⇨ POLARIS

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Days 102 - 109
Where: Polaris
What: With the Ringmaster kidnapped and the rest of the carnival imprisoned, characters find themselves at the mercy of a Winter Fae called the Mother of Invention.
Warnings: Graphic experimentation in places.

TRIALS & TRIBULATION↴ After a day of cleansing and processing, where all the belongings and attire of their old lives are stripped away and replaced with something newer and more form fitting, the former members of the carnival will find themselves let loose into the Farm for the first time. A sizable green area, filled with orchards growing inorganic looking fruits and field ready for tending, the Farm is where they will be spending their days for the forseeable future. Food and drink are no longer needed, and so every day is an endless cycle of work. Technicians are seen only when necessary, and when being taken from your place of work to your lonesome cells at night. Every day, there are new postings on the "Production Board", where various dire sound scientific trials ask for subjects. The majority won't be forced, at least not yet, but the system is at work to push its participants to the brink and force their hand. After all, volunteers make the best subjects. ► PRODUCTIVITY: As explained elsewhere, characters will be forced to compete to attain enough Productivity Point to be considered Satisfactory. There are literally not enough points to go around for everyone to attain this, which means that at least some people will be deemed "Below Expectations" by the end of the first four-day cycle. What this means has yet to be discovered, but the Technicians have grimly warned against it. Productivity involves many tasks, including orchard picking, tilling, planting, harvesting, watering, maintenance, and more. Any task you can think of that would take place on a plantation is applicable here. Beyond that, the Production Board awaits you, offering precious Productivity Points in exchange for your cooperation. How you become Satisfactory is up to you, but it's every person for themselves. Only one person can turn in the credit for harvesting or preparing fields, and while you can certainly try to help others by letting them take credit for your work, it's a sure fire way to fall behind the herd, especially if you are already in a low Classification. Fruits and fields will miraculously grow overnight, and will be ready for a new day when you are. You've been told not to eat anything you harvest, but right now you aren't hungry anyway. ► POLARIS BY NIGHT: During the night, you are left alone to your thoughts and maybe an annoying roommate. Solo or in pairs, the entire night will be spent in small sleep pods, as shown on the locations post. Is it possible to sneak out? It doesn't seem like it is, but who is to say? The real question is if you want to dare to try. There is one hour of rest before and after seven hours of darkness. Even if you don't usually have to sleep, you'll find yourself oddly weary and inclined to rest. Supernaturally, almost. ► PARTICIPATION: Sometimes participation in experimental trials is manditory, sometimes it isn't. You are free to handwave your character having been pulled aside for minor examinations, such as blood tests or aura scans. Each time, you will be pulled into a separate part of the station and analyzed by a Technician and heavily automated machinery. Anymore more complex than basic check-up level tests will be posted about in a section called "TRIALS" in the body of the post below.

Comments

[soft_focus]

Surprisingly she'd understand very quickly. She would also simply be naive enough to assume that it totally wasn't the only or best option and that anyone considering it to be was 'Super Dumb'. People did that to herself and the 'Lancers' back home to a lesser (PG) extent- it would make sense here, even if she didn't think of it initially.

But that's nothing that will come up now. Instead what does come up is something she agrees with more whole heartedly- "...Mnn. The things that happened in a few days always got people hurt, because people moved too fast," she remarks almost pointedly.

...One thing she's got to ask. "...Do you think 'trials' will make it easier?"

[kingsroads]

"I've no idea," Strange admits, with a little shrug. This is before the productivity results go up, he's not entirely sure how the trials relate to the rankings and what have you. He knows he'll probably do a trial if only to satiate his own curiosity (and probably brownnose), but he's got no idea what the trials do.

"It can't hurt, though."

[soft_focus]

Ah, well. Bugger. To that she'll just have to give a shrug. "I guess. ...I hope one I can do appears," she decides in the end. "...If I can do it, it probably won't be that bad."

She's accepted her lot in life as a seven year old, really. And that lot is 'not much, for the next few years'. "...I hope you find one you're good at too. ...one that doesn't seem 'bad', I mean."

Because that last bit isn't ominous right.

[kingsroads]

Thankfully, Strange bites his lip before he points out the obvious: nothing they've ever encountered so far gave a damn that Reira was a seven year old. Why would this place do something like that?

"I'm certain I'll find something eventually." And not just because he's going to casually suggest a few things to one of the Technicians. "I hope you find one that suits your taste."

[soft_focus]

So far, she's got that message loud and clear. Which is why if a trial actually seems to consider that, it's definitely going to be easy for everyone she figures.

She's also worried that if one DOESN'T, she won't be able to do one at all. The girl sighs. "It's not about taste," she grumbles, poking the last stretch of soil and standing. "...I just want to be allowed."

Qualify. The word she's looking for is 'Qualify'.

[kingsroads]

"Something will come up eventually," Strange responds, with a shrug. "If they want to have data on all of us, they'll find a way."

Whatever sort of bullshit test the technicians would come up with, Strange doesn't know. He just has a feeling that it might happen.

[soft_focus]

Phew. She seems to hope so, at least.

Anyway she's poked all she can poke, so that's that task done. "...Well. Thank you for telling me things at least," she decides in the end. "...I hope you make it." Up there. And all that. Also with working for that matter.

[kingsroads]

"I will," Strange simply says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. With a little nod at Reira, he starts to go back to work.