space_aces (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
space_aces) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thegreatspacerace2022-09-28 07:29 pm
space_aces) wrote in thegreatspacerace2022-09-28 07:29 pm
Entry tags:
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.
Meflias | Ultraman/Ultra Kaiju Girls
2.
[Exploring the strange recesses of this place was a girl in what appeared to be a black bunny suit and a strange headpiece. Despite her relatively youthful appearance and human appearance, she was in fact a very wizened and otherworldly alien and one who took a great interest in the strange state of the world around her. She could be seen carefully examining bits and pieces of the superstructure and taking mental notes as she did. Eventually, she would stop, taking stock of what she had found, and looked at anyone who may be nearby before speaking.]
You. [She said with some authority.]What do you make of all this?
3.
[Mefilas was in rough shape after having been mussed a bit by her adventure through this strange place, and it was beginning to wear on her already short nerves. But upon finding a certain spacecraft her eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. This was, in fact, the same craft she had captained during her attempt to conquer the earth half a century or so ago in human reckoning. Why it was here, or how it had gotten there in the first place, were not things she thought at first, instead with some glee looking over the ship as the first positive thing that had happened to her today.
This inside was a mess, but some lesser being could clean that up. A fact that she would offer to anyone nearby.]
Well, you should get a broom and pan and help me clean up this place.
4.
Tell me a little about yourself.
I am Meflias, an alien and future ruler of Earth.
Are you a LEADER or a FOLLOWER?
I am no mere leader...I am a CONQUERER!
What is your best feature?
I've been told my headpiece is quite cute.
2
"Me?"
Who else. He appeared to be the only other one here.
"I think..."
The Doctor tottered over, staring intently at the ceilings and walls he passed until he finally focused on the girl standing right before him.
"That this is a very large ship."
Re: 2
"Yes, I can see that," she said with a bit of sarcasm. "What do you think it is doing here? Or anything actually useful you could glean from the situation"
no subject
But he would give it a shot!
"We're inside SUPERBIA. I think after our conversations about joining its privateer legion, SUPERBIA must have teleported us directly to itself... inside it even. I admit I didn't expect SUPERBIA to be quite this large. It's like being in the middle a computerized planet!"
Or something even larger! Oh how he would love to find a scale drawing of this place!
no subject
This old man must have been more than he seemed, she thought to herself. Even with her self-professed superior intellect, Melfias couldn't have put together such a theory based merely on what they had seen and been told.
"But a whole computerized planet...that is a lot to take in."
no subject
"Yes, it is, isn't it? It's absolutely fascinating! Was this build around an actual planet or constructed entirely in space? I'd love to ask SUPERBIA. I wonder if it would answer..."
Oh sorry, he had gone off on a sidebar hadn't he?
"What do you think of it all?"
no subject
"This place is certainly interesting. I've been all over the universe and never encountered anything like it."
It was surely many times more advanced than Planet Earth, at least. A place she was very keen on taking for her own, but that was for another time.
"Once we know exactly what they want with us all, I'd like to do a bit more exploring."
no subject
He too had traveled extensively but this was the very first time he found himself in the middle of a giant processor.
"I think I will do a bit of exploring regardless. But we do know what they want of us, don't we? You've spoken to SUPERBIA? You must know about Fortuna and the quest to find it?"
no subject
"I have but I know better than to trust the word of anyone like this at face value. I will know what is going on with my own eyes."
no subject
He stepped over to a panel, looking over its flashing lights and dials as he continued.
"May I ask what it was?"
no subject
Her life's goal and something she held great pride in.
"I wish to conquer the Earth."
no subject
Oh that old song and dance again... He hadn't expected it of this girl but today was a day full of surprises.
"Whatever for?"