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

Maul | Star Wars

[last_son_of_dathomir]

Overclocked

Maul will be damned if he's going to fall before he's even had a chance to set out, and for someone as accustomed to horror, the insides of SUPERBIA hold little terror for the Dathomirian; go deep enough down Coruscant's levels and even the grand capital of the galaxy becomes as life-threatening as any Outer Rim hellhole.

And he has the Force to help him.

The climbs are not difficult, not when he propels himself upwards to grab handholds higher up than he could normally reach. You might see him go flying upwards, past you. He spares you little thought as another jump takes him close enough to the top, and he scrambles over, metal legs clanging against the technological cliff. He quickly disappears, apparently leaving you to continue the climb alone..

But after a minute or so he suddenly reappears, and kneels down. He offers you a hand, flesh and blood, unlike his lower body.

"Come. I believe we may be close to the end of this maze."

Shipyard

It is a truly stunning array of ships; a fleet to be the envy of any in the galaxy. But none of them draw Maul's eyes; it's to the kiosks he goes. This is a journey that will require speed, and perhaps a degree of stealth. He had a vessel once that fulfilled those needs, and now, it will again.

The kiosks are very helpful, and Maul had familiarized himself with the technical date of the Scimitar, the modified Star Courier that had been gifted to him by his former Master. Familiarized enough that Maul can make some improvements, designing a ship for longer voyages, as this journey promises to be an extensive one.

The Crimson Scimitar, once SUPERBIA's matter printers have finished constructing it is the same dull red of Dathomir's skies, and larger than the original ship, with the bridge, cargo bays, and living quarters expanded. He has not discounted the possibility he may need at least a small crew to assist him on this trip.

That it might also be simple loneliness that compelled him to do so is a thought he does not entertain.

There's someone behind him; he felt them—felt you—coming while he was putting the finishing touches on the Crimson Scimitar. Now that he's finished, he steps aside, gesturing to the kiosk.

"You may proceed now." He has some pre-flight checkups and diagnostics to run, to make sure his new vessel operates the way he needs it to. And to check for anything untoward SUPERBIA might have tried to hide away inside its systems; after all, a gift like this? There's always a cost.

Network

Tell me a little about yourself.
I am Maul. A traveler.

Are you a LEADER or a FOLLOWER?
A leader. I followed once. I will never do so again.

What is your best feature?
Experience. Knowledge. And I am accustomed to hard living.

Overclocked

[astrogator]

[It's a long, slow climb for Ari. She thinks she has the physical strength to manage it, as she might be small, but she's spent an awful lot of time lifting weights in the gym aboard her ship, trying to counteract the effects of gravity fluctuations on her bones. That doesn't make it any less tough, especially in this heat. It especially doesn't help when others seem to go effortlessly flying past her. Ari has no technology or special abilities to assist her with this test - and it is a test to weed out the weak and incapable, she's sure of it. What she does have is grit, and dogged determination. She won't fall, and she won't give up, no matter how slow the progress.

She's nearing the top when she sees another figure leap past, hears the clang of metal. Ari doesn't waste her energy on envy. She reaches up, tests out another hand-hold, pulls herself upward. Almost there. Just a little higher.

It's a complete surprise when she sees the man - outworlder, very outworlder from the look of him - reappear and offer a hand, but Ari takes it without thinking, gripping his hand tightly, letting him help her get over the top. She stands, rubbing at her aching arms, catching her breath.]

Yes. I caught sight of the exit, from over there. [Ari gestures vaguely towards an even higher platform, far behind them. She'd used it as a vantage point to mentally map the area. He was right; they were close to the end now.]

Thank you. For the assist back there. [She doesn't want to delay him now, so she doesn't prolong her rest, but starts walking beside him.]

[last_son_of_dathomir]

"Yes. With any luck, we are still close to the front of the pack." Maul intends to be off SUPERBIA as quickly as possible, since it sounds like only one ship will be able to claim Fortuna...whatever Fortuna actually is.

He shrugs, differently. "There was no reason not to help." He says simply. And at this stage of the game, cultivating potential allies is an important task. Ari may very well be one.

"Quite a dangerous place, this machine. Our first hurdle to overcome, I suppose." A test of the Privateers' commitment to the search, and a weeding out of the weak? The deeper parts of the place certainly suggest this has been a place of death, in the past.

Sidious would probably be taking notes.

Network

[sleepfan]

Quite right. Following the wrong people can be disastrous.

[And now that social validation is properly dispensed to start a conversation...]

Do you know anything about space? Or at least the fundamentals needed to not die?

[Linhardt is quite out of his depth, but he has no problem admitting it.]

[last_son_of_dathomir]

Yes. It was.

[Maul has no desire to dwell on those old wounds, however, but Linhardt has already moved on.]

I have spent most of my life in space. I am well aware of its dangers.

You need a ship.

[sleepfan]

[This person's past is less interesting than space ships.]

Most of your life? Is that normal where you're from?

What dangers exist other than not being able to breathe or getting lost?

[Surely nothing lived out in the vacuum, so there are no predators, are there? And there's no air, which means no atmosphere, which means no weather. So no severe weather events.]

And banditry, if the population exists for it.

[Banditry might be easier in space, actually.

...

Maybe he should put a weapon on his ship.]

[last_son_of_dathomir]

It is normal to travel between planets and systems, yes. Space travel is nothing new where I come from; many people make their livings among the stars rather than remain on their homeworlds.

Dangerous stellar phenomenon, that can interfere with or disable a ship's systems. Asteroid fields, faulty starcharts, an error in astrogation, can send a ship in hyperdrive barreling into the nearest sun or crashing into a moon at relativistic speeds. And yes, pirates and various criminal consortiums do exist and prey on shipping lanes and lone freighters, especially the farther one gets from the oldest and most populated worlds of the Core Worlds. Corporations can also exert vast amounts of influence over space ceded to them or that they take, and their values do not often align with...conventional morality. And of course, slavery remains profitable for those who engage in it.

[Oh, and bad news about there being nothing living out in a vaccuum there, Linny...]

Certain kinds of life can exist in space. Mynocks like to chew through exposed power cables and feed off a ship's energy, but they are a minor pest, all things considered. Skittish, and easily driven off, even in flocks.

It's the big things you have to worry about. The ones that can swallow a ship whole if you're not careful. They are rare, but cases have been documented.

It's not a place for the timid, shall we say. But what other choice do we have, aside from remaining here?

[Which is unappealing for many reasons of its own.]

Sorry for long

[sleepfan]

Being able to travel so freely sounds wonderful.

[On Linhardt's planet, going to a different country is difficult and only a handful of people he knows have even left his continent. To travel freely amongst the multitude of stars and planets...that would solve so many problems that arose from people competing over resources. Or over ideologies. If people could just leave, things might be more peaceful.

On the other hand, some of what Maul describes to him are things Linhardt doesn't know, and for the first time in his life, that scares him rather than excites him. He would like to learn about stellar phenomenon and how to troubleshoot the navigation systems, but if he dies the first time he encounters a problem, that's less than ideal.]

Hyperdrive is when the ships are in the process of warping, yes? Are all of these problems in the electric encyclopedia? Are they all recorded?

[The realization that he was dealing with distances long enough that Warping took an appreciable amount of time was one that glued Linhardt to a chair for 30 minutes as he recalculated his worldview.]

Yes, slavery would be one of the more profitable options for those engaging in such acts.

[It's a practice Linhardt finds deplorable, but it's not one he's unfamiliar with. Slaves could be transported without any additional types of facilities except for a prison: They could eat and live in the same temperatures, etc. as the crew. The primary risk would be revolt.

But why worry about slavers when Maul drops the bombshell that life can live in space?]

How? How do they breathe? Have they bypassed the need for breathing altogether?

[Feeding off the lightning powering the ships is odd, but not any weirder than plants, objectively. So Linhardt accepts it and makes a note to try to work on an alternative power system as soon as possible. Resiliency is key: This is a marathon, not a sprint. If this Fortune device were easy to find, there'd be no need for them. Therefore it's likely to be longer endeavor.]

Where do the big things live? I want to see one.

[Be eaten by, whichever. Linhardt needs to know how their respiratory and digestive systems work. How does something eat a spaceship? He has to know.]

If I had a way back to Fodlan, staying here might be viable: There's enough information here for what I need, although winning the prize would assure my odds.

[One reason Linhardt agreed is that he realized that learning how SUPERBIA worked would be useful enough even if he doesn't 'win'. He'll still look, of course, the possibility is too tantalizing.]

Re: Sorry for long

[last_son_of_dathomir]

If you know what you're doing, yes, it does have its benefits. And of course, the credits for it.

[A man like Maul couldn't exactly afford to do regular business with Imperial customs and their endless, interminable inspections and ever-increasing number of fees, though a well-placed bribe to the right officer could always do the trick. And good smugglers don't come cheap.]

Hyperspace is how ships in my universe travel across the stars. It requires up to date star charts and precise astrogation calculations. I'm not certain how the hyperdrives or their equivalent work here yet, but I would be surprised if they functioned on the same principles.

I am not a xenobiologist, but I believe I have heard it has something to do with solar winds or some such. They feed on types of energy found only in space in lieu of more conventional terrestrial fare.

[Linhardt desiring to see "a big one" does draw a bemused smile from Maul; most people upon hearing of such creatures wouldn't be so enthusiastic about trying to find them. Odd one, this fellow.]

I've heard of creatures nesting in asteroids, hibernating inside the rock and coming out when potential food comes by. Or they simply sail between the stars under their own power. It does not pay to go looking for such creatures without good cause, or failing that, payment.

Ah? And you will seek this treasure, will you? Despite your inexperience as a space traveler? You are a scholar of some form or another, are you not?

[sleepfan]

Thank you for the information: That does sound similar to warping. I will need to investigate the connection.

[Star charts do change! Linhardt had never been certain: He'd seen differences in the maps of the night sky depending on the era, but since they were all hand drawn and often he only had a single data point for a given era, it had been impossible to know for sure.]

I will also find a xenobiologist. I appreciate your patience and willingness to answer my questions.

[Although Linhardt wants to take a ship and fly it towards the nearest asteroid belt, he understands that doing so would be a really bad decision. It's a shame that so many of the most interesting choices have a high probability of his own death. Which is not, in and of itself, a deterrent, but if he does not return, his friends will die.]

I will - I need the knowledge and tools that Fortuna would provide. Although I have never traveled through space, I am a medic and a healer, which is a skillset I expect to be one of the rarer ones amongst our number and therefore of enough value that someone will allow me to accompany them.

[If not, his healing magic gives him more room for error than most. Linhardt has seen a lot of fighters, some explorers, and an engineer, but most healers are prudent enough not to run off chasing a legend.]

I'm a scholar of heredity and the magical arts - magic being the manipulation of ambient energies with one's will.

[Linhardt has encountered multiple people who don't know what magic is, and therefore he defaults to explaining. He doesn't have Maul's patience for 'basic' questions.]

[last_son_of_dathomir]

Not at all, my young friend. We all must start somewhere. And this is an unfamiliar galaxy. Even I expect to be caught by some surprises.

[A scholar and a medic? You had Maul's curiosity Linhardt, but now...you have his attention.]

Quite so. Allow me to express my interest, in fact. I have a ship, and can offer protection, knowledge, and experience in navigating the...less well-trod parts of the galaxy. Places I fully expect we shall be required to go.

Ah, yes...I know something of the powers of which you speak. They are not entirely unknown to me, though my focus is more offensively-oriented.

Would you be willing to meet in person to discuss the idea of cooperation?

[sleepfan]

It's unfamiliar to me as well - I compared the available star charts with what I know of home and there is no overlap. So I must assume this is not my home galaxy either. I do wonder if anyone is from this galaxy and why we were dropped off in this space in particular.

[If SUPERBIA can travel across galaxies, which it clearly can somehow, then everyone being where they are is a choice the AI made. Why did it make it?

The offer is surprising because it's made so quickly. It appears that Linhardt's assumptions were correct and his skills are valuable. The other surprise is that something good happens for once. Not only does this man have knowledge that is needed and Linhardt lacks, but he's also a mage, so Linhardt won't die of intellectual understimulation.]

I am capable of offensive magic due to my time on the battlefield, though it isn't particularly interesting. Still, I would like to compare our offensive abilities.

[And study them, naturally.]

Yes. I am amenable to such a discussion. I am working in the northernmost stargazing hallway.

[And, true to his word, if Maul does go off looking for Linhardt, that's where he'll find him. What he finds is a tall, lanky man with cornflower blue eyes, long green hair, and handmade artisanal clothing.

Any sense of dignity is ruined(?) by Linhardt's posture, bent over as he is over a tablet. There's also a large amount of electronic parts spread around the scholar: He's started prying open datapads and sensors, clearly experimenting. If examined, some of the electronics on the floor are melted beyond repair, whereas others have cut wires or parts of their circuit boards removed entirely - Linhardt has a collection of processing unit chips in one of his coat pockets.

He feels Maul's presence, so there's no need to look up from his work where he's attempting to weld a new chip onto a board using fire magic.]

These are rather temperamental. One moment.

[Temperamental also means easy to sabotage. Linhardt detests violence, but he has no problem with cheap tricks or cheating.]

Overclocked, HELLO FRIEND

[statictunedintoreason]

Jumping higher than any mundane person could, yes fine, whatever, that was just magic. But those legs?

Tok was looking not respectfully at all. She did, however, absolutely take the offered hand, gripping with a heavy welding glove and letting herself be hoisted up. "That'd be reyt 'elpful. Them legs you got, I ain't never seen't design. J'you make 'em yourself?"

[last_son_of_dathomir]

Maul helps the tiny reptilian up, but soon has reason to regret his proffer of assistance. Tok's attention was immediately drawn to his legs, and with a leering gaze that immediately sets the Dathomirian's hackles up.

To say nothing of the whole host of terrible memories, half-remembered or permanently etched into his mind, of the chain of events that led to Maul getting his first pair of cybernetic legs. He turns away with a scowl at the question.

"No. Of course not." He replies tersely, setting off.

[statictunedintoreason]

Ah, there it went. Open mouth, insert foot. This was why she needed other people to handle the talky bits. "Fair enough." She was heading that direction anyway, so might as well follow. "I might've known't were a touchy subject, sorry about that. Only I ain't seen other folk running about with constructed limbs, before now."

By way of explanation, she removed a heavy leather glove, revealing not scales, but brass and steel, clicking softly as her fingers moved. "Ain't exactly common, like, where I'm from."

[last_son_of_dathomir]

Maul is about to keep going, but when Tok removes her glove to reveal the prosthetic underneath, he hesitates, and then examines the hand more closely. It's primitive, compared to his legs (they don't click incessantly with every move like hers do), but it piques his interest.

"An interesting design." He offers. "Am I to take it that technology is not readily available where you come from?

Network

[mech_and_mutt]

I followed once. I will never do so again.

Crummy boss, huh?

[last_son_of_dathomir]

To put it lightly, yes.

[Even that acknowledgement still fills Maul with bitter resentment at what Sidious and the Sith stole from him.]

It was an object lesson in poor leadership, if nothing else.

[mech_and_mutt]

Yeah, there's really somethin to be said for being your own boss

I had to take whatever jobs I could get and my employers ranged from 'wanted me to pilot for them in a race' to 'wouldn't stop hitting on me'

Some of them were cool but I think I'd rather stay freelance