phantasmods: (Default)
Phantasmal Rift Mods ([personal profile] phantasmods) wrote in [community profile] phantasmalrift2018-02-12 06:00 am

IC INTRO - FEB

The first thing the new arrivals will see, as the sun sets, is a set of distant lights turning on - the roof of the Station, perched on the cliffs above the beach.

The next thing, probably, will be the exploratory drone, a flying chrome thing about the size of a horse, descending near them, wherever they are.

"I can't believe it spat out people this time," says a voice through the speakers - androgynous, somehow sounding young and old enough to be incredibly tired.

Another voice, almost identical but almost unmistakably that of a different speaker from the cheerful tone, says, "Worry about it later! Hey, do you want a ride?"

And with that, the door of the drone's cargo bay opens.

--> WELCOME, NEW ARRIVALS.


Drones drop characters off on the well-lit lower section of the roof, where a pair of tall, gangly humanoids meet them. The two are clearly artificial, formed of silver metal and white silicone, and perfectly identical... Except for their standing posture, which is very different.

The one on the right, a step further back, looks indisputably excited, and peers at the new arrivals curiously. The one on the left has a bag slung over their shoulder, clearly thrown together at the last moment and not completely closed. They take a step forward and say, in a calm tone, "Hello. My name is Strange. Do you have any injured?"

A few minutes after the characters start to arrive, a third android bursts out of the door into the station, exclaiming (in the same voice as the rest), "Here! Wear these!" before shoving a purple scarf at Strange and a red scarf at the curious one. The new android is already wearing an orange scarf.

Once all characters have been brought up, the remaining three androids arrive on the roof, wearing green, dark blue, and white scarves. The one in white hangs back a little from the others, while the one in blue carries themselves with authority.

"Welcome to Keystone Station," says the one in blue, in a voice that must have the volume enhanced to carry across the entire roof. "You may call me Up. My siblings and I have been maintaining the station in the absence of our creators, and researching the phenomenon that brought you here, which we call Fissures. ...I am sorry to say that we have no way to return you to your worlds at this time, so please accept our hospitality."

They bow, low at the waist, and that seems to be a signal to the rest of the group to break up and join the confused, milling group of new arrivals.

--> INDIVIDUAL NPC TOP-LEVELS

Strange - Charm - Top - Bottom - Up - Down

--> THE REST OF THE STATION

Once explanations have been made as much as they can be, the newly arrived characters are set loose to explore the station itself. The labs are currently closed off, as is the door down to the generator level, but characters are welcome to explore anywhere else they please.

The androids, too, depart the roof, each setting off with a distinct task in mind. Charm and Bottom can be found on the lowest accessible level, the two of them working magic on stored seeds long into the night in order to tempt the infant plants into growing. Up and Strange vanish into the labs, (which open to characters the next day, the biology lab having been converted to a medical bay, along with the generator level).

Top and Down, meanwhile, make their home in the central gathering room of the residential floor for the night. Down is distributing network devices from a case at their side, while Top is noting down character housing arrangements and who is taking which of the station's rooms.

There's also a table set up near them, which is covered in a variety of snack foods that characters can grab and munch on before they head off for the night. Most of the packages have sand or dried salt clinging to them, indicating well enough their origins, and the expiry dates are of course all over the place even on the snacks characters might recognize... But it's certainly something to eat, isn't it?

--> THE NEXT MORNING

When characters come into the common room the next day, there's a set of large boxes on either side of the couch-filled lower area. One side is full of clothes of approximately modern Earth origin, loosely sorted by fit. A note tacked to the boxes says Limit yourself to one outfit, please!

The boxes on the other side of the room are empty. A clip-board set on a white folding table in the middle has a piece of paper and a black pen strung to it;

Trading Post

Found something you don't want? Leave it here in case someone else does.

If you're looking for something specific, scribble it down on this pad with your name!

Finally, those who adventure into either kitchen will find a box of plain donuts left out on the counters.

TRADING POST
foolishjustice: (Strange isn't it?)

[personal profile] foolishjustice 2018-02-13 07:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Quite a few, yes. For one, are you aware that the different layers of reality are overlapping in that Fissure?
personalityquarks: (Charm)

[personal profile] personalityquarks 2018-02-14 07:57 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, that's one of the biggest problems. They're really tangled.
foolishjustice: (This pain...)

[personal profile] foolishjustice 2018-02-14 08:03 am (UTC)(link)
I've noticed.

[Rubbing his forehead.]

It was actually quite difficult to ignore.
personalityquarks: (Charm)

[personal profile] personalityquarks 2018-02-14 08:15 am (UTC)(link)
I imagine it would be, if you've got perceptions that work like that. And, uh, are organic and capable of feeling pain from such things.
foolishjustice: (This looks bad.)

[personal profile] foolishjustice 2018-02-14 08:23 am (UTC)(link)
Particularly in that case, yes. Strange-san gave me something for the headache, but it hasn't taken full effect yet.

Is there any chance that problem will extend to this area?
personalityquarks: (Charm)

[personal profile] personalityquarks 2018-02-14 08:35 am (UTC)(link)
We have redundant stabilizers set up - it's possible, but unlikely. Even if the station should lose power entirely, they have about twelve hours of battery.
foolishjustice: (Strange isn't it?)

[personal profile] foolishjustice 2018-02-14 08:48 am (UTC)(link)
That is relieving. I'm not sure I could tolerate that in the long term...

Those stabilizers, would it be possible to use them to manipulate the Fissures to send us somewhere else? If I can get to a more stable reality, or get my phone working properly in this one, I have someone I can call who might be willing to return people to their proper worlds.
personalityquarks: (Charm)

[personal profile] personalityquarks 2018-02-14 09:05 am (UTC)(link)
No; they just return this world to something closer to baseline. Even at the station, they're not perfect.

[Sorry, buddy. Your phone will remain out of service for the time being.]

We haven't managed to get any kind of control over the Fissures, we can just kind of make them... go away a bit.
foolishjustice: (This looks bad.)

[personal profile] foolishjustice 2018-02-14 09:12 am (UTC)(link)
Well, I suppose it is a start...could you use them to stabilize the beach as well?
personalityquarks: (Charm)

[personal profile] personalityquarks 2018-02-14 09:40 am (UTC)(link)
Right now, we simply don't have enough. We're definitely going to be talking about it, though. I think stabilizing what we can is going to be the priority for a while.
foolishjustice: (Strange isn't it?)

[personal profile] foolishjustice 2018-02-14 09:55 am (UTC)(link)
It does seem prudent. The way you talked about this area's stabilizers, I assume the Fissures will return if they shut down? That would make it simple enough if it turns out we need access to one to return to our own worlds, and we've already stabilized everything nearby...
personalityquarks: (Charm)

[personal profile] personalityquarks 2018-02-15 10:09 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, that's right - we've actually had some issues with them in the past. Usually not anything that it takes too long to fix, but that's why all the redundant extras, the battery power, and the extra generator downstairs.
foolishjustice: (So I see...)

[personal profile] foolishjustice 2018-02-15 05:32 pm (UTC)(link)
And access to the beach without the strange effects of the Fissures will be quite useful if...we're going to be here for any significant length of time.

[The idea...makes him very uncomfortable, but he manages to only let it show a little.]
personalityquarks: (Charm)

[personal profile] personalityquarks 2018-02-15 05:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, even if just as a change of scenery. I wish we could give you guys some kind of time scale, but...

[The way Charm rubs a hand sheepishly up and down his other arm is practically human.]
foolishjustice: (It's no use we have to fight.)

[personal profile] foolishjustice 2018-02-15 08:20 pm (UTC)(link)
You don't actually know, I understand.

[He runs a hand through his hair, nervously.]

But I'm guessing it's unlikely to be within the next week and a half.
personalityquarks: (Charm)

[personal profile] personalityquarks 2018-02-16 06:15 am (UTC)(link)
...Probably not, no.

[He apologies for you missing your pressing engagements.]

Fissures are known to make time uncertain as well... It might return you to when you came from, when we manage it. I don't know.
foolishjustice: (Strange isn't it?)

[personal profile] foolishjustice 2018-02-16 06:51 am (UTC)(link)
It would be ideal if that were the case. I don't know how much I'm willing to trust hypotheticals in this situation, but it's not as if I seem to have much choice.
personalityquarks: (Charm)

[personal profile] personalityquarks 2018-02-16 01:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I mean, nothing's certain without a first hand account, but it might be something to hope for?
foolishjustice: (So I see...)

[personal profile] foolishjustice 2018-02-18 12:31 am (UTC)(link)
[He just sighs and presses his fingers to his forehead.]

It's better than a certain chance of missing something that's very important to me.
personalityquarks: (Charm)

[personal profile] personalityquarks 2018-02-18 10:05 am (UTC)(link)
...I hope you make it.

[It's surprisingly genuine-sounding, for someone who speaks from a pre-recorded voice bank.]