![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
rp_help) wrote in janitorscloset2015-12-29 12:13 am
[Event] Introduction to the Nexus / MoI crash
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.
Re: Day 1 - Theta Ai (Guns For Hire AU)
[But Wash, or as he prefers to think of himself, Puma, has been investigating his surroundings, returning to the portal to see if he could find out more when he sees...a kid.]
[A kid with a familiar helmet type, which is weird, but it's a KID, in a weird and dangerous situation. There's that unpleasant tight feeling he's getting far too familiar with. Kids shouldn't be in dangerous situations, but it keeps happening.]
[Still, he can do the rational, responsible adult thing, and he approaches.]
Hey, kid, you okay?
no subject
So he's found a bit of the wreckage that shields him from the wind and curled up in it, shivering and holding his skateboard up for a bit more protection.
The voice makes him look up. What is that man wearing? He's never seen anything like it.]
I... I don't know where I am. It's really c-cold and I want to g-go home!
no subject
[But he's pulling off his jacket. It's gonna be cold, but he can endure the cold for long enough. Just ignore all those old scars on his arms, they're totally normal. Yyyyyep.]
[Either way, he's putting the warm jacket over Theta. It is actually made for snow, if not....the cold of Sidewinder.]
[Trying to not wonder why that voice sounds familiar, he has more important things to focus on.]
But we can fix the cold part. You ready to come out?
no subject
Thank you.
[He's worried about why home might be tricky though. Can't he go home? But he has to! He needs to get back to his family. He wants to get back to his family. he hates it here, it's even worse than Adaptive.]
Why can't I go home? And... I want to stay in here. It's sheltered and I don't know you.
no subject
[He offers what he hopes is a reassuring smile.] I'm not gonna hurt you, okay? I'm a soldier with the UNSC. It's my job to protect kids like you, you know? My name is Puma.
no subject
Looking back up at the man - Puma - he tries to work out if he's trustworthy or not. He's UNSC, which Theta doesn't really know much about. The government doesn't care about Adaptive enough to involve the military in their problems. But he said he's meant to look after kids...]
I'm Theta.
no subject
[His face freezes for a moment because oh. Ooooh god, that's why the voice is familiar, why is he a child, what-]
[Nope.]
[Packs that way and shoves it to the back, dealing with that later. First, impending frostbite.]
[He straightens up, offering Theta a hand.]
That's the tricky part. Finding how to get one to send us back. But we'll figure it out, okay?
Nice to meet you, Theta.
no subject
He curls back into his shelter, unsure again. But Puma's the only other person he's met here. What if it's just them? What if Puma's his only chance of getting home?
Slowly, he uncurls and stands up, keeping the jacket around him and his skateboard between them.
Okay...
no subject
[Because Questions aside, he is Still A Kid and goddamnit, he's protecting kids to the best of his ability. He's seen far too many hurt.]
C'mon. This way. Tell me if you need help. [Heading towards the teleporter, keeping an eye on Theta.]
no subject
I'm not used to snow.
[Gulch is in the middle of a desert, he's only seen snow a couple of times in his life, and even then it's dangerous. But most of the weather on Adaptive is. Why couldn't he have at least been teleported to a place with nice weather?]
no subject
[He can't be sure, but something about the mountain range rings familiar to some of the memories he's gotten back.]
no subject
But Sidewinder... It's a bad place. He doesn't know much about it, but everything he does know say. it's dangerous, immoral and most of the activities that go on there are unethical and illegal.]
I have to get home.
no subject
[But it seems like Theta recognizes it. Which...makes sense with the crazy he's starting to suspect has happened.]
We'll get you home. And I'll keep you safe until we do.
no subject
[He's sure this is what he heard Meg talking about with the slave trade that one time. Hw wasn't meant to hear it but he'd come down to get a new pen to do his homework with and e and Delta had been talking in the kitchen.]
How did you get here? Did you get teleported or were you here before?
no subject
Teleported. At first I thought-well, I'm a bit used to the randomly appearing in odd places part, but a lot of the usual stuff is missing.
no subject
What is this, anyway? It's a really weird shape. [What's it for? There's no one here except him and Puma. Surely if you're going to build something out here, it would be used for something and people would be here using it.]
no subject
[Oh]
[Yeah]
[He knows THAT building.]
Not sure what it was sure what it was for, it was abandoned when I saw it. A lot of Project Freelancer stuff was abandoned.
no subject
That said, he probably wasn't supposed to know about the mercenaries either, but found out anyway because of Beta, Maine, Florida and the others.]
It's a really strange shape for a building. And it's wonky.
no subject
Yeah. There's...some supplies in there, I think. Some places that close out the cold. [Which is tempting because he's shivering a lot by this point, but steadfastly Ignoring It.] But not much for ways out.
no subject
Food? [He's getting hungry. It's really cold and he hasn't had anything since lunch time at home, which was several hours ago. It must be almost dinner time. Oh God, Delta's going to be so worried when he doesn't show up. They'll think he was kidnapped!]
no subject
....I...think so. Some rations? [Trying to remember, but it's hard. He was kind of half dead at the time.]
no subject
W-where are they? [His voice is small, scared. It seems like every minute turns up another reason getting out of here as soon as possible is a good idea. He's not hungry anymore, he feels sick.]
no subject
[He leans down, looking Theta in the eyes.] You're safe. They did a lot of bad things, but....
But there's a difference between people who hurt adults and those who hurt kids. Freelancer is not the kind of evil to hurt kids.
[They believed they were doing the right thing, however misguided. There's no way to justify hurting a kid.]
And even if they were, I wouldn't let them. I've got a few tricks they're not prepared for.
no subject
Promise? [He thinks he's heard that a lot of criminals won't hurt children, but, as Delta has warned him, he should never assume that's going to be the case. Just in case he isn't so lucky.]
no subject
[Because he knows shit can happen, he knows it's bad to lie to kids who have trust issues, but he does know he can keep people safe because he will do dumbass things.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)