janitorscloset | [Event] Introduction to the Nexus / MoI crash

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[Event] Introduction to the Nexus / MoI crash

I.
Within the fabric of the multiverse the differing possibilities of each branch are woven, overlapping but separate, converging and looping at times, but often wriggling apart by ever-increasing degrees until the substance of it is thick with possibilities. This fabric is five-dimensional, not recognizable in its true form to the beings that are forced to live within the constraints of linear time and three-dimensional space. Unknown to those who live out the events contained within it, the sense of it is only kept by the special properties of the interactions between universes—it would seem that each universe is independent, but the nature of this fabric is such that certain events—convergence events—tie each universe together in an indelible way.

This is not to say that these convergence events all take place in the same way in each universe. But there are key threads that cannot be unraveled from their neighbors, and though the players in a scene may not all be the same in each universe, the moments contained in these convergence points are so tightly woven that in some ways they may be indistinguishable from their neighbors.

II.
An indelible part of those universes where Project Freelancer came to be is the fact that the Project could not succeed. It was based on flawed theories, illegal activities, biased science, no matter which lifetime this particular founder of the Project was living out. And so its failure, or more specifically that moment where its impending failure came to a head, became a convergence event. Like a network of strong magnets, the turning point brought the multiverse together in an intimately linked way. For this reason, when in one universe the ship Mother of Invention fired upon itself and began its descent into the atmosphere of the nearby planet, it sent shockwaves of destiny through the multiverse, bringing each doom destined for Project Freelancer into clear focus.

Much of the technology in the Project's facilities, both on the ship and the planet itself, were experimental. Dimension-hopping was one of the unsanctioned activities taking place under the Project's purview, though it was intended for fast travel through space within the same universe rather than through the multiverse itself. This didn't change the fact that once again, the Project was messing around with things that weren't entirely understood. The emotional states of the users of the dimensional portals had a huge effect on them—and the person effecting the portal didn't necessarily have to be actively using it, either. This wasn't known or considered when the Project moved one of its portals from its planet-side facility to the labs on the ship.

III.
And so it was that the combined anger, fear, and desperation of the occupants of the ship at the time it crashed reprogrammed the portal in the ship's belly, and in turn created havoc in the transporter nexus that resided on the planet. Like an arc of electricity sparking from a Tesla coil, the wave of reprogramming touched every portal in the nexus. Every portal would now lead to the Mother of Invention in the aftermath of the crash. Worse than this, it caused the portals in the nexus to draw in users from other parts of the multiverse. They would enter the nexus unknowingly, simply hearing a ringing like crystal and finding themselves within it. Attempting to leave would simply send them to the Mother of Invention at a most dangerous time.

IV.

Timeline of events:

• Day 1: Residents of other times and places will find themselves on the planet containing Freelancer facilities in the teleporter nexus. Everyone who comes to the nexus will find that their cell phone, 2-way radio, comm device, or helmet radio can be used to communicate with anyone else who has arrived in the nexus at any point. Attempting to leave the nexus via any portal will lead to the crash site of the Mother of Invention. Recovery agents and guards will be evident all around the grounds, but things are chaotic. It will be impossible to locate the end portal the character arrived through to return to the nexus.

• Days 2-5: Things are calming down at the site, but time itself will seem to be undergoing an echo effect—recovery agents and guards will still be on patrol, but as time goes by they will seem to be in several places at once and though they may spot characters who arrive, they will be unable to apprehend them. The end portals that lead back to the nexus will be intermittently visible, but in a shivery way that will make it difficult to use them to return. When one manages to return to the nexus, they will find that they're unable to reprogram the teleporters. Teleporters now lead to various locations, however, rather than just the ship crash site—they also lead to various bases inhabited by simulation troops. Like the guards and recovery agents at the crash site, however, the simulation troops will not be quite able to interact with the characters who have arrived.

• Days 6-10: The shivers that are going through time and space now seem to be settling down, and the teleporters are increasingly responsive to attempts to reprogram them. By the time the ten days are up it's easy to cycle them between other Freelancer and UNSC facilities, and many technologically-savvy characters will be able to deduce the fact that there is a resonant frequency inherent to their own universe that can be programmed into a teleporter via their radio or comm device.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He sits on the ground, crossing his legs, making sure it's easy to see all of him. He looks over his arm, giving her time to get together. She wasn't currently having a panic attack, but he wasn't going to push her.]

[Plus he did need to make sure nothing important had ruptured or something.[

[ It … helps. Somehow. Kind of. Doesn't do anything for the guilt churning like knives in her gut, and she still wants to spin on heel and run, but between the knowledge that he'd just get up and follow her, and the fact that right now he's sitting there … she can breathe. ]

[ She can breathe. ]

[ After a minute, maybe two, she forces herself to slide one step forward. Two steps forward. Three. And then she crouches next to him, just as slow and careful as him. (It's Puma it's Puma it's Puma it's Puma she hurt Puma it's Puma it's been years.) ]

I … I'm sorry. [ There's a gap where his name should've been. She can't quite herself to say it just yet. ] Is it—did I break anything?

No. [He's calm, even.] I'm going to have a hell of a bruise though. Or several...

Are you going to stay? Because it's really not fair making me run after you in armor.

[ Probably several. Definitely several. Cali lets out a sharp puff a breath, struggling with herself. She wants to run, but she wants to stay. She wants to back up, but she wants to reach out. She'd almost broken his arm just now, and … for what? All because he'd turned a corner too fast and tripped into her? She doesn't know how he can be so calm about it. ]

[ (because he's Puma; because he, more than most, understands a Freelancer's reflexes.) ]

... Maybe. We'll see. No promises.

If I have to get creative, we're both gonna be miserable. Fair warning.

....

What do you know about CT?

[He needs to see something.]

I would really recommend against it. [ She mutters, dryly. ]

[ Antics from the Reds and Blues she can tolerate, easily. Same for the soldiers of Chorus. Puma deciding to get creative because he wants her to stop running away from him …? No. No, thank you. Too much. She heaves another sigh, and … slowly, reluctantly, adjusts her HUD commands to take the voice modulator offline. When she speaks again, it's in her own voice. ]

[ She'll try to stay. ]

Connie? [ She tilts her head up, surprised by the question. ] Why are you asking?

Then don't run away. Or at least leave your cell phone number before you do.

[Connie?]

I have reasons. [Cryptic bastard.] Trust me.

[ She goes still again. ]

[ Trust him? ]

[ She remembers … it was years ago, but she remembers trusting him to the bitter end, despite the pain he'd sometimes caused her. Despite the memories she'd accidentally stumbled across—the memories that had given her, young, teenaged Aoko, nightmares for weeks. It's been a long time since then. Over a decade. ]

[ And … Wash … ]

[ Ugh. She drops her (still helmeted, this loser) head into her hand, taking in a carefully measured breath. ]

Don't.

...don't what?

Play the cryptic game with me right now. [ Not when she's this off balance. ] Yeah, I know, I might as well ask Sarge to kiss a Blue, but. [ Another breath. She shakes her head, hand dropping back down to her side. ]

Why are you asking me about Connie?

Because I need to see something.

[ Hey, Cali, remember that time—no ]

And that "something" is … what?

[ Maybe she just wants an excuse to walk away. Maybe she really can't deal with him being cryptic when her feelings are a complete mess. Maybe she remembers a certain conversation in a certain desert, a certain conversation that had left her heart in pieces and he had been so. Goddamn. Cryptic. ]

I'll explain after you answer. Promise. I'm just trying to figure something out about the situation.

Is there a reason why you can't explain now?

[ Her voice is still even, still level, but he might get the impression that she is purposefully keeping it that way. She pulls herself back up to her feet, smooth and easy, taking a step back from him. ]

[ Just ignore the little (huge) part of her that still wants to tackle him and hug him for hours. ]

Yes.

...what did he do to you?

[ Pauses. Again. ]

[ Well, that's certainly a … broad question, isn't it? Cali gives a little snort of laughter, half turning away from him. ] If you put those names together, you know the answer to that already. [ There's no way. No way, if he knows that California equals Aoko, that he doesn't know what happened to her. Right? ]

Anyway, uh, we should, uh … take a look around. [ Scuffs the toe of one boot against the floor. ] See what we can see. There might be something we can put on your arm, for the bruises. [ … ] I—really am sorry about that, for what it's worth. I didn't … [ ugh, god ] I didn't mean to do that.

...I swear if there's a way to punch his lights out...

[He sighs, standing up.] I really need the answer, Aoko. I just....I need to see something, it's not going to hurt you. [He's not going to let it, but he doesn't know if this is a game or real.]

I know.

[ Glances sharply over her shoulder. ]

Then you'd have to go through me. [ She settles one hand on her hip, ignoring the urge to fidget. If she's here, and Puma is here … then there's a non-zero chance that Wash could be here, too. ] Just like he would. [ Seriously, do not think she doesn't have what it takes to step between a pair of angry, self-destructive idiots. ]

… [ But it makes her think … makes her think, beyond the wall she's thrown up between herself and her feelings (he's there he's here, Aoko, hug him), that maybe— ]

[ When she speaks again, her voice is determinedly softer, if only by a little. ] Connie—CT—is the one who taught Wash how to handle a knife. [ … ] She was also the only other person in Freelancer who looked at the board and saw what I did, though she was better than me at getting the actual evidence. We're friends. Kind of. It's complicated, between the havoc nuke she dropped on us and the tomahawk I took to the gut to save her life. [ There's no real inflection there, just a statement of fact. Yeah, that happened. ]

She's alive somewhere out there.

He was an idiot. He actually agreed, is the funny thing. [There was...so much self hate.]

....

[The one who saw. She disappeared while attacking the ship. A traitor? It would make sense, but he hadn't thought of it.]

I wasn't sure if this was a game, or reality. But you know things I don't remember, never considered. But...it would explain one odd thing I do remember now that it's been said. It means you're not likely built from what I remembered in that game.

Sorry, but you probably remember how much they like to fuck with our heads.

[ He agreed? How did he agree? How does he even know any of this? — a game, probably, somehow. The Echoes always did have weird and wonderful ways to fuck with people. ]

Wash is about as fond of you as you are of him. [ It bears pointing out, wryly, with an emphasis on the "you." ]

… It's fine. [ She gives a shrug, picking a random direction and starting to walk. Ignore, ignore the bubbling maelstrom in your gut, keep walking, keep walking. ] I thought the same thing, at first. It took years for it to sink in that I wasn't gonna fall asleep there and wake up back in some Echo's realm.

[ There's a moment of hesitation. Brief. ]

What game?

...yeah, I could see that. I do deserve a punch for a few things, if I was honest.

[He follows along. He's watching her mostly. Watching her move, how she holds herself. It's different. He sees echoes of Aoko, but it's different.]

I imagine it would be hard to accept.

...Iota ran one. An....alternate universe game, I suppose. People changed, what ifs, things like that.

[ California's gate is even and steady, with the kind of quiet confidence that comes with knowing your own strength; with having found your center of balance and honed it. It's a far cry from the way Aoko would have bounced and fluttered, her arms swinging when they weren't clasped behind her back … or when they weren't reaching for his hand. ]

[ She flinches. Minutely, but it's there. ]

And you know … how much? [ What about her younger self? What about … No. She stops that thought before it can start. ]

It's...fragmented. I imagine in part because it couldn't fill in the stuff I didn't know, since clearly some repeated.

I know you showed up during the desert attack. You were in Freelancer. You vanished with everyone else. And...well, he was kind of...trying to drive Aoko away, so, he said...things....

Things I would rather not repeat or think too hard about for the sake of my own sanity.

[ … She very, very carefully does not stop walking. Keeps her hands loose at her sides. Can't help that slightly deeper, slightly ragged way she has to drag the next breath in, though, because. Wow. Wow, Iota. Thank you. ]

Let me guess. [ So very, very flatly. ] He got dragged in from a bad time. [ Wash always had his moods, but there had been one time in particular that he'd done everything in his power to drive Cali away. ]

...Sidewinder. Right...after Sidewinder.

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