INTRO LOG - APRIL/MAY 18

[phantasmods]

Eventually, Charm starts herding people towards the parked exploratory drone, a few at a time, mostly people who have finished their noodles or other business. "It's almost nightfall at the Station," he says, "and with this many new arrivals, we're going to have to make multiple trips."

(For those who might ask, he also explains that they've chosen not to stabilize the noodle shop for the time being, as the other androids will almost certainly want to speak to Viella, and have no other way of doing so, due to the fact that they don't dream. Aside from that small region, the Fissure is largely stable.)

It in fact takes four trips total to get everyone to the Station. Those of you who don't fall asleep on the way there - the minute you hit stable reality, the inability to sleep vanishes, and most will be hit with a wave of exhaustion - will find that the Station Annex, a building off to the side of the main station, has been finished, at least outwardly.

By the time the first group arrives, the sun is dipping towards the horizon; by the time the last gets there, it's set, leaving a few pink-tinted clouds in the sky. The drones drop everyone off (and that is everyone, even though of you who have fallen asleep) on the observation deck, where those of you who didn't get your fill of noodles will find several buffet-style tables set up with...

...Pizza? Yeah, pizza, in damn near every variety you can think of, including a few things that only loosely fall under the heading of "pizza." Half a table is full of calzones of various varieties; another significant chunk is things that are just desserts in the general shape of pizza, including a couple of iced cinnamon pastries, a pair of brightly-colored "pizzas" made of canned fruit over cream cheese, and a two-layer cake that's just decorated to look like a pizza, with strawberry jam and round slices of strawberry 'pepperoni' sandwiching yellow icing. Finally, the last third of the third table is just three baskets of breadsticks with varying amounts of cheese and garlic, accompanied by two turrens of dipping sauce (one white, one red) and a tower of little plastic dipping cups.

(Those who opt to head directly to bed will find that the banquet gets packed up and moved back to the kitchens around midnight, though it stays warm under a stasis enchantment for roughly the next day before someone packs the remainder into the fridge.)

In the common room, meanwhile, the usual boxes of clothes and trading post sign are set up. Unclaimed rooms can be claimed by writing your name in on a list set up next to the boxes, on what seems to be a broken music stand with a large ROOMS AVAILABLE sign hanging from it. There is also a rather hastily assembled, hand-poked Braille version of the sheet (with the paper punched through in one or two places).

Those who go looking will find that the androids are somewhat more absent than they usually are after an expedition; save obviously for Charm, and Strange who arrives on the deck as usual not long after, you'll have to go looking. Considering the amount of the station you have available, they could be just about anywhere... But perhaps it'd be worth checking over in that new building...?

[Mod note: Strange is the only NPC with a top-level this round, but others may respond to your top-levels, especially in the Annex areas! Consider it a fun surprise. c:]

Comments

[notjustahacker]

001 -- Food time

[ Getting back really hadn't been much of a problem. In fact, she'd just ridden along with Morgana and her other friends rather happily. After being at the station? There was a lot to check out but first, food was a priority and so many can be treated to the sight of one Futaba Sakura - a smol 4'11" teenage girl - taking a plate and putting a couple slices of different kinds of pizza onto it.

Then just stopping and giving the dessert table a bit of a look. ]

Overkill, much? It's okay to love pizza, but this is a bit extreme.

[ Snapping a picture of the whole setup just for good measure. ]



002 -- Gotta get explorin'


[ The next day she's quickly taking no time at all to start exploring around the station, so people can catch her at various points. She had no problem ending up in the Library and sets herself up with grabbing a lot of technology books that look like they'd be pretty complex to read, seeming pretty engrossed in what she's looking through.

Later on anyone can find Futaba checking out the Tech Lab with her black laptop under one arm, emblazoned with all kinds of obscure and bright stickers on the back of it. Making sure to check everything out with rapt interest, though at one point stopping to try and check out some of the schematic drawings and mumbling some things to herself as she tapped fingers against a couple of them.

She then found herself drawn to the Command Level of the station, and if Down is around? Definitely going to be speaking with them because this is a wonderful setup. Something which she has no problems in admiring, awe clear on her face as she does this.

Tech IS her thing, after all. ]

Library

[lepape]

[ Of course Makoto is in the library, seated at a table with a small pile of books beside him, notebook open as he takes notes from one he's currently reading. It's one of the few places where things make sense to him here, the place where he feels most at home in. The flash of bright orange hair catches his eye as someone walks by, and, feeling curious, he gets up to see what section of the library they're headed toward.

Seeing the girl in the technology section sparks a feeling of familiarity, making him think of Futaro. He's almost getting used to seeing similar-but-not-quite versions of his friends, so he feels confident as he approaches the girl and makes his guess. ]

Need help carrying all those, Sakura-san?

[notjustahacker]

[ Having just been habitually grabbing any books that seemed like they were of interest to her, the thought hadn't occurred to her that maybe she'd grabbed one too many. Mostly since she was trying to balance holding about four not-so-small books while reaching for another one, stopped short when she heard that voice speaking to her.

It sounded like something Makoto would say, but upon laying eyes on the other? Such became apparent that this wasn't quite the Makoto she knew. Had she not met up with Akechi in the forest before arriving here at the station, it would definitely have been much more jarring. ]

Uh, sure. I'm probably gonna drop 'em if I keep adding any more books as it is.

[ She's just going to give you a small look there, Makoto. This was something else entirely so just give her a moment to take this in. ]

You're... Makoto, right? Unless your name's something else since you're a guy and all.

Library

[letsplayer]

[ The next day, after gorging herself on more food than is frankly safe for a human, Marla settles into the library, grabbing a handful of books of different genres before it turns out that her and Futaba are, simultaneously, reaching for the same copy of the same book. ]

...nah, you can go for it.

[ There's also a large monster bat fluttering next to her as she says this. ]

[notjustahacker]

[ Futaba had mostly been lost in her own thoughts and picking out whatever books interested her, so it was only when she heard the other girl that she jumped a bit in realizing she wasn't by herself. That was about when she realized the giant monster bat fluttering around next to the other. ]

Whoah. Is that thing for real?

[ Didn't seem like some kind of machine so there was that but it didn't hurt to check. It didn't feel like this was one of those weird dream things either. ]

[letsplayer]

It's as real as it gets.

[ She offers a cheesy grin. ]

[notjustahacker]

What IS it? Like... it looks like an animal thing but isn't.

[ Going to be peering around, trying to really give it a good look because whoah. So cool. ]

[letsplayer]

...it's a Pokemon.

Which, I mean, I could go on forever about what those are if you want, but I barely understand myself.

tech lab

[anarchia]

[He hadn't been so keen on exploring the lab with a newly appropriate wariness of mad scientists, so seeing Futaba there is some pleasant surprise.

He pads up alongside her, looking over the laptop, and then to her eager examination of the room.]

What are you doing?

[notjustahacker]

[ It takes a second but she does look down at him, instantly recognizing Carnivac from in the forest. This really was the last place she thought she'd see him in all actuality, but that wouldn't go said for the moment. ]

Checking everything out. Doesn't hurt to familiarize myself with the tech here in case I gotta hack into any of it to figure stuff out or if things go wrong.

[ Just spoken rather casually as if it were nothing wrong in admitting she was a hacker. ]

[anarchia]

[He raises his eyebrows. Or, he would be, if wolves had them. He does his best approximation of the action.]

A hacker? [He sounds curious, and there's a slight glee to his voice.] Are you a good one?

[notjustahacker]

[ Futaba just blinked a bit before grinning slightly and nodding. She did have a lot of faith in her skills, after all. ]

Yup! Can't really think of anyone else who could do any better than what i'm capable of.

[ Something in her tone spoke of confidence but not an overblown arrogance from someone who couldn't back up their skills. ]

I can hack into things like phones, computer networks and even hijack television broadcasts. Not even the police have been able to override what I can do. When I put my skills to work, there's nothing I can't find out about someone, really.

[anarchia]

[If Futaba were paying attention, she'd notice Carnivac's ears perk up with interest as she details her hacking capabilities. They weren't merely just impressive, but they'd be vital to his operations, whenever he gets out of this place.]

Showing up the police? [There's a delighted amusement in his voice, and it's not something he's spoken with for a while.] What were you getting up to?

Pizza

[matchmakes]

Well, I suppose it's dedication to the theme, if nothing else...

[Robin's only got a single piece of pizza on his plate and he kind of looks like hell in terms of exhaustion, but he's not so exhausted he can't be at least somewhat social...]

[notjustahacker]

I guess so. Still seems a bit much if you ask me.

[ A sigh. Futaba then looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. She was still apprehensive about new people, and maybe that was why tension still rested in her posture for a moment. There was nothing or anyone to really hide behind, but on the plus side? It was just one person so it was okay. She could do this. ]

Geez. Who put you through the ringer? You look dead on your feet.

[matchmakes]

Not so much who as what. That forest sure did a number with that no sleep effect.

[Not to mention the other stuff going on there. Yeesh.]

You're one of the new arrivals, right?

[notjustahacker]

Yeah, no kidding. Talk about weird. I could have done without it broadcasting some of my personal stuff out for other people to see, though.

[ That's only half of the stuff that went on that kind of irked her, but it wasn't all bad. ]

Sure am. Is it really that obvious?

you wanted an awkward android, you got one

[personalityquarks]

[And seated near the center of the setup, in a spinning chair not unfamiliar in shape to the one Futaba has at home, is indeed Down, artificial eyes still seeming a bit glazed over as they flick between screens.

Notably, there don't seem to be any keyboards in their reach - instead there's just a series of cables hooked to an open panel in the android's left arm, presumably allowing for direct input.

They don't seem to have noticed the visitor yet. Probably because not many people come up here.]

\o/ yay!!

[notjustahacker]

[ In her beginning to check things out here, it doesn't take long to find the non-human sitting there with the cables all attached into their arm. Something which she steps a bit closer to try and get a better look at. Did that mean this person was somehow an actual, working android?! ]

This set-up you have here is amazing! I assume with the lack of keyboards and the input of cables, that's how you're able to connect and do what you need to...

[ Seriously impressed. This outranks her OWN setup at home. She's kind of jealous. ]

Did you build all of this yourself?

[personalityquarks]

[The android jerks in surprise - they really do not seem to have noticed Futaba. There's a white scarf around their neck.]

Oh, uh, hi, yeah?

[Hold on please let them process a moment.]

Not really, I mean, a lot of the communications equipment was here when I was born, but I've kind of assembled it all in here through the years...

[It seems like Futaba might not be the only person here nervous about meeting new people.]

[notjustahacker]

[ Consider her even more impressed than she had been before! Futaba's gaze trails over the different screens as she let off a soft hum in thought, then trailing back over to Down. They seemed kinda like her; nervous with meeting new people, though it just made them more relatable.

Tech stuff had always been something she could get along with anyway, with her being able to hack and code things with relative ease. So of course she'd find an actual android more fascinating than the other people here. ]

It's really well put together. Having this kind of set up here kinda makes me envious. I have one with about three screens and it's pretty OP but since I don't have that here, I did manage to have my laptop with me so i'm pretty happy with that for the most part.

[ A moment passes before she seems to consider something, exhaling a soft sigh as she put her hands into the pockets of her coat. ]

What's it all do, anyway? Beyond just simply being communications equipment, it's gotta have pretty high specs and a large network to run as smoothly as it seems to right now.

002, Tech Lab

[have_hat_will_travel]

[The woman who happens to be glancing at some of the items in the Tech Lab turns toward one of those new to the place with curiosity.]

... The equipment here... Even after so long here, it still amazes me. Maybe just because it's so unlike my world.

[notjustahacker]

Yeah? Some of this I haven't seen before and i'm pretty familiar with tech stuff. Could say we're kinda friends at this point.

[ Futaba looks over to the other in the room with her, not having realized she was there before now. It's just a one on one interaction with someone she doesn't know. This was something she could deal with. No problem. She had this in the bag. ]

[have_hat_will_travel]

The power of technology is...

Well, my world doesn't much have that. It kinda sucks like that.

But yeah. Hi. You probably. Don't want that ramble, huh.

[Pidonus nodded a bit.]

[notjustahacker]

Not gonna lie. That sounds pretty awful.

[ Futaba shook her head, adjusting the way she was standing to be a bit more comfortable as she turned her full attention onto the woman here with her. ]

Never said I didn't. Lay it on me.