thirstology | TEST DRIVE MEME.

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test drive meme

TEST DRIVE MEME.

A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR ME

Welcome to the Viridian Sea, a rolling body of water populated by a small number of islands and an even greater number of pirates and merchant ships. Sailing, rum, and high-seas adventure is the name of the game for this mission: after the freshly-recruited volunteers (that's you!) are welcomed into Hathaway, they are sent via controlled interdimensional rift to deal with a certain pirate ship that has been causing a certain amount of trouble.

The crew of Red Scream, a murderous band of Mako pirates, has been reaving a path of destruction through the sea, scuttling ships of merchants, civilians, and other pirate bands alike. They have also kidnapped a governor's daughter, asking an exorbitant ransom to return her at all, let alone alive.

If this wasn't enough of a reason for Hathaway to intervene, Red Scream's current goal is firmly pointed at a legendary treasure buried in a crater somewhere in the Viridian Sea. Hathaway analysts have studied the crater and found that it was definitely caused by a temporal shard cast off from the Merging. And if Red Scream gets its hands on the shard, it'll be bad news.

The crew of Little Squid has reached out to Hathaway for help reaching the treasure. The ship and crew are both small, but they are an optimistic and hardworking bunch, and are willing to equally split the treasure with Hathaway as a reward -- they just have to reach it first.

▸ PROMPTS

Your mission is simple: reach the treasure before the Mako pirates. If you have the time, you can try and save the governor's daughter -- it's not why Hathaway has been hired, but her father will likely be grateful enough to grant a reward.

ONE ▸ GOING ROGUE.
High-seas adventure not your cup of tea? The tropical islands dotting the Viridian Sea are flush with distractions, including pirate havens replete with gambling, food, and liquor. It's a hedonist's paradise -- if you can avoid displeasing the heavily-armed locals.

TWO ▸ LITTLE SQUID.
Ever been on a brig before? The crew of Little Squid are happy to show you the ropes -- literally -- and teach you how to be a master seafarer in no time. The only food on board unfortunately consists of salted meat and hard bread, but there's plenty of rum to go around.

Life on the seas is tough, especially during rough weather; unfortunately, they have no cure for seasickness, so if you're afflicted, you might want to head below decks and wait it out. But the view during calm waters is unlike anything else.

THREE ▸ RED SCREAM.
It was bound to happen: Little Squid runs smack dab into Red Scream on the race to the treasure. Board the enemy ship or wait for them to come to you, but either way, you'd better be ready for some close-quarters combat. The Mako pirates of Red Scream are humanoid sharks with teeth to match, so in addition to their cutlasses and blunderbusses, you'll want to avoid being bitten.

If fighting isn't your specialty, you could always hide below decks of Little Squid and hope you don't get noticed. Or, if you're feeling bold, you can board Red Scream and look for the governor's daughter, who is being kept in the captain's quarters -- she's about six years old and ready to fight, so get ready to have your hands full.

FOUR ▸ THE TREASURE.
Finally, Little Squid reaches the island where the treasure is. There are caves throughout the island where more standard pirate treasure is found -- gold doubloons in rotted old chests and the like -- but there's also a massive crater formed where the temporal shard plummeted to the surface. The crater is a wide hole with sheer walls, so you'd better find someone who can fly or brush up on your spelunking skills.

The further down you go into the crater, the darker it gets, but somewhere on the bottom an eerie blue light is glowing. The source is the temporal shard: make your way through a winding tunnel system to find it and retrieve it. But beware -- the shard has attracted temporal insects, ravenous, time-eating bugs that can slow or hasten the flow of time just due to their appetite. Find yourself in their presence and you'll be moving in slow motion or you'll suddenly be aged 50 years. The only way to stop the effects are to kill the bugs and retrieve the shard.

FIVE ▸ CHIT-CHAT.
It's your standard network option. Maybe you've got a little downtime and you're bored. Or maybe you got lost in the caves and you think you saw a g-g-ghost pirate. Maybe you're just trying to figure out how the hell this magical jewelry thing works! No matter what, you get one username to identify you and one only -- if you don't enter one, it will default to your real name (for example, Voldemort's would be tomriddle.) Choose wisely... or make it assfarts69, if that's your thing. More information on the jewelcomms can be found on the devices guide.

SIX ▸ WILDCARD.
Do whatever the heck you want! Explore the jungles and waterfalls of the islands, have a party on the beach, try to befriend a dolphin. The world is your oyster.

▸ OOC NOTES

Welcome to the first test drive meme of Futurology Season 2! Because the season hasn't started yet, this test drive is meant to be a mini-mission, similar in feel to the missions we have in-game but on a much smaller scale. Since no characters currently have official specializations, we also have no specialized prompts, but plan to in the future. However, feel free to play as if your character is level 1 of whichever specialization you would like to choose. Please be aware this test drive is game canon. Questions about the game can be directed to the FAQ.

If you've been with us before, you might notice things look a little different around here. Make sure you check out the welcome page for the basic rundown of how your character joined up with Hathaway. For further information about the game, the full navigation has all the links you'll need.

Apps will reopen to the public on 6 January, with early apps for returning characters opening on 4 January. Apps will close when we reach our 60-player cap or on 15 January, whichever happens first. We hope to see you then!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Kylo Ren had been keeping his distance from the crater -- it only took a brief journey down for him to come to the conclusion that he was going nowhere near the shard planted at the bottom. It would be a cold day in space before he forgot the last run in he had with those insects.

But he would be hard pressed not to recognize, what appears to be, a chiss. He doesn't spot his rank bar before he removes his coat, but that doesn't stop him from approaching out of pure curiosity.]

There is not much of anything here.

[His cape clings to his shoulders, carefully hiding his lightsaber hilt.]

I would suggest that you reconsider your decision to assist.

Edited 2018-01-02 02:35 (UTC)

[Crimson eyes drift imperceptibly away from Ren's face for a short moment, focused more on the almost familiar presence his armored clothing seems to exude. It brings to mind fresh memories only recently mapped out in the quiet confines of the Imperial Palace. An apprentice, an agent, a servant— or perhaps nothing.

The cord is left wound across his forearm, fingers smoothing over its woven threads in the heat of the midday sun.]

You have already been. [A question, more than either a statement of fact or supposition; an invitation laid bare, for this stranger to elaborate in as many words as he wishes.]

Briefly. Long enough to make an assessment.

[He steps closer to the edge to look over, as if expecting to see something going on down below.]

There are insects down below. Their bites come with awful side effects. Delirium. Hallucinations. Among other problems.

[That is about as much detail as he is willing to offer.]

[Disdain. Fresh contempt borne of experience, it colors the steep angles of Ren's profile, though Thrawn opts not to comment on it when there are more important matters at hand. If they are to succeed in their mission, they will need to brave the insects eventually, regardless of the risks: the longer they shy away from their goal, the less efficient they become.]

And yet, if you are correct in your assesment— as I trust you are, [Thrawn adds mildly, moving closer by a few curious steps,] they are still wildlife. Creatures driven by hunger and instinct.

Tell me, what of their behavior? Did they react directly to your presence, or were they more preoccupied with their surroundings?

They are highly aggressive. I am not entirely certain they are natural born.

[Or hungry. He cannot tell the difference honestly, and it doesn’t much matter to him; it was never going to be his area of expertise. Whether or not Thrawn opts to heed him is, of course, ultimately his decision.

But since he is coming closer, Ren abandons pretense and gives him a once-over.]

You are chiss. I had not thought to find your kind here.

[That’s an easy segway. There is some obvious interest in his tone — Thrawn was awfully well-mannered for what little he knew of the chiss.]

Nor did I expect to be met by someone so familiar with my species. [The distant note of surprise held within Thrawn's voice is sincere; his head tilts with renewed interest, the subject of boiling swarms below briefly (but firmly) shelved. Only once before has someone mentioned the Chiss with dawning recognition in their voice, nearly seven years ago to this strange, unexpected day... how curious.

Which means that as Ren searches for answers, so too does Thrawn, laying out an easy conversational target for this curious human to latch onto.]

Most mistake my people for Pantorans— they are more common, and far more recognized within Imperial Space.

Perhaps. I’ve noticed Hathaway has a tendancy to pick and choose their candidates from whenever they like.

[Whenever, not wherever. Chiss might not have been exactly common, but their presence had lasted during Palpatine’s rule long enough that he could make a guess.

That was all it was, really: a guess. He could not ever remember seeing a Pantoran with glowig red eyes, and he was mysteriously free of markings he had come to associate them with.]

I would not call your people common, but I know enough to recognize a Pantoran when I see one.

I see.

[How very evasive of him, and yet not without the promise of information simply waiting to be unearthed. Indeed Thrawn would be lying if he claimed not to be at least, somewhat, intrigued by it all.] Then let us return to the problem at hand: I have seen no signs of wildlife across the rest of the island that resemble what you have described here. Therefore I suspect that given the unnatural nature you seem to believe they possess, as well as the side effects they cause and our proximity to the prize we've been sent to retrieve, that these creatures are either directly or indirectly related to the shard itself.

What we must then attempt to discover is whether or not they can be dealt with independently.

[He gives the line one last, residual tug, setting the edge of his high boot across the chasm's edge.] Did you attempt to kill any of them while you were down there?

[Well, its his grave. Or painful past memories. Whichever.]

No. But I have seen them before. Killing them removes the side effects.

[He vaguely remembers a shard being involved the last time, but enough had happened between then and now that he couldn't be certain. His experience in returning to normal had been...different than most others.

Vaguely, he wonders after Rey, and how close she has bothered to get to them.]

You might be able to kill them all before more come, but you may not be able to do it without damaging the shard in the process.

[So there is more to it.]

Then I shall tread as carefully as possible to ensure it remains unharmed, [the softness of his voice suddenly hardening with clear resolution] but I am descending.

You may stay if you wish and assist me, or you are free to leave. [He cannot pretend to hold any amount of authority here, nor does he imagine his companion is devoid of a desire to accomplish their mission, regardless of his own fears and hesitations. Perhaps, in seeing someone else stride into the lion's den, his companion will discover a wellspring of renewed determination.

Then again, perhaps not.

With a precise step across the edge, Thrawn drops down into the mouth of the crater, his section of rope pulling sharp and taut with a low snap as it steadies out over stone. Still, he remains propped against smooth, glassy walls braced by both the rope and his own footing— a little more halfway up the cliff face. There is quiet, and then, through the calm, the sound of blaster fire can be heard as Thrawn clips clean through a hovering pack of insects coiled just at the bottom of the basin. Three shots (one to calibrate at a distance, the others finding their mark), and then...nothing.

Thrawn waits, counting out the seconds to determine whether or not the creatures swarm at alarm in response. And yet, without a clear enemy to stir them, there is no flurry of commotion. One lone insect wanders outside of the caverns connected to the crater's belly, but it's an absent path— aimless and wandering, and seemingly unbothered by the charred remains of its brethren nearby.

And so, without ceremony, one last, clean shot is fired before the chiss finishes his descent unharmed, a plan already solidifying in his mind. It will not be easy to manage alone, but ease has never been a bar for the alien serving at a human Emperor's hand.]

[Kylo Ren watches, a sneer forming on his expression when he drops over the edge. Stars be damned if he was going to risk his sanity for the sake of a mission he only half cared about. There were other ways to contribute -- of that, he was certain.

But something in the back of his head starts to nag the longer he stands at the edge, and the further Thrawn descends. Something about failure, about fear, and about being a child in a mask.

He steps closer to the edge, observing the process of removing the insects. Eventually, after a moment of contemplation, he finds another section of rope and descends himself. He could hardly afford to be upstaged by someone from his own galaxy, after all.

His landing his hard, and he is wary to check for insects before he even bothers to focus on Thrawn or the shard. His lightsaber hilt is in hand now.]

[Thrawn does not turn at the heavy impact of boots over stone behind him. Instead, a knowing smile, subtle and sharp as a knife, cuts its way across his lips. There was no guarantee, of course, that he would be followed— but there is approval in knowing that the man now at his back was not ruled entirely by uncertainty.]

It would seem their effects are limited by proximity. So long as we maintain our distance, and proceed slowly, without alerting the swarm, we— [his words trail off when he moves to glance over his shoulder at Ren, and notices at last the battered hilt clutched tightly in his palm.]

You are a jedi.

[For the second time, Ren has managed to take Thrawn entirely by surprise. No small feat. ]

[Not entirely. Just mostly.

He absorbs the data Thrawn has gathered, nodding along while observing the shard itself now that they are close to it. That is, until he makes another observation.

That is the point where Ren brings his eyes back to Thrawn. He might have laughed, if he had the energy for it.]

Not exactly.

[But he supposes to the untrained eye that anyone with a lightsaber is "a jedi". That said, given that Thrawn had just made a point about alerting the swarm, he doesn't activate it to demonstrate.]

Let's make this quick, shall we?

Indeed.

[Regaining his composure is a practiced measure; Thrawn takes the information in stride, though he does not forget it— such a factor has the potential to ease the difficulty of their mission, or perhaps to turn the tide should it go awry.]

Do you have... [He starts, pausing at the entrance to the cavern ahead as he searches for correct wording in a way that's been unlike him for nearly five years now. Though unlike his first foray into mapping Basic, he does not search for vocabulary, only an elusive description.] control over another creature's form. Their body.

[No, still his efforts fall short of accurately conveying his meaning, and so in his failure he raises one gloved hand: thumb curled alongside his index and middle fingers, the latter two tucked in against his palm. An iconic gesture made infamous by the late Anakin Skywalker...

Or perhaps, even more infamously, Darth Vader.] To hold them.

[Its almost endearing watching Thrawn's struggle to convey his meaning, more so on his chosen gesture. A few days prior, he might have been delighted at the implication.

But today, it just makes his shoulders feel heavier.]

The term you are looking for is Force Sensitive. And the answer is yes.

[He won't demonstrate that either, though some darker part of him sort of wants to.]

Good. [There is something so innately relaxed about Thrawn's tone as he accepts the information he's been given. As though such abilities were common, or natural, or simply another factor to be tallied in.]

I will take point, [His voice lowers, eyes glowing more vibrantly in the absence of light where the caverns slope sharply downwards towards the shard's final resting place. Stalactites litter the path ahead in clusters, making it easy for the two of them to maintain cover as they work their way in.] should any of them threaten to wander too close, it would be best if you could preemptively hold them in place for a time.

[And, in remembering their earlier discussion, he adds, reassuringly:] Do not worry, I will prioritize any you see fit to restrain so that they do not alert the others.

[From there, it's a systematic approach. A process that takes timing and patience, and dedicated precision: a few fired strikes from cover, another long pause to leave time for more to approach, rinse, and repeat. Only when the near the shard's nest do the number of insects sharply increase, and the threat of encroaching insects begins to loom on their shared horizon. A huddle of twenty, possibly more, with little room between them. There is no chance of picking any number of them off without inciting chaos.

Thrawn drops down behind cover, turning his attention back towards Ren. An unspoken question.]

[The fact that Thrawn is willing to take point means Kylo Ren's cooperation is much easier to secure. He digests the plan as it is given to him. It makes enough sense.

Kylo Ren's sense of alertness is much higher as they move into the caverns. Darkvision or no, he doesn't entirely trust Thrawn's eyesight to be better than the guiding hand of the Force, so he is sharply tuned in to make absolutely certain that no insects get anywhere near him.

He stops short when he sense the cluster, finger hovering over his saber's activation button. But when the swarm doesn't move, and he catches Thrawn's glowing gaze being thrown back at him, he easily figures out what to do next.

His spare hand rises from the cape, and rises to level with the swarm. He could probably crush the cluster, but there were too many chances for them to escape. So instead, he halts the Force around them. Instantly, it proves to be a chore -- the insects are not like other creatures. With time constantly shifting around them, it takes twice the amount of energy.]

Do it. Quickly.

[There is no verbal response in acknowledgment— it would be a waste of time and effort, of which they have little at the moment. Instead, Thrawn reels around, leveling his blaster with renewed focus.

And yet between Ren's efforts to restrain the creatures and their own temporal disassociation, the insects' position within the current timestream means their silhouettes twitch and flicker like a poorly transmitted holo. The first few shots hit their marks despite the trouble, one, two, three— but a smaller group of insects nesting unseen on the opposite side of the shard suddenly take notice, angrily cutting a path towards them.

Thrawn refixes his priorities: the five incoming parasites cut down, residual heat buildup turning the muzzle of his blaster a livid orange. He does not stop to let its safeguards cool. There are too many insects still alive, straining against an invisible hold. By the time his pistol locks down and refuses to fire, only four remain in total. The chiss shoves himself to his feet, aiming to press forward and act as a singular line of defense.

If Ren's capable of holding on, the creatures can be dealt with manually— damn the side effects.

If not...]

[Ren holds, sweat dripping down his forehead and hand shaking with effort as Thrawn cuts through as many insects as his blaster will allow. He becomes critically aware that this plan isn't going to work, but he would rather die than be forced to relive that fear again.

So with a decisive snarl, he closes his fist, and all four insects explode into goo. Kylo Ren, for his part, finds the nearest wall to lean against, nursing his sudden headache with his now free hand.

He would not be able to do that again very soon.]

This won't work.

It already has. [Three more parasites skitter up from beneath the shard, mandibles clicking in agitation. The last to hear the outraged hisses of their dying fellows.

But the cooling mechanisms of Thrawn’s blaster have had sufficient time to vent. Lip curling back into a sneer— revealing the edge of a sharp, inhuman incisor— he levels his pistol at the trio, already braced to endure a bout of dizzying side effects.

A bout that from external view, never seems to come.

Within moments, the last of the creatures lie dead on the floor, blaster smoke tinging the air as Thrawn holsters it once more, attention drifting from the crystal over towards Ren. His footsteps follow suit; drawing him up beside his Force Sensitive companion, an arm stretching around his shoulders to offer support, rather than the wall Ren now leans against.] There is no guarantee they will not return.

Can you walk?

Edited 2018-01-03 08:51 (UTC)

That is my concern.

[He eyeballs his offered arm for a long moment before he forces himself to stand straight. Pain shoots through his skull and he pinches his brows with two fingers briefly. Ultimately, however, he dutifully blinks past it and refuses the help.

Because of course he does.]

I'm fine.

[His lightsaber is still in hand, clutched like a security blanket.]

As you say.

[Ren's voice holds pain, and prideful determination. To deny him the independence he's more than earned would be an insult— and so, with a nod, Thrawn recedes into his own space. There is no commentary on the exhaustion his companion wears, sweat peppered across his brow, nor does he mention the way Ren clings to the hilt of his saber: a lifeline in the aftermath of a storm, a ward against fear where it threatens to boil like acid.

The commentary he adds in those last few seconds is sincere, through brief.] You did well.

[Moving towards the shard, Thrawn slides a gloved palm across its surface, curiosity briefly drawing the full depth of his attention. And then, without any further pretense, pulls a coiled section of rope from his belt to begin the intricate work of properly securing it.]

We should go. It is possible that the lingering traces of this shard's energy signatures may continue to draw those creatures to this location for a time. [He hauls their prize up into his arms with effort, fingers straining under its weight as he begins the winding walk back the way they'd come. It is also possible, after all, that the insects might instead follow the shard— and if that is the case, he would rather have it already placed in a more secure location where the other recruits might be able to more readily defend it.]

[He knows what has to come next. Thrawn carrying the shard would mean their trek back outside would take forever. There was no sense in it -- it wasn't necessarily that he was weak, but the shard was still heavy. And where he might normally give way to another authority, he has no idea who Thrawn even is, let alone what he is capable of.]

Give it to me.

[Stubbornly, he holsters his lightsaber and moves to take the shard. He was nothing if not extremely top-heavy. Even strained, he would do a better job of being the workhorse here.

The crystal is large enough that it obscures some of his sense of the Force -- enough that he won't be able to sense the insects coming before they arrive.]

And tell me if more come.

[This is no Imperial military operation, and due to the existence of more pressing matters, the pair haven't yet bothered with the formality of exchanging names. Thus, Thrawn makes no move to argue with Ren when he steps in to intervene— it is a simple exchange, and an even simpler adjustment: the chiss leads yet again, blaster drawn to ensure the path they've already cleared remains quiet and calm.

And this time fate is on their side, it would seem. No insects return from fractured timestreams, no skittering agitation stirs in the depths of the crater. By the time they reach the section of rope they'd rappelled down on, the air has visibly cleared...though for Ren, who has been carrying a crystallized burden for quite some time now, such a pleasant sight is likely lost on him.]

If you place it near the rope, I will secure it so that we can return to the surface.

[Indeed, he fails to appreciate the beauty of the clear air. He's straining, sweaty, and annoyed. Being cooperative seemed so rarely to reward him with anything but aggravation. But what he does notice is that they haven't been attacked again. Small blessings.

Kylo Ren adjusts his grip to shuffle toward the rope, as instructed, and deposits the shard with a grunt. Really, all of this would have been much easier without the cape -- but he hadn't really anticipated the amount of effort this would take.

Still, its done. He takes a moment to roll his shoulders before turning back to Thrawn.]

Bind it twice over. I do not want to be picking up pieces of this thing.

III

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