onemind: (Default)
THE N E S T ([personal profile] onemind) wrote in [community profile] emptynesters2016-02-03 09:43 pm
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TEST DRIVE #1

LET'S GET (meta)PHYSICAL




WELCOME TO THE TEST DRIVE and thank you for your interest! Though the game hasn't started yet, we've put together a mini-mission with a few different goals for your characters to pursue. In the interest of flexibility and allowing players to experiment with the game mechanics, we invite you to pick your own broodmates, experiment with abilities and specializations, talk to each other and maybe make up some pre-established cr, and generally play around however you like. This test drive will not be game canon, so take this chance to go nuts!

For the full experience, we strongly encourage players to write up a short blurb about what their fellow characters might know about them either through shared time on the Station or through the Nest mental link. Handy links can be found at the bottom of this entry if you have any questions or want to place a reserve.
          HELINOS TOZ
...is the smallest galactic empire located in the second disk of the Silver Halo Galaxy. For thousands of years, the neighboring CONFEDERATE OF BAL and INIVIAL COR(P) have eaten away at Helinos Toz's territory and now have reduced the once-great empire to a single moon ruled by the Last Empress. Though she is a child who owns little in the way of property on the galactic stage, the Last Empress still holds a precious seat in the shrinking Galactic House of Chairs. From this seat she and her allies have managed to keep a stranglehold on the throats of Bal and Inivial’s expansion efforts into the fourth and fifth disks of the Halo. She has accomplished this task by viciously excising loopholes in galactic regulation. Paradoxical though it may sound, the outer rings view the Last Empress as one of the few remaining heroes for the common man against the absorption of either the Bal or Inivial, a symbol of the dangers the two great empires present and a name and a heritage that even today commands respect. While Bal and Inivial may have radically different galactic goals and famously spend their time hounding one another in the house of chairs, they can agree on one thing: the Last Empress and her tiny moon kingdom are a thorn in their side. In an effort to pluck it, Bal and Inivial have joined forces to do away with the Empress and her moon forever.

While a direct attack on the ground empire moon would be an undeniable act of war, and would result in heavy sanctions which would only serve to set their goals back further, there are ways to destabilize the moon without actually putting boots on the ground. Inivial has decided to sacrifice one of their own assets to achieve this: the planet which the moon orbits. Helinos Prime is a cold, dead rock, without it's own atmosphere, as well as the site of a significant Inivial mining operation. It's this very operation that Invivial intends to utilize. By mining directly to the planet’s core, they will harvest a massive amount of heavy elements, cutting heavily into the planet's mass and degrading it's orbit in space-- making it a risk to surrounding inhabited worlds. Galactic regulation demands such a threat be absolutely absolved- by total destruction. Further, it states that these dangers must be dealt with in no more than eight hours, regardless of any other sanctions or treaties. The act itself is quite sterile: a beam weapon located in the first ring which is capable of destroying most planets in a single shot as long as alignment is correct. And once the planet goes, so too does the empire moon.

But even getting rid of the empire’s last land holdings wouldn’t do away with the Empress herself, which is why the Confederate of Bal’s massive armada has opted to choose today for a sprawling training exercise in their space above the empire moon. As is their right under the Secrets and Sanctions treaty, they have refused the operation of any other space traffic in that sector until their exercise has been completed. The paperwork is filed, notarized, and finalized. Under the guise of the Bal and Inivial’s mutual animosity, the two super powers mean to trap the Last Empress with the very rules and regulations she’s spent her young life manipulating to keep them both muzzled.

In summary: the Last Empress and what remains of her small royal envoy are stuck quite literally between a dissolving rock and the hard place of the Confederate of Bal’s guns with no diplomatic wiggle room. Should the empire of Helinos Toz fall, the majority of the house of chairs will turn in favor of expansion and it won’t be long before the Halo’s outer rings become the stage for a vicious war between Bal and Inivial. Those citizens of the outer rings will find their lives drastically changed as those two powers dash to make opportune land (and space) grabs. If the Last Empress can be saved, she might be able to successfully reveal this act of aggression for what it is, and use it as a way to rally the rest of the house of chairs, around her and the interests of the outer rings she stands for, against Bal and Inivial.

YOUR MISSION is to help the Last Empress escape the empire moon before it can be vaporized by Inivial, and to slide her and as many of her retinue as possible through the lines of Bal’s armada undetected.


          PROMPTS
ONE • DEBRIEF: NOT AS SEXY AS IT SOUNDS
You've been given your mission file (see above) and outfitted with the appropriate gear to see it through. Today that means thermal suits designed to withstand face melting temperatures and a small cadre of ships that seem awfully familiar... if you're not mistaken they're the same ships currently in formation above Helinos Toz. You can ask Prince where he got them or Cathaway for some flying advice, but you probably won't get answers that makes any sense. Hopefully some of you know how to fly. Hug your friends, say your prayers, and wave Station 72 goodbye because it's time to...

TWO • HITTING ROCK BOTTOM
...sabotage a giant plasma drill! Down on Helinos Prime, Inivial's massive mining operation is a veritable labyrinth of tunnels and substations. Luckily you've been provided with schematics (if you feel like using them), and with some trial and error you should be able to navigate your way to key points in the mining operation. It won't be possible to completely stop the machine from coring the planet, but you just need to buy a little time. Suggested targets are the drill's targeting interface, its coolant systems, and its auxiliary stabilizer vents. How do you do that? Time to use your imagination. On the plus side, no one's around to stop you. Inivial already evacuated their on-site personnel which, come to think of it, might be a bad sign.

THREE • HURRY UP AND WAIT
With Inivial's drill momentarily on pause, it's time to rescue an Empress. Does she even know you're coming for her? Well, she'll find out eventually. There's room for six extra people on the ships provided, meaning you have exactly enough room to smuggle her and her closest advisers off of the empire moon. You've got six hours before you can (and really SHOULD) leave. Right now it looks like there's time to kill. Get to know the locals, the moon's bustling trade port, or its local population of cute dragonbirds. You have a collapsing planet below you and a veritable wasps nest of ships above you. Enjoy it while it lasts-- or bypass it all and wait for your window of opportunity with the Empress and her envoy.

FOUR • INTO THE WILD BLACK YONDER
The stealth ships can travel invisibly while in atmosphere, but there's no tricking the sensors of the Bal's ships. Luckily you fit right in-- almost. Pretending to be Bal ships might make the most sense, but what if someone notices you're out of drill formation? Even worse, what if someone detects you leaving the empire moon? No Bal ship is supposed to be down there. You could always try finding another ship to take into space, something with a little bit of stealth or maybe a harmless trading vessel. Then again, no one's supposed to be coming off the moon and into this space at all. Think fast, talk faster, or hope your pilot is really good.

FIVE • WILDCARD
Honestly? This is your show. Go surfing on some subterranean lava flows while stalling Inivial's mining efforts, try to take all the Empress's gold leaf dining room chairs with you when you evacuate the empire moon, or maybe you're done with this whole mission alltogether and want to try hijacking a ship from the Bal's armada and flying it out into space until this whole thing blows over. There's a whole galaxy out there; what else could be waiting for you?


NAVIGATIONPREMISEFAQGLOSSARYSYMBIOTIC SKILLS GUIDERESERVES
gonewrong: (pic#8803019)

( ii )

[personal profile] gonewrong 2016-02-04 11:51 am (UTC)(link)
[ She hates it. The voices in her head. Even when it is a simple plea for rescue, she hates it. Bambi is unkind to that sort of invasion, especially after years of being able to block any invaders into her cunning little mind, a power that is so natural to her it was a shock when it was gone. But it isn't quite the same. Still, it is a little less unpleasant when the connection seems jammed like a cellphone with bad reception, the illusion of being her own mind pushing them back, even if she knows, deep down, that it is not it. The trouble with being a liar is that you can only lie to yourself so far. But at least she can give the impression of believing that.

So, she hears him. The garbled trace of it. Her fingers twitch lightly, but she controls the anger that is always burning like oil in the pit of her stomach. She is the angriest person in the world, even if she looks like the sweetest doll - and has always been able to pass as such, subservient servant of more powerful beings.

It is disgustingly easy to tap into the symbiote and slither through the complicated network of connections, like tangled wires and labyrinths that are all too familiar. She feels her insides churning, but pushes it back. Holds the emotion at bay, breathe in, breathe out. Absolute control. It is the way of a talented liar. She pinpoints the voice of her broodmate, the location, eyes closed in a dark corner of the mines. She raises from her crouching position, no guns on sight except a hidden dagger around her right thigh. The place rumbles around her, but she keeps the hold on the wire, tugging the string to see where it takes her. It is the hardest part. Pulling on it while pulling from it. Too close and the mind spills and she works very hard for it not to. The path splits in to three, but she does not take pause to guess, walking by something close to instinct, but she knows it is not.

Bambi reaches the room where Steve is trapped, footsteps halting. She did not run here, she walked. Almost as if there was no urgency to get there, but when you are focusing on finding one from your brood by using your symbiote while trying to control your mind, she has to choose to either run and release that control or sacrifice time to hold on to it.

She is not so generous to make sacrifices for others.

Stopping in front of the room, she bangs on the door lightly, trying to get his attention. She speaks, rather than projecting her mind.
]

Are you there?
decommission: (pic#9902143)

[personal profile] decommission 2016-02-04 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[ There should be an ease to connecting with a broodmate. Like two hands clasping, fingers interlocking seamlessly. Parts of a whole.

Steve doesn't feel like a part of a whole. He absolutely, stubbornly feels like himself. That might be why their psychic connection is less like clasping hands and more like two negatively charged magnets. The telepathic version of bumper cars on every level of frequency but the most basic connection: he knows someone's coming, can sense the path of their mental search brushing up his spine, barely touching. The temptation is there to reverse polarity, to welcome the entirety of their innate connection instead of letting most of it bounce back against his walls.

Whomever is pulling on his safety line is either about as reluctant as he is, or trying to be gentle. He can't tell which it is from where he's metaphorically standing.

Steve almost swears that he hears footsteps behind that thick metal door in the minute before someone's fist knocks against it. He slaps his palm almost the door in response. Bambi. He recognizes the voice. Recalls that she's one of their group that's taken better to the symbiote than some of them (himself included). She was being gentle with him, he thinks, unsure how to feel about that. Asking for assistance is difficult enough when the other person isn't trying to handle you with kid gloves. ]


Yeah, I'm here - [ Half shouts, necessary or not. ] I shut down the cooling system and the door locked - think it got scared I meant to bake myself. [ It's getting awfully chilly in here thanks to the auxiliary systems kicking in meant to protect the room from overheating - he can't feel it through his suit yet, but the helmet's beginning to fog with each of his breaths. ] And I'm guessing there's no spare battering ram lying around on that side, huh?

[ Womp womp. ]
gonewrong: (pic#8803023)

[personal profile] gonewrong 2016-02-04 11:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[ On that, they would agree, but Bambi does not speak of such things with anyone. Even tries to avoid them with her own self - there is danger of slipping up into a mental connection and reveal her true self to someone else, and there is nothing scarier than pulling the mask away. It churns her stomach to know, however, that she does not have to talk to understand why the connection is so off. Not that Steve cares to hide much of his feelings from other. Too much of an honest man to hide it, she supposes. In a way, it is charming. In another, she cannot help but pity him.

No matter. There is a delicate balance to maintain now. Holding the connection at bay, but tugging on it. Being aware of her surroundings, but focusing on controlling the symbiote. It should be overwhelming, but Bambi is too patient to rush in to these things. She takes her time - like controlling the way you are breathing when running a marathon. An essential skill.
]

No ram. [ She says, voice soft. There is a calming quality to it. She takes a step back to check the door. Tries the handle, rattles it, but nothing comes of it. To the left, there is a small panel. She walks up to it, fingers lightly touchign around the small keypad. ] I think I found something. Some kind of-- lock, I suppose. Is there one on that side?
decommission: (pic#9902128)

[personal profile] decommission 2016-02-05 12:16 am (UTC)(link)
[ Steve doesn't suspect the charade. Not when the bond between him and his own symbiote remains hampered by Steve's inability to accept the price of these gifts. From the other side of the door he lets out a sharp breath, taking a second to find what she's talking about. She can't see when he shakes his head, but he does it anyway. ]

Like a small screen? It's flashing red... letters. [ In what he assumes to be an alien alphabet. A pause, then he grits his teeth. By the time he opens his mouth his voice is calm, though there's some kind of strain or tension lurking beneath. ] I'm gonna send you something.

[ Less a statement than a question, asking for permission before he makes the attempt to touch her mind. From his misinterpretation he assumes she's more likely okay with this sort of communication, and he's the one causing the issue between their connection. ]
gonewrong: (pic#9718840)

[personal profile] gonewrong 2016-02-05 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
[ Why did he have to go ahead and say such things? It almost makes her shatter the control over her emotions and the connection. But she holds on, breathes through her nose like an athlete that stills herself before a mid-air somersault. Her shoulders tense up, but her posture does not dismantle. She has years of training her body language. Training her mind to be like a barren wasteland is much harder, however.

Still, Bambi is stubborn enough to try it.

There is a small amount of clean up to do before she allows herself to him. A reorganizing of the mind. Pushing every secret to the darkest, furthest corner. A barrier upon barrier to stop his curiosity, should he wander and should she not be able to shove him out. She never liked having people in her head. No matter how much the symbiote charms her, she feels sick to her stomach with the notion that it is so easy and comfortable to have another broodmate near. The duality of it and her own will.

They are not straining the string anymore. It relaxes, soft and sweet. The noise hushes. It is an easier path to walk.
]

Send it, then.
decommission: (pic#9902125)

[personal profile] decommission 2016-02-05 01:23 am (UTC)(link)
[ That settles it. ]

Alright. [ Pause. ] They're symbols - in this order.

[ He sounds confident enough despite having never attempted sending images before. A hand reaches forward to touch the screen before he reaches through what he's come to understand as their broodlink. It's more tentative than his call for help, an insect's feelers, prodding for a stable connection - or for resistance.

When his mental block drops the first couple of seconds are a flood: confidence mingles with uncertainty, a heavy conscience propelled and battered by the knowledge that not everyone on this moon world can be saved from the planet's destruction - and a burning anger underneath that. It's easy to share with a broodmate - much harder to edit what he's feeling. She might even pick up that he doesn't care that she sees these parts of him. If he has secrets, these aren't them.

The sensations flicker out abruptly as he clamps down on the sending and concentrates. In their place images appear.

His hand is in the corner, touching a screen. One, two, three, four alien symbols flash in red.

They repeat, then cut out along with their connection. At no point did he make any conscious attempt to peek upon her mind, not that it matters. Sharing often goes two ways to some degree whether he likes it or not. Skimming the surface.

There's a silence from his end. ]


You get that?
gonewrong: (Default)

[personal profile] gonewrong 2016-02-05 12:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[ His words serve as warning, she readies herself. Shoulders tenser still. His voice at odds with what he feels - confident words, trembling spirit. Dualities is nothing she has trouble with understanding however and she braces herself for the invasion in her mind, slithering up the broodlink they share. Dangerous for her. Allowing glimpses of her mind makes her feel-- unsafe. Vulnerable.

She hates that feeling regardless of how much she cultivates the look.

His emotions and thoughts flood her mind. Twist around her own. She feels, the anger, the self-righteousness. It clashes and rams into her own mind, thoughts of anger and bile and revenge and she staggers, mentally, as she tries to peel them apart, like wires entwined and knotted together. Like prying apart honey and glue. Shakes her head, catches the images underneath the shaky connection they share. There. The image.

(His hand is in the corner, touching a screen. One, two, three, four alien symbols flash in red.)

The bond snaps, like a rope stretched too thin. She rears her head back slightly. The effort of denying access to corners of her mind and having to allow him in gives her a headache. Feels like her head is splitting in two. The symbiote is not happy with her refusal. It hurts it too. She sucks in a breath, presses the heel of her palm to her eyebrow. Head pounding.

Breathe in, breathe out. Regain control. Perfect hold over her voice, it does not shake, does not tremble, does not break. One would think she is comfortable with this.
]

Yes. [ She says it as she punches in the symbols on to the control pad. The light flashes. There is a loud sound from the mechanism of the door. She looks at it. Did it work? ]
decommission: (pic#9902143)

[personal profile] decommission 2016-02-07 05:42 am (UTC)(link)
[ He tastes a metallic tang under his tongue from the snapped connection. A trick of his mind, trying to rationalize with more familiar, tangible signals. Either that, or his bit his cheek. His jaw clenches, runs his tongue over the back of his teeth.

Was that fear he felt hers, or his own?

The door will shift, and she'll see his fingers poking out from the opening that's been created, trying to leverage the door the rest of the way open. It's easier than it ought to be, but more difficult than allows for him to perform this alone. ]


Almost - [ A rush of cool air follows his voice, coming from the the room. ]
gonewrong: (pic#9983941)

[personal profile] gonewrong 2016-02-07 02:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The door slides, but not enough for a person to squeeze through. Bambi stares at it, looking completely untroubled by the situation, but it is years of practice that help her control her reactions and body language; in truth, it is rather annoying that even after allowing someone in her head to pass a message it resulted in, frankly, very little progress. But she doesn't say nor hint at her displeasure, instead observing Steve trying to push the door open with his bare hands.

In truth, Bambi does not feel any particular inclination to exert herself in helping him out of the room. Her sole purpose coming here was to shut down the connection as soon as possible. Walking away from the situation could have consequences she would not want to face, especially if it resulted in someone's entrapment and death. Not out of a guilty consequence, but rather because of the words traded with Prince. She ought to sweeten him up by showing compliance, and that has always been easy for her.

She isn't a particularly strong young woman. Her strength relies on strategy and intelligence, never on physical feats. As such, when she spots a iron pickaxe left behind by some forgetful miner, she goes for it.
]

Mind your feet.

[ She waits for him to move and then sticks it under the door, using it as a lever. She looks at him through the small opening he has managed to produce. ]

I am afraid I cannot do this on my own. I require assistance with this.

[ Basically, she is going to let him do all the work. ]
decommission: (pic#9902126)

[personal profile] decommission 2016-02-08 06:13 am (UTC)(link)
[ Steve's not asking for help. He hesitates for a split second at the offer, then steps back as handle of the axe slides under the door. ]

Got it. [ From her side she'll see the handle shift, grasped by the other end. Then: ] Thanks.

[ Whatever alien-stuff it's made out of, the axe is sturdy enough to use as leverage. He pulls it up, forcing the door along with it as the malfunctioning locking mechanism protests. Fortunately, he doesn't need all that much space - and good thing too, because the chill is starting to leave and room, replaced by a whole lot of angry red lights and beeping.

With enough room to fit his head through, he slips under the door.

Is Bambi still there? ]
gonewrong: (pic#9997266)

[personal profile] gonewrong 2016-02-10 03:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The noise is a little too loud and Bambi moves her face away slowly, closing her eyes in annoyance, before letting go; all of her gestures seem paced, calculated without being false. There is a natural feel to them, a grace - years of practice. She steps out of the way, back, so as to not be standing too close to the door as Steve drags himself out.

She does not offer her hand at once, first watching him squirm out his awkward exit, and only then does she stretch her bony fingers wrapped in a tight glove to him. She does not have much strength, never was where her forte relied, but it is enough to give him a bit of a pull.

Once he's out, she straightens her back, arms laying by her sides.
]

You find yourself unscathed?