
It's a good thing there's not much to look at; Cathaway doesn't waste time before deftly setting a course, slicing down through upper atmosphere with hardly a shudder from the knife point shaped ship. The planet comes up rapidly and a hum passes through the carrier as it lowers - cresting down through dark clouds to be battered by rainfall and the cross cutting of wind. But it flies steady, sure, and in time they streak at ground level across muddy flatlands and massive stone slabs - skim across inert bodies of water in the slow process of expanding from the constant sluggish rainfall.
The ship eventually comes to rest in the middle of what must be a massive valley; it sets down with hardly a shiver, then something clangs loud and the ramp at the rear descends. Cathaway unhooks her harness and rises from the pilot's seat.
"Here we are. Be well and do well; try not to kill anyone." Yourselves included, being the unspoken addendum. "Make sure to return here at the specified time. We can't extend our time table to account for stragglers."
There is a pause before Prince adds, with an edge of silent reluctance, “If you find yourselves in a situation you cannot handle, call and we will come.”
And then you're free to go wherever you like. Welcome to Avera 9.
(click to zoom; blue is water; yellow is lowlands/flood plains/etc; green is higher, drier terrain; brown is for ridges/high ground)
((OOC Notes: You'll notice that this log only covers the first few days of the mission; this is to allow for player character decision making to effect the back half of the mission. That said, feel free to make your own logs and posts on the IC community as you see fit - just be aware that dating past day :160 may get a little wonky depending on how events proceed!
If you have any mission specific questions, direct them to the OOC post here. For exploration and salvage discovery, we've decided to give players a largely free rein for what items can be found. However, if you want specific mod-generated items for your characters to stumble across during their salvaging, feel free to use THIS thread to request that!))
WHERE: Avera 9
WHEN: Day :156 - 160
SUMMARY: Welcome to the
WARNINGS: None; will edit if necessary.
THERE IS AN EXPECTATION that all hosts meet on the flight deck; that much is obvious on waking - something that, strangely, all new hosts seem to have done at the same time. Pack your things, says a gut sensation. It's time to go somewhere different.
ONCE ASSEMBLED, it isn't long before Prince and Cathaway make their own appearances. They have a set of kits with them - one for each young host - and a square that unfolds into a data pad with mission details. Each kit contains some of the materials hosts will find helpful for their assignment, and the equipment is not to be traded away or sold, Prince explains. The rest, Cathaway adds, will be provided once travel is complete. And then it's time to get underway. Today that means piling into a sleek, arrow shaped ship with plenty of space to carry personnel and equipment. There are a number of bikes lashed in the cargo area, places for hosts to stow their things, and enough seating at each side of the carrier's interior for hosts to be comfortable. It's a short trip, Cathaway assures and then makes her way with Prince to the cockpit. Today, they're coming with.
Initial checks. Engines go. The landing circular landing pad under the ship turns, lowering down into the flight deck floor as it goes. The ship comes with it, descending into the cool dark depths of the Station. There's a shudder as it locks into the launch tube, as the channel overhead is sealed; there is no countdown, just a pulsing moment of anticipation-- and then rocketing, teeth rattling momentum and a bright, hot flash of joy as the ship is projected from the Station - as it sears through time and space and a hundred versions of the same universe until it comes to rest here: smacked out into real space hung above a murky brown planet, clearly visible through the massive viewscreen at the front of the ship.
It's a good thing there's not much to look at; Cathaway doesn't waste time before deftly setting a course, slicing down through upper atmosphere with hardly a shudder from the knife point shaped ship. The planet comes up rapidly and a hum passes through the carrier as it lowers - cresting down through dark clouds to be battered by rainfall and the cross cutting of wind. But it flies steady, sure, and in time they streak at ground level across muddy flatlands and massive stone slabs - skim across inert bodies of water in the slow process of expanding from the constant sluggish rainfall.
The ship eventually comes to rest in the middle of what must be a massive valley; it sets down with hardly a shiver, then something clangs loud and the ramp at the rear descends. Cathaway unhooks her harness and rises from the pilot's seat.
"Here we are. Be well and do well; try not to kill anyone." Yourselves included, being the unspoken addendum. "Make sure to return here at the specified time. We can't extend our time table to account for stragglers."
There is a pause before Prince adds, with an edge of silent reluctance, “If you find yourselves in a situation you cannot handle, call and we will come.”
And then you're free to go wherever you like. Welcome to Avera 9.
(click to zoom; blue is water; yellow is lowlands/flood plains/etc; green is higher, drier terrain; brown is for ridges/high ground)
((OOC Notes: You'll notice that this log only covers the first few days of the mission; this is to allow for player character decision making to effect the back half of the mission. That said, feel free to make your own logs and posts on the IC community as you see fit - just be aware that dating past day :160 may get a little wonky depending on how events proceed!
If you have any mission specific questions, direct them to the OOC post here. For exploration and salvage discovery, we've decided to give players a largely free rein for what items can be found. However, if you want specific mod-generated items for your characters to stumble across during their salvaging, feel free to use THIS thread to request that!))
lexa adores her so much already
Not every leader has the same ability. Thelonious Jaha had thought himself a visionary much like her, but in the cage with her and Kane, she had seen the reality of his ways. He believed in sacrificing others first. He believed in blind alleys and little more. If he had continued to lead his people (if Clarke hadn't stepped into that role), they would have been led down a dark path that they could never recover from.
So she values herself. She knows what she is capable of, but to someone from the outside, it is surprising. Perhaps it is more the idea that it comes from bravery rather than duty.]
Thank you. [The words would be perfunctory from anyone else, but Lexa is not always as mannerly as she'd like.] I wouldn't call it bravery, but I do thank you all the same.
My people do agree with the sentiment of working together and surviving together. Though it was ... difficult, we will accomplish much that way. [Once she returns to them.] I have no reason to believe it'll be any different here. That's the responsibility we have to take on.
[And, for that reason, she sees it as duty, responsibility, or any number of words that relate to something that isn't bravery. Bravery feels so fleeting. She's been raised to be this way.]
I just cannot?? with them??
She hoped he and Lilith were happy, she hoped her death could have allowed that. ]
I do. It's brave to want to help, not just for personal glory, but because you truly want to. I see... a lot of suffering. People don't take on that mentality very often.
[ And something settles there, firmer, she will be different this time. This time, she has a choice. This time, she will be better, and it will start now. She won't lay down like a corpse in the street. ] Lexa... you said you wanted to make sure your knowledge was passed on? How do you mean?
no subject
Simply put: there's a disconnect.
She doesn't acknowledge it further, but there's a sense between them that Lexa is puzzled by Angel's assessment. She still feels (knows) that she's putting her people first. She still feels (knows) that her rank and standing has no place here. But she will never stop being the Commander of her people, even as her spirit passes on.
It's her spirit that Angel asks after, and Lexa frowns, briefly, considering the question.]
My people believe in reincarnation. [Once, she thought that all people did. They had no way of knowing that the Mountain Men believed in anything else, too isolated for any of them to know where they stood on that matter. Lexa had first learned that there were other approaches to power from Clarke.]
When I die, the spirit of the Commander will be taken from me, and it will be passed on. The Flamekeeper of my people—his name is Titus. He taught me, and he will teach and advise the next Commander after my spirit chooses them. It happens in a fight to the death, with the different initiates fighting until one comes out on top. [What sounds spiritual is not, however.
After all, what Lexa doesn't know is that she has an AI inserted into the back of her neck. Previous Commanders, long ago, may have known. But since the chip has degraded, what knowledge she gains from it is diluted, without her ever knowing the true source of it. She also doesn't know that her consciousness will be copied and uploaded onto the chip. Instead, she believes that when she communes with the other Commanders, that their spirits come to her, and that they speak—but, again, there is little chance for her to know the truth.
And so, like her people, she speaks of spirits and rituals. She can think of no other way of approaching it.]
no subject
I've heard of something similar. [ says it politely, could be talking of herself, could be talking of other's beliefs. ] But... I might... be able to help you, so that if anything else, I can help you pass on the knowledge.
[ It's a tentative offer, she's not sure how Lexa would feel about it. But it mattered so much to her, and what else was being a conduit for information good for except to help remember things, from time to time? ]
no subject
But she knows (from Clarke, thanks to Clarke) that being trapped in tradition can only lead to more bloodshed. If she's stubborn and she's unwilling to let this pass on, what will she do? The corners of her mouth go tight, and she stiffens, looking away.
Unless Titus shows up (and she hopes he doesn't: she trusts few others to handle things in Polis in her absence), she will have no choice but to face the reality of their situation. The only Hosts to welcome them were Cathaway and the Prince. The reality of the matter is that death is just as likely as living. It's a fact she's accepted long ago, knowing that being the Commander, being Heda, doesn't make her invincible. People will fight for her, but that doesn't mean she's guaranteed life.
They may all die, and Angel's offer may mean nothing. But it's a contingency plan.
The thing about Lexa is that she likes to complicate matters, to make them as convoluted as possible. She looks back to Angel and measures her up, neck straightening as she looks at her through heavy-lidded eyes.]
I'll consider it. For me to take the offer, you'll have to be taught all the ways of my people, and agree to follow my lead on all matters here. And to advise me, as well. It's not something that a friend would do for another. There is some ceremony behind it. Some of what you would learn may be difficult to bear, and to follow. So as I am considering it, you will have to do the same. [She speaks as if she's sitting upon a throne, head held high and sword just out of reach. She has neither and is doing neither here, but just the same.
She knows that Titus would want to hold it to this, and so, she will respect their relationship as well. He practically raised her, and has done everything in her interests. She has to do right by him now.]
no subject
If that's what you would like but - I'm sorry, that's not quite what I meant. I doubt I could ever be worthy that but -
[ She's a little too knew to herself, even if there is an appeal there. To be entrenched in another world, another place like that. ]
I mean I could show you how to record it. So you could keep your own records, with these -- [ she taps her fingers against the datapad. ] -- I could make them faster for you. If you feed me your memories, I could record them more exactly but...
[ feels guilty, what Lexa had offered was far more than what she meant, really. Hope it wasn't taken as an insulting rejection. ]
no subject
It's a nuance to her actions that day that she doesn't care to touch on. She hadn't even done that with Clarke herself.
Lexa offers the slightest of shakes of her head.]
It's not a recording that I hope to pass on. If it were just that, I could keep a record. [She can write, even if she can't use a keyboard or datapad easily.] I could then ask you to ensure that it makes it back to my people.
No, what they need is the spirit that is inside of me. The ceremony to do with that requires someone anointed. To gain that, you would have to become one of my people, and only serve me then. There is no other way.
[Because she is already offering her body, her emotions, and her mind to the Nest. She did not intend to take the offer, because she had not been told the full extent of it.
She refuses to give up her traditions—her people. It's as simple as that.]
no subject
Which is the first time in her life is something she can give willingly. ]
I hope you understand, after what we just talked about, I can't do that. I want to help you, and I will pass anything along that you give me, show you better ways of doing it. But I... just became me again, and I don't... want to give that up just yet. Like you said.
[ Not for anyone, not for nothing, never again. ]
I never want to be anyone's subject, [ there is a cadence, there, that comes with meaning, subject and servant, she has been both. She has been ripped apart, and she has served. ] not ever again. Or at least... not for awhile.
no subject
[That's an example. But she has also been cruel. Lexa is changing that, bit by bit, and she hopes to enact it further. She hopes to not require a flamekeeper here. More than anything, she aches to return to Titus' side and get his perspective on things again, even as he fails to trust her judgment.]
If it comes to the fact that my life is lost, then I will set aside my traditions and keep a record somewhere for you to act on it. Would that be a fair compromise? [Unless she finds someone else who will suit the task. But Lexa will not push the matter. It's not her goal, not here. Again: she hopes to live, and offer others that same freedom.]
no subject
She spins all recorded memory under her fingers, she weaves herself into mankind's creations and the creations of those things that came before them even. ] I do understand... I suppose I exist out of a similar process. I wish someone had given me so much instruction.
[ Weighs, her tongue pressing at her bottom lip. ] I can do things, more than... I think I can explain to you in easy reference, but I can ensure it lasts ... a very long time.
[ Or at least is so widely dispersed, perhaps one day, her people will find it in time. The galaxy was a big, big place. ]
no subject
She can't know. To her, it seems obvious, but to others, it would seem to be foolish for her to not know that the bump on the back of her neck belongs to an AI—that she has more than just a symbiote entwined with her body. She knows that it's there, but not why it's there. It's merely a part of being a commander.]
Thank you. I'll make it clear where it is once I put it together. I only ask this: if it comes to that and there is no one else, please be certain to retrieve my body. It's of the utmost importance, and I don't want you to find it out after you've read my instructions.
no subject
I can do that, and if I can't, I'll make sure it happens.
[ Sobers then. Back to the point at hand, and she turns from anything so tragic, so sobering as the fact they'll both die one day, to what keeps them alive here and now. ]
Here, you don't know how to use the datapad very well do you? Do you want me to show you?
no subject
[It would assist her in playing catch up without being caught without assistance again and again. There will be things she won't be able to learn for various reasons. Piloting is out of the question for a long time. Guns are, as well.
But she's clever enough to learn basic technology, even if she'll be much like someone's great aunt figuring out how to do it.]
no subject
That's alright, now we're even, you had to teach me how to hold a weapon. [ says it cheerfully, makes it fair. They can help each other, pick up each other's slack. That's working together, and she thinks that's what Cathaway and Prince would want. ]
I can run you through the basics, and then the advanced functions, if you feel comfortable. Again, like you said, it's nothing you should rely on, but in navigation, especially when it needs to be covert, this can be incredibly helpful.
[ Like talking to Jack or the vault hunters, she breaks it down into simplistic use and need. Technology may as well be her heart and lungs, but she appreciates that it's not that way for others. ]
no subject
So, she settles in, drawing out her datapad.]
If I require more assistance with this later, will I be able to ask you? [she asks before they begin. It seems important to have someone to rely on that isn't one of the Hosts permanently embedded in the Nest.]
no subject
It was nice to be so again. ]
It comes... innate to me, so you'll need to let me know if I am going too fast, but I'd be happy to do what I can.
no subject
If I'm to be of any good in helping others here, I must master this first. We can keep up this trade. You teach me, and I teach you. Will that be fair? [Given Angel's connection to everything, it seems wise, and Lexa believes in giving and receiving arrangements.]
no subject
Definitely. I'd like that. [ The smile she gives is soft, inviting. Pleased so happily to be useful, and especially that she could help Lexa. ]
no subject