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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
He starts to physically shake at the thought.
no subject
“Well there ain’t a damn thing here.” Duo makes a rather flippant motion with his hand as if to say he’s equally disgusted as he is amused by it. But then he takes in the other man shaking…
… and laughs.
“Man. You’re really that scared by it? They’re bringing in some softies.”
no subject
"Nevermind. I'm getting out of here."
He turns to storm out.
no subject
Duo huffs a laugh and shrugs, turning back to what he's doing a moment later. He's curious if there's anything tucked away in any drawers in rooms like these, anything that may give a clue about what happened, or perhaps what else he might be able to find around here. Rooting through drawers and shelves like he owns the place is fairly typical for Duo, as it goes.
"Have fun. Don't try climbin' if you're shaking like that."
no subject
"You actually like it down here?"
no subject
“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?”
no subject
"That's pretty obvious, isn't it? If we're supposed to work for this thing, it's not making it easy to get started!"
no subject
"So you thought it was gonna make it gravy just because you agreed?" Duo's brows raise for a moment in disbelief. Perhaps it's just because he's never chosen anything that's even relatively easy in the entirety of his life, but.. well. Sure he hadn't expected to be in the midst of a giant computer but it sure as shit beats the possibility of freezing to death in the void of space at any moment if he gets on the wrong side of a vacuum.
no subject
Nothing had ever come easy for him either. But he hadn't expected to be thrust right into one of his deepest phobias right off the bat.
no subject
"Ah, so that's what got ya? The glittering vastness of space?" Duo's met a few people that have never seen space before in the short time he's been climbing around and engaging in general bullshit around here. But, well. Duo was born in space, so this isn't anything new or wonderful for him. But the treasure... that's new a little exciting.
"It's great but, space is also kinda..." Duo pauses to think on his wording and then, with a snort. "Well. Space is brutal. It doesn't give a shit. You mess up, you die."
no subject
He gave a dark smirk at the last comment. "Space is just like life then."
no subject
“I got bored after the war was over.” You know, the obligatory end of his reign of actual terror coming to an end is terribly inconvenient and all. Boredom is the prime reason to go to a new part of space and trying to make sure he’s the first one to reach treasure naturally.
He does snort a laugh as the other man over simplifies what he’s saying, though, shaking his head ‘no.’
“Nah. Life is a gentle mother compared to space. In space you fuck up once and you’re frozen through or splattered and frozen and neither will let you come back.”
CW: Brief references to torture
He grimaces at the imagery. "Yeah, those are pretty gruesome deaths. But being killed slowly is no picnic either. You don't always get to come back from that, and even if you do, sometimes a part of you stays back there, being killed again and again."
no subject
“Uh… I guess you could say that.” It’s not a term Duo would choose, but he’s heard himself called a child soldier, a terrorist, and a freedom fighter depending on who was speaking, so there’s always that.
“I guess. But that’s as much a mind game as it is a physical one.” Duo shrugs at the reference, not because he doesn’t understand it, but more because he doesn’t linger there. His attempted murder by suffocation or just, you know, G beating the living shit out of him is just another episode of the war he signed up for fully expecting to not walk out of.
“You really trying to one up dying, man?”
no subject
A mind game ... yeah, it sure is. He would love to conquer the memories and the terrors that haunt him, but it's an uphill battle. Learning to face electricity would be part of that, but he doesn't feel he's ready to be exposed to so many chances for electrocution again.