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

[fourhope]

Your assessment seems to be the same as mine I'm afraid.
It's historically rare that the search for power ends without conflict, at least where I'm from.

[Ah, interesting. Someone from a pre-spaceflight universe then.]

Having grown up in space, I'm afraid to say that it does not make things better in that regards.

I am humbled you would think so. Thank you.

Physically there is nothing wrong with them, they're just hands. You are correct.
Physically they just look like hands, but spiritually or emotionally is another matter I'm afraid.

[sleepfan]

It is the same where I am from. The only thing that stops violence seems to be the threat of more violence.

[Or at least that's how Linhardt is justifying his decisions so he can sleep at night instead of lying awake too aware of his own hypocrisy.]

Perhaps the best use of Fortuna would be changing human nature so that we're less violent. Or at least learning how to bring about peace. I do wonder if using Fortuna only for my own world's problem is selfish.

[Fodlan is a shithole. Maybe it would be better to just...move everybody he cares about? Linhardt is having trouble deciding what the 'right' thing to do is: He's operating quite out of his depth.]

I understand. Some things can't be undone once you've done them, and you can never be the same person.

I hope you still make music.

[fourhope]

I was hoping that perhaps it was not a universal constant. Unfortunately, it seems that hope will have been in vain.

[A sentiment Quatre can fully understand.]

Good or bad, humanity is the way they are because they choose to be that way. As to selfishness, before now if you're like me, you'd not even known these other worlds even existed. Being focused on the troubles of your own world, where you've seen it and know it exists is understandable.

[Not that Quatre has room to talk, he's essentially decided Fortuna is too dangerous to exist and so therefore needs to be destroyed. Which is, arguably, also a selfish mindset in it's own wayy.]

Exactly so. We might come from different worlds and have different experiences, but perhaps the experiences aren't truly as different as one would think.

Of course! Stained hands can still create beauty. I wouldn't deny myself that.

[sleepfan]

It still may not be universal. We may all come from violent worlds because it would help us in finding Fortuna. We also all agreed to be here, and maybe people who are at peace are less likely to leave their lives on a whim.

[There is a selection process. They're not actually a random set. So there still might be peaceful worlds. Linhardt holds onto the possibility tightly. Logical possibilities do not lie.]

It's true that I never thought of other planets holding life, but I know now. I will need to think about it.

If we do have experiences in common, I am sorry for the life you must have led, but I am pleased to hear that you still make music. One of my closest friends is a musician, and it always seems wrong when she's quiet.

[fourhope]

While even in the light of such a potential utopia there'd still be things that they'd strive to improve, but you're probably correct. Worlds shaped by unrest would have seemingly far more to gain from a chance like this - so their representation is far likely to be higher.

A search like this is likely to take a significant amount of time. There will be plenty of time for contemplation on our journeys I am sure.

There is no need to be sorry. The choices I made were my own and I made them willingly. So ultimately, the only one responsible for what I've done is my own self.
I'm sure she'd be pleased to know you think so highly of her. If I chance upon a violin on this journey I'll happily share that music with others here. I might not have thought to do so otherwise, thank you.

[sleepfan]

That's true: It wouldn't be a utopia without the ability to make some progress. There are people who do not do well with idleness, odd as they are. I would also expect 'spacers' to be over represented, as the proffered deal makes more sense to them and they are more likely to believe themselves to have the searching skills necessary to find Fortuna.

Perhaps for you there will be time. I already have five new mathematical subfields to learn before I can even begin to strategize appropriately.

[Not that the scholar is complaining. Oh no! New research to fill his time! Whatever will he do? In many ways, Linhardt in space is very similar to a toddler in a candy store: He wants to find Fortuna, but even more than that, he's spurred on to learn more about this new, larger universe he's found himself inside.

The other, darker truth is that Quatre is right and there will be time, but Linhardt prefers to evade the swirling in his gut through distraction.]

That may be so, but I can still judge those who allowed conditions to deteriorate to the point where those decisions were your most viable ones. And if we are alike, then I can also feel sorrow that someone else bears the weight of actions they cannot forget no matter how many pretty words justify them.

I would like very much to hear your music. Just because we are occupied in a quest does not mean we are forbidden to enjoy ourselves and share.

[fourhope]

If there's one thing that seems to bb a constant, it's humankind's desire for more.

We do have the advantage, certainly, being familiar with ships, space, and the like. But such an advantage will only last so long. Don't underestimate your ability to adapt, learn, and overcome!

I am no teacher by trade, but if I can be of assistance, I would be more than happy to answer any inquiries should you find yourself truly stuck in the future. :)

Your sentiment feels all too familiar I'm afraid, but let's not talk of such dark subjects now.

Agreed! If I can find time to play even during the tenseness of war, I'm sure I'll be able to find time here. Things aren't so dire just yet.