TEST DRIVE MEME #1

[space_aces]

WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD

Your journey only happened because of your benefactor, so it begets that it starts at your benefactor as well. SUPERBIA, which is as much of a location as it is an entity, is where everyone's search for Fortuna begins.

There's not much of a welcome party: shortly after their fateful encounter with SUPERBIA, in which they swore to join the quest to find Fortuna, the new Privateers will find themselves afflicted by a sudden change in perspective. See, teleportation is a tricky process, so from SUPERBIA's point of view, why not make the target destination none other than itself? One highly disconcerting moment later, and the Privateers find themselves inside the belly of the beast.

The vast mega-structure is shockingly lonely, void of anyone other than the Privateers. Those who look off the metal satellite and to The Network for intelligence (or take a skim at the Space Wikipedia article) will find out that the surrounding space is clear for lightyears; rumors have it that the place is cursed. It won't take long to understand why.

1

Overclocked

The innards of SUPERBIA are that of an impossibly scaled up computer, and the Privateers start right in the middle of it. You are the spider living in the dusty PS4. Literal rivers of coolant, transistors the size of mountains, landscapes made entirely of circuitry. The sky, bounded by a distant metal ceiling, is constantly alight with coursing electricity that cracks the sky with lightning storms. It can be assumed that the Privateers are the first living things to set foot here, because such a place is not ever meant to be traversed by delicate, organic, mortals that worry about things such as "temperature" or "voltage". SUPERBIA needs not lifeforms to continue its operations; why design for them? Traversal itself is difficult: unscalable walls and perilous drops are common to encounter. The only company the Privateers will find are oddly adorable maintenance robots, which sadly seem too occupied by their directives of maintaining the massive machine to offer any assistance (or even acknowledgement of their new guests).

It is immediately clear that the most urgent priority is to get the hell out of here. Before your adventure ends at the starting line.

2

Skeletons In The Closet

If one stays inside SUPERBIA, either by getting horribly lost or losing all common sense, one will notice a peculiar pattern emerge as one gets deeper into the bowels of the mega-structure. Passages shrink and become more level, and the incredible hostility and danger of the surroundings fade away, until one comes across areas which were definitely intended for humanoid organisms to use at one point.

The construction of these areas is cramped, unfurnished, and dreary; they are reminiscent of artificial environments meant to handle harsh external conditions like a submarine or bunker, but they are entirely livable. One can eventually find distinct rooms, but everything in them has crumbled to dust and their original purpose is nigh impossible to discern. Deeper investigation may reveal the few items that have stood the test of time. While it is more plausible for life to have existed here, that doesn't seem to be the case now. What happened here?

3

The Shipyard

In the opposite direction, when one finally reaches the outer edges of SUPERBIA, they will be rewarded with the place to pick up a spaceship and a stunningly beautiful view of outer space. The outside of SUPERBIA has no atmosphere to get between you and the stars, and they shine brightly, like a beacon calling one out into the first steps of adventure.

The shipyard is already filled with countless space ships of every size, form, and function, all autonomously constructed by SUPERBIA's factories over the countless years. What's the harm in taking one or twenty out for a spin? Even if one has no intentions of permanent ownership of the vehicle, it's not like SUPERBIA will miss it. For a Privateer with a more specific vision, however, there are kiosks around the yard which will allow one to design their very own space ship down to their exact specifications. When the process is done SUPERBIA's matter printers will have it out and space-ready right before your very eyes.

If a Privateer has a ship, vehicle, or large item that they intended to bring with them, they will also find them here, neatly parked in the Shipyard. Why didn't SUPERBIA extend this courtesy to the pilot's themselves? The answer is revealed as soon as the owner makes a closer inspection: the inner contents have been rearranged, like a whirlwind was unleashed inside and assorted loose items thrown around. Now aren't you glad your transportation was given special attention, and the same didn't happen to your innards?

4

Hot Crewmates in Your Area

But how will a single Privateer man an entire space ship? No worries: when one steps into a ship, the strangely endearing maintenance robots will suddenly take acute interest. The robots will follow inside and immediately start assuming the duties of a spacefarer, eliminating the need for extra hands on deck.

Even still, there's just no eliminating the want for a human touch, though. Thankfully even that dilemma has a contingency plotted by SUPERBIA.

Communication devices are easily available on every space ship. They come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from huge stationary consoles to portable smartphone-like screens. But whenever a Privateer attempts to access the Network, a pop-up will appear, obscuring the whole screen.

Tell me a little about yourself. Are you a LEADER or a FOLLOWER? What is your best feature?
The device will be rendered unusable until one relents to the pop-up's demands and provides answers to its questions. What will these be used for? The mystery will be solved when a social media app mysteriously installs itself on the same device, with profiles preemptively made for every Privateer. Each Privateer's profile consists of their given answers, paired with embarrassingly candid photographs. SUPERBIA has eyes in many places it seems.

Comments

[thefifthchild]

Possible. Likely, even.

But currently impossible to prove from what evidence we've found within the facility itself.

[It doesn't change much. Not for him, at least. Although, it probably would be good for the others to know, and it would certainly be valuable information. He raises an eyebrow (hidden by his mask of course) in consideration.]

Would that change your decision?

[braidedwonder]

“It’s no different than being in a space liner. Though those at least have food in the drawers.” He won’t bring up alleyways and the lot - he’s learned that telling people you were an uncared for orphan for most of your young life is only useful if you want to make people uncomfortable or score some pity until it’s time to turn it around.

Duo pauses for a moment, and then asks :

“Didn’t manage to find your way out?”

[braidedwonder]

“Not a chance.” Duo is sure on that, at least. Trowa is still lucky he hasn’t tried to gut punch him over that time he blew Deathscythe apart while under cover, but that’s a subject for another day and time he thinks.

“I know he is.” Well there’s one way to a gundam pilot’s heart, and that’s always going to be complimenting his gundam. Duo will always be pleased to let someone hang around who wants to do that.

For his part.. Duo’s reached the cockpit hatch, deftly popping the latch the manually activate, happy enough when it opens within the protective shell of the gundam’s folded wings, swinging inside as the screens blink to life.

“Ok… nothings too shaken up so far…”

[braidedwonder]

(ooc: I gotchu! )

“Was it the war of the edgiest name?” Look. Duo was partially raised in a church - he knows demon names if only because he had, of course, taken to looking them up because he liked to be the edgy kid. And it had been fun to shock Sister Helen, at the end of the day.

Anyway, he waves away the tablet, still unsure of why all of that information would need to be stored away in the first place, and happy enough in what he knows of the suits they have in the process.

To avert Gaelio’s attention, or at least attempt, he instead focuses on his gundam enough to prod.

“What’s with the horn on your gundam?”

[braidedwonder]

“Eh?” Duo turns with the questioning sound as he registers that the voice is very, very reminiscent of one Quatre Winner. Did he expect that cherubic face to actually come around the corner? No. But does it inspire a mega-watt grin as soon as it registers? Hell yes it does.

He doesn’t even bother to agree to this place inspiring more questions than answers, instead already moving to throw his arms wide for the hug that he knows is coming. Despite all of the distance he’s out physically between them all by going out to L2, and sometimes being with the Sweepers.. Duo does truly think of all four of them as his friends.

Though… at the question of finding anyone else, Duo’s grin all at once shifts to something sly.

“I ain’t seen anything from our favorite clown, and I know that’s why you’re askin’.” He’s even ballsy enough to give Quatre one of those little looks down his nose, a motion of ‘I know you’ following shortly after.

Artfully, he does not mention that Heero is here, and instead moves right along.

“Wufei is here, spicy as ever.”

[jumpedship]

This? This is no shipyard. Ships are... sturdily built, wooden, with bows and sails. These.... things. They are otherworldly. Unholy, even.

( not that laenor has ever considered himself terribly devout, but these 'ships' aren't something that look even remotely close to normal by his standards.

to her credit, he does seem to be warmed by her enthusiasm, though no less wary. )

I am a dragonrider. I've no place on something sails the skies that is not a dragon.

[astrogator]

[Ari's eyes widen. If she felt unprepared for this, as a recently-qualified spacer lieutenant, how much worse must it be when you're from a world that... well, it went beyond isolated old-frontier colony if he wasn't even familiar with space travel. This was practically first contact.]

Otherworldly is right, but there isn't anything to fear from them. These are starships, and when you're sailing between the stars, wood and canvas won't hold up. You need metal, and an engine to power them, although - look there! [She points towards a distant ship with resplendent solar sails, the light glinting brightly off them.] They can have sails. After a fashion.

[As eager as she is to introduce him to the wonder that is spacefaring society, she can hardly ignore that other claim of his.] You ride a dragon? As in, a giant flying lizard? [The words might be flippant, but Ari's curious, not dismissive.]

🔔 DING DING DING 🔔

[mychance]

( with that, she whirls around on him. while she's not entirely sure what she's expecting from such a haughty tone, the person standing in front of her... is shorter than she expecting. )

What do you know about my planet?

( he's right; this stuff isn't even remotely native to angels and EVAs, but asuka didn't graduate at the top of her class for nothing. she can gleen something from this technology... if she wasn't being tailed by some brat. )

If you're going to micromanage my every move, you could at least make yourself useful. Go. ( she points. ) Tell me if that side of the tunnel the positive or the ground. You can tell by which way the current is flowing. If it's the hot, I'm going to follow it. It'll take me to the source of whatever's being powered here.

[jumpedship]

Starships...

( he says it slowly, incredulous, as he looks out on the sea of, well, just that. he couldn't find a better word to describe them if he tried. the concept, placed in those terms, makes perfect sense. he even finds himself nodding. sea ships sail across the narrow sea to chart paths and find unexplored lands; starships must do the same, but within space.

he laughs, breathless. )

Stars. Will the wonders ever cease?

I suppose after discovering all there is to discover among the Seven Kingdoms and the Riverlands, the lords must find something to conquer. But the stars themselves? ...Do we really have a claim to the Heavens in this way?

( that's perhaps a larger question than he'd meant to propose. answering hers will likely be much easier. he smiles. two different worlds, clearly. everyone back home knows what a dragon is. )

They do look like lizards to some, if your lizard was as large as servant's quarter with wings twice as wide.

[astrogator]

[Servants is an outdated word to her, but that doesn't stop Ari from picturing the mid-levels of Cardalek Tower, where the staff who looked after the Company families were housed. She'd never paid much to them attention as a child, but she recalls enough for the mental image of them being filled with an enormous winged lizard to be startling.]

You must be fearless, to get on the back of a great lizard like that. A dragon. [Would she try it, given the opportunity? She likes to thinks she would, but she's never even ridden a horse.]

The stars aren't there to be conquered. They're there to be explored. When my people first went out, we found many empty worlds to settle. [Which had led ultimately to one of the worst wars they had ever seen, but there's no need to complicate things. It was a long time ago.]

Did your ships ever do that? Go out in search of new lands? I do think that exploration is our birthright; it's in our nature - but tell me, what were you told, before you agreed to come here? [She's hoping that he wasn't misled, or she might have to revise her opinion of this whole operation.]

[fourhope]

It's not every day someone gets to surprise Duo Maxwell, so Quatre will enjoy this little moment. It's the little things that make life so sweet as they say.

Quatre is absolutely the sort of guy who isn't shy about expressing his affection for his friends. Though Duo is usually his target for hugs, simply because he knows Duo's comfortable with them. Unlike Heero who's a gamble and Wufei who's.... Wufei. But showing platonic affection is one thing...

Aqua eyes widen slightly and he shakes his head even as his cheeks flush hotly. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about. It's important to know what resources we have available for this operation." Ducking his head, he fusses over a few strands of his bangs before smiling sheepishly. Okay, so maybe that hadn't exactly been the most subtle tactic. But these are extenuating circumstances!

"Okay, so maybe I was mostly just asking if you'd seen Trowa." Because Duo does, in fact, know him all too well on these things. While not so true anymore, there was definitely a time Duo knew more about Quatre's thoughts on Trowa than Trowa himself did. "But the others being here is also important!"

Quatre's not one to hold a grudge. Very rude, that's important intel to have. Shame on you, Duo Maxwell.

"If he was any other way I'd be concerned."

overclocked

[astrogator]

[It's the uniform, isn't it? It makes Ari look official. Like she's the person to go to with questions. Like she knows what's going on, any more than the rest of them. It's also not remotely fit for this heat. She has actually made the concession of unbuttoning her jacket.

She shoots the man (dog-man?) a sympathetic look, but then she shakes her head.]

If I were the manager of this place, only thing I'd be doing is shutting it down.

[Except she can't just walk off and leave him, either.]

I'm trying to get to high ground, then I'll be able to see where the exit is. Come with me? You're not going to die. You've got this far. It'll be fine.

[She sounds very confident. She's good at that.]

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes takes on a gossipy tone.]

Mother Boxes, huh? Got any more good juice on those aliens?

[Hmm... There was one person that bought up some really good points about trusting SUPERBIA... but then again, paranoia caused a humongous problem for Hermes before he was bought here...]

How about we ask it and then decide whether or not to trust the information it tells us?

[jumpedship]

( he brightens considerable upon hearing that. )

Any sane person would have their reservations, by travel by dragonback is truly great fun. It is swift. Efficient. You can impress your neighboring kingdoms by performing an alley-oop right before their chamber windows and singeing the hair from their chef's whiskers. If you enjoy your time upon starships, you'll be a natural upon a dragon.

( starships, gods, he still can't believe they're talking about something so fantastical. )

In the past, I'm sure. But most all lands have been discovered by now. Most oft, we use our ships for trade and transport. On darker occasions, battle. A necessary evil, and one I take little joy in.

( sure, he loves to swing a sword on the training grounds, but he's not in any rush to go on a murdering spree. )

I was promised a quest in search of adventure. And, at the time, I can't say I'd imagined... this.

2.

[astrogator]

[Ari Tayrey's been keeping an eye on the woman with the hat and the big gun, because... well, that's a big gun. Enough to make her nervous. She's reserving judgement, though, and when the group she's recently fallen in with stops for a rest, Ari stays there with them instead of pressing on alone. She takes a couple of deep breaths. It's been a long day, and it's probably not even half over. Her uniform jacket is unbuttoned, and she's looking a little dishevelled.]

I think I'm way out-of-sector here [she says in response, her clipped Cardalek accent sounding distinctly foreign.] I'm originally from Cardalek. One of the Company-owned colonies. I was invited here from Siduri Station. Unless by 'Rural Worlds' you mean the old frontier, I'm guessing we're not close enough to be familiar.

[Still, no reason not to be polite, no matter how many light years separate their homeworlds. She sticks out her hand.] Lieutenant Tayrey, of the Tradelines. Peace and prosperity to you.

[heeroics]

[ Here we go. Heero is trying to figure out something very troubling and important and Duo is being Duo.

What is even the point of bringing this up now, when they're both here? There are some things that Heero will never understand, he thinks.

His back straightens, and one thick brow might be twitching subtly beneath the heavy fall of his bangs as he stares 02 in the eyes, the patience rapidly draining from his. ]

Duo. When did you go into space.

[astrogator]

[His description of dragonback travel makes Ari grin. It sounds like the sort of stunt flying she enjoys. She listens to the rest of what he has to say, and nods.]

That's true enough. There is a quest, and I'd be very surprised if it's not a great adventure, out in the black. You'll do well enough. I've always worked aboard starships, and that's exactly the purposes they're put to. Trade, and transport, and battle when it's necessary. To protect the people of the colonies. Nobody takes joy in it, but it's our most important duty.

[She affects a very serious, soldierly attitude when explaining this, but it doesn't last long; it's followed by another youthful smile.]

Although now I wish that I could fly on a dragon! It's sad that I'll likely never even see one.

[heeroics]

Fortuna, your game?

[ Best to clarify, given the legendary-prize-is-also-called-Fortuna situation. Beyond that, Heero elects to take this robot-TV-thing's claims at face value. He believes that Hermes believes he is really from a video game, and that's enough.

If it's true, then Heero finds it interesting to note that perhaps Privateers don't have to be real to be recruited by SUPERBIA. ]

Not necessarily. If SUPERBIA has recreated its universe to great enough detail, then the location of the treasure is just a matter of solving a statistical equation. It's the... human element that's impossible to predict.

[ Strange thing to say to a robot, but. Metaphorically speaking. ]

We're the missing factor. That's true whether this universe is real or not.

[braidedwonder]

[ Duo meets Heero’s impatient stare with one of his own, though the dogged determination to be a pain in the ass is also far too obvious. Heero will likely know before the words leave Duo’s mouth that he’s intentionally not answering in the way he wants, now.

Regardless of the repercussions so far as Heero’s temper with him at the moment. ]

A couple’s times, whenever I felt like it.

[somuchshipping]

Yes, my game.

[It's okay to call Hermes not a real person. He believes it to be true, too.]

I've actually never seen a human before. It's a forbidden species in the game. Not entirely sure, but I think it's because Prometheus gave Notails the ability to "trap" us AI into shells and Prometheus's shell was designed after humans. But I don't see it as a bad thing, I ship Prometheus x Humans! It's really cute.

[miraclekiller]

What way is there to change one's fate besides power?

[ The power to dissect the world, the power to take down the gods. Accomplishing great deeds is simply the result of gaining access to the right tools and knowledge, and that might very well just include Fortuna. ]

But I see you don't disagree.

[futuradelita]

[ They all were out of sector, Adela comes to think. She realized people's accents were not from her region, and she can't even pin down the Lieutenant's own as a point of comparison. The words 'company owned' earns her a concerned glance, as she grew up during the times of tycoons owning all operations in the far-flung colonies. No wonder she'd also seek an escape. ]

[ She brings out another of her rations packed in corn leaves, and offers one to the Lieutenant. Its contents are a dark orange dough with sliced carrot, potato, an olive, and strings of printed meat, all inside. Whenever if the Lieutenant accepts it or not, the Second Captain also offers her her bottled water (which has a somewhat salty taste). ]

Second Captain Adela María Pérez Gonzalez. [ She replies with her own accent, a hispanic one, which flows better with her own name. ] Gracias. But 'Siduri Station' doesn't ring a bell. I'm from the Aztlán Sector, used to be from Puerto Nuevo Vallarta. Uniform isn't familiar, so I don't think we're from the same 'verse, either.

[ She then leaned her head to look for badges of rank. Which, even if she finds, would realize they're different from her own. ]

Besides, not even sure how my rank translates to those of a lot of peoples.

Re: III

[freearcadia]

Anyone in a position of power can easily go back of their word - human, machine man or AI. But - I think we all had our curiosity piqued by the offer.

[He follows her gesture]

Yes, that is mine - the Arcadia, there is no other like her in the known galaxy.

[futuradelita]

[ She shakes her head. ] Nombre. That's still way too close to Terra's reach. We'd get shot the second we came near to their systems. I'm some systems around the Tonatiuh star, in the Giraffe Constellation.

[ Adela then tips her hat up in surprise, scratching her head, as she comes to a realization. ] I don't think you can't get there without an Alcubierre Drive.

[ Mobile Suits and Mobile Workers being common, and these 'Gundams' not seeing much use? And he's not even familiar with her? Definitely something odd. Then again, the fact he's not some fucker claiming she doesn't deserve citizenship nor independence is better than the alternative. ]

1

[miraclekiller]

[ Can Carol Malus Dienheim, the murderer of miracles, the harbinger of the Revelation of All Creation, alchemist, and occasionally magical girl fight?

Yes. But she will still entertain Damian's suggestion for a second, before sending him a withering look. ]

Wait where? Can I expect you to ferry me out of this labyrinth once you've found a path?

[ Because she's really not about that life. Relying on other people is, at best, an unfortunate necessity, and as an alchemist she's all about that equivalent exchange, not charity.

Besides, she's busy trying to follow a pipe to its source, hoping it will lead her to the heart of the star they're in. Even if it's red hot and pumping... something probably dangerous to everyone. ]