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kaisou2024-10-03 12:45 pm
October Event Log (Space Horror Edition)
OCTOBER EVENT: HEAVY
TRIGGER WARNING: This event features heavy use of hallucinations, reliving past traumas, mental corruption and PVP death. Please proceed with caution.
Day OneWherever you drift off to sleep certainly isn't where you wake up the following day. Or... you assume it's day, as there is no natural light to truly clue you in. You wake on a bunk in a metallic room along with three other app users, also tucked into their comfy little bunks. A quick survey of your surroundings, and you will find you are on a sizeable spaceship. Outside the window, a blue planet slowly turns- those who have a knowledge of space might be able to recognize this as Neptune- you are far, far from Earth. Stepping out of the bunk room, you will find other doors opening to other bunk rooms, with similarly confused app users inside. No one has any idea how you got here. You will find your communications devices do not work- after all, you're a long way away from any cell towers. You'll be glad to see your abilities work just fine. Telepathy outside of the ship is impossible- perhaps distance matters here, too.
Exploration of the ship will show a worrying absence of any crew. You can see dried blood on several metallic surfaces as you move around. Canteens are stocked with freeze-dried astronaut meals, all perfectly edible, but there is no sign anyone has been eating anything in here for some time. You can see another ship docked outside the one you're in- the name on the side claiming it as The Lewis and Clark. There doesn't seem to be any way to get to it currently, though. The door leading to the docking station is locked tight. You eventually come across the bridge, with blood-crusted computer systems still running. Those tech-savvy amongst you might be able to get some informational screens up, which tell you that you are aboard The Event Horizon. This is a scientific vessel which was researching a means of faster space travel. They intended to do this with something called "The Gravity Core" - a device which would create an artificial black hole, which would in theory allow the user to bend space-time and cut a journey of thousands of years into a single day. So it turns out you're sitting in a spaceship with the means to create the most destructive force in the galaxy right next to you. Super! A few of the video files are corrupted, which will need some work getting to play. Ominously, every now and again the screens of the computer flash up a single, desperate message: Libera te tutemet ex inferis.
If you so decide to check out that Gravity Core, you will find a tunnel with sharp, moving sides. It moves like a meat grinder. Luckily there is a narrow walkway- wide enough for you to walk single file through it without getting hurt on the spikes. Worrying, some more of that dried blood can be seen on the spikes as they rotate. It's probably fine. The tunnel opens up into a big, circular, spiked room. There's a pool of water at the bottom of the room, and in the centre is a strange contraption, a ball with three spiked rings, about 10 meters in diameter. For now, they're just turning around one another slowly, never stopping. Congratulations, you found the Gravity Core! Anyone with demonic or holy ties will be deeply unsettled by this device. They can't put their finger on what it is, but they know it's deeply unsafe, and feel intense discomfort being anywhere near it. For now, there doesn't seem much to do other than get used to their surroundings. They can check the lock that could take them to the Lewis and Clark- their only way off this ship, but the lock is a complex series of rusted cogs. There seems to be no way to undo these locks no matter what you try- not even abilities will work on it. It's like some outside (or inside) force is preventing you from an early escape. For now, it seems you're stuck here.
Day TwoAt the start of day two, the whole ship shakes- anyone near the Gravity Core will witness the rings suddenly all line up, stopping their slow spiral. Everything is still for a moment, and then the center of the Core suddenly glows in a blinding flash of light, then... it settles- the lights around the center pulsing on and off like a heartbeat. The entire surface of the ball at the center of the core turns into a shimmering, water-like substance. Anyone nearby will feel an overwhelming urge to touch it. Should you give into the intrusive thought, you will find your hand sinks into the center as if it is made of water. With no warning, something on the other side GRIPS you, and pulls you in with a sharp tug. No one around can grab you in time before you vanish into the sludge.
For a moment, everything is still- then as quickly as they were pulled in, the poor souls dragged into the Core are unceremoniously spat out. The Core returns to normal, the rings spinning slowly around one another again. Those spat out will lay on the ground, catatonic, eyes open wide, staring in terror at... something - nothing seems to wake them. You may be left worried about what to do with your friends, but there's something else too. Something prickling at the edge of your consciousness. Perhaps it's a distant noise that almost sounds like a voice, a shifting shadow you swear was a person. Today, these things linger just on the periphery of your senses- there to unnerve you, but you cannot put your finger on what they are.
About an hour after they were spat out by the Core, the poor souls dragged into it suddenly bolt awake, that "the darkness is coming". It takes a hot minute for them to settle down again, and realise where they are. If you were one of those unlucky people, you cannot remember what you saw while you were inside the Core- all you remember is that it was terrible- and yet, you want to go to it again. You are convinced the absolute right thing to do is to open the Gravity Core again and for you all to step inside it. It's where you all belong. For now, you can be convinced to not do the blatantly stupid and dangerous thing and restart the Core, but as one day moves into the next, those urges only grow.
Day ThreeThose who were dragged into the Core are much, much worse off the next day. Your feelings about needing to restart the Core are even stronger - and those who weren't pulled in will need to guard the controls to prevent it from being forcibly started up. Those who fell in start calling themselves "corrupted" and you will do everything in your power to convince everyone that you need to open the Core. Perhaps you want to embrace what's on the other side of that Core- the horrors you saw. Or perhaps your spirit was so broken by the terrifying mixed-up memories you can only partly put together that you feel it's inevitable- that you may as well submit to the Core because there's no escape from it. The way you all speak about it makes it sound like hell, quite literally, and nothing will sway you from your desire to go back into it and drag everyone on the ship with you. You will be willing to fight and attack your fellow prisoners on the ship, to lie to and cajole them - anything that gets you to those controls.
Things aren't so hot for those not corrupted by the Core, either. The flickering visions you had yesterday turn into full-blown hallucinations today. These hallucinations are steeped heavily in your mental traumas and regrets. Perhaps you feel responsible for the death of a loved one- that person will appear and speak to you. Or perhaps you were attacked by someone in your past- now that attacker will stalk you through the ship. Perhaps your actions inadvertently caused a great disaster- victims of that disaster will appear to you, fingers pointing in blame. No matter what weakness of your mind is preyed upon, these hallucinations will chip away at your grasp of reality fairly quickly. They will do everything in their power to convince you to attack the others on the ship- be it through cajoling you or through simple trickery such as appearing before someone nearby, making you lash out at them, unaware you have struck the wrong target until it is too late. Worse still, everyone can see everyone else's hallucinations- there is no hiding from them or pretending they are not real. They are here and they are ready to push everyone into attacking one another. Those fully corrupted by the ship may see hallucinations of their own, too- but nothing overrides their desire to get the Core restarted.
Either through the efforts of those with tech-savvy skills, or from following old, tattered manuals you find stuffed behind a console, you are finally able to uncorrupt the ship's video files. The first shows the original Event Horizon crew, they are smiling and happy. The captain states they are about to open the Gravity Drive for the first time and hopes that soon they will be light years away from here, with minimal effort. Confidently, he smiles at the camera, stating "Ave, atque, vale. Hail and farewell." The screen suddenly goes fuzzy, and screams can be heard in the thick static. The screen goes dead. What follows are small video clips, tiny glimpses into madness. Once smiling happy crew go through a living nightmare as their world crashes down around them. You might see one sobbing about seeing her dead best friend she couldn't save, or perhaps another screaming at an invisible foe- you will even see the crew turn on each other, the camera catching the glint of a knife or a thrown punch. No matter what, it's clear that the previous crew went through exactly what you are going through now- and they destroyed one another over it.
There is one final video to play. This is of the captain, his face is bleeding from a deep gash in his cheek, and one arm hangs limp and useless at his side. In the background, screaming can be heard:
"I stashed the explosives around the Horizon. It's the only way to get the damned doors open. She won't let them free. She'll take them to hell. They won't even fight it. They're not interested."
Static fills the screen for a moment, and the screaming is louder, followed by banging. The captain gives a frustrated groan and smacks the camera with his good arm, clearing it up.
"If any of you are still alive, you've got to blow the doors apart. The ship's hull is designed to take it, just get into the umbilical and get the fuck out- it's oxygenated. Don't let her win. Don't let her drag you into hell with the rest of them. Don't-"
A loud CRASH occurs off-screen. The captain turns, to be tackled to the ground by someone else, covered in blood and barely recognizable as human. The figure drops to the ground on top of the captain, out of view of the camera. But his screams are heard. Terrified, bloodcurdling screams. When they stop. The figure stands. It's one of his crew, the woman who had been talking about her dead friend. She raises her hand, stained with blood, looking at it curiously for a moment, before turning to the camera.
"Liberate tutame ex inferis."
The video cuts out and there are no more.
The message is clear- the only way off the Event Horizon is to blow up the doors and get to the Lewis and Clark - preferably before the Gravity Core is activated again and you are all dragged, quite literally, into Hell.
Day FourSo now you know what you need to do. You need to find the explosives stashed around the Event Horizon and blow those doors to kingdom come. Not a simple task, with your corrupted friends and your own hallucinations trying to stop you from doing just that. You will likely have to fight your friends plenty in the search for the explosives- as the corrupted folks absolutely do not want you to escape. There are fives explosives to find, hidden in The control room, the engineering room, the med bay, the kitchen and finally, unhelpfully, near the controls of the Gravity Core. You will need to gather all of them and get them attached to the doors. They are, thankfully, simple to use and soon blow the doors clear off. They open to a yellow tube that leads into the waiting Lewis and Clark. There's no gravity in the tube, even if it is oxygenated, so you will have to float your way there. But...
The Event Horizon SHUDDERS in what you could only describe as anger when the doors are blown off. The captain's warning was right. The ship certainly doesn't want you to get away from this. The corrupted finally managed to get the Core started again, gleeful at pulling you all into hell. There is no switching it off, all you can do is fight your own hallucinations to get to the Lewis and Clark. Perhaps you have enough of your senses to try and pull the corrupted folks aboard with you- but they will fight you every step of the way. The only way you'll get them aboard the Lewis and Clark is by incapacitating them and dragging them to escape.
The Lewis and Clark is, blissfully, pre-programmed to return to Earth- though it may take a real long time to get there. Ship instructions bleep at you to put yourself into stasis for the long journey, but luckily, you do not need to worry about that. The Lewis and Clark pulls away from the Event Horizon- blasting quickly away. All you can see of it is a bright blue light as the Even Horizon swallows in on itself- taking whoever so remained on board with it. The hallucinations abruptly stop, and you are left only with the stark reality of all that has happened as the ship zooms forward.
After only about fifteen minutes on the Lewis and Clark, you feel yourself enveloped in a white light- then suddenly you'll find yourselves in a pile at the entrance to Blue Fish Park- as if you were spat out by any other spirit gate. Those who died on the Horizon will find themselves amongst you, none the worse for wear. Physically, at least. The corrupted will find their minds clear of the Core's influence, their memories of what they did aboard the ship can either either fuzzy or crystal clear. Regardless, you are now all back in Kaisou and safe- though the mental trauma of what happened may linger for a while.
The dominant element this month is Earth! Anyone with an affinity to the wind element will find themselves boosted throughout the month. This could mean a boost to their power, having more energy, feeling more inspired with creativity, having better luck on different attempts -- the boost can manifest in all sorts of different ways. By contrast, anyone with an affinity for Water will be experiencing the opposite. Perhaps their powers will be weaker, they have less energy, they're having a creative block or general worse luck - again it can manifest in all sorts of way and players are free to play with this mechanic as they'd like.
The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here. There will be a midmonth Zodiac post on the 15th. If you wish to have your character in this event, you MUST SIGN UP by October 6th.
Characters NOT involved in this plot ARE allowed to comment as hallucinations that the characters on the ship are seeing. However, these hallucinations are hallucinations ONLY. They cannot relay any information the hallucinating character doesn't already know, and the real version of the hallucinated character will have know memory of being a hallucination.
no subject
Oh, absolutely - setting it off without checking it thoroughly would be insane. I mean, if it does what they say it does, we definitely need to make sure power of that magnitude is contained, or it would absolutely send us to oblivion.
[This lad has learned to maybe NOT flip the insane switch that might kill everyone - progress!]
I've built a couple of transdimensional portals before [said in the same casual tone as one would state they baked a cake] I know for a fact they don't work so well in Kaisou. But this is something we could work with, if it's already functioning. Something the Spirit Realm might not have an adverse reaction to.
no subject
Ratio blinks at him blankly at the second assertion, though, expression tightening...and then he sighs, wings slumping just a little. Admitting to ignorance is painful, but he has to set a good example, particularly for a student. For a brilliant student more than anything else, actually. Varian is smart enough to learn math and physics out of books - taking classes might speed up the process, but Ratio is under no illusions that his own presence is necessary merely for that much. What Ratio can contribute is to be a role model, and that means owning up to his shortcomings when he uncovers them.]
...I'd be interested to see your notes on said interdimensional portals, if you have or could recreate them. As I've only been aware of the existence of magic for a few months, I'm afraid I don't have much empirical knowledge of the forces involved. [He grimaces slightly.] The university physics curriculum has never covered magic, as far as I'm aware.
no subject
Varian would very much agree with Ratio's conclusion there. He's learned plenty from books - his whole life was only learning from books. He can learn from books easily. But books don't teach you to be careful, they don't teach you to use mortality with whatever you're learning. That knowledge is great and amazing, but it shouldn't be achieved at any cost. Those were lessons he learned by making mistakes, and lessons he's continuing to learn with a more guiding hand keeping him from doing any real damage.
And so he hangs on Ratio's every word here.]
I'm happy to give you those when we get back. [When. Not if. He has to believe that.] I made one of them here, I wouldn't recommend trying it, but notes are fine. [He chuckles a little.] I hear you, it took me years to accept magic at all, much less that it could work with science. My home world was lousy with magic, and I pushed against that for a while. Until I uh... couldn't anymore. It gets easier.
no subject
I'm sure I'll adapt more completely given more time, especially now that the city as a whole seems to have calmed somewhat. [He didn't exactly feel like messing around with testing stuff in July and August while everyone was on edge.] And having some relevant reading material would certainly help. [Come to think of it, Waver had offered to lend him some alchemy books last month while they were Pokemon, too. Ratio should take him up on that.
When they get home.]
For the time being, I think I've nearly- [The computer screen he's working with flashes abruptly, the text Libera te tutemet ex inferis filling the screen for a moment, and then returns to normal - but he's in a different set of menus than he was before it did.] ...Damn it.
no subject
Hah, right? November might be uh... something, fair warning. The Yokai made a big deal that they were gonna come back then. Assuming that doesn't super kill all of us? I'll be happy to help you adapt if you need it. With books or whatever.
[Oh. Varian's expression drops as that flashes on the screen. Never in his life has he wished he could unlearn something, but right at that moment? He really wishes he hadn't studied dead languages for fun. ]
Oh. No. That's. That's bad.
no subject
...I don't suppose you know what tutemet means? [There's a very deliberately held calmness in his voice. Panic won't solve anything, but even without knowing that one word, the rest is pretty alarming.]
no subject
So when he speaks, his voice is measured, careful.]
Yeah. I know what it means. [God fucking damnit.] So. That's "free yourself from hell". That's - what's what I'm reading.
no subject
Then I suggest we switch focus. As much as I want to learn about how the core drive functions, we'd likely be better served by working out how to open the doors. [Still calm, if with a quiet intensity to his focus that wasn't there before. They're smart people, they can work their way out of this. Right now, emotions are only going to get in the way.
As always, it's harder to prevaricate with inhuman features than human ones: without realizing it, Ratio has extended his wing on Varian's side, a barrier of soft feathers now arched around behind the younger man as if to protect him from anything that might be behind them.]
no subject
[He's not being attacked by undead skeletons or being trapped in a magical gem with no escape or being encased in an unbreakable rock cage to be suspended over a couple hundred foot drop so right now it's not the worst thing he's dealt with, but he's been in Kaisou long enough to know how quickly these things can go downhill.
He catches the movement of Ratio's wing and is glad for it, it means he can let out a slow, steady breath. Panic won't help anyone right now. The space is enclosed, and panic will make things a thousand times worse.]
I have some vials of Flynnloium - it's a fuel source I created, but it works as a good explosive. I don't want to use it unless we have to, but if nothing else, that's a potential. I'd rather get them open the old-fashioned way first, though. Safer.
no subject
A serviceable backup plan, indeed. But yes, for now let's see if we can find the door controls, or whatever security systems are keeping them locked down.
[It's at this point that he seems to realize where his wing is. But Varian hasn't said anything, and it seems to be helping, so...maybe he'll just let it go and pretend that he meant to do that, rather than admit that he's still adjusting to having these extra appendages.] ...We have time. I don't know how much, but...until things take a turn for the worse, we can still get ahead of this situation.
no subject
Oh absolutely, that's uh- that's a last resort. I'm pretty sure the ship would withstand the blast, it's not as powerful as Quirineon [oh good! he has multiple homebrewed explosives!!] but I'd still rather avoid the risk if we can. I'm uh... not great at computers, admittedly, but there has to be something in there that can get them open.
[The comfort is welcome, honestly, and Varian knows extra limbs can be... tricky. Even over a year after the fact, the werewolf thing is still rough to get use to. ] Yeah, we can't lose our heads. The last thing we need is to start a panic. We need to keep everything as calm as possible for as long as possible.