janitorscloset | [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

[So definitely not his Wash. Chorus, for all its faults, tended to leave an impression on people.

He's silent at the accusations. He hasn't thought about that in a long time, and those days seem so long ago compared to everything.]

I wanted to...after I got South to safety I wanted to go back for you. I just...they wouldn't let me.

You were there when I woke up and then you- you left. No explanation. Just left me there with the alarms going off! You knew what was going on, that the whole project was fucked to hell and you left without even warning me!

[Even a hint, some kind of explanation, it would have helped him when it came to dealing with the Counsellor and the Director. It might have prepared him, a little, when Epsilon's memories crashed over him.

He takes a breath, forcing himself to calm down, but this is bringing up things that should have been dead, even if he knows that they were never dead, not really. He's never made peace.]

And now you're here and claiming to be alive and I don't even know if I should believe you or if this is just another goddam breakdown.

Yeah, I did.

[And he wants to explain himself, wants to explain how it was Tex and York, and he hadn't known things were going to kick off right then and there. He'd thought he'd have more time, but as he mulls it over in his head it sounds more like an excuse than an explanation right now.]

But I can tell you that this is real. I'm alive, and you're not having a breakdown. I wouldn't lie to you about something like that.

[And he takes off his helmet, just prove there's someone in the armour. He looks older, a little more tired, but it's him.]

I'm sorry, Wash. Really.

[It's an anger that's been festering since the project. But behind that is hurt. He'd thought they were friends, that they were a team, and then they'd left him and recovering from that was harder than he could handle.]

My mind lies to me plenty. So a hallucination lying is not that far fetched.

[Still, when the helmet comes off, it makes the air catch in his chest. He looks... older. He's never looked older before, not in dreams or memories or hallucinations. he's always been Agent North, frozen in time.]

I- I have to go. Got to find the Meta. And the idiots who have Epsilon.

Well, I'm not lying and I'm not going to start now.

[The mention of the Meta, and going to find him, does make him tense up as he remembers their last encounter.]

Are you sure that's a good idea? I can come with you...I mean, it's the Meta.

Also, who's got Epsilon?

[Last time he met Epsilon, the AI was with Carolina.]

Of course it's not a good idea, but I need to backup. And the Meta makes useful backup.

[And was driven and single minded which made it the perfect ally for this job.]

A group of idiot Sim Troopers. They won't be a problem. I'll deal with them.

[North wants to open his mouth, say that that's not a good idea because he might be a little sore over what the Meta did to him. But he's also concerned because he thinks he knows the Sim troopers Wash is talking about.

If he's guessing his timelines correctly and based on what he knows.]

Wash, what are you planning to do?

[He tilts his head to look at North coldly.]

I'm going to kill them, recover Epsilon and hand him over to the authorities so I can leave and spend the rest of my life pretending none of this ever happened.

[North isn't sure that he's ever had a reason to be afraid of Washington. He can't say he likes the feeling.

And he's not sure what he should do now, because he knows that's not how it turns out. He's met the Reds, they told him everything even though Wash was embarrassed about it (seemed to relish in the chance to embarrass Wash).]

I don't think that's going to help you, Wash.

[Where the hell does North get off telling him what he thinks will and won't help?]

It'll get my record cleared and get me out of prison. That'll help a whole lot.

[North isn't even sure he's travelled through time, and he's faced with a dilemma of whether or not he should change the past. Of course, at this point, Wash probably wouldn't believe him even if he said anything.]

But you'd really kill them? I mean, they're pretty harmless, most of the time.

If they don't give me what I want, absolutely. [He hadn't come out here intending to ask nicely after all.] And sure, harmless, except when they're fucking me over.

[From what he knows, that does seem to happen fairly often. There's not much he can offer as a defense.]

Just...try not to do anything rash. I don't think they're trying to...mess things up for you.

I gave them one job! All they had to do was hand Epsilon over to the authorities and they couldn't even manage that! They messed everything up for me!

And that justifies teaming up with the Meta to kill them? Why not just go and take it and leave them?

Because they keep getting in the way.

...and I might have shot a couple of them.

Already? Maybe that's why they keep getting in the way?

They wouldn't tell me what I needed to know. They were useless to me.

If they were useless, then why bother?

Because... [He doesn't have a good answer for that. Not when it's asked outright, even if in his head it's so clear.]

Because they were in my way.

Doesn't seem like much of an answer to me.

[He makes a noise of frustration.]

What does it matter to you? You're dead anyway and I'm standing here talking to a hallucination. [Had to be. That was the only explanation.]

It matters to me because I'm worried about you, whether you think I'm alive or not. Which I am. Alive.

It doesn't matter. I'll either win or I'll die. Either way it's over.

[Event] Introduction to the Nexus / MoI crash

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

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject