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thegreatspacerace2022-09-28 07:29 pm
space_aces) wrote in thegreatspacerace2022-09-28 07:29 pm
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TEST DRIVE MEME #1
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.
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.
1Overclocked
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.
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.
2Skeletons 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?
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?
3The 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?
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?
4Hot 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.
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.
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.
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.
no subject
[ However... once the question about 'Earth' is made, Adela's expression darkens. She looks to her side, lets her hat cover her, and crosses her arms. ]
I don't know anything about Terra. All I remember was the stories mis Tatas, my great-grandparents, used to tell me when I was a tiny girl about what la Vieja Tierra was. And what happened when it became 'Terra'.
[ She raised her head. ]
He told me that a bunch of loonies turned it into a 'Citizen Federation', where only vets and the people of the Junta could hold political office. My family fled from its hold the moment they all realized what 'service for citizenship' would really mean in the future. Soon after, a lot of my people did, too. And established ourselves in Tonatiuh, a star in the Camelopardalis constellation, where Aztlán was founded. The Capital of my sector.
no subject
Your family were brave, to strike out on their own. All your people who went out were. Something similar happened in my own people's history. Our first world fell to tyranny, and over time all the visionaries and innovators, the company owners, and all the people who valued liberty went out to the stars. The first pioneers went on the slow ships, but our people developed faster engines, better terraformers. The tyrants wanted control of it all, and it led to a war for our freedom. Breakaway. My own great-grandmother fought in it.
[Ari's beginning to look quite troubled by the thought of it.] I'm sorry that it happened to your people too - that your first homeworld went that way. I hope it isn't a pattern, between worlds. People shouldn't have to go through that.
no subject
Ahí está la cosa. Millions of people from the Spanish-speaking colonies all either escaped on their own, or were exiled by them after their crackdowns. Fortunately for all of us, that also included smart people they had deemed as a threat to their 'stable' rule. Biologists, writers, engineers, physicists, and even Priests.
But we weren't the first. The first were rich tycoons and planetary holders. Planetary holders that happily took in millions of refugees, gave them a place to live and work under Corporate Hacendados... and placed everyone outside of the three capital worlds in an eternal debt, since many had no other place to go and live, but what was already established by many of these companies.
[ Her eyes then turned towards her gigantic machinegun, whose ammunition slot was directly connected to the bandolier she had slung over herself. She wasn't even mentioning what happened when they made first contact with hostile alien threats. ]
You can guess what happened when that system cracked at the worst possible time.
no subject
But Ari looks from the captain to that enormous gun of hers and back again, and she decides that she doesn't know enough about her to have that debate. There was no way for Adela to know that young Lieutenant Tayrey from a Company world was pure Company herself - Arilanna Lorenza Kittredge Carrington Tayrey, daughter of a Director, genetic great-granddaughter of Miri Carrington, Cardalek's founder. She kept that quiet even on her own ship, not wanting either favoritism or criticism on account of it. If they started talking Company ethics, though, there was always a chance something would slip out, unintended, and give her away.
She looks uncomfortable for a moment, and then takes refuge in bland platitudes.]
It must have been very difficult for everyone involved. The beginnings of new civilizations will always have their troubles.
Tell me, what is Aztlán like now? Is it thriving?
1/2
Her people are nothing if not perceptive. Adela notices the discomfort, which she presumes may be more by the insinuation of a civil war. Which... honestly, given the things she's seen in her world, both at the hands of aliens and humans alike, she's quick to pick up it is a subject that may not be good to tread for now.
Indeed, she's without a crew, on her own, and in need of friends. Whenever if it was the subject of a civil war or different philosophies, Adela obliges. She lowers her hat back to its position. ]
2/2 Now translated with hover-text!
[ She presses her lips and narrows her brow in frustration, more due to remembering the mountains of paperwork she had to send and fill out for the city. ]
Digo. Sí es un planeta muy bonito, but people there think they're in the center of the 'verse. My home, and that of my unit, was back in Puerto Nuevo Vallarta, a world that's still plenty of decades away from finishing terraformation. It didn't have as many cities, but it was our home.